Article II: Of the Instruction of Novices

The novitiate begins by reception of the habit, or in another manner prescribed in the constitutions.

§ 1. A house of novitiate is to be erected according to the norm of the constitutions; but if there is question of a religion of pontifical right, for erecting it the permission of the Apostolic See is necessary.

§ 2. Several houses of novitiate in the same province, if the religion is divided into provinces, cannot be designated except for a grave cause and with a special apostolic indult.

§ 3. Superiors are not to place in a house of novitiate and studies except religious who are an example by zeal for regular observance.

§ 1. Besides the other things which are enumerated in can. 543 for the validity of the novitiate, in order that the novitiate be valid, it must be carried out:

1° After at least the completed fifteenth year of age.

2° For an entire and continuous year.

3° In the house of novitiate.

§ 2. If a longer time is prescribed in the constitutions for the novitiate, that is not required for the validity of profession, unless something else is expressly said in the same constitutions.

§ 1. The novitiate is interrupted, so that it must be begun anew and completed, if the novice, dismissed by the Superior, has gone out from the house, or has left the house without his permission not intending to return, or has remained outside the house, even intending to return, beyond thirty days, whether continuous or non-continuous, from any cause whatsoever, even with the permission of Superiors.

§ 2. If the novice has remained outside the precincts of the house beyond fifteen, but not beyond thirty days, even non-continuous, with permission of Superiors or compelled by force, under the obedience of the Superior, for the validity of the novitiate it is necessary and sufficient to supply the days spent in this way; if not beyond fifteen days, supplementation can be prescribed by Superiors, but is not necessary for validity.

§ 3. Superiors are not to grant permission of remaining outside the precincts of the novitiate except for a just and grave cause.

§ 4. If the novice is transferred by Superiors into another house of novitiate of the same religion, the novitiate is not interrupted.

The entire novitiate is to be carried out in the habit which the constitutions prescribe for novices, unless special circumstances of places demand otherwise.

In religions in which there are two classes of members, the novitiate carried out for one class does not have force for the other.

§ 1. A Master is to be placed over the instruction of novices, who is at least thirty-five years old, professed for at least ten years from first profession, conspicuous for prudence, charity, piety, and observance of the religion, and, if there is question of a clerical religion, constituted in the priesthood.

§ 2. If because of the number of novices or another just cause it has seemed expedient, a companion is to be joined to the Master of novices, immediately subject to him in those things which regard the governance of the novitiate, at least thirty years old, professed for at least five years from first profession, with the other necessary and opportune qualities.

§ 3. Each must be free from all offices and burdens which could impede the care and governance of novices.

The Master of novices and his companion are to be chosen according to the norm of the constitutions, and if any time for the duration of the office is prescribed in these, during that time they are not to be removed without a just and grave cause; but the same persons can be chosen again.

§ 1. To the Master alone belongs the right and duty of providing for the instruction of novices, and to him alone pertains the governance of the novitiate, so that it is lawful for no one to involve himself in these things under any pretext, except the Superiors to whom this is permitted by the constitutions and the Visitators; but as regards the discipline of the whole house, the Master, just as the novices, is subject to the Superior.

§ 2. The novice is subject to the power of the Master and of the Superiors of the religion and is held to obey them.

The Master of novices is held by a grave obligation of applying every diligence so that his pupils may be diligently exercised in religious discipline, according to the constitutions, according to the norm of can. 565.

Within the year of novitiate the Master, according to the norm of the constitutions, is to exhibit a report concerning the manner of acting of each pupil to the Chapter or major Superior.

§ 1. The novitiate is to be separated, as far as possible, from that part of the house in which the professed dwell, so that, without a special cause and the permission of the Superior or Master, novices have no communication with the professed, nor the latter with the novices.

§ 2. A separate place is to be assigned to lay-brother novices.

§ 1. The year of novitiate, under the discipline of the Master, must have this purpose: that the mind of the pupil be formed by zeal for the rule and constitutions, by pious meditations and assiduous prayer, by learning thoroughly those things which pertain to vows and virtues, and by exercises opportune for radically extirpating the seeds of vices, for restraining movements of the soul, and for acquiring virtues.

§ 2. Lay brothers, moreover, are to be diligently instructed in Christian doctrine, by a special conference held for them at least once a week.

§ 3. In the year of novitiate, novices are not to be destined for giving sermons or hearing confessions or for exterior duties of the religion, nor are they to be occupied by set effort in studies of letters, sciences, or arts; but lay brothers in the religious house itself can perform the offices of lay brothers only so far (not however as primary officials) as they are not impeded from the exercises of the novitiate established for them.

§ 1. Concerning the priest for confessions in novitiates of women, the prescriptions of canons 520-527 are to be observed.

§ 2. In religions of men, with the prescription of can. 519 preserved:

1° According to the number of novices, one or several ordinary confessors are to be had, with the prescription of can. 891 preserved.

2° The ordinary confessors, if there is question of a clerical religion, are to dwell in the house of novitiate itself; if of a lay religion, they are at least frequently to come to the house of novitiate to hear the confessions of the novices.

3° Besides the ordinary confessors, some confessors are to be designated whom the novices can freely approach in particular cases, and the Master is not to show that he bears this with difficulty.

4° At least four times in the year an extraordinary confessor is to be given to the novices, to whom all are to approach at least to receive a blessing.

§ 1. Novices enjoy all privileges and spiritual graces granted to the religion; and if they are anticipated by death, they have the right to the same suffrages which are prescribed for the professed.

§ 2. During the novitiate they are not to be promoted to orders.

In the course of the novitiate, if a novice has in any way renounced or obligated his benefices or goods, the renunciation or obligation is not only illicit, but void by the law itself.

§ 1. Before profession of simple vows, whether temporary or perpetual, the novice must, for the whole time during which he will be bound by simple vows, cede the administration of his goods to whomever he prefers and, unless the constitutions provide otherwise, freely dispose concerning their use and usufruct.

§ 2. This cession and disposition, if it was omitted because of lack of goods and these later supervene, or if it was made and afterwards other goods come by whatever title, is to be made or repeated according to the norms established in Sec. 1, notwithstanding simple profession already emitted.

§ 3. A novice in a religious Congregation, before profession of temporary vows, is freely to make a testament concerning present goods or goods perhaps to come to him.

§ 1. Unless in the constitutions or by express agreement something to be paid for food and religious habit when entering postulancy or novitiate is provided, nothing can be required for the expenses of postulancy or novitiate.

§ 2. Those things which the aspirant brought and which have not been consumed by use, if he leaves the religion without profession having been emitted, are to be restored to him.

§ 1. A novice can freely leave the religion, or can be dismissed by Superiors or by the Chapter, according to the constitutions, for any just cause, without the Superior or Chapter being held to disclose the cause of dismissal to the one dismissed.

§ 2. When the novitiate has been completed, if he is judged suitable, the novice is to be admitted to profession; otherwise he is to be dismissed; if doubt remains whether he is suitable, the time of probation can be prolonged by major Superiors, but not beyond six months.

§ 3. For vows to be pronounced, the novice is to premise spiritual exercises for at least eight full days.