Title XIV: Of Transfer to Another Religion

A religious cannot transfer to another religion, even a stricter one, or from a monastery sui iuris to another, without the authority of the Apostolic See.

§ 1. One transferring to another religion must make a novitiate; during it, while the vows remain, the particular rights and obligations which he had in the religion left behind remain suspended, and he himself is held by the obligation of obeying the Superiors of the new religion and the Master of novices himself, also by reason of the vow of obedience.

§ 2. If in the religion to which he has transferred he does not emit profession, he must return to the former religion, unless meanwhile the time of the vows has expired.

§ 3. One transferring to another monastery of the same Order neither makes a novitiate nor emits a new profession.

One solemnly professed or professed with perpetual simple vows, if he transfers to another religion with solemn or perpetual simple vows, after the novitiate, with the temporary profession of which in can. 574 omitted, is either to be admitted to solemn or perpetual simple profession, or to return to the former religion; nevertheless the Superior has the right of proving him longer, but not beyond a year from the completed novitiate.

Those transferring to another monastery of the same religion, from the day of transfer, but to another religion, from the new profession emitted:

1° Lose all rights and obligations of the prior religion or monastery and take up the rights and offices of the other.

2° The religion or monastery from which they come keeps the goods which had already been acquired for it by reason of the religious himself; as regards his dowry or its fruits and other personal goods, if the religious has any, the prescription of can. 551, Sec. 2 is to be observed; finally the new religion has the right, for the time of the novitiate, to a just compensation, if there is place for it according to the norm of can. 570, Sec. 1.

Solemnity of vows is extinguished by that very fact in one who legitimately pronounces simple vows in a religious Congregation according to the preceding canons, unless something else is expressly provided in the apostolic indult.