Chapter IV: Of Dismissed Religious Who Have Pronounced Perpetual Vows

§ 1. A professed person who has emitted perpetual vows, having been dismissed from a religion, remains bound by religious vows, with constitutions or indults of the Apostolic See which provide otherwise preserved.

§ 2. If he is a cleric constituted in minor orders, by that very fact he is reduced to the lay state.

A cleric in sacred orders who has committed some offense of which in can. 646, or has been dismissed on account of an offense which by common law is punished by infamy of law or by deposition or degradation, is perpetually prohibited from wearing ecclesiastical habit.

But if he is dismissed on account of offenses lesser than those of which in can. 670:

1° By that very fact he remains suspended, until he has obtained absolution from the Holy See.

2° The Sacred Congregation, if it has judged this expedient, is to command the dismissed person that, clothed in the habit of the secular clergy, he dwell in a certain diocese, the causes for which he was dismissed having been indicated to the Ordinary.

3° If the dismissed person has not obeyed the precept of which in n. 2, the religion is held to nothing, and the dismissed person is by that very fact deprived of the right of wearing ecclesiastical habit.

4° The Ordinary of the diocese designated for his residence is to send the religious into a house of penance, or to commit him to the care and vigilance of a pious and prudent priest; and if the religious does not obey, the prescription of n. 3 is to be observed.

5° The religion, through the hands of the Ordinary of the place of residence, is to supply a charitable subsidy to the dismissed person for the necessities for the sustenance of life, unless he can provide for himself from elsewhere.

6° If the dismissed person does not conduct a manner of life worthy of an ecclesiastical man, after a year has passed or even earlier, in the judgment of the Ordinary, he is to be deprived of the charitable subsidy, cast out from the house of penance, and the right of wearing ecclesiastical habit is to be taken from him by the Ordinary himself, who is immediately to take care to send an opportune report both to the Apostolic See and to the religion.

7° But if the dismissed person during the aforesaid time has conducted himself so laudably that he can deservedly be held truly amended, the Ordinary will commend his prayers to the Holy See for absolution from the censure of suspension, and, after it has been obtained, is to permit him in his diocese, with opportune cautions and limitations employed, the celebration of Mass and also, according to his own judgment and prudence, another sacred ministry from which he may be able to live honorably; in which case the religion can interrupt the charitable subsidy. But if there is question of a deacon or subdeacon, the matter is to be referred to the Holy See.

§ 1. A dismissed person, not released from vows emitted in religion, is bound to return to the cloisters; and if for a triennium he has given proofs of full amendment, the religion is bound to receive him; but if grave reasons obstruct, whether on the part of the religion or on the part of the religious, the matter is to be submitted to the judgment of the Apostolic See.

§ 2. Whenever, however, the vows emitted in religion have ceased, if the dismissed person has found a Bishop who is a benevolent receiver, he is to remain under his jurisdiction and special vigilance, with the prescription of can. 642 preserved; otherwise the matter is to be referred to the Holy See.