Title XVII: Of Societies, Whether of Men or of Women, Living in Common Without Vows

§ 1. A society, whether of men or of women, in which the members imitate the manner of life of religious, dwelling in common under the governance of Superiors according to approved constitutions, but are not bound by the three customary public vows, is not properly a religion, nor are its members properly designated by the name of religious.

§ 2. A society of this sort is clerical or lay, of pontifical or diocesan right according to the norm of can. 488, nn. 3, 4.

Concerning the erection and suppression of a society and of its provinces or houses, the same things are valid which have been established concerning religious Congregations.

Governance is determined in the constitutions of each society; but in all things canons 499-530 are to be observed, congruent things being referred to congruent things.

§ 1. A society and its provinces and houses are capable of acquiring and possessing temporal goods.

§ 2. The administration of goods is governed by the prescription of canons 532-537.

§ 3. Whatever comes to the members in view of the society is acquired for the same; other goods the members retain, acquire, and administer according to the constitutions.

In admitting candidates the constitutions are to be observed, with the prescription of can. 542 preserved.

In those things which pertain to the plan of studies and to orders to be received, members are held by the same laws as secular clerics, with peculiar prescriptions given by the Holy See preserved.

§ 1. Members of a society, besides the obligations to which, as members, they are bound according to the constitutions, are held by the common obligations of clerics, unless from the nature of the matter or from the context of the language something else is clear, and likewise they must stand by the prescriptions of canons 595-612, unless the constitutions provide otherwise.

§ 2. They are to observe enclosure according to the norm of the constitutions under the vigilance of the local Ordinary.

The same members, even lay members, enjoy the privileges of clerics, of which in canons 119-123, and others directly granted to the society, but not the privileges of religious without a special indult.

Besides the constitutions proper to each society, concerning transfer to another society or to some religion, or concerning the departure of members from a society even of pontifical right, the prescriptions of canons 632-635, 645 are to be observed, congruent things being referred to congruent things; concerning their dismissal, the prescriptions of canons 646-672.