Chapter — 1917 Code of Canon Law
Chapter II: Of Confraternities and Pious Unions
Superseded as law in 1983 — read why this Code still matters. Each canon links to its 1983 counterpart.
§ 1. Associations of the faithful which have been erected for the exercise of some work of piety or charity come under the name of pious unions; and if they are constituted after the manner of an organic body, they are called sodalities.
§ 2. Sodalities erected also for the increase of public worship are called by the special name confraternities.
§ 1. Associationes fidelium quae ad exercitium alicuius operis pietatis aut caritatis erectae sunt, nomine veniunt piarum unionum; quae, si ad modum organici corporis sint constitutae, sodalitia audiunt.
§ 2. Sodalitia vero in incrementum quoque publici cultus erecta, speciali nomine confraternitates appellantur.
Confraternities can be constituted only by a formal decree of erection; but for pious unions the approval of the Ordinary suffices, by which, once obtained, they, although they are not moral persons, are nevertheless capable of obtaining spiritual graces and especially indulgences.
Confraternitates nonnisi per formale erectionis decretum constitui possunt; pro piis autem unionibus sufficit Ordinarii approbatio, qua obtenta, ipsae, licet morales personae non sint, capaces tamen sunt obtinendi gratias spirituales ac praesertim indulgentias.
§ 1. Confreres cannot perform service at sacred functions unless they wear the habit or insignia of the confraternity.
§ 2. Women can be enrolled in confraternities only for gaining the indulgences and spiritual graces granted to the confreres.
§ 1. Confratres nequeunt sacris functionibus operam praestare, nisi confraternitatis habitum seu insignia deferant.
§ 2. Mulieres confraternitatibus adscribi tantum possunt ad lucrandas indulgentias et gratias spirituales confratribus concessas.
The title or name of a confraternity or pious union is to be taken either from the attributes of God, or from the mysteries of the Christian religion, or from feasts of the Lord and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or from the Saints, or from the pious work of the sodality itself.
Titulus seu nomen confraternitatis vel piae unionis desumatur vel a Dei attributis, vel a christianae religionis mysteriis, vel a festis Domini et Beatae Virginis Mariae, vel a Sanctis, vel a pio opere ipsius sodalitii.
§ 1. Several confraternities or pious unions of the same title and purpose are not to be erected or approved in the same place, unless this has been specially granted to them or provided by law; but if there is question of large cities, this is lawful, provided that there intervenes between them a suitable distance, in the judgment of the local Ordinary.
§ 2. Local Ordinaries are to take care that in each parish confraternities of the Most Holy Sacrament and of Christian doctrine are established; these, legitimately erected, are by the law itself aggregated to the same Archconfraternities erected in Rome by the Cardinal Vicar of the City.
§ 1. Plures confraternitates vel piae uniones eiusdem tituli ac instituti, nisi id eis specialiter concessum sit aut iure cautum, ne erigantur neve approbentur in eodem loco; si vero agatur de magnis civitatibus, id licet, dummodo inter ipsas intercedat conveniens, iudicio Ordinarii loci, distantia.
§ 2. Curent locorum Ordinarii ut in qualibet paroecia instituantur confraternitates sanctissimi Sacramenti, ac doctrinae christianae; quae, legitime erectae, ipso iure aggregatae sunt eisdem Archiconfraternitatibus in Urbe a Cardinali Urbis Vicario erectis.
§ 1. Confraternities or pious unions are not to be erected except in a church or public or at least semi-public oratory.
§ 2. They are not to be instituted in a cathedral or collegiate church without the consent of the Chapter.
§ 3. In churches or oratories of religious women, the local Ordinary can permit the erection of an association of women only, or of a pious union which is devoted only to prayers and enjoys only the communication of spiritual graces.
§ 1. Confraternitates vel piae uniones ne erigantur, nisi in ecclesia aut oratorio publico vel saltem semi-publico.
§ 2. Ne instituantur, sine Capituli consensu, in ecclesia cathedrali aut collegiali.
§ 3. In ecclesiis vel oratoriis religiosarum Ordinarius loci permittere potest erectionem associationis mulierum tantum, aut piae unionis quae nonnisi precationibus incumbat et gratiarum dumtaxat spiritualium communicatione gaudeat.
§ 1. Religious, with confraternities or pious unions erected by themselves, can and must communicate all and only those spiritual graces which in the faculties received from the Apostolic See are specifically and by name declared communicable, and these must be manifested to individuals in the act of erection, with the prescription of can. 919 preserved.
§ 2. Confraternities erected by the same are not permitted to assume a proper garment or insignia, which are to be worn in public processions and other sacred functions, without the special permission of the local Ordinary.
§ 1. Religiosi cum confraternitatibus piisve unionibus a se erectis possunt et debent communicare omnes et solas gratias spirituales, quae in facultatibus a Sede Apostolica receptis specifice et nominatim communicabiles declarentur, eaeque in actu erectionis manifestandae sunt singulis, servato praescripto can. 919.
§ 2. Confraternitatibus, ab iisdem erectis, non licet vestem propriam seu insignia, quae in publicis processionibus aliisque sacris functionibus deferenda sunt, assumere sine speciali Ordinarii loci licentia.
A confraternity is not to lay aside or change its proper habit or insignia without permission of the local Ordinary.
Confraternitas proprium habitum vel insignia, sine licentia Ordinarii loci, ne dimittat neve immutet.
§ 1. To preside over assemblies of confraternities, even those to be celebrated in churches and oratories of regulars, either personally or through a delegate, yet without the right of vote; to confirm worthy and suitable elected officials and ministers; to reject or remove the unworthy or unsuitable; and to correct and approve statutes or other ordinances, unless they have been approved by the Apostolic See, belongs to the local Ordinary.
§ 2. Concerning the celebration of extraordinary assemblies, a confraternity is to give timely notice to the local Ordinary or his delegate; otherwise the Ordinary has the right of preventing the assemblies or of wholly invalidating their decrees.
§ 1. Comitiis confraternitatum, etsi in regularium ecclesiis et oratoriis celebrandis, per se vel per delegatum praeesse sine iure tamen suffragii, dignos et idoneos officiales et ministros electos confirmare, indignos vel non idoneos respuere aut removere, statuta aliasve ordinationes, nisi a Sede Apostolica approbatae fuerint, corrigere et approbare, pertinet ad loci Ordinarium.
§ 2. De comitiorum extraordinariorum celebratione confraternitas Ordinarium loci eiusve delegatum tempestive praemoneat; secus Ordinario ius est comitia impediendi vel eorum decreta penitus infirmandi.
§ 1. Confraternities and pious unions erected in their own churches can exercise non-parochial functions, with the things to be observed having been observed, independently of the pastor, provided they do not harm parochial ministry in the parochial church.
§ 2. The same is to be observed also in the case in which the parish has been erected in the church itself of the confraternity.
§ 3. In doubt whether the functions of a confraternity or pious union harm parochial ministry or not, the right of deciding belongs to the local Ordinary, and likewise that of establishing practical norms to be observed.
§ 1. Confraternitates et piae uniones, in propriis ecclesiis erectae, functiones non paroeciales, servatis servandis, independenter a parocho exercere possunt, dummodo ministerio paroeciali in paroeciali ecclesia non noceant.
§ 2. Idem servetur etiam in casu quo paroecia erecta sit in ipsa confraternitatis ecclesia.
§ 3. In dubio utrum functiones confraternitatis vel piae unionis noceant, necne, ministerio paroeciali, ad Ordinarium loci spectat ius decidendi, itemque statuendi practicas normas servandas.
§ 1. If they have been erected in churches not their own, they can perform their proper ecclesiastical functions only in the chapel or altar in which they have been erected, according to the norm of can. 716 and of particular statutes.
§ 2. The patrimony of a confraternity or pious union which has been erected in a church not its own, or whose church is at the same time a parochial church, must be separated from the goods of the fabric or community.
§ 1. Si in ecclesiis non suis erectae sint, proprias functiones ecclesiasticas in sacello tantum vel altari, in quo sunt erectae, peragere possunt ad normam can. 716 et peculiarium statutorum.
§ 2. Patrimonium confraternitatis et piae unionis, quae erecta sit in ecclesia non sua, aut cuius ecclesia sit simul ecclesia paroecialis, debet esse separatum a bonis fabricae vel communitatis.
Confraternities are held to be present collegially with their own insignia and under their own banner at customary processions and at others which the local Ordinary has proclaimed, unless the Ordinary has prescribed otherwise.
Confraternitates processionibus consuetis et aliis, quas Ordinarius loci indixerit, tenentur collegialiter cum propriis insignibus et sub proprio vexillo interesse, nisi Ordinarius aliud praescripserit.
§ 1. With the consent of the local Ordinary, a confraternity or pious union can be transferred from one seat to another, unless transfer is prohibited by law or by statutes approved by the Apostolic See.
§ 2. Whenever there is question of transferring a confraternity or pious union reserved to some religion, the consent of the Superior is to be required.
§ 1. De Ordinarii loci consensu confraternitas vel pia unio de alia ad aliam sedem transferri potest, nisi iure aut statutis a Sede Apostolica probatis translatio prohibeatur.
§ 2. Quoties agatur de transferenda confraternitate vel pia unione alicui religioni reservata, Superioris consensus est requirendus.