Chapter I: Of Superiors and Chapters

§ 1. All religious are subject to the Roman Pontiff as supreme Superior, whom they are bound to obey also by force of the vow of obedience.

§ 2. The Cardinal Protector of any religion, unless something else has been expressly provided in particular cases, has no jurisdiction over the religion or over individual members, nor can he involve himself in internal discipline and the administration of goods, but it is only his part to promote the good of the religion by counsel and patronage.

§ 1. Religious are also subject to the local Ordinary, except those who have obtained from the Apostolic See the privilege of exemption, always with the power preserved which the law grants to local Ordinaries even over them.

§ 2. Nuns who are under the jurisdiction of regular Superiors from the prescription of the constitutions are subject to the local Ordinary only in cases expressed by law.

§ 3. No religion of men without a special apostolic indult can have religious Congregations of women subject to itself or retain to itself the care and direction of those religious women as specially commended.

§ 1. Superiors and Chapters, according to the norm of the constitutions and of common law, have dominative power over subjects; but in an exempt clerical religion, they have ecclesiastical jurisdiction both for the internal forum and for the external forum.

§ 2. It is strictly prohibited to any Superiors whatever to involve themselves in causes pertaining to the Holy Office.

§ 3. The Abbot Primate and Superior of a monastic Congregation do not have all power and jurisdiction which common law attributes to major Superiors, but their power and jurisdiction is to be taken from their proper constitutions and from the peculiar decrees of the Holy See, with the prescription of canons 655, 1594, Sec. 4 remaining firm.

The supreme Moderator of a religion obtains power over all provinces, houses, and members of the religion, to be exercised according to the constitutions; other Superiors enjoy that power within the limits of their office.

Major Superiors in exempt clerical religions can constitute notaries, but only for the ecclesiastical affairs of their religion.

With the proper constitutions of any religion remaining firm, which may require more advanced age and other more important requisites, those are incapable of the office of major Superior who have not been professed in the same religion for at least ten years, to be computed from first profession, who were not born of legitimate marriage, and who have not completed forty years of age, if there is question of the supreme Moderator of the religion or of an Abbess in a monastery of nuns; thirty years, if there is question of other major Superiors.

Major Superiors are to be temporary, unless the constitutions provide otherwise; but local minor Superiors are not to be constituted for a time beyond three years; when this has elapsed, they can be assumed again to the same office if the constitutions so provide, but not a third time immediately in the same religious house.

§ 1. Before one comes to the election of major Superiors in religions of men, all and each from the Chapter are to promise by oath that they will elect those whom they shall have judged according to God ought to be elected.

§ 2. In monasteries of nuns, the local Ordinary or his delegate, with two priest scrutineers, presides over the assembly for electing the Abbess, without however entering the enclosure, if the nuns are subject to him; otherwise, the regular Superior; but even in this case the Ordinary must be notified in good time of the day and hour of election, at which he can assist, together with the regular Superior, by himself or through another, and, if he assists, preside.

§ 3. The ordinary confessors of the nuns themselves are not to be assumed as scrutineers.

§ 4. In Congregations of women, the local Ordinary in whose place the election is conducted presides, by himself or through another, over the election of the Superior General; to him, if there is question of Congregations of diocesan right, it is free, by office of conscience, to confirm or rescind the completed election.

§ 1. In elections which are made by Chapters, the common law of which in canons 160-182 is to be observed, besides the constitutions of each religion which are not contrary to it.

§ 2. All are to beware of the direct or indirect procuring of votes, both for themselves and for others.

§ 3. Postulation can be admitted only in an extraordinary case and provided it is not prohibited in the constitutions.

In his own house each Superior is to dwell and not depart from it except according to the norm of the constitutions.

§ 1. Every Superior must promote among his subjects knowledge and execution of the decrees of the Holy See which regard religious.

§ 2. Local Superiors are to take care:

1° That at least once in the year, on fixed days, the proper constitutions be publicly read, and likewise the decrees which the Holy See prescribes to be publicly read.

2° That at least twice in the month, with the prescription of can. 565, Sec. 2 remaining firm, instruction of Christian catechesis be held for converts and domestics, accommodated to the condition of the hearers, and, especially in lay religions, a pious exhortation to all of the household.

The Abbot Primate, the Superior of a monastic Congregation, and the supreme Moderator of any religion of pontifical right must every fifth year, or more often if the constitutions so provide, send to the Holy See a report concerning the state of the religion by a document signed by himself with his Council and, if there is question of a Congregation of women, also by the local Ordinary in whose place the supreme Superior with her Council resides.

The major Superiors of religions whom the constitutions designate for this office are to visit, at the times defined in the same, all houses subject to them, by themselves or through others if they have been legitimately impeded.

§ 1. The local Ordinary, by himself or through another, must visit every fifth year:

1° Each monastery of nuns which is immediately subject to him or to the Apostolic See.

2° Each house, whether of men or of women, of a Congregation of diocesan right.

§ 2. At the same time he must also visit:

1° Monasteries of nuns which are subject to regulars, concerning those things which regard the law of enclosure; indeed also concerning all other things, if the regular Superior has not visited them for five years.

2° Each house of a clerical Congregation of pontifical right, even exempt, in those things which pertain to the church, sacristy, public oratory, and seat for the sacrament of penance.

3° Each house of a lay Congregation of pontifical right, not only in those things of which in the preceding number, but also in other things which regard internal discipline, according however to the norm of can. 618, Sec. 2, n. 2.

§ 3. As regards the administration of goods, the prescriptions of canons 532-535 are to be observed.

§ 1. The visitor has the right and office of interrogating the religious whom he shall have judged it fitting and of knowing concerning those things which regard the visitation; moreover all religious are held by the obligation of responding according to truth, nor is it lawful for Superiors in any way to turn them away from this obligation or otherwise impede the purpose of the visitation.

§ 2. Against decrees of the visitor recourse is given only in devolutive effect, unless the visitor has proceeded in judicial order.

§ 1. In every clerical religion, Superiors have the right and office, by themselves or through another, of ministering Eucharistic Viaticum and extreme unction to sick professed members, novices, and others dwelling day and night in the religious house by reason of service, education, hospitality, or infirm health.

§ 2. In a house of nuns the ordinary confessor, or the one who acts in his place, has the same right and office.

§ 3. In another lay religion this right and office belongs to the pastor of the place or to the chaplain whom the Ordinary shall have substituted for the pastor according to the norm of can. 464, Sec. 2.

§ 4. In funerals the prescription of canons 1221, 1230, Sec. 5 is to be observed.

Titles of dignities or offices which are merely honorific are prohibited; only, if the constitutions permit it, are titles of major offices tolerated, which religious have actually performed in their own religion.

§ 1. The supreme Moderator of a religion or of a monastic Congregation, the provincial Superior, and the local Superior at least of a formed house are to have their counselors, whose consent or counsel they are to seek according to the norm of the constitutions and of the sacred canons.

§ 2. There are also to be economes for the administration of temporal goods: a general one who administers the goods of the whole religion, a provincial one who administers those of the province, and a local one who administers those of individual houses; all of whom are to perform their office under the direction of the Superior.

§ 3. The Superior himself cannot carry out the office of general and provincial econome; but the office of local econome, although better distinguished from the office of Superior, can nevertheless be combined with it if necessity requires this.

§ 4. If the constitutions are silent concerning the manner of electing economes, they are to be elected by the major Superior with the consent of his Council.

§ 1. Any religion of men of pontifical right is to have a procurator general who, designated according to the constitutions, conducts the affairs of his own religion before the Holy See.

§ 2. Before the time prescribed in the constitutions expires, he is not to be removed without the Apostolic See having been consulted.