Chapter — 1917 Code of Canon Law
Chapter I: Of the Dismissal of Religious Who Have Pronounced Temporary Vows
Superseded as law in 1983 — read why this Code still matters. Each canon links to its 1983 counterpart.
§ 1. A professed person with temporary vows, whether in Orders or in Congregations of pontifical right, can be dismissed by the supreme Moderator of the religion or the Abbot of a monastery sui iuris with the consent of each one's Council manifested by secret votes, or, if there is question of nuns, by the local Ordinary and, if the monastery is subject to regulars, the regular Superior, after the Abbess of the monastery with her Council has made attestation concerning the causes in writing; in Congregations of diocesan right, however, by the local Ordinary in whose place the religious house is situated, who nevertheless is not to use his right when Moderators are unaware or justly dissent.
§ 2. All these, their conscience being gravely burdened, cannot dismiss a religious unless those things which follow have been observed:
1° The causes of dismissal must be grave.
2° They can lie either on the part of the religion or on the part of the religious. Defect of religious spirit which is a scandal to others is a sufficient cause of dismissal if repeated admonition together with salutary penance has come to nothing, but not poor health, unless it is certainly clear that it had been deceitfully kept back or concealed before profession.
3° Although they must be certainly known to the dismissing Superior, nevertheless it is not necessary that they be proved by a formal trial. But they must always be manifested to the religious, with full permission of responding given to the same; and his responses are to be faithfully submitted to the dismissing Superior.
4° Against a decree of dismissal the religious has the faculty of recourse to the Apostolic See; and while recourse is pending, the dismissal has no juridic effect.
5° If there is question of women, the prescription of can. 643, Sec. 2 must be observed.
§ 1. Professum a votis temporariis sive in Ordinibus sive in Congregationibus iuris pontificii dimittere potest supremus religionis Moderator vel Abbas monasterii sui iuris cum consensu sui cuiusque Consilii per secreta suffragia manifestato, vel, si agatur de monialibus, Ordinarius loci et, si monasterium sit regularibus obnoxium, Superior regularis, postquam monasterii Antistita cum suo Consilio fidem de causis scripto fecerit; in Congregationibus vero iuris dioecesani, Ordinarius loci in quo religiosa domus sita est, qui tamen iure suo ne utatur Moderatoribus insciis vel iuste dissentientibus.
§ 2. Ii omnes, graviter eorum onerata conscientia, religiosum dimittere nequeunt, nisi servatis quae sequuntur:
1° Causae dimissionis debent esse graves;
2° Possunt se habere sive ex parte religionis sive ex parte religiosi. Defectus spiritus religiosi qui aliis scandalo sit, est sufficiens dimissionis causa, si repetita monitio una cum salutari poenitentia incassum cesserit, non vero infirma valetudo, nisi certo constet eam ante professionem fuisse dolose reticitam aut dissimulatam;
3° Licet Superiori dimittenti certo innotescere debeant, non est tamen necesse ut formali iudicio comprobentur. At religioso semper manifestari debent, data eidem plena respondendi licentia; eiusque responsiones Superiori dimittenti fideliter subiiciantur;
4° Contra dimissionis decretum est religioso facultas recurrendi ad Sedem Apostolicam; et pendente recursu, dimissio nullum habet iuridicum effectum;
5° Si de mulieribus agatur, servari debet praescriptum can. 643, § 2.
A religious dismissed according to the norm of can. 647 is by that very fact released from all religious vows, with the burdens attached to a major order preserved if he is in sacred orders, and with the prescription of can. 641, Sec. 1, 642 remaining firm; moreover a cleric constituted in minor orders is by that very fact reduced to the lay state.