Chapter I: Of the Provision of Ecclesiastical Offices

§ 1. An ecclesiastical office cannot be validly obtained without canonical provision.

§ 2. Under the name of canonical provision comes the granting of an ecclesiastical office by competent ecclesiastical authority according to the norm of the sacred canons.

§ 1. Provision of an ecclesiastical office is made either by free conferral from a legitimate Superior; or by his institution, if presentation by a patron or nomination has preceded; or by his confirmation or admission, if election or postulation has preceded; or finally by simple election and acceptance by the one elected, if the election does not need confirmation.

§ 2. Concerning the provision of offices by institution, the prescriptions of canons 1448-1471 are to be observed.

Those elected, postulated, presented, or nominated by any persons whatsoever to ecclesiastical offices are not to be confirmed, admitted, or instituted by a Superior below the Roman Pontiff unless they have first been found suitable by their own Ordinary, even by examination, if the law or the nature of the office requires it or the Ordinary has judged it opportune.

§ 1. Provision of an office not vacant by law according to the norm of can. 183, Sec. 1, is by that very fact void, nor does it become valid by a subsequent vacancy.

§ 2. Nor does the promise of the same office, whoever promised it, produce any juridical effect.

An office vacant by law which perhaps is still illegitimately possessed by someone can be conferred, provided it has been duly declared according to the sacred canons that this possession is not legitimate, and mention of this declaration is made in the letters of conferral.