Chapter II: Of Privileges

§ 1. Any religion enjoys only those privileges which either are contained in this Code or have been directly granted to it by the Apostolic See, any communication being excluded for the future.

§ 2. The privileges by which a regular Order rejoices belong also to the nuns of the same Order, insofar as they are capable of them.

Religious, even lay religious and novices, enjoy the privileges of clerics of which in canons 119-123.

Regulars, novices not excluded, whether men or women, with their houses and churches, excepting those nuns who are not subject to regular Superiors, are exempt from the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary, except in cases expressed by law.

§ 1. Regulars living illegitimately outside the house, even under the pretext of going to Superiors, do not enjoy the privilege of exemption.

§ 2. If they commit an offense outside the house and are not punished by their own Superior after he has been warned, they can be punished by the local Ordinary, even if they departed from the house legitimately and have returned to the house.

§ 1. If abuses have crept into the houses of regulars or of other exempt religious, or into their churches, and the Superior, after being warned, has neglected to provide, the local Ordinary is held by the obligation of immediately referring the matter to the Apostolic See.

§ 2. A house that is not formed remains under the peculiar vigilance of the local Ordinary, who, if abuses have crept in and have been a scandal to the faithful, can himself meanwhile provide by himself.

§ 1. Religions of simple vows do not enjoy the privilege of exemption, unless it has been specially granted to them.

§ 2. Nevertheless, in religions of pontifical right, it is not lawful for the local Ordinary:

1° To change the constitutions in any way or to take cognizance of economic matters, with the prescription of canons 533-535 preserved.

2° To insert himself into internal governance and discipline, except in cases expressed in law; nevertheless in lay religions he can and must inquire whether discipline flourishes according to the norm of the constitutions, whether sound doctrine or probity of morals has suffered any detriment, whether there has been an offense against enclosure, whether the Sacraments are received with equitable and established frequency; and, if Superiors, warned perhaps about grave abuses, have not opportunely provided, he is to provide by himself; but if matters of greater importance occur which brook no delay, he is to decree at once, and refer the decree to the Holy See.

In all matters in which religious are subject to the local Ordinary, they can also be coerced by him with penalties.

Through an indult legitimately granted by the local Ordinary, the obligation of common law ceases also for all religious dwelling in the diocese, with the vows and proper constitutions of any religion preserved.

§ 1. Regulars who by institute are called and are mendicants are able to seek alms in the diocese where their religious house is constituted by permission of their own Superiors alone; outside the diocese, however, they need besides the permission given in writing by the local Ordinary in whose place they desire to collect alms.

§ 2. Local Ordinaries, especially of neighboring dioceses, are not to deny or revoke this permission except for grave and urgent causes, if the religious house can in no way live from begging in the diocese alone in which it is constituted.

§ 1. All other religious of Congregations of pontifical right, without a peculiar privilege of the Holy See, are prohibited from seeking alms; if they have obtained this privilege, they will besides need permission given in writing by the local Ordinary, unless it has been provided otherwise in the privilege itself.

§ 2. Religious of Congregations of diocesan right can in no way seek alms without permission given in writing both by the local Ordinary in whose place their house is situated and by the local Ordinary in whose place they desire to seek alms.

§ 3. To the religious of whom in Secs. 1 and 2 of this canon, local Ordinaries are not to grant permission of seeking alms, especially where there are convents of regulars mendicant in name and in fact, unless it is clear to them concerning the true necessity of the house or pious work, which cannot be met in another way; but if the necessity can be provided for by alms to be sought within the place or district or diocese in which the same dwell, they are not to grant broader permission.

§ 4. Without an authentic and recent rescript of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church, Latin Ordinaries are neither to permit any Oriental of whatever order and dignity to collect money in their own territory, nor to send their own subject into Oriental dioceses for the same end.

It is not lawful for Superiors to commit the collecting of alms except to professed religious mature in age and soul, especially if there is question of women, but never to those who are still applying themselves to studies.

As regards the manner to be observed in seeking alms and the discipline to be kept by those questing, religious of either sex must stand by the instructions given by the Apostolic See concerning this matter.

Regular Abbots with governance, legitimately elected, must within three months from election receive blessing from the Bishop of the diocese in which the monastery is situated; after they have received the blessing, besides the power of conferring orders according to the norm of can. 964, n. 1, they enjoy the privileges of which in can. 325, excepting the violet skullcap.