Title VI: Of Dispensations

A dispensation, or the relaxation of a law in a special case, can be granted by the author of the law, by his successor or Superior, and also by the one to whom they have granted the faculty of dispensing.

Ordinaries below the Roman Pontiff cannot dispense from general laws of the Church, not even in a particular case, unless this power has been granted to them explicitly or implicitly, or unless recourse to the Holy See is difficult and at the same time there is danger of grave harm in delay, and there is question of a dispensation which is accustomed to be granted by the Apostolic See.

Bishops and other local Ordinaries are able to dispense in diocesan laws, and in laws of a provincial and plenary Council according to the norm of can. 291, Sec. 2, but not in laws which the Roman Pontiff has issued specially for that particular territory, except according to the norm of can. 81.

Pastors are not able to dispense either from a general law or from a particular law, unless this power has expressly been granted to them.

§ 1. One must not dispense from an ecclesiastical law without a just and reasonable cause, taking account of the gravity of the law from which dispensation is made; otherwise a dispensation given by an inferior is illicit and invalid.

§ 2. A dispensation in doubt concerning the sufficiency of the cause is licitly sought and can be licitly and validly granted.

Not only a dispensation according to the norm of can. 50 is subject to strict interpretation, but also the faculty itself of dispensing granted for a certain case.

A dispensation which has successive duration ceases in the same ways by which a privilege ceases, and also by the certain and total cessation of the motivating cause.