Article Three. Concerning the Requisites Before Ordination.

471. Documents which the ordinand, whether he is secular or religious, must procure for himself and show to the bishop are these.

Those things which are said here concerning all ordinands, both seculars and religious, hold good; for as regards ordinations religious are ruled by the law of seculars.¹

1. Testimonial letters of the ordinary of that place in which the one to be promoted has stayed long enough that he could have contracted a canonical impediment there. The time in which the one to be promoted could have contracted a canonical impediment is a semester after puberty, but for soldiers a trimester, because in the time of military service an impediment is much more easily contracted.

Testimonial letters concerning life and morals, and also concerning the absence of any canonical impediment, must testify and be shown, even if it is morally certain that the candidate has not contracted any canonical impediment.

2. They must be granted by the ordinary himself, the vicar general, and it does not suffice if they are granted by the parish priest or by the rector of the seminary. Moreover they must be granted in order to receiving orders, whether minor or major; a testimony concerning the same matter but given for another end does not suffice.

3. The ordaining bishop, according to his prudence, can require testimonial letters also for brief times of stay, and even for the time which preceded puberty.

4. If the ordinary of the place neither by himself nor through others sufficiently knows the one to be promoted so that he can testify concerning him, or if the one to be promoted has wandered through so many dioceses that it becomes impossible or too difficult to obtain all testimonial letters, let the ordinary provide at least by a supplementary oath to be furnished by the one to be promoted.

5. If, after testimonial letters have been obtained and before ordination, the one to be promoted has lived for a notable space of time in the same territory, new testimonial letters of the ordinary of the place are necessary.

6. If someone, after receiving dimissorials from his own bishop, is ordained by another bishop, the testimonial letters of his own bishop must also be added.²

7. Religious must show testimonial letters of the major superior.

¹ Cn. 993.

² Cf. Cn. 993, 4. Cn. 994.

472. 2. Dimissorial letters.¹ Those who are not ordained by their own bishop because a just cause exists can be ordained by any other bishop having communion with the Apostolic See, once legitimate dimissorial letters from that same bishop have been received, provided he is not of a different rite.

1. Dimissorial letters can be given to seculars by:

a. The proper bishop after he has taken possession of the diocese, even if he has not yet been consecrated;

b. The vicar general, if the bishop has granted him a special faculty for this;

c. The capitular vicar, with the consent of the chapter, after a year from the vacant see. Within a year, to those who actually have or receive a benefice for which a certain order is required within a year, and to those to whom there is committed, or to be committed, an office which because of the necessity of the diocese must be provided for without delay. Nevertheless, to those who have been rejected by the bishop, he cannot grant dimissorial letters.

d. Vicars and Prefects apostolic, Abbots or Prelates nullius, even for major orders, although they lack episcopal character.

2. Dimissorial letters are not to be granted before all things which are required by law have been shown.

3. If the one to be promoted has stayed in the diocese of the ordaining bishop for a time sufficient for contracting an impediment, this bishop should directly gather testimonies.

4. Dimissorial letters can be limited or revoked by the one granting them himself or by his successor; but once granted, they are not extinguished by the death of the one granting them or by his removal from office, because they are graces made.

5. As regards religious, these statutes apply:²

a. Exempt religious must receive dimissorial letters from their own major superior;

b. Religious who emit only simple but perpetual vows can receive dimissorial letters from their superiors for minor orders only.

c. All other religious are ruled by the law of seculars, any privilege of giving dimissorials for major orders being revoked.³

¹ Cn. 958 ss.

² Cn. 964 ss.

³ Cn. 964.

473. 3. Canonical title for major orders. By the name title is signified provision for the honorable support of the one ordained in sacred orders.¹

a. Since it is not fitting that those who are devoted to the divine ministry should have to beg for their support or exercise sordid gain, the Church from most ancient times preserved this rule, that no one be promoted to orders for whose honorable support provision had not been made.²

b. Therefore the title must be truly secure for the whole life of the one ordained and truly sufficient for his suitable support according to norms given by the ordinaries.³

1. The title for secular clerics is the title of benefice, and if this is lacking, the title of patrimony or pension. If none of these is at hand, it can be supplied by the title of service of the diocese, and in places of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide by the title of mission.

2. A bishop who, without apostolic indult, knowingly ordains his subject without a title or permits him to be ordained must himself and his successors provide for him necessary support until other provision has been made.

3. One ordained in sacred orders who loses a title must provide another for himself, unless by judgment of the bishop provision for his suitable support has otherwise been made. If someone's title perishes after the subdiaconate has been received, he cannot receive a higher order before he has acquired a new one.

4. For religious: a. for regulars the canonical title is the solemn profession itself, or the title of poverty; b. for religious of simple perpetual vows, it is the title of common table, of the congregation, or another similar title; c. all other religious, also as to title, are ruled by the law of seculars.

alpha. To the two titles for seculars in force up to this point, benefice and patrimony, the Code has added the title of pension, which is equivalent to patrimony, if namely the cleric has the right of perceiving a secure and sufficient pension, whether it is furnished by the Church, by the government, or by private persons. To these are added two titles which can supply the defect of benefice and patrimony: service of the diocese and mission. The new Code does not mention other new titles.

beta. A cleric who is ordained to the title of service of the diocese or mission must by oath devote himself perpetually to the service of the diocese or mission.

To these documents are added testimonials:

4. Testimony concerning the examination for ordination;

5. Testimony of the last ordination, and if there is question of first tonsure, of baptism and confirmation;

6. Testimony concerning studies completed, required for the individual orders;

7. Testimony of the rector of the seminary or of the priest to whom the candidate had been commended outside the seminary, concerning good morals;

8. Testimony of the ordinary of the place in which the ordinand has stayed for a semester or trimester, or of the major superior if there is question of a religious.

¹ Cn. 979-982.

² Council of Trent, sess. 21, c. 2, De reform.

³ Cn. 979, 2.