Code of Canon Law: text (original) (raw)

CHAPTER III: THE COUNCIL OF PRIESTS AND THE COLLEGE OF CONSULTORS

Can.495 §1 In each diocese there is to be established a council of priests, that is, a group of priests who represent the presbyterium and who are to be, as it were, the Bishop's senate. The council's role is to assist the Bishop, in accordancewith the law, in the governance of the diocese, so that the pastoral welfare of that portion of the people of God entrusted to the Bishop may be mosteffectively promoted.

§2 Invicariates and prefectures apostolic, the Vicar or Prefect is to appoint acouncil composed of at least three missionary priests, whose opinion, even byletter, he is to hear in the more serious affairs.

Can.496 The council of priests is to have its own statutes. These are to beapproved by the diocesan Bishop, having taken account of the norms laid down by the Episcopal Conference.

Can.497 As far as the designation of the members of the council of priests isconcerned:

1° abouthalf are to be freely elected by the priests themselves in accordance with thecanons which follow and with the statutes;

2° somepriests must, in accordance with the statutes, be members ex officio, that isbelong to the council by reason of the office they hold;

3° thediocesan Bishop may freely appoint some others.

Can.498 §1 The following have the right to both an active and a passive voice in anelection to the council of priests:

1° allsecular priests incardinated in the diocese;

2° priestswho are living in the diocese and exercise some useful office there, whether they be secular priests not incardinated in the diocese, or priest members ofreligious institutes or of societies of apostolic life.

§2 Insofaras the statutes so provide, the same right of election may be given to otherpriests who have a domicile or quasi-domicile in the diocese.

Can.499 The manner of electing the members of the council of priests is to bedetermined by the statutes, and in such a way that as far as possible thepriests of the presbyterium are represented, with special regard to thediversity of ministries and to the various regions of the diocese.

Can.500 §1 It is the prerogative of the diocesan Bishop to convene the council ofpriests, to preside over it, and to determine the matters to be discussed in it or to accept items proposed by the members.

§2 Thecouncil of priests has only a consultative vote. The diocesan Bishop is toconsult it in matters of more serious moment, but he requires its consent only in the cases expressly defined in the law.

§3 Thecouncil of priests can never act without the diocesan Bishop. He alone can makepublic those things which have been decided in accordance with §2.

Can.501 §1 The members of the council of priests are to be designated for a period specified in the statutes, subject however to the condition that over a five year period the council is renewed in whole or in part.

§2 When thesee is vacant, the council of priests lapses and its functions are fulfilled by the college of consultors. The Bishop must reconstitute the council of priestswithin a year of taking possession.

§3 If thecouncil of priests does not fulfil the office entrusted to it for the welfareof the diocese, or if it gravely abuses that office, it can be dissolved by thediocesan Bishop, after consultation with the Metropolitan, in the case of ametropolitan see, the Bishop must first consult with the suffragan Bishop who is senior by promotion. Within a year, however, the diocesan Bishop mustreconstitute the council.

Can.502 §1 From among the members of the council of priests, the diocesan Bishop freely appoints not fewer than six and not more than twelve priests, who are for five years to constitute the college of consultors. To it belong thefunctions determined by law; on the expiry of the five year period, however, itcontinues to exercise its functions until the new college is constituted.

§2 Thediocesan Bishop presides over the college of consultors. If, however, the seeis impeded or vacant, that person presides who in the interim takes theBishop's place or, if he has not yet been appointed, then the priest in thecollege of consultors who is senior by ordination.

§3 TheEpiscopal Conference can determine that the functions of the college ofconsultors be entrusted to the cathedral chapter.

§4 Unless the law provides otherwise, in a vicariate or prefecture apostolic thefunctions of the college of consultors belong to the council of the mission mentioned in can. 495 §2.