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

SECTION II:SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE (Cann. 731 - 755)

Can.731 §1 Societies of apostolic life resemble institutes of consecrated life. Their members, without taking religious vows, pursue the apostolic purpose proper to each society. Living a fraternal life in common in their own special manner, they strive for the perfection of charity through the observance of theconstitutions.

§2 Among these societies are some in which the members, through a bond defined in theconstitutions, undertake to live the evangelical counsels.

Can.732 Cann. 578 - 597 and 606 apply to societies of apostolic life, with due regard, however, for the nature of each society. For the societies mentioned in can. 731 §2, cann. 598 - 602 also apply.

Can.733 §1 A house is established and a local community is constituted by thecompetent authority of the society, with the prior written consent of thediocesan Bishop. The Bishop must also be consulted when there is question of its suppression.

§2 Consentto establish a house carries with it the right to have at least an oratory in which the blessed Eucharist is celebrated and reserved.

Can.734 The governance of the society is determined by the constitutions, withoutprejudice, in accordance with the nature of each society, to cann. 617 - 633.

Can.735 §1 The admission, probation, incorporation and formation of members aredetermined by each society's own law.

§2 Foradmission into the society, the conditions prescribed in cann. 642 - 645 are to be observed.

§3 Thesociety's own law must determine a programme of doctrinal, spiritual andapostolic probation and formation that is adapted to the purpose and characterof the society. In this way members can recognise their divine vocation and besuitably prepared for the mission and way of life of the society.

Can.736 §1 In clerical societies, the clerics are incardinated into the society, unless the constitutions determine otherwise.

§2 Thenorms concerning the secular clergy apply to the programme of studies andreception of orders, without prejudice to §1.

Can.737 For the members, incorporation carries with it the rights and obligations defined in the constitutions. On the part of the society, it implies aresponsibility to lead the members towards the purpose of their vocation, inaccordance with the constitutions.

Can.738 §1 All members are subject to their own Moderators in matters concerningthe internal life and discipline of the society, in accordance with theconstitutions.

§2 They are also subject to the diocesan Bishop in matters concerning public worship, thecare of souls and other works of the apostolate, with due regard to cann. 679 -683.

§3 Therelationship between a member who is incardinated in a diocese and his proper Bishop is to be defined in the constitutions or in particular agreements.

Can.739 Apart from the obligations which derive from their constitutions, membersare bound by the common obligations of clerics, unless the nature of things or the context indicates otherwise.

Can.740 Members must live in a lawfully constituted house or community and observea common life, in accordance with their own law. This same law also governstheir absence from the house or community.

Can.741 §1 Societies and, unless the constitutions provide otherwise, theirconstituent parts and their houses, are juridical persons. As such, they arecapable of acquiring, possessing, administering and alienating temporal goodsin accordance with the provisions of Book V on 'The Temporal Goods of theChurch', of cann. 636, 638 and 639, and of their own law.

§2 Membersare also capable, in accordance with their own law, of acquiring, possessing,administering and disposing of temporal goods, but whatever comes to them inview of the society is acquired for the society.

Can.742 The departure and dismissal of a member who is not definitively incorporated are governed by the constitutions of each society.

Can.743 A member who is definitively incorporated can obtain an indult to leave thesociety from the supreme Moderator with the consent of the council, unless theconstitutions reserve this to the Apostolic See. This indult means that therights and obligations deriving from definitive incorporation cease, withoutprejudice to can. 693.

Can.744 §1 Permission for a member who is definitively incorporated to transfer to another society of apostolic life is likewise reserved to the supreme Moderatorwith the consent of his or her council. The rights and obligations of themember's own society are suspended for the time being, but the member has theright to return to it before definitive incorporation into the new society.

§2 Totransfer to an institute of consecrated life or from such an institute to asociety of apostolic life, the permission of the Holy See is required, and itsinstructions are to be followed.

Can.745 The supreme Moderator, with the consent of his or her council, can grant adefinitively incorporated member an indult to live outside the society for aperiod not exceeding three years. Rights and obligations which are notcompatible with this new condition are suspended, but the member remains under the care of the Moderators. If the member is a cleric, the consent of theOrdinary of the place where he must reside is also required, and the member remains under the care of the Ordinary and dependent upon him.

Can.746 For the dismissal of a member who is definitively incorporated, theprovisions of cann. 694 - 704 are to be observed, making the appropriate adjustments.