A similar change is made in canon 501 of the CCEO with a change from “fifteen days” to “thirty days.”

The motu proprio takes effect May 7, 2023.

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The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has issued an apostolic letter motu proprio  Competentias quasdam decernere “assignment of certain competencies,” made public February 15, 2022, giving direct decision-making authority, through the transfer of certain responsibilities, from the Holy See to local diocesan bishops and major superiors. Pope Francis states that the intention of the changes, is to foster a spirit of collegiality and pastoral responsibility on the part of bishops and major superiors and to support the “principles of rationality, effectiveness, and efficiency.”

Several canons in the Code of Canon Law (CIC) and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) are modified by the motu proprio, among which are three articles that concern the canons on separation from the institute (exclaustration, departure and dismissal) transferring some responsibilities from the Holy See or diocesan bishops to major superiors. Below is an overview of the changes in the CIC canons affecting religious institutes.

Article 5

Canon 686§1 concerns the granting of an indult of exclaustration by the supreme moderator with the consent of the council, for a grave cause, to a perpetually professed member. The new provision extends the period of time for the indult from three years to up to five years. For an extension beyond five years the permission of the Holy See for pontifical institutes or the diocesan bishop for diocesan institutes is required. If it is a cleric, the prior consent of the ordinary of place in which the cleric will reside is required.

Article 6

Canon 688§2 provides that temporary professed members of religious institutes who ask to leave the institute for a grave reason can obtain an indult from the Supreme Moderator with the consent of his/her council. The applies to institutes of pontifical right and diocesan right. The new language eliminates the need for the supreme moderators of institutes of diocesan right to obtain confirmation from diocesan bishop of the house of assignment. 

Article 7

Canon 699§2 and 700 are modified so the decree of dismissal of a temporary or perpetually professed member from an institute for a grave reason, issued by the supreme moderator, takes effect upon notification of the member. The decree must indicate the right of appeal to the competent authority within ten days of receipt of the notification. The appeal has suspensive effect.

Canon 699§2 now states that dismissal of a professed member in the monasteries of canon 615 belongs to the major superior with the consent of the council.

Article 9

The major modification in paragraph 1 of canon 1308 transfers the responsibility for a reduction of the obligation of Masses for a just and necessary cause from the Holy See to the diocesan bishop for their dioceses and to supreme moderators for clerical institutes/societies.

In addition, the second paragraph of the former canon 1308 has been deleted in the new canon. Presumably the reason is that its content is now incorporated in the new language of paragraph one.

Canon 1308§1 on reducing the obligations of Masses modifies competence, and now reads:

§1: A reduction of the obligations of Masses, to be made only for a just and necessary cause, is reserved to the diocesan bishop and to the supreme moderator of a clerical institute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life.

Below is a link to an English translation of the Apostolic Letter.

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/motu_proprio/documents/20220211-motu-proprio-assegnare-alcune-competenze.html

Resource Center for Religious Institutes

February 15, 2022

This advice was received in an email from UISG. 

Christopher Fusco

RCRI

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Brief Guidelines for Religious Communities  

General: The person in charge of the house must know the telephone numbers of the Ministry of Health and the local health authorities to be contacted in case of suspected Covid-19 infection. Information materials on the hygienic sanitary measures to be observed to avoid contagion can be displayed at the entrance of the houses (attached are the brochures of the Italian Ministry of Health, the WHO and the BBC that can be displayed). 

In the house:  To arrange adequate hand washing/hygienisation systems at the entrance of the house so that everyone can wash/sanitise their hands as soon as they enter the house – To wash hands frequently, whenever it is believed that they may have been contaminated – To air the rooms frequently - Also in the house keep a safety distance of one metre: at the time of common prayer and during meals, meetings, etc.. - In houses in which numeorus religious live it is preferable to take turns in eating in order to maintain a safety distance - Do not exchange your phone or other objects for personal use with others - Clean all surfaces, including the phone, with alcohol or chlorine solution - If you sneeze or cough, always protect your nose and mouth with disposable tissue or elbow fold (do not use cloth to dry your nose, possibly wash it immediately). If you cover yourself with your hand, never touch your eyes and nose afterwards but wash your hands immediately. - If someone has fever, flu symptoms, conjunctivitis, loss of taste or smell, consult your doctor or the ASL. - Anyone with these symptoms even if they have not been swabbed should be considered positive for Covid 19 and should be isolated from others, take their meals alone in their room and, if possible, use a separate toilet. Where a separate toilet is not possible, the toilet should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitised after use of a symptomatic person. – Beware of the promiscuity of towels or toothbrushes or personal hygiene items - The person with the above symptoms must wear the surgical mask when leaving the room. Those who may be assisting them should also wear the surgical mask. It is preferable to use disposable materials for eating - The handles of the doors and windows touched by the individual in isolation must be cleaned - The asymptomatic individuals in quarantine must follow the same rules as the positive individuals at Covid 19 – Contacts between elderly and young people have to be ALWAYS limited as much as possible and in any case with all those who live within a community and have contact with the outside environment

 In services outside the house

 If possible wear a mask, when helping a poor or elderly person (the surgical mask is mainly used to protect our poor friends) - Even when visiting homes, keep a distance of one meter, avoid crowding - Always ask your poor friends if they have flu symptoms and possibly help them to contact the official channels of the Health Ministry or local health authorities for the control of Covid-19 - Wash / sanitize hands in and out of the houses or other places you may visit.   

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