Chapter XVI: On the visitation and correction of the deliquent.

For these let the ministers and brothers and sisters, of every city and place, assemble for the common visitation in some religious place, and/or church, where it happens that a place is lacking, and let them have a priest as visitator, who is a member of some approved religious institute, and who is to enjoin a salutary penance upon them for the excesses they have committed. Nor let any other execute the office of this kind of visitation for them. Since indeed the present form of living takes its institution from the aforepraised Bl. Francis, We counsel, that the visitators and formators be taken from the Order of Friars Minor, whom the custodes and/or guardians of the same Order, have directed to be assigned [for this purpose], when requests of this kind have been made. But, We do not want a gathering of this kind to be visited by a layman. Moreover, let the duty of this kind of visitation be exercised once a year, unless at the suggestion of some necessity it has to be done many times. Indeed let him issue three warnings to the incorrigibles and inobedient. Let those, who do not care to correct themselves, be entirely expelled from the familiarity [consortio] of the same assembly on the counsel of the more discrete members.