Art. 4. The Required Documents and Investigation

Can. 1050 For a person to be promoted to sacred orders, the following documents are required:

1/ a testimonial that studies have been properly completed according to the norm of can. 1032;

2/ for those to be ordained to the presbyterate, a testimonial that the diaconate was received;

3/ for candidates to the diaconate, a testimonial that baptism, confirmation and the ministries mentioned in

Can. 1035 were received; likewise, a testimonial that the declaration mentioned in can. 1036 was made, and if the

one to be ordained to the permanent diaconate is a married candidate, testimonials that the marriage was celebrated

and the wife consents.

Can. 1051 The following prescripts regarding the investigation about the qualities required in the one to be ordained

are to be observed:

1/ there is to be a testimonial of the rector of the seminary or house of formation about the qualities required

to receive the order, that is, about the sound doctrine of the candidate, his genuine piety, good morals, and aptitude

to exercise the ministry, as well as, after a properly executed inquiry, about his state of physical and psychic health;

2/ in order to conduct the investigation properly, the diocesan bishop or major superior can employ other means

which seem useful to him according to the circumstances of time and place, such as testimonial letters, public

announcements, or other sources of information.

Can. 1052 §1. For a bishop conferring ordination by his own right to proceed to the ordination, he must be sure that

the documents mentioned in can. 1050 are at hand and that, after the investigation has been conducted according

to the norm of law, positive arguments have proven the suitability of the candidate.

§2. For a bishop to proceed to the ordination of someone who is not his subject, it is sufficient that the

dimissorial letters mention that the same documents are at hand, that the investigation has been performed

according to the norm of the law, and that the suitability of the candidate has been established. Moreover, if the

candidate is a member of a religious institute or a society of apostolic life, the same letters must also attest that he

has been received definitively into the institute or society and is a subject of the superior who gives the letters.

§3. If, all these notwithstanding, the bishop doubts for specific reasons whether a candidate is suitable to

receive orders, he is not to promote him.