Title II. The Administration of Goods(Cann. 1273 - 1289)

Can.1273 By virtue of his primacy of governance, the Roman Pontiff is the supreme administrator and steward of

all ecclesiastical goods.

Can.1274 §1. Each diocese is to have a special institute which is to collect goods or offerings for the purpose of

providing, according to the norm of can. 281, for the support of clerics who offer service for the benefit of the

diocese, unless provision is made for them in another way.

§2. Where social provision for the benefit of clergy has not yet been suitably arranged, the conference of

bishops is to take care that there is an institute which provides sufficiently for the social security of clerics.

§3. Insofar as necessary, each diocese is to establish a common fund through which bishops are able to satisfy

obligations towards other persons who serve the Church and meet the various needs of the diocese and through

which the richer dioceses can also assist the poorer ones.

§4. According to different local circumstances, the purposes mentioned in §§2 and 3 can be obtained more

suitably through a federation of diocesan institutes, through a cooperative endeavor, or even through an appropriate

association established for various dioceses or for the entire territory of the conference of bishops.

§5. If possible, these institutes are to be established in such a way that they also have recognition in civil law.

Can.1275 An aggregate of goods which come from different dioceses is administered according to the norms

appropriately agreed upon by the bishops concerned.

Can.1276 §1. It is for the ordinary to exercise careful vigilance over the administration of all the goods which belong

to public juridic persons subject to him, without prejudice to legitimate titles which attribute more significant rights

to him.

§2. With due regard for rights, legitimate customs, and circumstances, ordinaries are to take care of the

ordering of the entire matter of the administration of ecclesiastical goods by issuing special instructions within the

limits of universal and particular law.

Can.1277 The diocesan bishop must hear the finance council and college of consultors to place acts of

administration which are more important in light of the economic condition of the diocese. In addition to the cases

specially expressed in universal law or the charter of a foundation, however, he needs the consent of the finance

council and of the college of consultors to place acts of extraordinary administration. It is for the conference of

bishops to define which acts are to be considered of extraordinary administration.

Can.1278 In addition to the functions mentioned in can. 494, §§3 and 4, the diocesan bishop can entrust to the

finance officer the functions mentioned in cann. 1276, §1 and 1279, §2.

Can.1279 §1. The administration of ecclesiastical goods pertains to the one who immediately governs the person

to which the goods belong unless particular law, statutes, or legitimate custom determine otherwise and without

prejudice to the right of the ordinary to intervene in case of negligence by an administrator.

§2. In the administration of the goods of a public juridic person which does not have its own administrators

by law, the charter of the foundation, or its own statutes, the ordinary to whom it is subject is to appoint suitable

persons for three years; the same persons can be reappointed by the ordinary.

Can.1280 Each juridic person is to have its own finance council or at least two counselors who, according to the

norm of the statutes, are to assist the administrator in ful-filling his or her function.

Can.1281 §1. Without prejudice to the prescripts of the statutes, administrators invalidly place acts which exceed

the limits and manner of ordinary administration unless they have first obtained a written faculty from the ordinary.

§2. The statutes are to define the acts which exceed the limit and manner of ordinary administration; if the

statutes are silent in this regard, however, the diocesan bishop is competent to determine such acts for the persons

subject to him, after having heard the finance council.

§3. Unless and to the extent that it is to its own advantage, a juridic person is not bound to answer for acts

invalidly placed by its administrators. A juridic person itself, however, will answer for acts illegitimately but validly

placed by its administrators, without prejudice to its right of action or recourse against the administrators who have

damaged it.

Can.1282 All clerics or lay persons who take part in the administration of ecclesiastical goods by a legitimate title

are bound to fulfill their functions in the name of the Church according to the norm of law.

Can.1283 Before administrators begin their function:

1/ they must take an oath before the ordinary or his delegate that they will administer well and faithfully;

2/ they are to prepare and sign an accurate and clear inventory of immovable property, movable objects,

whether precious or of some cultural value, or other goods, with their description and appraisal; any inventory

already done is to be reviewed;

3/ one copy of this inventory is to be preserved in the archive of the administration and another in the archive

of the curia; any change which the patrimony happens to undergo is to be noted in each copy.

Can.1284 §1. All administrators are bound to fulfill their function with the diligence of a good householder.

§2. Consequently they must:

1/ exercise vigilance so that the goods entrusted to their care are in no way lost or damaged, taking out

insurance policies for this purpose insofar as necessary;

2/ take care that the ownership of ecclesiastical goods is protected by civilly valid methods;

3/ observe the prescripts of both canon and civil law or those imposed by a founder, a donor, or legitimate

authority, and especially be on guard so that no damage comes to the Church from the non-observance of civil laws;

4/ collect the return of goods and the income accurately and on time, protect what is collected, and use them

according to the intention of the founder or legitimate norms;

5/ pay at the stated time the interest due on a loan or mortgage and take care that the capital debt itself is

repaid in a timely manner;

6/ with the consent of the ordinary, invest the money which is left over after expenses and can be usefully set

aside for the purposes of the juridic person;

7/ keep well organized books of receipts and expenditures;

8/ draw up a report of the administration at the end of each year;

9/ organize correctly and protect in a suitable and proper archive the documents and records on which the

property rights of the Church or the institute are based, and deposit authentic copies of them in the archive of the

curia when it can be done conveniently.

§3. It is strongly recommended that administrators prepare budgets of incomes and expenditures each year;

it is left to particular law, however, to require them and to determine more precisely the ways in which they are to

be presented.

Can.1285 Within the limits of ordinary administration only, administrators are permitted to make donations for

purposes of piety or Christian charity from movable goods which do not belong to the stable patrimony.

Can.1286 Administrators of goods:

1/ in the employment of workers are to observe meticulously also the civil laws concerning labor and social

policy, according to the principles handed on by the Church;

2/ are to pay a just and decent wage to employees so that they are able to provide fittingly for their own needs

and those of their dependents.

Can.1287 §1. Both clerical and lay administrators of any ecclesiastical goods whatever which have not been

legitimately exempted from the power of governance of the diocesan bishop are bound by their office to present an

annual report to the local ordinary who is to present it for examination by the finance council; any contrary custom

is reprobated.

§2. According to norms to be determined by particular law, administrators are to render an account to the

faithful concerning the goods oVered by the faithful to the Church.

Can.1288 Administrators are neither to initiate nor to contest litigation in a civil forum in the name of a public

juridic person unless they have obtained the written permission of their own ordinary.

Can.1289 Even if not bound to administration by the title of an ecclesiastical office, administrators cannot relinquish

their function on their own initiative; if the Church is harmed from an arbitrary withdrawal, moreover, they are

bound to restitution.