THE GENERAL CHAPTER STATUTES AND RULES OF PROCEDURE

Original text in English

INTRODUCTION

Canon 587.1 states that "the constitutions of the Institute are to contain... basic norms about the governance of the Institute...", while the same canon in 4 says that "other norms which are established by the competent authority of the Institute are to be properly collected in other codes."

Speaking specifically of the General Chapter, canon 631.2 requires that "the composition of the General Chapter and the limits of its powers are to be defined in the Constitutions. The Institute’s own law is to determine in further detail the order to be observed in the celebration of the Chapter, especially regarding elections and the matters to be treated."

What concerns the General Chapter in the Constitutions is to be found in articles 138 - l42, together with the statutes 138.1 and 140.1,2,3. There are, however, other articles voted by the General Chapter, which will be presented in the present text.

So that the Brothers may find all that concerns the General Chapter in the one text, what is said in the Constitutions will be repeated here.

It should be remembered that no one has the authority to dispense from these articles (c 86). They may be changed only with the approval of the Holy See in the cases of the Constitutions, or by the General Chapter in the case of other articles (C 169). The General Chapter may likewise modify those articles of the Rules of Procedure that are not matter of the Code of Canon Law.