Chapter 2 Provincial and Local Administration
Chapter II. - Provincial and local administration
1. Provinces and vice-provinces
120.--The Congregation of the Mission, according to the norm of our own law, has divisions called provinces.
121.--The Congregation also has divisions, according to the norm of our own law, called vice-provinces.
122.--A province is a union of a number of houses, circumscribed by territorial boundaries and presided over by a provincial with ordinary power, according to the norm of universal law and our own law.
2. The provincial
123.--§ 1.--The provincial is a major superior and an ordinary, with proper ordinary power, who is put in charge of a province to govern it according to the norm of universal law and our own law. § 2.--The provincial, striving for the active participation of all the members in the life and apostolate of the province, should allocate members and resources for the service of the Church according to the purpose of the Congregation, should foster the ministry of the houses, should show that he is solicitous for the personal development and activity of each confrere, and thus procure life-giving unity .
124.--The superior general, with the consent of his council, according to the norm of our own law, either appoints the provincial after consultation of the province, or confirms him after an election.
125.--It is the function of the provincial: 1 to promote the observance of the Constitutions, Statutes, and provincial norms; 2 with the consent of his council, to enact ordinaces for the good of the province; 3 with the consent of his council, and having consulted the superior general, to establish houses and constitute local communities within the boundaries of his province, and to suppress them, according to the norm of canon 733, § 1; 4 having consulted the members, and with the consent of his council, to appoint superiors of houses, and to notify the superior general about these appointments; 5 having consulted the interested parties, and with the consent of his council and the approval of the superior general, to establish a regional superior with delegated power; 6 to visit the houses and the members frequently, and to make official visitations at least every other year; 7 to convoke and preside over the provincial assembly according to the norm of our own law, to dismiss those convened with the consent of the assembly, and to promulgate the provincial norms; 8 to admit candidates to the internal seminary, to good purposes, and to vows, in accord with the Constitutions and Statutes; 9 having consulted the superiors and moderators of the candidates, to admit members to ministries and, with the consent of his council, to orders; 10 to present members for orders and to issue dimissorial letters for their ordination; 11 having consulted their moderators, and having heard his council, to dismiss members not yet incorporated into the Congregation.
3. The assistant provincial
126.--To help him in the government of the province, the provincial can have an assistant who meets the conditions required by articles 61 and 100. It is the function of the provincial assembly to decide whether or not there should be an assistant provincial.
4. The council of the provincial
127.--The consultors, who constitute the council of the provincial, help him by their labor and advice in the government of the province in order to advance its unity and strength, to assure the effective implementation of the Constitutions and of decisions of the provincial assembly, and to foster collaboration among all the houses and members in advancing the works of the province.
5. The provincial treasurer
128.--In each province there must be a treasurer to administer the goods of the province under the direction and vigilance of the provincial and his council, according to the norm of canon 636, § 1 and of our own law.
6. Offices of local administration
129.--§ 1.--The Congregation forms itself particularly in the individual local communities. § 2.--The superior, as the center of unity and animator of the life of the local community, should promote the ministries of the house and show that he and the community are concerned for the personal development and activity of each confrere.
130.--§ 1.--The local superior is appointed for a three year term by the provincial after consultation with the members of the house or local community. Under the same conditions he can be re-appointed in the same house or local community for a second three year term. If after the second three year term there be a need, recourse should be had to the superior general. § 2.--The provincial assembly can establish another method of designating the local superior.
§ 3.--The local superior should meet the conditions required by articles 61 and 100.
131.--According to the norm of law, the local superior has ordinary power in the internal and external forum for members and others living in his house day and night; he can delegate this power to others.
132.--§1.--If the conditions for the establishment of a house are lacking, or if some particular work makes it desirable, the provincial, with the consent of his council, can constitute a group of members as the equivalent of a house according to provincial norms. § 2. -- One of the members of the group designated by the provincial according to the norm of law has the responsibility of a superior. § 3.--A group constituted as the equivalent of a house has the same rights and duties as a house.
133. --The local superior can be removed whenever it seems to the provincial that there is a just and proportionate reason and he has the consent of his council and also the approval of the superior general.
134. -- § 1. --Under the guidance of the superior, and with the help of the members in dialogue and common concern, the treasurer administers the goods of the house according to the norm of universal law and the law of the Congregation and the province. § 2.--When the provincial, with the consent of his council, judges it necessary for a particular house, he shall establish a house council; the house consultors, who help the local superior in the administration of the house, should be designated according to the provincial norms.
