Temporal Goods

Section II--TEMPORAL GOODS

148.--§ 1.--The Congregation of the Mission possesses temporal goods for pastoral and community needs. It uses them as support for the service of God and the poor, according to the spirit and practice of its Founder; it administers these goods, however, as the patrimony of the poor, with solicitude, but with no attempt to grow rich. § 2.--The Congregation of the Mission embraces a communitarian form of evangelical poverty in that all goods of the Congregation are held in common, and the Congregation uses them to pursue and attain its own purpose more successfully.

149.--Since all goods are in common, members are co-responsible, according to the norm of law, for the acquisition, administration, and use of the temporal goods of the house and province to which they belong. This principle applies, on a proportionate basis, even to the goods of the entire Congregation.

150.--§ 1.--Houses, local communities, provinces, and the Congregation itself are capable of acquiring, possessing, administering, and alienating temporal goods. When the case requires it, superiors at the various levels are the legal representatives, even before the civil authority, unless it has been provided otherwise. § 2.--The sources of temporal goods are the work of the members and other legitimate means of acquiring goods.

151.--For the sake of the common good, houses must support provinces in what is needed for good administration and for providing general needs; the same is to be said about provinces with respect to the general curia.

152.--§ 1.--Provinces and houses should share their temporal goods with each other so that those who have more help those in need. § 2.--The Congregation, provinces, and houses should, from their own goods, willingly provide for the necessities of others and the support of the indigent.

153.--§ 1.--Members assigned to the management of temporal goods administer them in a way that makes provision for the appropriate support of members, and supplies adequate means for their apostolic activities and for charitable works. § 2.--The goods of the community are to be administered by the respective treasurers under the direction and vigilance of superiors with their councils, within the limits of universal law and our own law, and according to the principle of subsidiarity.

154.--§ 1.-Administrators should remember that they are only stewards of the goods of the Community. Consequently, they should expend these goods only for uses suitable to the status of missioners. Moreover, they should always act according to just civil laws, as well as according to the norms and spirit of the Congregation. § 2.--Administrators should provide willingly for the needs of members in all matters which concern their life, particular office, and apostolic work. Such a use of goods is an incentive for members to promote the good of the poor and to lead a truly fraternal life. § 3.--These administrators should, in addition, observe equity in the distribution of goods because they ought to promote community life among the members. They should provide for the individual needs of members according to the norms enacted by the provincial assembly.

155. .-- For the validity of alienation and any other transaction in which the patrimonial condition of a juridic person can be affected adversely, there is required the written permission of the competent superior with the consent of his council. If, moreover, it concerns a transaction which exceeds the highest amount defined for a given region by the Holy See, or items given to the Church in virtue of a vow, or items of precious art or of historical value, the permission of the Holy See is also required.

[Category:CM Constitutions]