CHAPTER V Members

CHAPTER V. Members

1. Admission into the Congregation (C 53-58)

S.20.--'1.--The internal seminary begins for each member when he is declared by the director or his substitute to have been received according to the provincial norms. '2.--At an appropriate time the Congregation should take measures, valid also in civil law if necessary, to safeguard the rights both of the member and of the Congregation, in case the member leaves of his own accord or is dismissed.

S.21.--Good purposes are made in the Congrega-tion of the Mission by means of either a direct or a declarative formula:

1E Direct formula: Lord, my God, I, NN., de-clare my intention of faithfully dedicating myself in the Congregation of the Mission, for the whole time of my life, to the evangeliza-tion of the poor, after the example of Christ evangelizing. Therefore, I propose to observe, with the help of your grace, chastity, poverty, and obedience, according to the Constitutions and Statutes of our Institute.

2E Declarative formula: I, NN., declare my inten-tion of faithfully dedicating myself in the Congregation of the Mission, for the whole time of my life, to the evangelization of the poor, after the example of Christ evangeliz-ing. Therefore, I propose to observe, with the help of God's grace, chastity, poverty, and obedience, according to the Constitutions and Statutes of our Institute.

S.22.--'1.--The making of good purposes should be done in the presence of the superior or a member designated by him. '2.--Further determinations regarding the making or renewing of good purposes and any form of temporary bond that may possibly be added, and also the rights and obligations which members have between admission into the Congregation and incorporation into it, should be provided by the assembly of each province.

S.23.--Further determinations regarding the time when vows are taken pertain to the provincial assembly of each province.

S.24.--In special circumstances, a provincial assembly may propose for the approval of the superior general, with the consent of his council, its own formula for making good purposes or taking vows, preserving the essential elements of the established formulas.

2. Rights and obligations of members (C 59-64)

S.25.--The following lack both active and passive voice: 1E those who by indult live outside the Congrega-tion according to the Congregation's own law and any clause contained in the said indult; 2E members who have been ordained bishops, or even only appointed, during the time of their office; and even after the time of their office, unless they shall have returned to community life; 3E vicars, prefects, and administrators apostolic, even if they are not bishops, during the time of their office, unless they are at the same time superiors of some house of the Congregation.

S.26.--'1.--It is the right of each member to have suffrages offered for him throughout the Con-gregation when he dies. '2.--Every month each member, according to his status, should offer Mass for the living and dead of the entire Vincentian family as well as for parents, relatives, and benefactors, adding a special intention for the preservation of the original spirit of the Congregation. '3.--In the same way he should offer another Mass for the members of the entire Congregation who have died during the preceding month. '4.--Further determinations should be made by each province.

S.27.--It is the right of each incorporated member of the Congregation to be granted each month the celebration of a certain number of Masses accord-ing to his intention and without a stipend. Norms regarding the number and manner of the celebra-tion of these Masses are to be laid down by each province.

3. Attachment of members to a province or house (C 65-67)

S.28.--'1.--During their terms of office, the superior general, the assistants, the secretary general, the treasurer general, and the procurator general at the Holy See do not have a province as far as juridical effects are concerned. '2.--The same is true of others assigned to the house of the generalate, except with regard to the right of active and passive voice, which they retain in their provinces.

S.29.--'1.--A member of the Congregation of the Mission is attached to the province for which the superiors lawfully admit him into the Congregation. This province is known as the province of origin. '2.--A member acquires a new attachment by assignment from one province to another, lawfully done by superiors. This province is known as the province of assignment.

S.30.--In order that a member may leave one pro-vince and be attached to another, all that is required is that, the authority of the superior general always respected, the competent major superiors should agree between themselves after consulting the member involved. However, if the member is un-willing, the transfer to another province cannot be made without the approval of the superior general.

S.31.--At the end of his term, the superior general is free to choose his own province.

S.32.--Attachment to a province of assignment can be for an indefinite or definite period of time. If the assignment is for a definite period of time, when this has elapsed, the member is immediately reat-tached to the province from which he came, unless the competent superiors, after consulting the member, shall have agreed otherwise between themselves, according to the norms of the Statutes.

S.33.--Documents of assignment must be drawn up and kept in the archives of each province. However, the provincial of the province from which the member comes should send notification of his new assignment to the secretary general.

4. Departure and dismissal of members (C 68-76)

S.34.--A member is attached to a house or a group constituted as the equivalent of a house by appointment made by a lawful superior.

S.35.--The authority to readmit someone into the Congregation pertains: 1E to the superior general, after consulting his council, for everyone; 2E to the provincial, after consulting his council and the provincial of the province from which the member has left or been dismissed, for those who have not yet been incorporated into the Congregation.