The Vicar of the Province

1. When a prior provincial ceases to hold office in accordance with n. 344, § I, the vicar of the province, as laid down in the statute of the province, will be: either the prior of the convent where the next provincial chapter is to be held or, if that convent does not have a prior at that time, the prior of the convent where the last chapter was held and so on, retrospectively, or the prior who is senior by profession in the province; or the prior provincial himself who has left office.
2. When a prior provincial leaves office for any other reason, the vicar of the province will be the socius of that prior provincial up to the day immediately before the vigil of the provincial chapter, from which day the vicar will be the conventual prior where the next provincial chapter is to be held, or if that convent does not have a prior at that time, the prior of the convent where the last chapter was held and so on, retrospectively. The latter ruling should be observed even if there is no socius.
3. When a prior provincial is prevented from exercising jurisdiction, the Master of the Order must be approached. If this is not possible, the socius of the prior provincial becomes the vicar of the province, as set out above in § II.
4. A prior provincial who, without hope of recovery within six months, is prevented by illness from properly fulfilling his duties, shall resign from office.
5. If he is unable or unwilling to resign, the socius of the prior provincial must summon the provincial council and preside over it even without the prior provincial. This council has power to approach the Master of the Order who shall either convoke an extraordinary elective chapter (see n. 351, § II) or appoint the vicar of the province as the vicar of the Master of the Order.

The vicar of the province remains in office until the newly elected or postulated prior provincial is present where the chapter is located, and who from that moment shall discharge the office of vicar of the province and preside over the chapter.