1. Through this profession, we imitate Christ in a special manner, Christ who always obeyed the Father, for the life of the world. We are thus more closely united to the Church, to whose building-up we are dedicated, for its common good and that of the Order. In this we are joined by our superiors, who by their common ministry represent God.
2. The common good is also revealed in the religious and apostolic options of the community, and by the interior enlightenment of the Holy Spirit who sustains the mission of the Order.
3. Our brothers are obliged to obey their superiors in everything that pertains to the Rule and our laws. We are not, however, obliged to obey —nor indeed may we — in matters that are against the commandments of God and of the Church, are contrary to the laws of the Order or do not allow a superior’s dispensation. If there is a doubt, how- ever, we are all obliged to obey.

1. All the socii are appointed by the Master of the Order, remain in office for six years, and may be appointed again for another six years, always leaving the new Master of the Order free to change the brothers who are members of the general council.
2. The appointment of assistants for the apostolate and for the intellectual life shall take place after the views of all priors provincial have been ascertained.
3. The appointment of assistants to deal with relations between provinces and the Master of the Order shall take place after the priors provincial concerned have been consulted. When they shall have reached an agreement on the matter they shall offer three names to the Master of the Order. The Master of the Order is obliged to appoint one of the three or to ask that three other names be offered.

1. Under the chairmanship of the Master or vicar of the Order, or of their vicar, the general council is composed of the socii to the Master of the Order and of the procurator general; their consent or advice is required according to our laws and common law.
2. The Master of the Order may convoke the councillors to seek their advice and opinion whenever it seems beneficial to him even if this is not required by law.

1. Once the chapter has been convoked, the brothers who have the right to do so shall send to the Master or vicar of the Order the petitions and questions which they wish to propose to the chapter.
2. The following, apart from the vocals of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order, and the procurator general;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. any religious provided that his proposal is countersigned by at least five brothers who have active voting rights, or is presented by a member of the chapter who shall judge whether the petition ought to be submitted or not;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3.  
   1. Questions to be submitted to the general chapter by those who have the right or authority to do so shall be sent to the Master of the Order four months before the chapter;
   2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
4.  
   1. The Master of the Order shall see to it that the questions mentioned in § III, 1, assigned to different commissions according to differing material, are conveyed to each member of the chapter as soon as possible;
   2. the vocals shall at once let the Master of the Order know which three commissions they wish to belong to, in their order of preference, while acknowledging the Master’s right to arrange things freely according to the needs of the chapter;
   3. the Master of the Order shall then appoint the presidents of the commissions and inform the vocals about the commission to which each has been assigned so that in the meantime they may study very carefully the questions which have been assigned to their own commission.

1. Once the chapter has been convoked, the brothers who have the right to do so shall send to the Master or vicar of the Order the petitions and questions which they wish to propose to the chapter.
2. The following, apart from the members of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order, and the procurator general;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. any religious provided that his proposal is countersigned by at least five brothers who have active voice, or is presented by a member of the chapter who shall judge whether the petition ought to be submitted or not;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3. Councils general or federations of congregations aggregated to the Order may submit their requests and suggestions concerning the Dominican family to a general chapter.
4.  
   1. Questions to be submitted to the general chapter by those who have the right or authority to do so shall be sent to the Master of the Order four months before the chapter;
   2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
5.  
   1. The Master of the Order shall see to it that the questions mentioned in § IV, 1, assigned to different commissions according to differing material, are conveyed to each member of the chapter as soon as possible;
   2. The members of these commissions are: brothers having a voice in the chapter, including the associates of the prior provincials and diffinitors who enjoy the right of election (cf. n. 407 § III); assistants of the Master of the Order designated by the Master himself (cf. n. 410 § I); the prior provincials mentioned in n. 258, the vice-provincials and the vicars general of territories not belonging to a province or vice-province or delegates from them according to the norm of n. 410 § II;
   3. all the vocals shall at once let the Master of the Order know which three commissions they wish to belong to, in their order of preference, while acknowledging the Master’s right to arrange things freely according to the needs of the chapter;
   4. the Master of the Order shall then appoint the presidents of the commissions and inform the capitulars about the commission to which each has been assigned so that in the meantime they may study very carefully the questions which have been assigned to their own commission.

1. Once the chapter has been convoked, the brothers who have the right to do so shall send to the Master or vicar of the Order the petitions and questions which they wish to propose to the chapter.
2. The following, apart from the members of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order and the procurator general and the socii of the Master of the Order;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. any religious provided that his proposal is countersigned by at least five brothers who have active voting rights, or is presented by a member of the chapter who shall judge whether the petition ought to be submitted or not;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3. Councils general or federations of congregations aggregated to the Order may submit their requests and suggestions concerning the Dominican family to a general chapter.
4.  
   1. III.1. Questions to be submitted to the general chapter by those who have the right or authority to do so shall be sent to the Master of the Order six months before the chapter;
   2. III.2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin or a modern language accepted by the general council and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
5.  
   1. IV.1 The Master of the Order shall see to it that the questions mentioned in § III IV, 1, assigned to different commissions according to differing material, are conveyed to each member of the chapter vocal as soon as possible;
   2. members of these commissions are: brothers with voting rights in the chapter, including the associates of the prior provincials and diffinitors who enjoy the right of election (cf. n. 407 § III); the socii of the Master of the Order designated by the Master himself (cf. n. 410 § I); the prior provincials mentioned in n. 258, the vice-provincials and the vicars general of territories not belonging to a province or vice-province according to the norm of n. 410 § II;
   3. IV.2. then all the voters shall at once let the Master of the Order know which three commissions they wish to belong to, in their order of preference, while acknowledging the Master’s right to arrange things freely according to the needs of the chapter;
   4. IV.3. the Master of the Order shall then appoint the presidents of the commissions and inform the capitulars vocals about the commission to which each has been assigned so that in the meantime they may study very carefully the questions which have been assigned to their own commission.

1. The place and time of a chapter shall be determined by the preceding chapter. The date assigned for the beginning of a chapter shall not be postponed or anticipated by more than six months except with the consent of a majority of the provinces.
2. A general chapter shall be convoked by the Master or vicar of the Order by circular letter eight months before the date assigned for holding the chapter. Prayers for the successful outcome of the chapter shall be requested in this letter.
3. When the office of Master of the Order falls vacant, an elective chapter shall be convoked within a month from the date of the vacancy. This time may be extended – but not beyond six months – if there is a grave reason and a majority of  the provinces consent.
4. With the consent of his council, the Master or vicar of the Order may, for a just cause, change the designated location for the next general chapter.

The following are assembled and have votes in a general chapter of priors provincial:

1. the Master of the Order;
2. ex-Masters of the Order;
3. each prior provincial;
4. each vice-provincial and vicar general;
5. delegates of the vicariates chosen from regional priors and vicars provincial in accordance with n. 409-bis;
6. one delegate from among the brothers assigned under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order if the total is less than one hundred, two if the total is one hundred or more, elected in accordance with n. 409-ter.

The following are assembled and have votes in a general chapter of priors provincial:

1. the Master of the Order;
2. ex-Masters of the Order;
3. each prior provincial;
4. each vice-provincial and vicar general mentioned in n. 257 § II;
5. delegates of the vicariates chosen from regional priors and vicars provincial in accordance with n. 409-bis;

The following are assembled and have votes in a general chapter of priors provincial:

1. the Master of the Order;
2. ex-Masters of the Order;
3. each prior provincial;
4. each vice-provincial and vicar general;
5. delegates of the vicariates chosen from regional priors and vicars provincial in accordance with n. 409-bis;