To establish or accept a centre of higher studies, including a university, in addition to the requirements of law and the usual academic conditions, the following are required:
a petition drawn up by the provincial chapter setting out the reasons;
a decree of approval given by the Master of the Order.
Centres of higher study and universities belonging in any way to the Order shall send an annual report on their specific status to the Master of the Order.
For the establishment of a centre for special studies or a centre for ongoing formation, the approval of the prior provincial and his council is required; the views of the commission for the intellectual life of the province need to be ascertained.
To establish or accept a center of academichigher studies, including a university, in addition to the requirements of law and the usual academic conditions, the following are required:
a petition drawn up by the provincial chapter setting out the reasons;
a decree of approval given by the Master of the Order.
Centers of academichigher study and universities belonging in any way to the Order shall send an annual report on their specific status to the Master of the Order.
For the establishment of a center for special studies or a center for ongoing formation, the approval of the prior provincial and his council is required; the views of the commission for the intellectual life of the province need to be ascertained.
In our communities, the conventual Mass and the liturgy of the hours should be celebrated daily in choir.
Where the conventual Mass and the entire office cannot be celebrated in common, due to a legitimate impediment, at least Lauds and Vespers should be celebrated. If the situation is habitual it should be acknowledged by the prior provincial and his council.
When the divine office cannot be celebrated in choir for a just reason, according to the judgment of the major superior, it should be celebrated in another suitable sacred place.
In our communities, the conventual Mass and the liturgy of the hours should be celebrated daily in choir.
Where the conventual Mass and the entire office cannot be celebrated in common, due to a legitimate impediment, at least Lauds and Vespers should be celebrated. If the situation is habitual it should be acknowledged by the prior provincial and his council.
When the divine officeliturgy of the hours cannot be celebrated in choir for a just reason, it should be celebrated in another suitable sacred place, especially so that the faithful can participate actively in the liturgical prayer of the brothers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The following, apart from the vocals of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order, and the procurator general;
any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
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;
monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
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;
they shall be set down briefly in Latin and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
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;
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;
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.