Provincial Vicariates

The statutes of the vicariate ought to determine the norms

1. on the celebration of the chapter of the vicariate;
2. on the office of the Vicar provincial who presides over the vicariate as vicar of the Prior Provincial;
3. on the officials of the Vicariate;
4. on the formation and promotion of vocations;
5. on the right to participate ex officio in the provincial
   council and Provincial Chapter (cf. 352 § I, 1°), with active voice or not;
6. on the faculties which the Vicar of the Prior Provincial, having heard his council, is able to grant, on the admission of candidates to the novitiate and to simple profession, on the assignment of brothers to a house and convent of the vicariate, on the confirmation of conventual priors and the appointment of superiors of houses.

I. The regional prior has charge of the vicariate as the vicar of the prior provincial and has, in addition to the faculties granted by the provincial chapter, the right:
1. to assign brothers who are in the vicariate, without prejudice to the rights of the prior provincial;
2. to confirm a conventual prior as provided for in n. 467 and to appoint superiors of houses as provided for in n. 332, unless the vicariate statute provides otherwise;
3. to participate by right of office in the provincial council, unless something different has been laid down in the pro­vincial statute;
4. to participate by right of office in a provincial chapter – see 352, § I, 1. (P, n. 494; K, n.372)
II.
1. The regional prior is elected for four years by the voters assigned to the convents of the vicariate and is confirmed by the prior provincial with the consent of his council;
2. when the time for which the regional prior was elected has expired or when for any reason whatsoever he has ceased to hold office, until a successor has been confirmed his office shall be held by the prior who has spent the longest time in the Order in the same vicariate;
3. what has been laid down for a conventual prior in n. 302, § I, holds for a regional prior, mutatis mutandis. 

1. In every vicariate there shall be a council whose consent or advice the regional prior must seek on more serious matters as laid down in the vicariate statute. The acts of this council must be sent to the prior provincial after it has met.
2. The number of these councillors and the manner of their election or appointment shall be determined by the vicariate statute.
3. When, in accordance with the prescriptions of the Book of Constitutions and Ordinations or the statute of the province or vicariate, the Prior Provincial, has to deal with matters which concern the vicariate, he must first consult the vicariate council before consulting the provincial council. When however it is a question of confirming, appointing, or removing the regional prior, he consults only the provincial council (see n. 373, 1).

1. In every vicariate there shall be a council whose consent or advice the regional prior vicar provincial must seek on important transactions according to the norm of vicariate statutes. The acts of this council after being collected are to be sent to the prior provincial. 
2. The number of these councillors and the manner of their election or appointment shall be determined by the vicariate statute.
3. When Since in accordance with the prescriptions of the Book of Constitutions and Ordinations or the statute of the province or vicariate, the prior provincial, with his provincial council, has to deal with matters which concern the vicariate, he must first also consult the vicariate council before consulting the provincial council. When however it is a question of confirming, appointing, or removing the regional prior vicar provincial, he consults only the provincial council (see n. 373, 1).

The officials of a regional vicariate shall be appointed according to the norm of the statutes.

Where the conditions for a regional vicariate indicated in n. 384 above are lacking, a provincial chapter has power to establish a provincial vicariate and to draw up a special statute for it. If there are at least ten voters, they have the right to elect a vicar provincial; otherwise, having consulted the brothers, a vicar provincial shall be appointed by the prior provincial.