I. For the confirmation or cassation of the election of a regional prior and its acceptance, nn. 465-473 shall be observed.
II. The right of appointing a regional prior devolves upon the prior provincial without prejudice to n. 373, 1:
1. when at the time of the vacancy in the office of regional prior, the vicariate does not have the conditions described in n. 384; then, however, nn. 483 and 484 must be observed in the appointment of a vicar;
2. when all the voters have renounced their voice and have not been reinstated by the prior provincial; 
3. when for any reason whatsoever a regional prior has not been elected or postulated within six months of the vacancy becoming known;
4. when in the course of the election there have been seven inconclusive ballots (see n. 480, § II, 2),
5. when the brothers elect the same brother again after the first election has been cassated, unless the sole reason for the cassation of that election was defect of form and not the person elected;
6. when there have been two or, at most, three elections confirmed by the prior provincial but not accepted by those elected, then after the second election the prior provincial may and after a third, must, appoint a regional prior.

1. It is for the provincial council or the regional council to determine whether the voters must come together specially to hold the election or may vote by post.
2. If the election is carried out in a special assembly:
   1. the president and the place of the election shall be as in n. 477;
   2. in the actual process of the election, n. 464 shall be observed (see Appendix n. 18).
3. If, however, the voters cannot gather together conveniently, the following norms shall be used:
   1. within the time determined by the president (n. 477, § II), each voter shall write his vote on a ballot-paper in accordance with n. 452, 6;
   2. then, after placing the ballot-paper in an envelope, he shall write in his own hand his name and place of residence on the envelope and seal it carefully. After that, he shall enclose the first envelope in another envelope and send it to the president with a special marking so that it can be easily recognized.
4. When the time determined for receiving ballot-papers has elapsed, the president with the regional council shall conduct the count:
   1. when all the external envelopes have been opened in the presence of the council, the names of the electors written on the outside of the inner envelopes are examined to see whether each of them has the conditions required for active voice; if anyone does not, his vote shall be considered null and void;
   2. the number of voters and of envelopes is compared;
   3. the envelopes are opened and burned before the ballots are unfolded;
   4. the votes are then examined in accordance with n . 452, 9, 10, 11;
   5. if the majority required for election or postulation is obtained, a decree of election shall be drawn up by the president, and an authentic document of the election shall be prepared and sent to the prior provincial in accordance with n. 453, § I (see Appendix n. 24). All the voters shall be notified by letter of the result of the election;
   6. if, however, an absolute majority is not obtained in the first ballot, the president with the council shall fix the time for holding a new and final ballot; and shall inform by letter both the prior provincial and the voters of all that has taken place;
   7. a provincial chapter, however, may determine that a third or even a fourth ballot may be held if in the second or third an absolute majority is not obtained;
   8. if in the final ballot, whether it is the second (n. 6: or the third or the fourth (n. 7), an absolute majority is not obtained, it devolves upon the prior provincial to make provision for the office (see n. 464).

1. Without prejudice to n. 443, for a person to be elected validly as regional prior, it is required that:
   1. he be thirty years old and ten years from first profession; 
   2. he has not been regional prior in the same region for the two four-year terms immediately preceding.
2. If any brother cannot be elected because of the lack of one or more of the conditions mentioned in § I, 1 and 2, the brothers may postulate him to the prior provincial who may dispense from the interstices and make provision according to n. 467.

1. The president of the election is the brother who actually governs the vicariate in accordance with the norm of 385, § II, 2, or, if he is out of office, the senior in the Order among the superiors of that region.
2. After consulting the regional council, it is for him to determine the time of the election and to notify all the voters; he must do this within a month of knowing that the office is vacant.

1. For a person to have passive voice, he must already have active voice, unless another arrangement has been made.
2. When it is a question of the election of superiors, in order for one to be elected or postulated, it is also required:
   1. that he be a priest;
   2. that he be solemnly professed for three years;
   3. that he have the Order’s approval for hearing confessions.

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 socii 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 socii 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. The socii help the Master of the Order in the exercise of his office over the whole Order; with their consent or advice the Master governs the Order, discussing and deciding questions of major importance for the life of the whole Order.
2. The socii of the Master of the Order are to be no fewer than eight and no more than ten. Two Three of them have charge of matters to do with the apostolate and the intellectual life and the fraternal life and formation in the Order respectively; to the others is entrusted care for the relationship of the provinces with the Order, and for other matters which may be committed to them by the Master of the Order (see n. 428).

The following may be used to foster collaboration among the provinces of a region or nation:

1. regular meetings between the priors provincial or differ­ent officials, such as the masters of novices, of students and of cooperator brothers, of regents, professors, promoters, etc.;
2. interprovincial conferences or commissions for the study of common problems;
3. national or regional promoters for different activities;
4. a common novitiate or studentate or common centres, according to norms to be approved by the Master of the Order; 
5. an agreement entered into with the consent of the Master of the Order for the erection of interprovincial convents and for making assignations from one province to another. 
6. an agreement between two provincial chapters or priors provincial for making direct assignations from one province to a house of the other province, with due respect for nn 270 § I and II, 497 § I and 600, the Master of the Order, however, having been notified (see Appendix 16). Such an agreement is to be reviewed at least once every five years by the priors provincial of the respective provinces.

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).

The prior provincial shall have a secret archive in which are kept secret documents, the import of which he is bound to convey to his successor. These documents shall be burned after the death of the brothers mentioned in them, provided this can be done without prejudice to those who are still alive.