Constitution

1.  
   1. The Master of the Order, with the consent of his council, may establish a vice-province. It ought to have, in the territory assigned to it, two convents properly so called and twenty-five voters, two thirds of whom should be members of the vice-province; furthermore, it should be able to provide from its own resources so that it may have the conditions for the stability of the new province to be established.
   2. A vice-provincial presides as major superior over a vice-province; he is elected by the chapter of the vice-province. A vice-province has the obligations and rights of a province.
2. In a territory where there is no province or vice-province, and where there are local needs or a well-founded hope of making a permanent foundation of the Order, the Master of the Order may, with the consent of his council, erect a general vicariate with specific territory. He must first have consulted the brothers due to be assigned to the vicariate and the council of the relevant province. The statues by which the general vicariate is governed shall be prepared by the vicariate and approved by the Master of the Order and his council.
   In this case, after the brothers of the vicariate have been consulted, a vicar general is appointed, in the first instance, by the Master of the Order for four years.
   Relations between this general vicariate and other vicariates which may exist in the same place shall be determined according to n. 395. 

The election of a conventual prior must be confirmed by the prior provincial, or by the regional prior if it concerns a brother assigned to a regional vicariate convent of the regional vicariate and elected for a convent in that vicariate, unless the statute of the vicariate provides otherwise. (see Appendix, n. 20).

The election of a conventual prior must be confirmed by the prior provincial, or by the regional prior if it concerns a brother assigned to a regional vicariate and elected for a convent in that vicariate, unless the statute of the vicariate provides otherwise. (see Appendix, n. 20).

1. Without prejudice to n. 491, § II, and with the exception of those who in accordance with n. 352, § I and § III are already represented, the following elect a delegate to a provincial chapter, provided they enjoy active voice (see nn. 440 and 441):
   1. brothers directly assigned to houses of the province;
   2. unless the provincial statute stipulate otherwise, brothers directly assigned to houses or convents under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order, always excepting those who belong to the general council;
   3. brothers indirectly assigned outside the province, pro­vided they are not superiors;
   4. brothers assigned to convents for which an agreement has been reached in accordance with n. 391, 4 and 5, provided that they are not conventual priors.
2. Given the requirements of n. 490, § I concerning the number of voters required for the election of the socius of a prior, other voters living outside the convent who for a grave reason cannot participate in the election of the socius in the convent of their assignation (see n. 491) shall be joined to a specified electoral college by the prior provincial with his council.
3. Given the requirements of n. 443, § I, all the brothers who have active voice in the election of a delegate are also eligible from the same college to which they belong.

1. Simple profession is to be made according to this formula:
   ‘I, brother N.N., make profession and promise obedience to God, to blessed Mary, and to blessed Dominic, and to you brother N.N., Master of the Order of Friars Preachers and to your successors (or: to you brother N.N., prior provincial of the province of...; or: delegated...; in place of N.N. Master of the Order of Friars Preachers and his successors), according to the rule of blessed Augustine and the institutions of the Friars Preachers, that I will be obedient to you and your successors for three years.’ (or: one year).
2. If, however, the Order does not have a Master at the time of profession, the brother making profession promises obedience to whoever presides in place of the Master of the Order without mentioning any name.

1. Preaching is a shared work, the responsibility of the entire community; that is why in the tradition of our Order a convent is often called a ‘holy preaching.’
   II. The cooperator brothers take part in the community apostolate not only by providing for the needs of the convent, but also by a ministry properly so-called, either working with their priest brothers or exercising talents in the apostolate.
2. III. The superior and the brothers should together reflect on the common task of preaching and make it their own, so that the whole community may become responsible. However, the right of the superior to make final decisions and accept particular ministries remains intact.
3. IV. In fraternal gatherings the brothers should discuss their apostolic experiences and problems, studying them to- gether and joining forces in special groups in order to exercise a more effective ministry.

1. Preaching is a shared work, the responsibility of the entire community.
2. The cooperator brothers take part in the community apostolate not only by providing for the needs of the convent but also by a ministry properly so-called, either working with their priest brothers or exercising talents in the apostolate.
3. The superior and the brothers should together reflect on the common task of preaching and make it their own, so that the whole community may become responsible. However, the right of the superior to make final decisions and accept particular ministries remains intact.
4. In fraternal gatherings the brothers should discuss their apostolic experiences and problems, studying them to- gether and joining forces in special groups in order to exercise a more effective ministry.

Only those brothers may be promoted to orders who:

1. are solemnly professed; 
2. have the necessary qualities;
3. are presented by their own major superior;
4. are approved by the conventual council whose responsibility it is to ensure that they have the requirements for ordination.

When they travel, brothers are to be given their expenses by their superior. On completion of their journey they must give him an account of that money and of any other money they received while outside the house.

For someone to be eligible as a diffinitor of a general chapter or a socius of a diffinitor or of a prior provincial, it is required that:

1. he is a member of the province or, if he is not a member of the province, he has been assigned there for at least six years;
2. he has not served as diffinitor, nor as an elector, under the same title in the immediately preceding general chapter.
3. he is not directly assigned in a house under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order.