Constitution

1. If any Province or Vice Province for a period of three years to the norm of n. 253 or n. 257 § I does not fulfill the conditions requisite, the General Chapter or Master of the Order consulting with his council may declare it hardly large enough to enjoy the rights of the Province or Vice Province, saving always the right to participate in a General Chapter already convoked. If, for a period of three years, a province does not have three convents or thirty-five voters assigned in that province and habitually living there, the Master of the Order, having consulted his council, shall declare that it no longer enjoys the right to take part in general chapters as a province and shall reduce it to a vice-province in accordance with n. 257, unless a general chapter has already been convoked.
2. This declaration having been published, if the Province fulfills the requisite conditions by the norm of n. 257 § I, it would enjoy the rights and is bound to the obligations of a Vice Province. Otherwise the Master of the Order in and over this Province or Vice Province msy institute a vicar (cf. n. 400) for four years, who would have all the requisite conditions for a Prior Provincial, and rules this entity according to the norms established by the Master of the Order. This declaration having been published, if the Province fulfills the requisite conditions by the norm of n. 257 § I, it would enjoy the rights and is bound to the obligations of a Vice Province. Otherwise the Master of the Order in and over this Province or Vice Province msy institute a vicar (cf. n. 400) for four years, who would have all the requisite conditions for a Prior Provincial, and rules this entity according to the norms established by the Master of the Order.
3. If afterwards the Province or Vice Province about which in § I fulfills the requisite conditions by the norm of n. 257 § I, the General Chapter or Master of the Order with the consent of his council may declare it to enjoy the rights of a Vice Province and to be bound to its obligations.
4. In regions where, because of adverse circumstances, a provincial chapter cannot be held, the Master of the Order, with the consent of his council, may provide for its equitable representation at the general chapter.

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.’
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 their own 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.

1. The brothers are to worship Christ in the mystery of the Eucharist so that they may derive an increase of faith, hope and charity from such a wonderful exchange .
2. The brothers ought to cherish the Order’s traditional devotion to the Virgin Mother of God, Queen of the Apostles. She is an example of meditation on the words of Christ, and of acceptance of one’s mission.
   The brothers should recite daily a third part five decades of the rosary in common or in private, according to the decision of the provincial chapter, preserving an appropriate relationship to the liturgy. This form of prayer leads us to the contemplation of the mystery of salvation in which the Virgin Mary is intimately associated with the work of her Son.
3. The brothers should foster the cult of St. Dominic and true devotion to him, the mirror of our life, and to the saints of the Order so that they may be moved to imitate them and be strengthened in the spirit of their vocation.

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. 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).

1. A province consists of a least three convents, two of which must contain at least ten eight voters. Furthermore, each province must have at least forty voters.
2. A province must have its own territory distinct from the territory of other provinces.

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 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 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.

When a vicar provincial is to be appointed by the prior provincial, the brothers, who, in accordance with n. 478, would have active voice in the election, shall first be consulted (see Appendix n. 25).