Ordination

The examination for the lectorate shall be carried out in accordance with the conditions and procedure laid down in the general and particular Rationes Studiorum.

The examination for the lectorate shall be carried out in accordance with the conditions and procedure laid down in the general and particular Rationes Studiorum.

1. The scientific degrees in the Order are:
   1. the lectorate;
   2. the mastership in sacred theology.
2. Any province is free to dispense with conferring the lectorate should it consider it opportune.

1. The scientific degrees in the Order are:
   1. the lectorate;
   2. the mastership in sacred theology.
2. Any province is free to dispense with conferring the lectorate should it consider it opportune.

1. 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:
   1. a petition drawn up by the provincial chapter setting out the reasons;
   2. a decree of approval given by the Master of the Order.
2. 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.
3. 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.

1. To establish or accept a center of academic higher studies, including a university, in addition to the requirements of law and the usual academic conditions, the following are required:
   1. a petition drawn up by the provincial chapter setting out the reasons;
   2. a decree of approval given by the Master of the Order.
2. Centers of academic 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.
3. 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.

1. 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.
2. The following, apart from the vocals of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order, and the procurator general;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. 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;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3.  
   1. 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;
   2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
4.  
   1. 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;
   2. 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;
   3. 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.

1. 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.
2. The following, apart from the members of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order, and the procurator general;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. any religious provided that his proposal is countersigned by at least five brothers who have active voice, or is presented by a member of the chapter who shall judge whether the petition ought to be submitted or not;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3. Councils general or federations of congregations aggregated to the Order may submit their requests and suggestions concerning the Dominican family to a general chapter.
4.  
   1. 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;
   2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
5.  
   1. The Master of the Order shall see to it that the questions mentioned in § IV, 1, assigned to different commissions according to differing material, are conveyed to each member of the chapter as soon as possible;
   2. The members of these commissions are: brothers having a voice in the chapter, including the associates of the prior provincials and diffinitors who enjoy the right of election (cf. n. 407 § III); assistants of the Master of the Order designated by the Master himself (cf. n. 410 § I); the prior provincials mentioned in n. 258, the vice-provincials and the vicars general of territories not belonging to a province or vice-province or delegates from them according to the norm of n. 410 § II;
   3. all 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;
   4. the Master of the Order shall then appoint the presidents of the commissions and inform the capitulars 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.

1. 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.
2. The following, apart from the members of the chapter, may submit petitions and questions:
   1. all major superiors, the socii of the Master of the Order and the procurator general and the socii of the Master of the Order;
   2. any chapter and council and also the moderator team of a centre of studies;
   3. 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;
   4. monasteries or federations of our nuns; provincial or national councils of fraternities of St Dominic.
3. Councils general or federations of congregations aggregated to the Order may submit their requests and suggestions concerning the Dominican family to a general chapter.
4.  
   1. III.1. 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 six months before the chapter;
   2. III.2. they shall be set down briefly in Latin or a modern language accepted by the general council and submitted on as many separate pages as there are separate questions.
5.  
   1. IV.1 The Master of the Order shall see to it that the questions mentioned in § III IV, 1, assigned to different commissions according to differing material, are conveyed to each member of the chapter vocal as soon as possible;
   2. members of these commissions are: brothers with voting rights in the chapter, including the associates of the prior provincials and diffinitors who enjoy the right of election (cf. n. 407 § III); the socii of the Master of the Order designated by the Master himself (cf. n. 410 § I); the prior provincials mentioned in n. 258, the vice-provincials and the vicars general of territories not belonging to a province or vice-province according to the norm of n. 410 § II;
   3. IV.2. then all the voters 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;
   4. IV.3. the Master of the Order shall then appoint the presidents of the commissions and inform the capitulars 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.

1. The place and time of a chapter shall be determined by the preceding chapter. The date assigned for the beginning of a chapter shall not be postponed or anticipated by more than six months except with the consent of a majority of the provinces.
2. A general chapter shall be convoked by the Master or vicar of the Order by circular letter eight months before the date assigned for holding the chapter. Prayers for the successful outcome of the chapter shall be requested in this letter.
3. When the office of Master of the Order falls vacant, an elective chapter shall be convoked within a month from the date of the vacancy. This time may be extended – but not beyond six months – if there is a grave reason and a majority of  the provinces consent.
4. With the consent of his council, the Master or vicar of the Order may, for a just cause, change the designated location for the next general chapter.