Ordination

1. When a prior provincial ceases to hold office in accordance with n. 344, § I, the vicar of the province, as laid down in the statute of the province, will be: either the prior of the convent where the next provincial chapter is to be held or, if that convent does not have a prior at that time, the prior of the convent where the last chapter was held and so on, retrospectively; or the prior provincial himself who has left office. (Bo, n. 300)
2. When a prior provincial leaves office for any other reason, the vicar of the province will be the socius of that prior provincial up to the day immediately before the vigil of the provincial chapter, from which day the vicar will be the conventual prior where the next provincial chapter is to be held, or if that convent does not have a prior at that time, the prior of the convent where the last chapter was held and so on, retrospectively. The latter ruling should be observed even if there is no socius.
3. When a prior provincial is prevented from exercising jurisdiction, the Master of the Order must be approached. If this is not possible, the socius of the prior provincial becomes the vicar of the province, as set out above in § II.

1. Except in cases expressly indicated in the law, the votes of the council are decisive and not merely consultative.
2. For the council's decisions to be valid, the number of councillors must reach at least three, counting the chairman of the council.
3. Officials of the convent shall be called to the council to be heard when the matters pertaining to their duties are to be dealt with.

1. The chapter shall be held several times a year, and only the president has the right to convene it.
2. The convening of the chapter must always be done publicly and in writing.
3. Before the chapter, capitulars may propose to the president matters to be discussed; if one-third of the chapter proposes some matter, the president is obliged to present it for discussion. During the chapter, no business may be proposed unless the president permits or invites it.
4. To avoid having to make an unexpected decision at a chapter, the voters should be informed about all matters for discussion, together and individually, at least one or two days before the chapter meets, provided there is no danger in delay.
5. When there is a question of admission to profession, at least half must always be present.
6. The president has power to determine what must be kept secret.

Solemnly professed brothers assigned to a convent from another province for reasons of study only have a voice in the chapter when it is a question of admission to profession of brothers from their own province; They may be consulted, however, before the vote of the chapter and council when there is question of professing students who are living there with them but belong to other provinces.

1. A negative vote of both the chapter and the council is decisive when the brother has resided in the convent of his own province during that year; if the case concerns a cleric, the scholastic year can be counted for such a year. When the brother has resided outside the province, a decisive vote of the council of the province of affiliation is necessary.
2. When a brother has spent the aforesaid year outside his own province, the vote of its chapter and council are consultative only. However, in that case a vote of the council of the province of affiliation is always required. If it is favourable, the prior provincial may admit the brother to profession but not if it is contrary. In the case in which the votes of the chapter and the council do not agree, the matter is to be referred for decision to the proper provincial.
3. If a brother has not yet lived for a year in the convent of his actual assignation and is due to make solemn profession, the convent in which he spent the immediately preceding year takes a vote of the chapter and council according to n. 206, 2,  but the convent where he is actually living must first take a vote for the sake of information.

1. Where appropriate, aspirants should be prepared for some time before being admitted to the novitiate.
2. The duration, form and place of this preparation shall be decided by the provincial chapter, or the prior provincial with his council.
3. For this purpose, the province may establish a time of pre-novitiate as the first step on the journey towards the religious life. The aim of this is to prepare the aspirant for the novitiate especially through catechetical instruction, and provide an experience of living community life. It also gives the Order an opportunity to discern the aspirant’s suitability for Dominican life.

The right order of society, which the task of preaching urges us to promote, should be considered as a requirement for the spread of the kingdom of heaven, which, begun by the Incarnation of the Word of God, must be fulfilled in the universal community of men.

A province should draw up a plan of its overall apostolate and prepare the brothers for it and should coordinate its energies, taking into account the unity, the vigour and the continuity of the apostolate. The needs of the Church, and of the province, together with the problems likely to arise in the future should be kept in mind.

1. It is principally the responsibility of the conventual superior:
   1. to arrange that at suitable intervals, conferences and community discussions take place with professors from the houses of study or other experts from the Order or from elsewhere. Doctrinal questions should provide the subject matter, particularly those relevant to the brothers’ ministry and
   2. to ensure that the library is provided with the necessary books and that an adequate amount of money is spent annually for its  improvement.
2. There shall be a conventual lector of studies to assist the superior in fostering the intellectual life of the community. The superior himself may undertake this task.

When a brother dies:

1. The convent where he dies and the convent of his assignation shall celebrate for him the Office and Mass for the dead.
2. Throughout the province of his affiliation:
   1. each priest and each convent shall celebrate one Mass;
   2. each brother who is not a priest shall participate in one Mass. The same shall be done in the convent of his assignation if a brother was assigned outside his province of affiliation.
3. Throughout the Order:
   1. when a Master of the Order dies, each priest shall celebrate one Mass and each brother who is not a priest shall participate in one Mass.
   2. when a Master or ex-Master of the Order dies, each convent shall celebrate a Mass for the dead.