Ordination

The prior shall appoint a sacristan, a librarian, a conventual reader, and other officials whom he shall judge useful.

For each official, a provincial chapter shall determine the conditions, length of service, duties, and other relevant matters.

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. The syndic shall always be called to take part in council deliberations without, however, having a vote unless he is already a member of the council. 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.
4. Other 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. A general chapter or the Master of the Order may freely assign brothers to any province or convent, but the provincial chapter or a prior provincial may make assignations within their own province.
2. A brother who has been simply assigned to a province by the master of the Order or by the general chapter needs, in addition, an assignment to a specific convent.
3. Direct or indirect assignations must be made in writing (see Appendix, n. 12)

1. A special examination must precede the exercise the office of confessor. The manner in which this examination is to be conducted is laid down in the Ratio Studiorum Generalis.
2. Brothers must take this examination within six months of completing their basic theological studies, or within six months of ordination to the priesthood if this is postponed for any reason.
3. Before this examination, a vote is to be taken on the moral behaviour of the candidate as mentioned in n. 318, 4 This is required for validity.

In a spirit of true dialogue, the brothers should establish conversations with followers of non-Christian religions and with non-believers. It is essential to bear in mind that special training is clearly needed to cope with the problems which are encountered in this kind of apostolate.

1. Permission for a long journey should ordinarily be in writing and should state the term, reason, and time; the brother priest should also have a letter of recommendation from his superior.
2. The local superior can grant permission to travel within the terms designated by the prior provincial. 

No brother may have a personal account in a bank except with the permission of the provincial or the master of the Order; in which case the syndic must also have the right to withdraw money.

Before confirming an election, the prior provincial is obliged to seek the consent:

1. of the Master of the Order if the one elected or postulated is assigned to a convent subject to the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order;
2. of the prior provincial of the province of assignation if the one elected or postulated is assigned in another province; and also of the prior provincial of affiliation, if he is assigned outside the province of his affiliation.

The following is the procedure for the election of superiors:

1. the electors shall meet at the appointed time and place and invoke the Holy Spirit; the president, tellers and secretary shall take the oath to fulfil their duty faithfully and, even after the election is over, to observe secrecy about the transactions in the sessions;
2. the secretary shall call the names of the individuals who by law must be present as electors; if they are present, they shall answer;
3. objections, if there are any, against the admission or exclusion of any voter must then be raised;
4. the president shall remind the voters that no one may validly vote for himself;
5. the ballot papers are distributed by the secretary, and voters write their vote in this manner: I elect or I postulate N.N., indicating both the given name and surname. In every case the complete formula, I elect or I postulate, shall be used;
6. if any voter present in the convent is confined to his room by illness, the tellers shall then go to him together, and obtain his written vote. If the sick person is unable to write, he may authorize someone else to write his vote, or he may even by word of mouth declare his vote to the tellers: they should immediately write it down;
7. the tellers and then the voters, one by one, beginning with the seniors, place their folded ballot-papers in an open container;
8. the ballots are counted by the tellers. If their number does not exceed the number of voters, they are then opened; otherwise, they shall be burned immediately, and the electors shall fill in a new ballot-paper;
9. the tellers read the ballot-papers and tabulate the votes;
10. the tellers compare their tabulations and after they have found them in agreement, the ballot-papers are burned;
11. then the president reads out in a clear voice the names of each one who has received a vote;
12. objections, if there are any, against the process of the election itself must then be raised;
13. with the consent of the majority, the election process may be interrupted between ballots, but the last ballot must be held on that same day;
14. if the required majority is obtained, the president shall declare brother N.N., to have been canonically elected or postulated for such and such office. If the president himself has been elected, the declaration shall be made by the first teller;
15. objections, if there are any, against the character of the one elected must then be raised;
16. the document of election is drawn up and signed by the president, the tellers, and the secretary.

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).