Canon 1040. Those bound by an impediment are to be barred from the reception of orders. An impediment may be simple; or it may be perpetual, in which case it is called an irregularity. No impediment is contracted which is not contained in the following canons.

A recipiendis ordinibus arcentur qui quovis impedimento afficiuntur sive perpetuo, quod venit nomine irregularitatis, sive simplici; nullum autem impedimentum contrahitur, quod in canonibus qui sequuntur non contineatur.

Canon 1041. The following persons are irregular for the reception of orders:

1° one who suffers from any form of insanity, or from any other psychological infirmity, because of which he is, after experts have been consulted, judged incapable of being able to fulfil the ministry;

2° one who has committed the offence of apostasy, heresy or schism;

3° one who has attempted marriage, even a civil marriage, either while himself prevented from entering marriage whether by an existing marriage bond or by a sacred order or by a public and perpetual vow of chastity, or with a woman who is validly married or is obliged by the same vow;

4° one who has committed wilful homicide, or one who has actually procured an abortion, and all who have positively cooperated;

5° one who has gravely and maliciously mutilated himself or another, or who has attempted suicide;
[NB see Authentic Interpretation of canon 1041, 4º-5º, 31.V.2016]

6° one who has carried out an act of order which is reserved to those in the order of the episcopate or priesthood, while himself either not possessing that order or being barred from its exercise by some canonical penalty, declared or imposed.

Ad recipiendos ordines sunt irregulares:

1° qui aliqua forma laborat amentiae aliusve psychicae infirmitatis, qua, consultis peritis, inhabilis iudicatur ad ministerium rite implendum;

2° qui delictum apostasiae, haeresis aut schismatis commiserit;

3° qui matrimonium etiam civile tantum attentaverit, vel ipsemet vinculo matrimoniali aut ordine sacro aut voto publico perpetuo castitatis a matrimonio ineundo impeditus, vel cum muliere matrimonio valido coniuncta aut eodem voto adstricta;

4° qui voluntarium homicidium perpetraverit aut abortum procuraverit, effectu secuto, omnesque positive cooperantes;

5° qui seipsum vel alium graviter et dolose mutilaverit vel sibi vitam adimere tentaverit;

6° qui actum ordinis posuerit constitutis in ordine episcopatus vel presbyteratus reservatum, vel eodem carens, vel ab eius exercitio poena aliqua canonica declarata vel irrogata prohibitus.

Canon 1042. The following are simply impeded from receiving orders:

1° a man who has a wife, unless he is lawfully destined for the permanent diaconate;

2° one who exercises an office or administration forbidden to clerics, in accordance with cann. 285 and 286, of which he must render an account; the impediment binds until such time as, having relinquished the office and administration and rendered the account, he has been freed;

3° a neophyte, unless, in the judgement of the Ordinary, he has been sufficiently tested.

Sunt a recipiendis ordinibus simpliciter impediti:

1° vir uxorem habens, nisi ad diaconatum permanentem legitime destinetur;

2° qui officium vel administrationem gerit clericis ad normam can. 285 et 286 vetitam cuius rationem reddere debet, donec, depositis officio et administratione atque rationibus redditis, liber factus sit;

3° neophytus, nisi, iudicio Ordinarii, sufficienter probatus fuerit.

Canon 1043. Christ’s faithful are bound to reveal, before ordination, to the Ordinary or to the parish priest, such impediments to sacred orders as they may know about.

Christifideles obligatione tenentur impedimenta ad sacros ordines, si qua norint, Ordinario vel parocho ante ordinationem revelandi.

Canon 1044. §1 The following are irregular for the exercise of orders already received:

1° one who, while bound by an irregularity for the reception of orders, unlawfully received orders;

2° one who committed the offence mentioned in can. 1041, n. 2, if the offence is public

3° one who committed any of the offences mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 3, 4,5,6.

§2 The following are impeded from the exercise of orders:

1° one who, while bound by an impediment to the reception of orders, unlawfully received orders;

2° one who suffers from insanity or from some other psychological infirmity mentioned in can. 1041, n. 1, until such time as the Ordinary, having consulted an expert, has allowed the exercise of the order in question.

§1. Ad exercendos ordines receptos sunt irregulares:

1° qui irregularitate ad ordines recipiendos dum afficiebatur, illegitime ordines recepit;

2° qui delictum commisit, de quo in can. 1041, n. 2, si delictum est publicum;

3° qui delictum commisit, de quibus in can. 1041, nn. 3, 4, 5, 6.

§2. Ab ordinibus exercendis impediuntur:

1° qui impedimento ad ordines recipiendos detentus, illegitime ordines recepit;

2° qui amentia aliave infirmitate psychica de qua in can. 1041, n. 1 afficitur, donec Ordinarius, consulto perito, eiusdem ordinis exercitium permiserit.

Canon 1045. Ignorance of irregularities and impediments does not exempt from them.

Ignorantia irregularitatum atque impedimentorum ab eisdem non eximit.

Canon 1046. Irregularities and impediments are multiplied if they arise from different causes, not however from the repetition of the same cause, unless it is a question of the irregularity arising from the commission of wilful homicide or from having actually procured an abortion.

Irregularitates et impedimenta multiplicantur ex diversis eorundem causis, non autem ex repetita eadem causa, nisi agatur de irregularitate ex homicidio voluntario aut ex procurato abortu, effectu secuto.

Canon 1047. §1 If the fact on which they are based has been brought to the judicial forum, dispensation from all irregularities is reserved to the Apostolic See alone.

§2 Dispensation from the following irregularities and impediments to the reception of orders is also reserved to the Apostolic See:

1° irregularities arising from the offences mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 2 and 3, if they are public;

2° an irregularity arising from the offence, whether public or occult, mentioned in can. 1041, n. 4;

3° the impediment mentioned in can. 1042, n. 1.

§3 To the Apostolic See is also reserved the dispensation from the irregularities for the exercise of an order received mentioned in can. 1041, n.3 but only in public cases, and in n. 4 of the same canon even in occult cases.

§4 The Ordinary can dispense from irregularities and impediments not reserved to the
Holy See.

§1. Uni Apostolicae Sedi reservatur dispensatio ab omnibus irregularitatibus, si factum quo innituntur ad forum iudiciale deductum fuerit.

§2. Eidem etiam reservatur dispensatio ab irregularitatibus et impedimentis ad ordines recipiendos, quae sequuntur:

1° ab irregularitatibus ex delictis publicis, de quibus in can. 1041, nn. 2 et 3;

2° ab irregularitate ex delicto sive publico sive occulto, de quo in can. 1041, n. 4;

3° ab impedimento, de quo in can. 1042, n. 1.

§3. Apostolicae Sedi etiam reservatur dispensatio ab irregularitatibus ad exercitium ordinis suscepti, de quibus in can. 1041, n. 3, in casibus publicis tantum, atque in eodem canone, n. 4, etiam in casibus occultis.

§4. Ab irregularitatibus et impedimentis Sanctae Sedi non reservatis dispensare valet Ordinarius.

Canon 1048. In the more urgent occult cases, if the Ordinary or, in the case of the irregularities mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 3 and 4, the Penitentiary cannot be approached, and if there is imminent danger of serious harm or loss of reputation, the person who is irregular for the exercise of an order may exercise it. There remains, however, the obligation of his having recourse as soon as possible to the Ordinary or the Penitentiary, without revealing his name, and through a confessor.

In casibus occultis urgentioribus, si adiri nequeat Ordinarius aut cum de irregularitatibus agatur de quibus in can. 1041, nn. 3 et 4, Paenitentiaria, et si periculum immineat gravis damni aut infamiae, potest qui irregularitate ab ordine exercendo impeditur eundem exercere, firmo tamen manente onere quam primum recurrendi ad Ordinarium aut Paenitentiariam, reticito nomine et per confessarium.

Canon 1049. §1 In a petition to obtain a dispensation from irregularities or impediments, all irregularities and impediments are to be mentioned. However, a general dispensation is valid also for those omitted in good faith, with the exception of the irregularities mentioned in can. 1041, n. 4, or of others which have been brought to the judicial forum; it is not, however, valid for those concealed in bad faith.

§2 If it is question of an irregularity arising from wilful homicide or from a procured abortion, for the validity of the dispensation even the number of offences must be stated.

§3 A general dispensation from irregularities and impediments to the reception of orders is valid for all orders.

§1. In precibus ad obtinendam irregularitatum et impedimentorum dispensationem, omnes irregularitates et impedimenta indicanda sunt; attamen, dispensatio generalis valet etiam pro reticitis bona fide, exceptis irregularitatibus de quibus in can. 1041, n. 4, aliisve ad forum iudiciale deductis, non autem pro reticitis mala fide.

§2. Si agatur de irregularitate ex voluntario homicidio aut ex procurato abortu, etiam numerus delictorum ad validitatem dispensationis exprimendus est.

§3. Dispensatio generalis ab irregularitatibus et impedimentis ad ordines recipiendos valet pro omnibus ordinibus.