Canon 1290. Without prejudice to can. 1547[5], whatever the local civil law decrees about contracts, both generally and specifically, and about the voiding of contracts, is to be observed regarding goods which are subject to the power of governance of the
Church, and with the same effect, provided that the civil law is not contrary to divine law, and that canon law does not provide otherwise.

Quae ius civile in territorio statuit de contractibus tam in genere quam in specie et de solutionibus, eadem iure canonico quoad res potestati regiminis Ecclesiae subiectas iisdem cum effectibus serventur, nisi iuri divino contraria sint aut aliud iure canonico caveatur, et firmo praescripto can. 1547.

Canon 1291. The permission of the authority competent by law is required for the valid alienation of goods which, by lawful assignment, constitute the stable patrimony of a public juridical person, whenever their value exceeds the sum determined by law.

Ad valide alienanda bona, quae personae iuridicae publicae ex legitima assignatione patrimonium stabile constituunt et quorum valor summam iure definitam excedit, requiritur licentia auctoritatis ad normam iuris competentis.

Canon 1292. §1 Without prejudice to the provision of can. 638 §3, when the amount of the goods to be alienated is between the minimum and maximum sums to be established by the Episcopal Conference for its region, the competent authority in the case of juridical persons not subject to the diocesan Bishop is determined by the juridical person’s own statutes. In other cases, the competent authority is the diocesan
Bishop acting with the consent of the finance committee, of the college of consultors, and of any interested parties. The diocesan Bishop needs the consent of these same persons to alienate goods which belong to the diocese itself.

§2 The permission of the Holy See also is required for the valid alienation of goods whose value exceeds the maximum sum, or if it is a question of the alienation of something given to the Church by reason of a vow, or of objects which are precious by reason of their artistic or historical significance.

§3 When a request is made to alienate goods which are divisible, the request must state what parts have already been alienated; otherwise, the permission is invalid.

§4 Those who must give advice about or consent to the alienation of goods are not to give this advice or consent until they have first been informed precisely both about the economic situation of the juridical person whose goods it is proposed to alienate and about alienations which have already taken place.

§1. Salvo praescripto can. 638, §3, cum valor bonorum, quorum alienatio proponitur, continetur intra summam minimam et summam maximam ab Episcoporum conferentia pro sua cuiusque regione definiendas, auctoritas competens, si agatur de personis iuridicis Episcopo dioecesano non subiectis, propriis determinatur statutis; secus, auctoritas competens est Episcopus dioecesanus cum consensu consilii a rebus oeconomicis et collegii consultorum necnon eorum quorum interest. Eorundem quoque consensu eget ipse Episcopus dioecesanus ad bona dioecesis alienanda.

§2. Si tamen agatur de rebus quarum valor summam maximam excedit, vel de rebus ex voto Ecclesiae donatis, vel de rebus pretiosis artis vel historiae causa, ad validitatem alienationis requiritur insuper licentia Sanctae Sedis.

§3. Si res alienanda sit divisibilis, in petenda licentia pro alienatione exprimi debent partes antea alienatae; secus licentia irrita est.

§4. Ii, qui in alienandis bonis consilio vel consensu partem habere debent, ne praebeant consilium vel consensum nisi prius exacte fuerint edocti tam de statu oeconomico personae iuridicae cuius bona alienanda proponuntur, quam de alienationibus iam peractis.

Canon 1293. §1 To alienate goods whose value exceeds the determined minimum sum, it is also required that there be:

1° a just reason, such as urgent necessity, evident advantage, or a religious, charitable or other grave pastoral reason;

2° a written expert valuation of the goods to be alienated.

§2 To avoid harm to the Church, any other precautions drawn up by lawful authority are also to be followed.

§1. Ad alienanda bona, quorum valor summam minimam definitam excedit, requiritur insuper:

1° iusta causa, veluti urgens necessitas, evidens utilitas, pietas, caritas vel gravis alia ratio pastoralis;

2° aestimatio rei alienandae a peritis scripto facta.

§2. Aliae quoque cautelae a legitima auctoritate praescriptae serventur, ut Ecclesiae damnum vitetur.

Canon 1294. §1 Normally goods must not be alienated for a price lower than that given in the valuation.

§2 The money obtained from alienation must be carefully invested for the benefit of the Church, or prudently expended according to the purposes of the alienation.

§1. Res alienari minore pretio ordinarie non debet, quam quod in aestimatione indicatur.

§2. Pecunia ex alienatione percepta vel in commodum Ecclesiae caute collocetur vel, iuxta alienationis fines, prudenter erogetur.

Canon 1295. The provisions of can. 1291-1294, to which the statutes of juridical persons are to conform, must be observed not only in alienation, but also in any dealings in which the patrimonial condition of the juridical person may be jeopardised.

Requisita ad normam can. 1291-1294, quibus etiam statuta personarum iuridicarum conformanda sunt, servari debent non solum in alienatione, sed etiam in quolibet negotio, quo condicio patrimonialis personae iuridicae peior fieri possit.

Canon 1296. When alienation has taken place without-the prescribed canonical formalities, but is valid in civil law, the competent authority must carefully weigh all the circumstances and decide whether, and if so what, action is to be taken, namely personal or real, by whom and against whom, to vindicate the rights of the Church.

Si quando bona ecclesiastica sine debitis quidem sollemnitatibus canonicis alienata fuerint, sed alienatio sit civiliter valida, auctoritatis competentis est decernere, omnibus mature perpensis, an et qualis actio, personalis scilicet vel realis, a quonam et contra quemnam instituenda sit ad Ecclesiae iura vindicanda.

Canon 1297. It is the duty of the Episcopal Conference, taking into account the local circumstances, to determine norms about the leasing of ecclesiastical goods, especially about permission to be obtained from the competent ecclesiastical authority.

Conferentiae Episcoporum est, attentis locorum adiunctis, normas statuere de bonis Ecclesiae locandis, praesertim de licentia a competenti auctoritate ecclesiastica obtinenda.

Canon 1298. Unless they are of little value, ecclesiastical goods are not to be sold or leased to the administrators themselves or to their relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, without the special written permission of the competent authority.

Nisi res sit minimi momenti, bona ecclesiastica propriis administratoribus eorumve propinquis usque ad quartum consanguinitatis vel affinitatis gradum non sunt vendenda aut locanda sine speciali competentis auctoritatis licentia scripto data.