Canon 184. §1 An ecclesiastical office is lost on the expiry of a predetermined time; on reaching the age limit defined by law; by resignation; by transfer; by removal; by deprivation.

§2 An ecclesiastical office is not lost on the expiry, in whatever way, of the authority of the one by whom it was conferred, unless the law provides otherwise.

§3 The loss of an office, once it has taken effect, is to be notified as soon as possible to those who have any right in regard to the provision of the office.

§1. Amittitur officium ecclesiasticum lapsu temporis praefiniti, expleta aetate iure definita, renuntiatione, translatione, amotione necnon privatione.

§2. Resoluto quovis modo iure auctoritatis a qua fuit collatum, officium ecclesiasticum non amittitur, nisi aliud iure caveatur.

§3. Officii amissio, quae effectum sortita est, quam primum omnibus nota fiat, quibus aliquod ius in officii provisionem competit.

Canon 185. The title ‘emeritus’ may be conferred on one who loses office by reason of age, or of resignation which has been accepted.

Ei, qui ob impletam aetatem aut renuntiationem acceptatam officium amittit, titulus emeriti conferri potest.

Canon 186. Loss of office by reason of the expiry of a predetermined time or of reaching the age limit, has effect only from the moment that this is communicated in writing by the competent authority.

Lapsu temporis praefiniti vel adimpleta aetate, amissio officii effectum habet tantum a momento, quo a competenti auctoritate scripto intimatur.

Canon 187. Anyone who is capable of personal responsibility can resign from an ecclesiastical office for a just reason.

Quisquis sui compos potest officio ecclesiastico iusta de causa renuntiare.

Canon 188. A resignation which is made as a result of grave fear unjustly inflicted, or of deceit, or of substantial error, or of simony, is invalid by virtue of the law itself.

Renuntiatio ex metu gravi, iniuste incusso, dolo vel errore substantiali aut simoniace facta, ipso iure irrita est.

Canon 189. §1 For a resignation to be valid, whether it requires acceptance or not, it must be made to the authority which is competent to provide for the office in question, and it must be made either in writing, or orally before two witnesses.

§2 The authority is not to accept a resignation which is not based on a just and proportionate reason.

§3 A resignation which requires acceptance has no force unless it is accepted within three months. One which does not require acceptance takes effect when the person resigning communicates it in accordance with the law.
[NB see m.p. Learn to take your leave, 12.II.2018, art. 5 (cf. can. 401)]

§4 Until a resignation takes effect, it can be revoked by the person resigning. Once it has taken effect, it cannot be revoked, but the person who resigned can obtain the office on the basis of another title.

§1. Renuntiatio, ut valeat, sive acceptatione eget sive non, auctoritati fieri debet cui provisio ad officium de quo agitur pertinet, et quidem scripto vel oretenus coram duobus testibus.

§2. Auctoritas renuntiationem iusta et proportionata causa non innixam ne acceptet.

§3. Renuntiatio quae acceptatione indiget, nisi intra tres menses acceptetur, omni vi caret; quae acceptatione non indiget effectum sortitur communicatione renuntiantis ad normam iuris facta.

§4. Renuntiatio, quamdiu effectum sortita non fuerit, a renuntiante revocari potest; effectu secuto revocari nequit, sed qui renuntiavit, officium alio ex titulo consequi potest.

Canon 190. §1 A transfer can be made only by the person who has the right to provide both for the office which is lost and at the same time for the office which is being conferred.

§2 A grave reason is required if a transfer is made against the will of the holder of an office and, always without prejudice to the right to present reasons against the transfer, the procedure prescribed by law is to be observed.

§3 For a transfer to have effect, it must be notified in writing.

§1. Translatio ab eo tantum fieri potest, qui ius habet providendi officio quod amittitur et simul officio quod committitur.

§2. Si translatio fiat invito officii titulari, gravis requiritur causa et, firmo semper iure rationes contrarias exponendi, servetur modus procedendi iure praescriptus.

§3. Translatio, ut effectum sortiatur, scripto intimanda est.

Canon 191. §1 In the process of transfer, the first office is vacated by the taking of canonical possession of the other office, unless the law or the competent authority has prescribed otherwise.

§2 The person transferred receives the remuneration attached to the previous office until the moment of obtaining canonical possession of the other office.


§1. In translatione, prius officium vacat per possessionem alterius officii canonice habitam, nisi aliud iure cautum aut a competenti auctoritate praescriptum fuerit.

§2. Remunerationem cum priore officio conexam translatus percipit, donec alterius possessionem canonice obtinuerit.

Canon 192. One is removed from office either by a decree of the competent authority lawfully issued, observing of course the rights possibly acquired from a contract, or by virtue of the law in accordance with can. 194.

Ab officio quis amovetur sive decreto ab auctoritate competenti legitime edito, servatis quidem iuribus forte ex contractu quaesitis, sive ipso iure ad normam can. 194.

Canon 193. §1 No one may be removed from an office which is conferred on a person for an indeterminate time, except for grave reasons and in accordance with the procedure defined by law.

§2 This also applies to the removal from office before time of a person on whom an office is conferred for a determinate time, without prejudice to can. 624 §3.

§3 When in accordance with the provisions of law an office is conferred upon someone at the prudent discretion of the competent authority, that person may, upon the judgement of the same authority, be removed from the office for a just reason.

§4 For a decree of removal to be effective, it must be notified in writing.

§1. Ab officio quod alicui confertur ad tempus indefinitum, non potest quis amoveri nisi ob graves causas atque servato procedendi modo iure definito.

§2. Idem valet, ut quis ab officio, quod alicui ad tempus determinatum confertur, ante hoc tempus elapsum amoveri possit, firmo praescripto can. 624, §3.

§3. Ab officio quod, secundum iuris praescripta, alicui confertur ad prudentem discretionem auctoritatis competentis, potest quis iusta ex causa, de iudicio eiusdem auctoritatis, amoveri.

§4. Decretum amotionis, ut effectum sortiatur, scripto intimandum est.

Canon 194. §1 The following are removed from ecclesiastical office by virtue of the law itself:

1° one who has lost the clerical state;

2° one who has publicly defected from the catholic faith or from communion with the Church;

3° a cleric who has attempted marriage, even a civil one.

§2 The removal mentioned in nn. 2 and 3 can be insisted upon only if it is established by a declaration of the competent authority.

§1. Ipso iure ab officio ecclesiastico amovetur:

1° qui statum clericalem amiserit;

2° qui a fide catholica aut a communione Ecclesiae publice defecerit;

3° clericus qui matrimonium etiam civile tantum attentaverit.

§2. Amotio, de qua in nn. 2 et 3, urgeri tantum potest, si de eadem auctoritatis competentis declaratione constet.

Canon 195. If by a decree of the competent authority, and not by the law itself, someone is removed from an office on which that person’s livelihood depends, the same authority is to ensure that the person’s livelihood is secure for an appropriate time, unless this has been provided for in some other way.

Si quis, non quidem ipso iure, sed per decretum auctoritatis competentis ab officio amoveatur quo eiusdem subsistentiae providetur, eadem auctoritas curet ut ipsius subsistentiae per congruum tempus prospiciatur, nisi aliter provisum sit.

Canon 196. §1 Deprivation of office, that is, as a punishment for an offence, may be effected only in accordance with the law.

§2 Deprivation takes effect in accordance with the provisions of the canons concerning penal law.


§1. Privatio ab officio, in poenam scilicet delicti, ad normam iuris tantummodo fieri potest.

§2. Privatio effectum sortitur secundum praescripta canonum de iure poenali.