Canon 503. A chapter of canons, whether cathedral or collegiate, is a college of priests, whose role is to celebrate the more solemn liturgical functions in a cathedral or a collegiate church. It is for the cathedral chapter, besides, to fulfil those roles entrusted to it by law or by the diocesan Bishop.

Capitulum canonicorum, sive cathedrale sive collegiale, est sacerdotum collegium, cuius est functiones liturgicas sollemniores in ecclesia cathedrali aut collegiali persolvere; capituli cathedralis praeterea est munera adimplere, quae iure aut ab Episcopo dioecesano ei committuntur.

Canon 504. The establishment, alteration or suppression of a cathedral chapter is reserved to the Apostolic See.

Capituli cathedralis erectio, innovatio aut suppressio Sedi Apostolicae reservantur.

Canon 505. Every chapter, whether cathedral or collegiate, is to have its own statutes, established by lawful capitular act and approved by the diocesan Bishop. These
statutes are not to be changed or abrogated except with the approval of the diocesan
Bishop.

Unumquodque capitulum, sive cathedrale sive collegiale, sua habeat statuta, per legitimum actum capitularem condita atque ab Episcopo dioecesano probata; quae statuta ne immutentur neve abrogentur, nisi approbante eodem Episcopo dioecesano.

Canon 506. §1 The statutes of a chapter, while preserving always the laws of the foundation, are to determine the nature of the chapter and the number of canons.
They are to define what the chapter and the individual canons are to do in carrying out divine worship and their ministry. They are to decide the meetings at which law, they are to prescribe the conditions required for the validity and for the lawfulness of the proceedings.

§2 In the statutes the remuneration is also to be defined, both the fixed salary and the amounts to be paid on the occasion of discharging the office, so too, having taken account of the norms laid down by the Holy See, the insignia of the canons.

§1. Statuta capituli, salvis semper fundationis legibus, ipsam capituli constitutionem et numerum canonicorum determinent; definiant quaenam a capitulo et a singulis canonicis ad cultum divinum necnon ad ministerium persolvendum sint peragenda; decernant conventus in quibus capituli negotia agantur atque, salvis quidem iuris universalis praescriptis, condiciones statuant ad validitatem liceitatemque negotiorum requisitas.

§2. In statutis etiam definiantur emolumenta, tum stabilia tum occasione perfuncti muneris solvenda necnon, attentis normis a Sancta Sede latis, quaenam sint canonicorum insignia.

Canon 507. §1 Among the canons there is to be one who presides over the chapter. In accordance with the statutes other offices are also to be established, account having been taken of the practice prevailing in the region.

§2 Other offices may be allotted to clerics not belonging to the chapter, so that, in accordance with the statutes, they may provide assistance to the canons.

§1. Inter canonicos habeatur qui capitulo praesit, atque alia etiam constituantur officia ad normam statutorum, ratione quoque habita usus in regione vigentis.

§2. Clericis ad capitulum non pertinentibus, committi possunt alia officia, quibus ipsi, ad normam statutorum, canonicis auxilium praebeant.

Canon 508. §1 The canon penitentiary both of a cathedral church and of a collegiate church has by law ordinary faculties, which he cannot however delegate to others, to absolve in the sacramental forum from latae sententiae censures which have not been declared and are not reserved to the Holy See. Within the diocese he can absolve not only diocesans but outsiders also, whereas he can absolve diocesans even outside the diocese.

§2 Where there is no chapter, the diocesan Bishop is to appoint a priest to fulfil this office.

§1. Paenitentiarius canonicus tum ecclesiae cathedralis tum ecclesiae collegialis vi officii habet facultatem ordinariam, quam tamen aliis delegare non potest, absolvendi in foro sacramentali a censuris latae sententiae non declaratis, Apostolicae Sedi non reservatis, in dioecesi extraneos quoque, dioecesanos autem etiam extra territorium dioecesis.

§2. Ubi deficit capitulum, Episcopus dioecesanus sacerdotem constituat ad idem munus implendum.

Canon 509. §1 It belongs to the diocesan Bishop, after consultation with the chapter, but not to the diocesan Administrator, to bestow each and every canonry both in the cathedral church and in a collegiate church, any privilege to the contrary is revoked.
It is also for the diocesan Bishop to confirm the person elected by the chapter to preside over it.
[NB see Authentic Interpretation of canon 509 §1, 20.V.1989]

§2 The diocesan Bishop is to appoint to canonries only priests who are of sound doctrine and life and who have exercised a praiseworthy ministry.

§1. Episcopi dioecesani, audito capitulo, non autem Administratoris dioecesani, est omnes et singulos conferre canonicatus, tum in ecclesia cathedrali tum in ecclesia collegiali, revocato quolibet contrario privilegio; eiusdem Episcopi est confirmare electum ab ipso capitulo, qui eidem praesit.

§2. Canonicatus Episcopus dioecesanus conferat tantum sacerdotibus doctrina vitaeque integritate praestantibus, qui laudabiliter ministerium exercuerunt.

Canon 510. §1 Parishes are no longer to be united with chapters of canons. Those which are united to a chapter are to be separated from it by the diocesan Bishop.

§2 In a church which is at the same time a parochial and a capitular church, a parish priest is to be appointed, whether chosen from the chapter or not. He is bound by all the obligations and he enjoys all the rights and faculties which by law belong to a parish priest.

§3 The diocesan Bishop is to establish certain norms whereby the pastoral duties of the parish priest and the roles proper to the chapter are duly harmonised, so that the parish priest is not a hindrance to capitular functions, nor the chapter to those of the parish. Any conflicts which may arise are to be settled by the diocesan Bishop, who is to ensure above all that the pastoral needs of the faithful are suitably provided for.

§4 Alms given to a church which is at the same time a parochial and a capitular church, are presumed to be given to the parish, unless it is otherwise established.

§1. Capitulo canonicorum ne amplius uniantur paroeciae; quae unitae alicui capitulo exstent, ab Episcopo dioecesano a capitulo separentur.

§2. In ecclesia, quae simul sit paroecialis et capitularis, designetur parochus, sive inter capitulares delectus, sive non; qui parochus omnibus obstringitur officiis atque gaudet iuribus et facultatibus quae ad normam iuris propria sunt parochi.

§3. Episcopi dioecesani est certas statuere normas, quibus officia pastoralia parochi atque munera capitulo propria debite componantur, cavendo ne parochus capitularibus nec capitulum paroecialibus functionibus impedimento sit; conflictus, si quidam habeantur, dirimat Episcopus dioecesanus, qui imprimis curet ut fidelium necessitatibus pastoralibus apte prospiciatur.

§4. Quae ecclesiae, paroeciali simul et capitulari, conferantur eleemosynae, praesumuntur datae paroeciae, nisi aliud constet.