Canon 59. §1 A rescript is an administrative act issued in writing by a competent authority, by which of its very nature a privilege, dispensation or other favour is granted at someone’s request.

§2 Unless it is otherwise established, provisions laid down concerning rescripts apply also to the granting of permission and to the granting of favours by word of mouth.

§1. Rescriptum intellegitur actus administrativus a competenti auctoritate exsecutiva in scriptis elicitus, quo suapte natura, ad petitionem alicuius, conceditur privilegium, dispensatio aliave gratia.

§2. Quae de rescriptis statuuntur praescripta, etiam de licentiae concessione necnon de concessionibus gratiarum vivae vocis oraculo valent, nisi aliud constet.

Canon 60. Any rescript can be obtained by all who are not expressly prohibited.

Rescriptum quodlibet impetrari potest ab omnibus qui expresse non prohibentur.

Canon 61. Unless it is otherwise established, a rescript can be obtained for another, even without that person’s consent, and it is valid before its acceptance, without prejudice to contrary clauses.

Nisi aliud constet, rescriptum impetrari potest pro alio, etiam praeter eius assensum, et valet ante eiusdem acceptationem, salvis clausulis contrariis.

Canon 62. A rescript in which there is no executor, has effect from the moment the document was issued; the others have effect from the moment of execution.

Rescriptum in quo nullus datur exsecutor, effectum habet a momento quo datae sunt litterae; cetera, a momento exsecutionis.

Canon 63. §1 Except where there is question of a rescript which grants a favour Motu proprio, subreption, that is, the withholding of the truth, renders a rescript invalid if the request does not express that which, according to canonical law, style and practice, must for validity be expressed.

§2 Obreption, that is, the making of a false statement, renders a rescript invalid if not even one of the motivating reasons submitted is true.

§3 In rescripts of which there is no executor, the motivating reason must be true at the time the rescript is issued; in the others, at the time of execution.

§1. Validitati rescripti obstat subreptio seu reticentia veri, si in precibus expressa non fuerint quae secundum legem, stilum et praxim canonicam ad validitatem sunt exprimenda, nisi agatur de rescripto gratiae, quod Motu proprio darum sit.

§2. Item validitati rescripti obstat obreptio seu expositio falsi, si ne una quidem causa motiva proposita sit vera.

§3. Causa motiva in rescriptis quorum nullus est exsecutor, vera sit oportet tempore quo rescriptum datum est; in ceteris, tempore exsecutionis.

Canon 64. Without prejudice to the right of the Penitentiary for the internal forum, a favour refused by any department of the Roman Curia cannot validly be granted by another department of the same Curia, or by any other competent authority below the Roman Pontiff, without the approval of the department which was first approached.

Salvo iure Paenitentiariae pro foro interno, gratia a quovis dicasterio Romanae Curiae denegata, valide ab alio eiusdem Curiae dicasterio aliave competenti auctoritate infra Romanum Pontificem concedi nequit, sine assensu dicasterii quocum agi coeptum est.

Canon 65. §1 Without prejudice to the provisions of §§2 and 3, no one is to seek from another Ordinary a favour which was refused by that person’s proper Ordinary, unless mention is made of the refusal. When the refusal is mentioned, the Ordinary is not to grant the favour unless he has learned from the former Ordinary the reasons for the refusal.

§2 A favour refused by a Vicar general or an episcopal Vicar cannot be validly granted by another Vicar of the same Bishop, even when he has learned from the Vicar who refused the reasons for the refusal.

§3 A favour refused by a Vicar general or an episcopal Vicar and later, without any mention being made of this refusal, obtained from the diocesan Bishop, is invalid. A favour refused by the diocesan Bishop cannot, without the Bishop’s consent, validly be obtained from his Vicar general or episcopal Vicar, even though mention is made of the refusal.

§1. Salvis praescriptis §§2 et 3, nemo gratiam a proprio Ordinario denegatam ab alio Ordinario petat, nisi facta denegationis mentione, facta autem mentione, Ordinarius gratiam ne concedat, nisi habitis a priore Ordinario denegationis rationibus.

§2. Gratia a Vicario generali vel a Vicario episcopali denegata, ab alio Vicario eiusdem Episcopi, etiam habitis a Vicario denegante denegationis rationibus, valide concedi nequit.

§3. Gratia a Vicario generali vel a Vicario episcopali denegata et postea, nulla facta huius denegationis mentione, ab Episcopo dioecesano impetrata, invalida est; gratia autem ab Episcopo dioecesano denegata nequit valide, etiam facta denegationis mentione, ab eius Vicario generali vel Vicario episcopali, non consentiente Episcopo, impetrari.

Canon 66. A rescript is not rendered invalid because of an error in the name of the person to whom it is given or by whom it is issued, or of the place in which such person resides, or of the matter concerned, provided that in the judgement of the Ordinary there is no doubt about the person or the matter in question.

Rescriptum non fit irritum ob errorem in nomine personae cui datur vel a qua editur, aut loci in quo ipsa residet, aut rei de qua agitur, dummodo iudicio Ordinarii nulla sit de ipsa persona vel de re dubitatio.

Canon 67. §1 If it should happen that two contrary rescripts are obtained for one and the same thing, where specific matters are expressed, the specific prevails over the general.

§2 If both are equally specific or equally general, the one earlier in time prevails over the later, unless in the later one there is an express mention of the earlier, or unless the person who first obtained the rescript has not used it by reason of deceit or of notable personal negligence.

§3 In doubt as to whether a rescript is invalid or not, recourse is to be made to the issuing authority.

§1. Si contingat ut de una eademque re duo rescripta inter se contraria impetrentur, peculiare, in iis quae peculiariter exprimuntur, praevalet generali.

§2. Si sint aeque peculiaria aut generalia, prius tempore praevalet posteriori, nisi in altero fiat mentio expressa de priore, aut nisi prior impetrator dolo vel notabili neglegentia sua rescripto usus non fuerit.

§3. In dubio num rescriptum irritum sit necne, recurratur ad rescribentem.

Canon 68. A rescript of the Apostolic See in which there is no executor must be presented to the Ordinary of the person who obtains it only when this is prescribed in the rescript, or when there is question of public affairs, or when it is necessary to have the conditions verified.

Rescriptum Sedis Apostolicae in quo nullus datur exsecutor, tunc tantum debet Ordinario impetrantis praesentari, cum id in iisdem litteris praecipitur, aut de rebus agitur publicis, aut comprobari condiciones oportet.

Canon 69. A rescript for whose presentation no time is determined, may be submitted to the executor at any time, provided there is no fraud or deceit.

Rescriptum, cuius praesentationi nullum est definitum tempus, potest exsecutori exhiberi quovis tempore, modo absit fraus et dolus.

Canon 70. If in a rescript the very granting of the favour is entrusted to the executor, it is a matter for the executor’s prudent judgement and conscience to grant or to refuse the favour.

Si in rescripto ipsa concessio exsecutori committatur, ipsius est pro suo prudenti arbitrio et conscientia gratiam concedere vel denegare.

Canon 71. No one is obliged to use a rescript granted in his or her favour only, unless bound by a canonical obligation from another source to do so .

Nemo uti tenetur rescripto in sui dumtaxat favorem concesso, nisi aliunde obligatione canonica ad hoc teneatur.

Canon 72. Rescripts granted by the Apostolic See which have expired, can for a just reason be extended by the diocesan Bishop, but once only and not beyond three months.

Rescripta ab Apostolica Sede concessa, quae exspiraverint, ab Episcopo dioecesano iusta de causa semel prorogari possunt, non tamen ultra tres menses.

Canon 73. No rescripts are revoked by a contrary law, unless it is otherwise provided in the law itself.

Per legem contrariam nulla rescripta revocantur, nisi aliud in ipsa lege caveatur.

Canon 74. Although one who has been granted a favour orally may use it in the internal forum, that person is obliged to prove the favour for the external forum whenever this is lawfully requested.

Quamvis gratia oretenus sibi concessa quis in foro interno uti possit, tenetur illam pro foro externo probare, quoties id legitime ab eo petatur.

Canon 75. If a rescript contains a privilege or a dispensation, the provision of the following canons are also to be observed.

Si rescriptum contineat privilegium vel dispensationem, serventur insuper praescripta canonum qui sequuntur.