Canon 617. Superiors are to fulfil their office and exercise their authority in accordance with the norms of the universal law and of their own law.

Superiores suum munus adimpleant suamque potestatem exerceant ad normam iuris universalis et proprii.

Canon 618. The authority which Superiors receive from God through the ministry of the
Church is to be exercised by them in a spirit of service. In fulfilling their office they are to be docile to the will of God, and are to govern those subject to them as children of God. By their reverence for the human person, they are to promote voluntary obedience. They are to listen willingly to their subjects and foster their cooperation for the good of the institute and the Church, without prejudice however to their authority to decide and to command what is to be done.

Superiores in spiritu servitii suam potestatem a Deo per ministerium Ecclesiae receptam exerceant. Voluntati igitur Dei in munere explendo dociles, ipsi subditos regant uti filios Dei, ac promoventes cum reverentia personae humanae illorum voluntariam oboedientiam, libenter eos audiant necnon eorum conspirationem in bonum instituti et Ecclesiae foveant, firma tamen ipsorum auctoritate decernendi et praecipiendi quae agenda sunt.

Canon 619. Superiors are to devote themselves to their office with diligence. Together with the members entrusted to them, they are to strive to build in Christ a fraternal community, in which God is sought and loved above all. They are therefore frequently to nourish their members with the food of God’s word and lead them to the celebration of the liturgy. They are to be an example to the members in cultivating virtue and in observing the laws and traditions proper to the institute.
They are to give the members opportune assistance in their personal needs. They are to be solicitous in caring for and visiting the sick; they are to chide the restless, console the fainthearted and be patient with all.

Superiores suo officio sedulo incumbant et una cum sodalibus sibi commissis studeant aedificare fraternam in Christo communitatem, in qua Deus ante omnia quaeratur et diligatur. Ipsi igitur nutriant sodales frequenti verbi Dei pabulo eosque adducant ad sacrae liturgiae celebrationem. Eis exemplo sint in virtutibus colendis et in observantia legum et traditionum proprii instituti; eorum necessitatibus personalibus convenienter subveniant, infirmos sollicite curent ac visitent, corripiant inquietos, consolentur pusillanimes, patientes sint erga omnes.

Canon 620. Major Superiors are those who govern an entire institute, or a province or a part equivalent to a province, or an autonomous house; the vicars of the above are also major Superiors. To these are added the Abbot Primate and the Superior of a
monastic congregation, though these do not have all the authority which the universal law gives to major Superiors.

Superiores maiores sunt, qui totum regunt institutum, vel eius provinciam, vel partem eidem aequiparatam, vel domum sui iuris, itemque eorum vicarii. His accedunt Abbas Primas et Superior congregationis monasticae, qui tamen non habent omnem potestatem, quam ius universale Superioribus maioribus tribuit.

Canon 621. A province is a union of several houses which, under one superior, constitutes an immediate part of the same institute, and is canonically established by lawful authority.

Plurium domorum coniunctio, quae sub eodem Superiore partem immediatam eiusdem instituti constituat et ab auctoritate legitima canonice erecta sit, nomine venit provinciae.

Canon 622. The supreme Moderator has authority over all provinces, houses and members of the institute, to be exercised in accordance with the institute’s own law.
Other Superiors have authority within the limits of their office.

Supremus Moderator potestatem obtinet in omnes instituti provincias, domos et sodales, exercendam secundum ius proprium; ceteri Superiores ea gaudent intra fines sui muneris.

Canon 623. To be validly appointed or elected to the office of Superior, members must have been perpetually or definitively professed for an appropriate period of time, to be determined by their own law or, for major Superiors, by the constitutions.

Ut sodales ad munus Superioris valide nominentur aut eligantur, requiritur congruum tempus post professionem perpetuam vel definitivam, a iure proprio vel, si agatur de Superioribus maioribus, a constitutionibus determinandum.

Canon 624. §1 Superiors are to be constituted for a certain and appropriate period of time, according to the nature and needs of the institute unless the constitutions establish otherwise for the supreme Moderator and for Superiors of an autonomous house.

§2 An institute’s own law is to make suitable provisions so that Superiors constituted for a defined time do not continue in offices of governance for too long a period of time without an interval.

§3 During their period in office, however, Superiors may be removed or transferred to another office, for reasons prescribed in the institute’s own law.

§1. Superiores ad certum et conveniens temporis spatium iuxta naturam et necessitatem instituti constituantur, nisi pro supremo Moderatore et pro Superioribus domus sui iuris constitutiones aliter ferant.

§2. Ius proprium aptis normis provideat, ne Superiores, ad tempus definitum constituti, diutius sine intermissione in regiminis officiis versentur.

§3. Possunt tamen durante munere ab officio amoveri vel in aliud transferri ob causas iure proprio statutas.

Canon 625. The supreme Moderator of the institute is to be designated by canonical election, in accordance with the constitutions.

§2 The Bishop of the principal house of the institute presides at the election of the
Superior of the autonomous monastery mentioned in can. 615, and at the election of the supreme Moderator of an institute of diocesan right.

§3 Other Superiors are to be constituted in accordance with the constitutions, but in such a way that if they are elected, they require the confirmation of the competent major Superior; if they are appointed by the Superior, the appointment is to be preceded by suitable consultation.

§1. Supremus instituti Moderator electione canonica designetur ad normam constitutionum.

§2. Electionibus Superioris monasterii sui iuris, de quo in can. 615, et supremi Moderatoris instituti iuris dioecesani praeest Episcopus sedis principis.

§3. Ceteri Superiores ad normam constitutionum constituantur; ita tamen ut, si eligantur, confirmatione Superioris maioris competentis indigeant; si vero a Superiore nominentur, apta consultatio praecedat.

Canon 626. Superiors in conferring offices, and members in electing to office, are to observe the norms of the universal law and the institute’s own law, avoiding any abuse or preference of persons. They are to have nothing but God and the good of the institute before their eyes, and appoint or elect those whom, in the Lord, they know to be worthy and fitting. In elections, besides, they are to avoid directly or indirectly lobbying for votes, either for themselves or for others.

Superiores in collatione officiorum et sodales in electionibus normas iuris universalis et proprii servent, abstineant a quovis abusu et acceptione personarum, et, nihil praeter Deum et bonum instituti prae oculis habentes, nominent aut eligant quos in Domino vere dignos et aptos sciant. Caveant praeterea in electionibus a suffragiorum procuratione sive directe sive indirecte, tam pro seipsis quam pro aliis.

Canon 627. §1 Superiors are to have their own council, in accordance with the constitutions, and they must make use of it in the exercise of their office.

§2 Apart from the cases prescribed in the universal law, an institute’s own law is to determine the cases in which the validity of an act depends upon consent or advice being sought in accordance with can. 127.

§1. Ad normam constitutionum, Superiores proprium habeant consilium, cuius opera in munere exercendo utantur oportet.

§2. Praeter casus in iure universali praescriptos, ius proprium determinet casus in quibus consensus vel consilium ad valide agendum requiratur ad normam can. 127 exquirendum.

Canon 628. §1 Superiors who are designated for this office by the institute’s own law are at stated times to visit the houses and the members entrusted to them, in accordance with the norms of the same law.

§2 The diocesan Bishop has the right and the duty to visit the following, even in respect of religious discipline:

1° the autonomous monasteries mentioned in can. 615;

NB Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated life and Societies of Apostolic Life,
Instruction Cor Orans, 1 April 2018:

111. In exemption of can. 628, §2, 1° CJC, the Federation President, within the established time, accompanies the Regular Visitator in the canonical visit to the federated monasteries as a Co-Visitator.
[Exemption approved by the Holy Father in a specific form.]

2° the individual houses of an institute of diocesan right situated in his territory.

§3 The members are to act with confidence towards the visitator, to whom when lawfully questioning they are bound to reply truthfully and with charity. It is not lawful for anyone in any way to divert the members from this obligation or otherwise to hinder the scope of the visitation.

§1. Superiores, qui iure proprio instituti ad hoc munus designantur, statis temporibus domos et sodales sibi commissos iuxta normas eiusdem iuris proprii visitent.

§2. Episcopi dioecesani ius et officium est visitare etiam quoad disciplinam religiosam:

1° monasteria sui iuris de quibus in can. 615;

2° singulas domos instituti iuris dioecesani in proprio territorio sitas.

§3. Sodales fiducialiter agant cum visitatore, cui legitime interroganti respondere tenentur secundum veritatem in caritate; nemini vero fas est quoquo modo sodales ab hac obligatione avertere, aut visitationis scopum aliter impedire.

Canon 629. Superiors are to reside each in his or her own house, and they are not to leave it except in accordance with the institute’s own law.

In sua quisque domo Superiores commorentur, nec ab eadem discedant, nisi ad normam iuris proprii.

Canon 630. §1 While safeguarding the discipline of the institute, Superiors are to acknowledge the freedom due to the members concerning the sacrament of penance and the direction of conscience.

§2 Superiors are to take care, in accordance with the institute’s own law, that the members have suitable confessors available, to whom they may confess frequently.

§3 In monasteries of cloistered nuns, in houses of formation, and in large lay communities, there are to be ordinary confessors, approved by the local Ordinary after consultation with the community. There is however, no obligation to approach these confessors.

§4 Superiors are not to hear the confessions of their subjects unless the members spontaneously request them to do so.

§5 The members are to approach their superiors with trust and be able to open their minds freely and spontaneously to them. Superiors, however, are forbidden in any way to induce the members to make a manifestation of conscience to themselves.

§1. Superiores sodalibus debitam agnoscant libertatem circa paenitentiae sacramentum et conscientiae moderamen, salva tamen instituti disciplina.

§2. Solliciti sint Superiores ad normam iuris proprii, ut sodalibus idonei confessarii praesto sint, apud quos frequenter confiteri possint.

§3. In monasteriis monialium, in domibus formationis et in communitatibus numerosioribus laicalibus habeantur confessarii ordinarii ab Ordinario loci probati, collatis consiliis cum communitate, nulla tamen facta obligatione ad illos accedendi.

§4. Subditorum confessiones Superiores ne audiant, nisi sponte sua sodales id petant.

§5. Sodales cum fiducia Superiores adeant, quibus animum suum libere ac sponte aperire possunt. Vetantur autem Superiores eos quoquo modo inducere ad conscientiae manifestationem sibi peragendam.