Canon 662. Religious are to find their supreme rule of life in the following of Christ as proposed in the Gospel and as expressed in the constitutions of their own institute.

Religiosi sequelam Christi in Evangelio propositam et in constitutionibus proprii instituti expressam tamquam supremam vitae regulam habeant.

Canon 663. §1 The first and principal duty of all religious is to be the contemplation of things divine and constant union with God in prayer.

§2 Each day the members are to make every effort to participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice, receive the most holy Body of Christ and adore the Lord himself present in the Sacrament.

§3 They are to devote themselves to reading the sacred Scriptures and to mental prayer. In accordance with the provisions of their own law, they are to celebrate the liturgy of the hours worthily, without prejudice to the obligation of clerics mentioned in can. 276, §2, n.3. They are also to perform other exercises of piety.

§4 They are to have a special devotion to the Virgin Mother of God, the example and protectress of all consecrated life, including by way of the rosary.

§5 They are faithfully to observe the period of annual retreat.

§1. Rerum divinarum contemplatio et assidua cum Deo in oratione unio omnium religiosorum primum et praecipuum sit officium.

§2. Sodales cotidie pro viribus Sacrificium eucharisticum participent, sanctissimum Corpus Christi recipiant et ipsum Dominum in Sacramento praesentem adorent.

§3. Lectioni sacra Scripturae et orationi mentali vacent, iuxta iuris proprii praescripta liturgiam horarum digne celebrent, firma pro clericis obligatione de qua in can. 276, §2, n. 3, et alia pietatis exercitia peragant.

§4. Speciali cultu Virginem Deiparam, omnis vitae consecratae exemplum et tutamen, etiam per mariale rosarium prosequantur.

§5. Annua sacri recessus tempora fideliter servent.

Canon 664. Religious are earnestly to strive for the conversion of soul to God. They are to examine their consciences daily, and to approach the sacrament of penance frequently

In animi erga Deum conversione insistant religiosi, conscientiam etiam cotidie examinent et ad paenitentiae sacramentum frequenter accedant.

Canon 665. §1 Religious are to reside in their own religious house and observe the common life; they are not to stay elsewhere except with the permission of the
Superior. For a lengthy absence from the religious house, the major Superior, for a just reason and with the consent of the council, can authorise a member to live outside a house of the institute; such an absence is not to exceed one year, unless it be for reasons of health, studies or an apostolate to be exercised in the name of the institute.

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

176. The limitation in the Instruction Verbi Sponsa, n. 17, §2,* has been repealed; for just cause the Major Superior, according to the norm of can. 665, §1 CJC, with the consent of her Council, may authorize the absence from the monastery of a nun with solemn vows for not more than a year, after hearing the diocesan Bishop or the competent religious Ordinary.
[*”It should be noted that the norm of can. 665, §1, on permanence outside the
Institute, does not regard enclosed nuns” Verbi Sponsa, n. 17, §2.]

§2 Members who unlawfully absent themselves from a religious house with the intention of withdrawing from the authority of Superiors, are to be carefully sought out and helped to return and to persevere in their vocation.

§1. Religiosi in propria domo religiosa habitent vitam communem servantes, nec ab ea discedant nisi de licentia sui Superioris. Si autem agatur de diuturna a domo absentia, Superior maior, de consensu sui consilii atque iusta de causa, sodali concedere potest ut extra domum instituti degere possit, non tamen ultra annum, nisi causa infirmitatis curandae, ratione studiorum aut apostolatus exercendi nomine instituti.

§2. Sodalis, qui e domo religiosa illegitime abest cum animo sese subducendi a potestate Superiorum, sollicite ab eisdem quaeratur et adiuvetur ut redeat et in sua vocatione perseveret.

Canon 666. In using the means of social communication, a necessary discretion is to be observed. Members are to avoid whatever is harmful to their vocation and dangerous to the chastity of a consecrated person.

In usu mediorum communicationis socialis servetur necessaria discretio atque vitentur quae sunt vocationi propriae nociva et castitati personae consecratae periculosa.

Canon 667. §1 In accordance with the institute’s own law, there is to be in all houses an enclosure appropriate to the character and mission of the institute. Some part of the house is always to be reserved to the members alone.

§2 A stricter discipline of enclosure is to be observed in monasteries which are devoted to the contemplative life.

§3 Monasteries of cloistered nuns who are wholly devoted to the contemplative life, must observe papal enclosure, that is, in accordance with the norms given by the
Apostolic See. Other monasteries of cloistered nuns are to observe an enclosure which is appropriate to their nature and is defined in the constitutions.

§4 The diocesan Bishop has the faculty of entering, for a just reason, the enclosure of cloistered nuns whose monasteries are situated in his diocese. For a grave reason and with the assent of the Abbess, he can permit others to be admitted to the enclosure, and permit the nuns to leave the enclosure for whatever time is truly necessary.

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

83. All female monasteries, without prejudice to internal autonomy and possible external exemption are subject to the diocesan Bishop, who exercises pastoral care in the following cases:
… g) the diocesan Bishop has the faculty, for a just cause, of entering the cloister and allowing other people to enter, with the consent of the Major Superior.
[Partial derogation from can. 667, §4 CJC approved by the Holy Father in a specific form.]

174. In derogation from the provision of can. 667, §4 CJC, the diocesan
Bishop, as well as the religious Ordinary, does not intervene in granting dispensation from the cloister.
[Exemption approved by the Holy Father in a specific form.]

175. In derogation of the provisions of can. 667, §4 CJC, the dispensation from the cloister rests solely with the Major Superior who, in the event that such dispensation exceeds fifteen days, can grant it only after having obtained the consent of her Council.
[Exemption approved by the Holy Father in a specific form.]

§1. In omnibus domibus clausura indoli et missioni instituti accomodata servetur secundum determinationes proprii iuris, aliqua parte domus religiosae solis sodalibus semper reservata.

§2. Strictior disciplina clausurae in monasteriis ad vitam contemplativam ordinatis servanda est.

§3. Monasteria monialium, quae integre ad vitam contemplativam ordinantur, clausuram papalem, iuxta normas scilicet ab Apostolica Sede datas, observare debent. Cetera monialium monasteria clausuram propriae indoli accomodatam et in constitutionibus definitam servent.

§4. Episcopus dioecesanus facultatem habet ingrediendi, iusta de causa, intra clausuram monasteriorum monialium, quae sita sunt in sua dioecesi, atque permittendi, gravi de causa et assistente Antistita, ut alii in clausuram admittantur, ac moniales ex ipsa egrediantur ad tempus vere necessarium.

Canon 668. §1 Before their first profession, members are to cede the administration of their goods to whomsoever they wish and, unless the constitutions provide otherwise, they are freely to make dispositions concerning the use and enjoyment of these goods. At least before perpetual profession, they are to make a will which is valid also in civil law.

§2 To change these dispositions for a just reason, and to take any action concerning temporal goods, there is required the permission of the Superior who is competent in accordance with the institute’s own law.

§3 Whatever a religious acquires by personal labour, or on behalf of the institute, belongs to the institute. Whatever comes to a religious in any way through pension, grant or insurance also passes to the institute, unless the institute’s own law decrees otherwise.

§4 When the nature of an institute requires members to renounce their goods totally, this renunciation is to be made before perpetual profession and, as far as possible, in a form that is valid also in civil law; it shall come into effect from the day of profession. The same procedure is to be followed by a perpetually professed religious who, in accordance with the norms of the institute’s own law and with the permission of the supreme Moderator, wishes to renounce goods, in whole or in part.

§5 Professed religious who, because of the nature of their institute, totally renounce their goods, lose the capacity to acquire and possess goods; actions of theirs contrary to the vow of poverty are therefore invalid. Whatever they acquire after renunciation belongs to the institute, in accordance with the institute’s own law.

§1. Sodales ante primam professionem suorum bonorum administrationem cedant cui maluerint et, nisi constitutiones aliud ferant, de eorum usu et usufructu libere disponant. Testamentum autem, quod etiam in iure civili sit validum, saltem ante professionem perpetuam condant.

§2. Ad has dispositiones iusta de causa mutandas et ad quemlibet actum ponendum circa bona temporalia, licentia Superioris competentis ad normam iuris proprii indigent.

§3. Quidquid religiosus propria acquirit industria vel ratione instituti, acquirit instituto. Quae ei ratione pensionis, subventionis vel assecurationis quoquo modo obveniunt, instituto acquiruntur, nisi aliud iure proprio statuatur.

§4. Qui ex instituti natura plene bonis suis renuntiare debet, illam renuntiationem, forma, quantum fieri potest, etiam iure civili valida, ante professionem perpetuam faciat a die emissae professionis valituram. Idem faciat professus a votis perpetuis, qui ad normam iuris proprii bonis suis pro parte vel totaliter de licentia supremi Moderatoris renuntiare velit.

§5. Professus, qui ob instituti naturam plene bonis suis renuntiaverit, capacitatem acquirendi et possidendi amittit, ideoque actus voto paupertatis contrarios invalide ponit. Quae autem ei post renuntiationem obveniunt, instituto cedunt ad normam iuris proprii.

Canon 669. §1 As a sign of their consecration and as a witness to poverty, religious are to wear the habit of their institute, determined in accordance with the institute’s own law.

§2 Religious of a clerical institute who do not have a special habit are to wear clerical dress, in accordance with can. 284.

§1. Religiosi habitum instituti deferant, ad normam iuris proprii confectum, in signum suae consecrationis et in testimonium paupertatis.

§2. Religiosi clerici instituti, quod proprium non habet habitum, vestem clericalem ad normam can. 284 assumant.

Canon 670. The institute must supply the members with everything that, in accordance with the constitutions, is necessary to fulfil the purpose of their vocation.

Institutum debet sodalibus suppeditare omnia quae ad normam constitutionum necessaria sunt ad suae vocationis finem assequendum.

Canon 671. Religious are not to undertake tasks and offices outside their own institute without the permission of the lawful Superior.

Religiosus munera et officia extra proprium institutum ne recipiat absque licentia legitimi Superioris.

Canon 672. Religious are bound by the provisions of cann. 277,285, 286, 287 and 289.
Religious who are clerics are also bound by the provisions of can. 279 §2. In lay institutes of pontifical right, the permission mentioned in can. 285 §4 can be given by the major Superior.

Religiosi adstringuntur praescriptis can. 277, 285, 286, 287 et 289, et religiosi clerici insuper praescriptis can. 279, §2 in institutis laicalibus iuris pontificii, licentia de qua in can. 285, §4, concedi potest a proprio Superiore maiore.