Canon 694. §1 A religious must be held as dismissed ipso facto from an institute who:

1° has defected notoriously from the Catholic faith;

2° has contracted marriage or attempted it, even only civilly;

3° has been illegitimately absent from the religious house, pursuant to can. 665 §2, for 12 consecutive months, taking into account that the location of the religious himself or herself may be unknown.

§2 In such cases the Major Superior, with his or her council and without hesitation, having gathered the evidence, must issue the statement of the case so that the dismissal may be juridically constituted.

§3 In the case envisaged by §1 n. 3, in order to be juridically constituted, this statement must be confirmed by the Holy See; for institutes of diocesan right the confirmation rests with the Bishop of the principal See.
[revised wording according to m.p. Communis vita, 19.III.2019]

§1. Ipso facto dimissus ab instituto habendus est sodalis qui:

1) a fide catholica notorie defecerit;

2) matrimonium contraxerit vel, etiam civiliter tantum, attentaverit;

3) a domo religiosa illegitime absens fuerit, secundum can. 665 § 2, duodecim continuos menses, prae oculis habita eiusdem sodalis irreperibilitate.

§2. His in casibus Superior maior cum suo consilio, nulla mora interposita, collectis probationibus, declarationem facti emittat, ut iuridice constet de dimissione.

§3. In casu de quo in § 1 n. 3, talis declaratio ut iuridice constet, a Sancta Sede confirmari debet; quod ad instituta iuris dioecesani attinet, confirmatio ad principis Sedis Episcopum spectat.

Canon 695. §1 A member must be dismissed for the offences mentioned in can. 1395,
1397, and 1398, unless, for the offences mentioned in can. 1395 §§2-3 and 1398 §1, the Superior judges that dismissal is not absolutely necessary; and that sufficient provision can be made in some other way for the amendment of the member, the restoration of justice and the reparation of scandal.
[revised wording according to m.p. Recognitum Librum VI, 26.IV.2022]

§2 In these cases the major Superior is to collect the evidence concerning the facts and the imputability of the offence. The accusation and the evidence are then to be presented to the member, who shall be given the opportunity for defence. All the acts, signed by the major Superior and the notary, are to be forwarded, together with the written and signed replies of the member, to the supreme Moderator.

§1. Sodalis dimitti debet ob delicta de quibus in can. 1395, 1397 et 1398, nisi in delictis, de quibus in can. 1395 §§2-3, et 1398 §1, Superior maior censeat dimissionem non esse omnino necessariam et emendationi sodalis atque restitutioni iustitiae et reparationi scandali satis alio modo consuli posse.

§2. Hisce in casibus, Superior maior, collectis probationibus circa facta et imputabilitatem, sodali dimittendo accusationem atque probationes significet, data eidem facultate sese defendendi. Acta omnia a Superiore maiore et a notario subscripta, una cum responsionibus sodalis scripto redactis et ab ipso sodale subscriptis, supremo Moderatori transmittantur.

Canon 696. §1 A member can be dismissed for other causes, provided they are grave, external, imputable and juridically proven. Among such causes are: habitual neglect of the obligations of consecrated life; repeated violations of the sacred bonds; obstinate disobedience to the lawful orders of Superiors in grave matters; grave scandal arising from the culpable behaviour of the member; obstinate attachment to, or diffusion of, teachings condemned by the magisterium of the Church; public adherence to materialistic or atheistic ideologies; the unlawful absence mentioned in can. 665 §2, if it extends for a period of six months; other reasons of similar gravity which are perhaps defined in the institute’s own law.

§2 A member in temporary vows can be dismissed even for less grave reasons determined in the institute’s own law.

§1. Sodalis dimitti etiam potest ob alias causas, dummodo sint graves, externae, imputabiles et iuridice comprobatae, uti sunt: habitualis neglectus obligationum vitae consecratae; iteratae violationes sacrorum vinculorum; pertinax inoboedientia legitimis praescriptis Superiorum in materia gravi; grave scandalum ex culpabili modo agendi sodalis ortum; pertinax sustentatio vel diffusio doctrinarum ab Ecclesiae magisterio damnatarum; publica adhaesio ideologiis materialismo vel atheismo infectis; illegitima absentia, de qua in can. 665, §2, per semestre protracta; aliae causae similis gravitatis iure proprio instituti forte determinatae.

§2. Ad dimissionem sodalis a votis temporariis, etiam causae minoris gravitatis in iure proprio statutae sufficiunt.

Canon 697. §1 In the cases mentioned in can. 696, if the major Superior, after consulting his or her council, judges that the process of dismissal should be commenced:

1° the major Superior is to collect or complete the evidence;

2° the major Superior is to warn the member in writing, or before two witnesses, with an explicit caution that dismissal will follow unless the member reforms. The reasons for dismissal are to be clearly expressed and the member is to be given every opportunity for defence. If the warning has no effect, another warning is to be given after an interval of at least fifteen days;

3° if this latter warning is also ineffectual, and the major Superior with his or her council judges that there is sufficient proof of incorrigibility, and that the defence by the member is insufficient, after fifteen days from the last warning have passed in vain all the acts, signed by the major Superior and the notary, are to be forwarded, together with the signed replies of the member, to the supreme Moderator.

In casibus de quibus in can. 696, si Superior maior, audito suo consilio, censuerit processum dimissionis esse inchoandum:

1° probationes colligat vel compleat;

2° sodalem scripto vel coram duobus testibus moneat cum explicita comminatione subsecuturae dimissionis nisi resipiscat, clare significata causa dimissionis et data sodali plena facultate sese defendendi; quod si monitio incassum cedat, ad alteram monitionem, spatio saltem quindecim dierum interposito, procedat;

3° si haec quoque monitio incassum ceciderit et Superior maior cum suo consilio censuerit de incorrigibilitate satis constare et defensiones sodalis insufficientes esse, post quindecim dies ab ultima monitione frustra elapsos, acta omnia ab ipso Superiore maiore et a notario subscripta una cum responsionibus sodalis ab ipso sodale subscriptis supremo Moderatori transmittat.

Canon 698. In all the cases mentioned in cann. 695 and 696, the member always retains the right to communicate with, and send replies directly to, the supreme Moderator.

In omnibus casibus, de quibus in can. 695 et 696, firmum semper manet ius sodalis cum supremo Moderatore communicandi et illi directe suas defensiones exhibendi.

Canon 699. §1 The supreme Moderator and his or her council are to proceed in collegial fashion in accurately weighing the evidence, the arguments, and the defence. For validity, the council must comprise at least four members. If by a secret vote it is decided to dismiss the religious, a decree of dismissal is to be drawn up, which for validity must express at least in summary form the reasons in law and in fact.

§2 In the autonomous monasteries mentioned in can. 615, it belongs to the major superior, with the consent of his or her council, to decide on dismissa.
[revised wording according to m.p. Competentias quasdam decernere, 11.II.2022]

§1. Supremus Moderator cum suo consilio, quod ad validitatem saltem quattuor membris constare debet, collegialiter procedat ad probationes, argumenta et defensiones accurate perpendenda, et si per secretam suffragationem id decisum fuerit, decretum dimissionis ferat, expressis ad validitatem saltem summarie motivis in iure et in facto.

§2. In monasteriis sui iuris, de quibus in can. 615, dimissionem sodalis professi decernere pertinet ad Superiorem Maiorem, de consensu eius Consilii.

Canon 700. A decree of dismissal issued in the case of a professed member takes effect from the time that it is communicated to the member concerned. To be valid, however, the decree must indicate the right which the dismissed possesses to make recourse to the competent authority within thirty days from receiving notification. The recourse has suspensive effect.
[revised wording according to m.p. Competentias quasdam decernere, 11.II.2022]
[see Authentic Interpretation of canon 700, 17.V.1986]

Decretum dimissionis in sodalem professum latum vim habet simul ac ei, cuius interest, notificatur. Decretum vero, ut valeat, indicare debet ius, quo religious dimissus gaudet, recurrendi intra triginta dies a recepta notificatione ad auctoritatem competentem. Recursus effectum habet suspensivum.

Canon 701. By lawful dismissal, both the vows and the rights and duties deriving from profession automatically cease. If the member is a cleric, he may not exercise sacred orders until he finds a Bishop who will, after a suitable probation, receive him into his diocese in accordance with can. 693, or who will at least allow him to exercise his sacred orders.

Legitima dimissione ipso facto cessant vota necnon iura et obligationes ex professione promanantia. Si tamen sodalis sit clericus, sacros ordines exercere nequit, donec Episcopum inveniat qui eum post congruam probationem in dioecesi, ad normam can. 693, recipiat vel saltem exercitium sacrorum ordinum permittat.

Canon 702. §1 Whoever lawfully leaves a religious institute or is lawfully dismissed from one, cannot claim anything from the institute for any work done in it.

§2 The institute, however, is to show equity and evangelical charity towards the member who is separated from it.

§1. Qui ex instituto religioso legitime egrediantur vel ab eo legitime dimissi fuerint, nihil ab eo eodem repetere possunt ob quamlibet operam in eo praestitam.

§2. Institutum tamen aequitatem et evangelicam caritatem servet erga sodalem, qui ab eo separatur.

Canon 703. §1 In a case of grave external scandal, or of extremely grave and imminent harm to the institute, a member can be expelled forthwith from the house by the major Superior. If there is danger in delay, this can be done by the local Superior with the consent of his or her council. The major Superior, if need be, is to introduce a process of dismissal in accordance with the norms of law, or refer the matter to the
Apostolic See.

In casu gravis scandali exterioris vel gravissimi nocumenti instituto imminentis, sodalis statim a Superiore maiore vel, si periculum sit in mora, a Superiore locali cum consensu sui consilii e domo religiosa eici potest. Superior maior, si opus sit, dimissionis processum ad normam iuris instituendum curet, aut rem Sedi Apostolicae deferat.

Canon 704. In the report to be sent to the Apostolic See in accordance with can. 592,
§1, mention is to be made of members who have been separated in any way from the institute.

De sodalibus, qui ab instituto sunt quoquo modo separati, fiat mentio in relatione Sedi Apostolicae mittenda, de qua in can. 592, §1.