Canon 710. A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life in which Christ’s faithful, living in the world, strive for the perfection of charity and endeavour to contribute to the sanctification of the world, especially from within.

Institutum saeculare est institutum vitae consecratae, in quo christifideles in saeculo viventes ad caritatis perfectionem contendunt atque ad mundi sanctificationem praesertim ab intus conferre student.

Canon 711. Without prejudice to the provisions of the law concerning institutes of consecrated life, consecration as a member of a secular institute does not change the member’s canonical status among the people of God, be it lay or clerical.

Instituti saecularis sodalis vi suae consecrationis propriam in populo Dei canonicam condicionem, sive laicalem sive clericalem, non mutat, servatis iuris praescriptis quae instituta vitae consecratae respiciunt.

Canon 712. Without prejudice to the provisions of can. 598--601, the constitutions are to establish the sacred bonds by which the evangelical counsels are undertaken in the institute. They are to define the obligations which these bonds entail, while always preserving in the manner of life the secular character proper to the institute.

Firmis praescriptis can. 598-601, constitutiones statuant vincula sacra, quibus evangelica consilia in instituto assumuntur, et definiant obligationes quas eadem vincula inducunt, servata tamen in vitae ratione semper propria instituti saecularitate.

Canon 713. §1 Members of these institutes express and exercise their special consecration in apostolic activity. Like a leaven, they endeavour to permeate everything with an evangelical spirit for the strengthening and growth of the Body of
Christ.

§2 Lay members participate in the evangelising mission of the Church in the world and from within the world. They do this by their witness of christian life and of fidelity to their consecration, and by the assistance they give in directing temporal affairs to God and in animating the world by the power of the Gospel. They also offer their cooperation to serve the ecclesial community in accordance with the secular manner of life proper to them.

§3 Clerical members, by the witness of their consecrated life, especially in the presbyterium, support their colleagues by a distinctive apostolic charity, and in the people of God they further the sanctification of the world by their sacred ministry.

§1. Sodales horum institutorum propriam consecrationem in actuositate apostolica exprimunt et exercent, iidemque, ad instar fermenti, omnia spiritu evangelico imbuere satagunt ad robur et incrementum Corporis Christi.

§2. Sodales laici, munus Ecclesiae evangelizandi, in saeculo et ex saeculo, participant sive per testimonium vitae christianae et fidelitatis erga suam consecrationem, sive per adiutricem quam praebent operam ad ordinandas secundum Deus res temporales atque ad mundum virtute Evangelii informandum. Suam etiam cooperationem, iuxta propriam vitae rationem saecularem, in communitatis ecclesialis servitium offerunt.

§3. Sodales clerici per vitae consecratae testimonium, praesertim in presbyterio, peculiari caritate apostolica confratribus adiutorio sunt, et in populo Dei mundi sanctificationem suo sacro ministerio perficiunt.

Canon 714. Members are to live their lives in the ordinary conditions of the world, either alone, in their families or in fraternal groups, in accordance with the constitutions.

Sodales vitam in ordinariis mundi condicionibus vel soli, vel in sua quisque familia, vel in vitae fraternae coetu, ad normam constitutionum ducant.

Canon 715. §1 Clerical members incardinated in a diocese are subject to the diocesan
Bishop, except for whatever concerns the consecrated life of their own institutes.

§2 Those who, in accordance with the norms of can. 266 §3, are incardinated in the institute, and who are appointed to works proper to the institute or to the governance of the institute, are subject to the Bishop in the same way as religious.

§1. Sodales clerici in dioecesi incardinati ab Episcopo dioecesano dependent, salvis iis quae vitam consecratam in proprio instituto respiciunt.

§2. Qui vero ad normam can. 266, §3 instituto incardinantur, si ad opera instituti propria vel ad regimen instituti destinentur, ad instar religiosorum ab Episcopo dependent.

Canon 716. §1 All members are to take an active part in the life of the institute, in accordance with the institute’s own law.

§2 Members of the same institute are to preserve a rapport with one another, carefully fostering a unity of spirit and a genuine fraternity.

§1. Sodales omnes vitam instituti, secundum ius proprium, actuose participent.

§2. Eiusdem instituti sodales communionem inter se servent, sollicite curantes spiritus unitatem et genuinam fraternitatem.

Canon 717. §1 The constitutions are to determine the institute’s own form of governance. They are to define the period of time for which Moderators exercise their office and the manner in which they are to be designated.

§2 No one is to be designated supreme Moderator unless definitively incorporated into the institute.

§3 Those entrusted with the governance of the institute are to ensure that its unity of spirit is maintained, and that the active participation of the members is developed.

§1. Constitutiones proprium regiminis modum praescribant, tempus quo Moderatores suo officio fungantur et modum quo iidem designantur definiant.

§2. Nemo in Moderatorem supremum designetur, qui non sit definitive incorporatus.

§3. Qui regimini instituti praepositi sunt, curent ut eiusdem spiritus unitas servetur et actuosa sodalium participatio promoveatur.

Canon 718. The administration of the goods of the institute must express and foster evangelical poverty. It is governed by the norms of Book V on ‘The Temporal Goods of the Church’, and by the institute’s own law. This same law of the institute is also to define the obligations, especially the financial obligations, of the institute towards the members engaged in its work.

Administratio bonorum instituti, quae paupertatem evangelicam exprimere et fovere debet, regitur normis Libri V De bonis Ecclesiae temporalibus necnon iure proprio instituti. Item ius proprium definiat obligationes praesertim oeconomicas instituti erga sodales, qui pro ipso operam impendunt.

Canon 719. §1 Members are to respond faithfully to their vocation, and their apostolic action is to proceed from their union with Christ. They are therefore to devote themselves assiduously to prayer and engage in a suitable way in the reading of the sacred Scriptures. They are to make an annual retreat and perform other spiritual exercises in accordance with their own law.

§2 The celebration of the Eucharist, daily where possible, is to be the source and strength of their whole consecrated life.

§3 They are to go freely to the sacrament of penance and receive it frequently.

§4 They are to be free to obtain the necessary spiritual direction. Should they so desire, they may seek such counsel even from their Moderators.

§1. Sodales, ut vocationi suae fideliter respondeant eorumque actio apostolica ex ipsa unione cum Christo procedat, sedulo orationi vacent, sacrarum Scripturarum lectioni apto modo incumbant, annua recessus tempora servent atque alia spiritualia exercitia iuxta ius proprium peragant.

§2. Eucharistiae celebratio, quantum fieri potest cotidiana, sit totius eorum vitae consecratae fons et robur.

§3. Libere ad sacramentum paenitentiae accedant, quod frequenter recipiant.

§4. Necessarium conscientiae moderamen libere obtineant atque huius generis consilia a suis etiam Moderatoribus, si velint, requirant.

Canon 720. The right of admitting a person to the institute, or to probation, or to the taking of sacred bonds, both temporary and perpetual or definitive, belongs to the major Moderators with their council, in accordance with the constitutions.

Ius admittendi in institutum, vel ad probationem vel ad sacra vincula sive temporaria sive perpetua aut definitiva assumenda, ad Moderatores maiores cum suo consilio ad normam constitutionum pertinet.

Canon 721. §1 The following are invalidly admitted to initial probation:

1° one who has not yet attained majority;

2° one who is currently bound by a sacred bond in another institute of consecrated life, or incorporated in a society of apostolic life;

3° a spouse, while the marriage lasts.

§2 The constitutions can establish other impediments to admission, even for validity, or attach conditions to it.

§3 For a person to be received into the institute, that degree of maturity is required which is necessary to live the life of the institute properly.

§1. Invalide admittitur ad initialem probationem:

1° qui maiorem aetatem nondum attigerit;

2° qui sacro vinculo in aliquo instituto vitae consecratae actu obstringitur, aut in societate vitae apostolicae incorporatus est;

3° coniux durante matrimonio.

§2. Constitutiones possunt alia admissionis impedimenta etiam ad validitatem statuere vel condiciones apponere.

§3. Praetera, ut quis recipiatur, habeat oportet maturitatem, quae ad vitam instituti propriam recte ducendam est necessaria.

Canon 722. §1 The initial probation is to be so arranged that the candidates can better recognise their divine vocation and their vocation to that institute, and be trained in the spirit and manner of life of the institute.

§2 Candidates are to be properly formed to live a life according to the evangelical counsels. They are to be taught how to translate this life completely into their apostolate, applying those forms of evangelisation which best correspond to the purpose, spirit and character of the institute.

§3 The constitutions are to define the manner and time of the probation to be made before the first sacred bonds are undertaken in the institute; this time is to be not less than two years.

§1. Probatio initialis eo ordinetur, ut candidati suam divinam vocationem et quidem instituti propriam aptius cognoscant iidemque in spiritu et vivendi modo instituti exerceantur.

§2. Ad vitam secundum evangelica consilia ducendam candidati rite instituantur atque ad eandem integre in apostolatum convertendam edoceantur, eas adhibentes evangelizationis formas, quae instituti fini, spiritui et indoli magis respondeant.

§3. Huius probationis modus et tempus ante sacra vincula in instituto primum suscipienda, biennio non brevius, in constitutionibus definiantur.

Canon 723. §1 When the time of the initial probation has been completed, a candidate who is judged suitable is either to undertake the three evangelical counsels, sealed with a sacred bond, or to leave the institute.

§2 This first incorporation is to be temporary, in accordance with the constitutions, but is to be for not less than five years.

§3 When this period of incorporation has been completed, a member who is judged suitable is to be admitted to perpetual, or definitive incorporation, that is, by temporary bonds always to be renewed.

§4 Definitive incorporation is equivalent to perpetual incorporation in respect of defined juridical effects, which are to be established in the constitutions.

§1. Elapso probationis initialis tempore, candidatus qui idoneus iudicetur, tria consilia evangelica, sacro vinculo firmata, assumat vel ab instituto discedat.

§2. Quae prima incorporatio, quinquennio non brevior, ad normam constitutionum temporaria sit.

§3. Huius incorporationis tempore elapso, sodalis, qui idoneus iudicetur, admittatur ad incorporationem perpetuam vel definitivam, vinculis scilicet temporariis semper renovandis.

§4. Incorporatio definitiva, quoad certos effectus iuridicos in constitutionibus statuendos, perpetuae aequiparatur.

Canon 724. §1 After the first acceptance of the sacred bonds, formation is to continue without interruption in accordance with the constitutions.

§2 Members are to be formed simultaneously in matters human and divine. The
Moderators of the institute are to have a serious concern for the continued spiritual formation of the members.

§1. Institutio post vincula sacra primum assumpta iugiter secundum constitutiones est protrahenda.

§2. Sodales in rebus divinis et humanis pari gressu instituantur; de continua vero eorum spirituali formatione seriam habeant curam instituti Moderatores.

Canon 725. The institute can associate with itself, by some form of bond determined in the constitutions, other members of Christ’s faithful who seek evangelical perfection according to the spirit of the institute and who share in its mission.

Institutum sibi associare potest, aliquo vinculo in constitutionibus determinato, alios christifideles, qui ad evangelicam perfectionem secundum spiritum instituti contendant eiusdemque missionem participent.

Canon 726. §1 When the time of temporary incorporation is completed, the member can freely leave the institute, or can for a just cause be excluded from renewing the sacred bonds by the major Moderator, after consultation with his or her council.

§2 A temporarily incorporated member who freely requests it, can for a grave reason be granted an indult to leave the institute by the supreme Moderator, with the consent of the council.

§1. Elapso tempore incorporationis temporariae, sodalis institutum libere derelinquere valet vel a sacrorum vinculorum renovatione iusta de causa a Moderatore maiore, audito suo consilio, excludi potest.

§2. Sodalis temporariae incorporationis id sponte petens, indultum discedendi a supremo Moderatore de consensu sui consilii gravi de causa obtinere valet.

Canon 727. §1 A perpetually incorporated member who wishes to leave the institute must, after seriously weighing the matter before the Lord, petition the Apostolic See through the supreme Moderator, if the institute is of pontifical right; otherwise, the indult can also be obtained from the diocesan Bishop, as determined in the constitutions.

§2 For a cleric who is incardinated in the institute, the provision of can. 693 is to be observed.

§1. Sodalis perpetue incorporatus, qui institutum derelinquere velit, indultum discedendi, re coram Domino serio perpensa, a Sede Apostolica per Moderatorem supremum petat, si institutum est iuris pontificii; secus etiam ab Episcopo dioecesano, prout in constitutionibus definitur.

§2. Si agatur de clerico instituto incardinato, servetur praescriptum can. 693.

Canon 728. When an indult to leave the institute has been lawfully granted, all bonds, rights and obligations deriving from incorporation cease.

Indulto discedendi legitime concesso, cessant omnia vincula necnon iura et obligationes ab incorporatione promanantia.

Canon 729. Dismissal of a member of the institute proceeds pursuant to cann. 694 §1, 1 and 2; and 695. The constitutions may also define other causes for dismissal, provided that they be commensurately serious, external, attributable and juridically proven, and that the procedure in can. 697-700 also be observed. The provisions of can. 701 are applicable to the dismissed member.
[revised wording according to m.p. Communis vita, 19.III.2019]

Sodalis ab instituto dimittitur ad normam can. 694 § 1, 1 et 2 atque 695; constitutiones praeterea determinent alias causas dimissionis, dummodo sint proportionate graves, externae, imputabiles et iuridice comprobatae, atque modus procedendi servetur in can. 697-700 statutus. Dimisso applicatur praescriptum can. 701.

Canon 730. For a member to transfer from one secular institute to another, the provisions of cann. 684 §§1, 2, 4 and 685, are to be observed. A transfer to or from another kind of institute of consecrated life requires the permission of the Apostolic
See, whose instructions must be followed.

Ut sodalis instituti saecularis ad aliud institutum saeculare transeat, serventur praescripta can. 684, §§1, 2, 4 et 685; ut vero ad institutum religiosum vel ad societatem vitae apostolicae aut ex illis ad institutum saeculare fiat transitus, licentia requiritur Sedis Apostolicae, cuius mandatis standum est.