Papal Order to Clergy
Today we issue the following regulations for clergy and religious, because of the sad state of affairs that occurs, when they do not have a visible superior:
1. When a clerics immediate superior departs from the Faith by heresy or apostasy, the cleric is immediately dispensed from all obligation to that superior and commanded to proceed immediately to his superior's immediate superior and placed himself under obedience.
2. If perchance this next superior has also apostatized, then the cleric is bound to proceed to the next superior in line and so forth until arriving at the Apostolic See.
3. For the purposes of clarity, secular clergy will find their superiors as follows:
1. Their pastor (or if they are in a seminary or else where, the superior placed over them by their Ordinary)
2. Their Local Ordinary
3. Any Archbishop placed over their territory, who has some obligation to every diocese entrusted to him, especially should the local Ordinary defect from the Faith.
4. The Apostolic See
4. What is said of clergy binds religious of whatever grade or rank and their superiors are as follows:
1. Any immediate superior placed over them by their rule
2. The superior of their house, by whatever name this superior is known.
3. Except the case of exempt religious, the Local Ordinary comes next. However, even in the case of exempt religious the crime of heresy and apostasy must be denounced not only to the next superior in their institute, but to their Ordinary as well.
4. The rest as above in notes 3 and 4. Exempt religious are bound to inform also the superiors of their Order as well. When informing the Apostolic See, they must come personally and place themselves under obedience to the Apostolic See, who will designate who their superior is.
5. Since in the current Apostasy, We know of none of the superiors mentioned above, We order each and every cleric and religious to report directly to Ourselves. Should a cleric or religious and his superior yet remain in existence the superior may appear on his own behalf and that of his subjects, but if the superior refuses, the subjects are personally bound to report.
6. Because of the danger to souls posed by wandering clergy or religious , who have no apparent superior, should a cleric find himself free from obedience to a particular person, he is bound to remedy this at once. If the institution he belongs to has failed in such a way to render return to it difficult or impossible, he shall proceed immediately to the Local Ordinary, or if the Ordinary has also defected to the Apostolic See.
7. Clergy, who fail to proceed within thirty days as ordered in this instruction, are excommunicated, absolution of such excommunication reserved to the superior they are to have recourse to and are suspect of heresy. Should several superiors have defected above them, they are allowed an additional thirty days per superior, not to exceed ninety days. In case of doubt they shall proceed immediately to the Apostolic See within ninety days, subject to the censures here mentioned. If personal recourse cannot be had, then recourse must be had by mail within the time period set.
8. Religious, who are not clerics are allowed ninety days instead of the thirty allowed in paragraph seven, which binds them completely. Because of the seriousness of this matter, should the superior of their house defect from the Faith, monks and nuns may depart from their cloister, provided they proceed immediately to either the next superior of their Order or to the Local Ordinary and ask immediate assistance.
9. Additionally we issue the following specific instructions for the current crisis:
1. Paragraph 5 above binds all clergy and religious.
2. For the purposes of determining the time period for the incurring the censures herein mentioned this law is considered published on the 28th of June and becomes effective the 28th of September in accord with Canon 9. Therefore clergy are subject to excommunication, who do not appear before the 28th of October and religious the 28th of December.
3. Those, who do not receive notice of this instruction prior to the 28th of September shall be exempt from the excommunications of paragraphs 8 and 9, but are IMMEDIATELY suspended from the exercise of ALL orders they may possess with the SOLE exception of the provision of Canon 882, and must proceed within the time limit here set, without prejudice to any other censures they may have incurred.
4. Because of the difficulties some may encounter, those residing outside of North America are extended an additional month, provided they send a letter before the original time limit has elapsed.
Given this 23rd day of June, 1991,
Michael I, Pope
Michael Fighting
"Michael…who standeth for…thy people," — Dan. 12:1-12
