Description:
The document, prepared on behalf of Pope Francis by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It contains an Application Instruction of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, offering "to the Church with particular reference to the monasteries of the Latin rite", with the aim of clarifying the provisions of the law, developing and determining the procedures in its execution.
Brief description: The Congregation is responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life (orders and religious congregations, both of men and of women, secular institutes) and societies of apostolic life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and privileges. It is competent also for matters regarding the eremetical life, consecrated virgins and their related associations, and new forms of consecrated life. Its competence extends to all aspects of consecrated life: Christian life, religious life, clerical life; the relationship is of a personal character and has no territorial limits; certain determined questions of their members, however, are remanded to the competence of other Congregations. This Congregation also can dispense those who are subject to it from the common law. Further, it is competent for associations of the faithful erected with the intention of becoming institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life, and for Third Orders Secular.