Affiliation
1. (CO 54) Affiliation is a particular form of help that the General Chapter establishes in particular situations in favor of the community of a monastery sui juris which has only an asserted autonomy, but in reality, very precarious or, in fact, non-existent.
2. The request for this special form of help may be made at the free initiative of the community experiencing increasing fragility or by the Father Immediate of that house, or it may arise from the study of the situation of the community in the General Chapter itself. Only the General Chapter is competent to decide to establish it, after consultation with the fragile community and the community that would be available to provide this service. Between General Chapters, when the case is urgent, the Abbot General and his Council may establish it after the same consultations. Consultation of the communities concerned does not necessarily require a vote or a specific majority.
3. (CO 55) Affiliation is configured as a juridical support that must assess whether the inability to manage the life of the autonomous monastery in all its dimensions is only temporary or is irreversible, helping the community of the affiliated monastery to overcome difficulties or to put in place what is necessary to bring about the suppression of this monastery.
4. (CO 56) In these cases, it is up to the General Chapter to evaluate the opportunity of setting up a Commission for the Future formed by the superior of the affiliating monastery and at least two other persons designated by the General Chapter.
5. (CO 57) Through affiliation, the General Chapter suspends the status of autonomous monastery, rendering it donec aliter provideatur a house dependent on another autonomous monastery of the Order, according to what is established in the present Statute and any other provisions on the matter given by the General Chapter.
6. (CO 58) The Major Superior of the autonomous affiliating monastery is constituted Major Superior of the affiliated monastery.
7. (CO 59) The local Superior of the affiliated monastery is a nun/monk in solemn vows, appointed by the Major Superior of the autonomous monastery with the consent of his/her Council, having heard the nuns/monks of the community of the affiliated monastery. This local Superior is constituted the legal representative of the affiliated monastery and her/his function is limited to managing the ordinary daily life of the community according to the indications of the major superior.
8. (CO 60) The affiliated monastery can accept candidates, but the novitiate and initial formation must be performed in the affiliating monastery or in another monastery established by the General Chapter.
9. (CO 61) The candidates of the affiliated monastery are admitted to the novitiate, the novices to temporary profession, and the temporary professed to solemn profession by the Major Superior of the affiliating monastery, having heard the community of the affiliated monastery and obtained the favourable vote of the conventual Chapter of the affiliating monastery.
10. (CO 62) Profession will be made for the affiliated monastery.
11. (CO 63) During the time of affiliation, the finances of the two monasteries are administered separately.
12. (CO 64) The celebration of the conventual Chapter is suspended in the affiliated monastery, but the possibility of calling local Chapters remains unaffected.
13. In the affiliated monastery the regular Visitation is made by the same Visitor who makes the Regular Visitation of the monastery to which it is affiliated. As long as this juridical form continues, the functions of Father Immediate of the affiliated house are assumed by the same person who is Father Immediate of the monastery to which it is affiliated.
14. Affiliation ends when, in the judgement of the General Chapter, the fragile community has sufficiently recovered its real autonomy of life, or when it is judged that the situation of fragility is irreversible and the monastery must be suppressed.
_________■________
Corrected version, Rome, February 2023