Resolution Number: 1982-B017
Title: Amend Canon III.27 [Of Religious Orders]
Legislative Action Taken: Concurred As Substituted and Amended
Final Text:

Resolved, That the 67th General Convention amend Title III, Canon 27, so that it reads as follows:

CANON 27

Of Religious Orders and Other Christian Communities

Sec. 1(a). A Religious Order of this Church is a society of Christians (in communion with the See of Canterbury) who voluntarily commit themselves for life, or a term of years: to holding their possessions in common or in trust, to a celibate life in community; and obedience to their Rule and Constitution.

(b). To be officially recognized, a Religious Order must have at least six (6) professed members, and must be approved by the Standing Committee on Religious Orders of the House of Bishops and be registered with said committee.

(c). Each Order shall have a Bishop Visitor or Protector, who shall not of necessity be the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Order is established. If, however, the Bishop Visitor or Protector is not the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Mother House of the Order is situated, he shall not accept election without the consent of the Bishop of said Diocese. He shall be the guardian of the Constitution of the Order, and shall serve as an arbiter in matters which the Order or its members cannot resolve through its normal processes.

(d). Any persons under vows in a Religious Order, having exhausted the normal processes of the Order, may petition the Bishop Visitor or Protector for dispensation from those vows. In the event the petitioner is not satisfied with the ruling of the Bishop Visitor or Protector on such petition, he may file a petition with the Presiding Bishop of the Church, who shall appoint a Board of three Bishops to review the petition and the decision thereon, and to make recommendation to the Presiding Bishop, who shall have the highest dispensing power for Religious Orders, and his ruling on the petition shall be final.

(e). A Religious Order may establish a house in a Diocese only with the permission of the Bishop of the Diocese. This permission once granted shall not be withdrawn by him or any succeeding Bishop.

(f). The Constitution of every Religious Order shall make provision for the legal ownership and administration of the temporal possessions of the Order and in the event of dissolution of the Order, or should it otherwise cease to exist, to provide for the disposition of its assets according to the laws governing non-profit religious organizations in the State wherein the Order is incorporated.

(g). It is recognized that a Religious Order is not a Parish, Mission, Congregation or Institution of the Diocese within the meaning of Title 1, Canon 6, Sec. 3, of these Canons, and the provisions thereof shall not apply to Religious Orders.

Sec. 2(a). A Christian Community of this Church under this Canon is a society of Christians (in communion with the See of Canterbury) who voluntarily commit themselves for life, or a term of years, in obedience to their Rule and Constitution.

(b). To be officially recognized such a Christian Community must have at least six (6) full members in accordance with their Rule and Constitution, and must be approved by the Standing Committee on Religious Orders of the House of Bishops and be registered with said Committee.

(c). Each such Christian Community of this Church shall have a Bishop Visitor or Protector, who shall not necessarily be the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Community is established. If, however, the Bishop Visitor or Protector is not the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Mother House of the Community is situated, he shall not accept election without the consent of the Bishop of said Diocese. He shall be the guardian of the Constitution of the Community, and shall serve as an arbiter in matters which the Community or its members cannot resolve through its normal processes.

(d). Any persons under full commitment in such a Christian Community, having exhausted the normal processes of the Community, may petition the Bishop Visitor or Protector for dispensation from that full commitment. In the event the petitioner is not satisfied with the ruling of the Bishop Visitor or Protector on such petition, he may file a petition with the Presiding Bishop of the Church, who shall appoint a Board of three Bishops to review the petition and the decision thereon, and to make recommendation to the Presiding Bishop, who shall have the highest dispensing power for Christian Communities, and his ruling on the petition shall be final.

(e). Each such Christian Community may establish a house in a Diocese only with the permission of the Bishop of the Diocese.

(f). The Constitution of every such Christian Community shall make provision for the legal ownership and administration of the temporal possessions of the Community and in the event of dissolution of the Community, or should it otherwise cease to exist, to provide for the disposition of its assets according to the laws governing non-profit religious organizations in the State wherein the Community is incorporated.

(g). It is recognized that each such Christian Community is not a Parish, Mission, Congregation or Institution of the Diocese within the meaning of Title 1, Canon 6, Sec. 3 of these Canons, and the provisions thereof shall not apply to such Christian Communities.

Citation: General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, New Orleans, 1982 (New York: General Convention, 1983), p. C-93.

Legislative History

Author:
Originating House: House of Bishops
Originating Committee: Committee on Ministry

House of Bishops

Original Text of Resolution

(B017) Not Currently Available

The Bishop of Northern Indiana, Chairman of the Committee on Religious Communities, moved the adoption of a substitute for Resolution B-17.

Seconded by the Bishop of Fond du Lac.

Motion carried

(Communicated to House of Deputies in HB Message #188)

House of Deputies

The Committee on Ministry presented its Report #63, on Resolution B-17S (Religious communities) and recommended concurrence with House of Bishops Message #188.

Debate followed.

Deputy Irish, of Arizona, proposed to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete the words "or any succeeding Bishop" in paragraph (c), line 3.

Debate on the amendment followed.

A motion was made to terminate debate on the amendment.

Motion carried

Amendment failed

The question was called on the resolution.

Motion carried

The House concurred

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #261)

Resolution Concurred by Both Houses, September 13.

Abstract:   The 67th General Convention amends Canon Title III.27 to clarify the definition, rights and duties of Religious Orders and Christian Communities.