Susan was a good girl, whom I knew personally. As a pre-novice, she was in our community for three months to have an experience of our mission. At the completion of her pre-novitiate, she was not accepted to the novitiate and was asked to leave the institute. I feel it is an injustice done to her. Besides, this decision was made by another provincial superior, though Susan belonged to our province. When God has called a person to religious life, was it right for superiors—that, too, another provincial—to make such a choice?
Who Can Decide?
Admission to the novitiate is a significant moment for the institute, for the candidate and for the Church. Going by CIC c. 641 and CCEO c. 519, the right of admitting candidates to the novitiate belongs to major superiors according norms given in the Constitutions. Each institute’s constitutions have to specify who has the competence, i.e., the superior general or the provincial superior, and determine whether consultation or consent of the council is required for the validity. With regard to sui iuris monasteries, CCEO c. 453 §1 gives the right to the superior in consultation with the council. [In such monasteries the superior is considered as the major superior.]
The director or directress can only intervene by giving their advice as to the suitability of the candidates. The final decision remains…
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Sr Licia SMI
