Participation of Religious Brothers in the Exercise of Authority in Clerical Religious Institutes

The paper has been inspired by the rescript of Pope Francis issued as a motu proprio on the appointment of superiors in clerical institutes. According to the binding ecclesiastical legislation, such practices used to be prohibited, although the Holy See would grant permissions on a case-by-case basis. The article discusses the idea of exercising authority in religious institutes according to the traditional rules of religious life, referring to St Benedict and St Francis. A serious obstacle to regulating this issue is the exercise of power. Another reason indicated in the rescript is the personnel situation in religious institutes, which makes it impossible for some members of the clergy to serve as superiors due to age and health status. This fact caused requests to the Holy See seeking permission for non-clerics to exercise the office of superiors. A significant attempt to respond to this need is the rescript announced by Pope Francis. It takes account of the existing legal solutions, as well as opening up a certain window of opportunity as regards changes to the structure of power in clerical institutes.