priesthood within a year, to be reckoned from the time of the government having been committed to him. But if he shall not have been promoted within the said time, let him, by the authority of the present constitution, be deprived of the church intrusted to him, without any previous admonition. But touching the residence as above mentioned, the ordinary may grant a dispensation according as a reasonable cause requires it.
Gregory X. in the Council of Lyons.
From the Sixth of the Decretals, lib. 1, tit, XVI, on the Office of the Ordmainary cap, 3.
(Sees. vii. de reform, cap. 5.)
Let the ordinaries of places strictly compel their subjects holding several dignities or churches, to whom is intrusted the cure of souls, or a personate, or dignity with another benefice, to which a similar cure is annexed, to exhibit the dispensations, by the authority of which they claim canonically ta hold churches, personates, or dignities, within a time to be settled by the will of the ordinaries themselves, according to the nature of the proceeding. But if it perchance happen that, just impediment being wanting, no dispensation is exhibited within the same time, let the benefices of the church, personates,[1] or dignities, which it is evident are held illicitly without a dispensation, be freely conferred on proper persons, through those to whom the collation thereof appertains. But if the dispensation exhibited appear to be sufficient, let the person exhibiting it not be molested in such benefices as he holds canonically. Let the ordinary, however, take care that the cure of souls be not neglected in the same churches, personates, or dignities, and that the benefices themselves be not defrauded of their due rights. But if doubt be entertained concerning the sufficiency of the dispensation exhibited, regarding this, recourse is to be had to the Apostolic See, whose province it is to estimate what he would wish to be the limit of its own grant. Yet further, in conferring personates, and dignities, and other benefices having the cure of souls annexed, let
- ↑ A kind of benefice, explained in a former note.
