Pope Francis's modifications on the expulsion of religious: possible reasons and the problems they present

Abstract

The dismissal of professed members of religious institutes established in CIC83 was not revised until 2019. Since then, three Motu Proprio, of 2019, 2022 and 2023, have modified canons 1094, 699 and 700 of the legislation concerning members of religious institutes, and canon 729 concerning consecrated laity. In all three reforms we can see the desire to strengthen the position of the Institute through its authorities against possible abuses and insecurities caused by some professed members. However, we believe that these changes can have a negative impact on the rights and guarantees of the members to be dismissed. The last reform, in 2023, took this into account by offering greater possibilities of defense to the religious member concerned against the decree of dismissal. In any case, we suggest greater vigilance following these reforms, in order to avoid arbitrariness and injustice that could obscure the charity and justice that should guide the law of the Church.