Statutes of Opus Dei

Norms cited in the policies

Excerpts from the official Latin text (with an unofficial English translation) of the norms of the Statuta (“Statutes”) – the Code of the Particular Law approved by the Apostolic See for the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei – which are cited in the Safeguarding Policy.

No. 1 

§1  Opus Dei est Praelatura personalis clericos et laicos simul complectens, ad peculiarem operam pastoralem perficiendam sub regimine proprii Praelati (cfr. n. 125).

Opus Dei is a personal Prelature consisting of both clerics and lay persons in order to carry out a specific pastoral task under the governance of its own Prelate (cf. n. 125).

§2  Praelaturae presbyterium constituunt illi clerici qui ex eiusdem fidelibus laicis ad Ordines promoventur et eidem incardinantur; laicatus Praelaturae ab iis fidelibus efformatur qui, vocatione divina moti, vinculo iuridico incorporationis speciali ratione Praelaturae devinciuntur.

The presbyterate of the Prelature consists of those clerics who have been promoted to Orders from among the lay faithful of the Prelature and are incardinated in it; the laity of the Prelature is formed of those faithful who, moved by a divine vocation, are bound in a special way to the Prelature by means of a juridical bond of incorporation.

No. 6 

Cuncti christifideles qui Praelaturae incorporantur, vinculo iuridico de quo in n. 27, hoc faciunt eadem divina vocatione moti: omnes eundem finem apostolicum prosequuntur, eundem spiritum eandemque praxim asceticam colunt, congruam recipient doctrinalem institutionem et curam sacerdotalem atque, ad finem Praelaturae quod attinet, subsunt potestati Praelati eiusque Consiliorum, iuxta normas iuris universalis et horum Statutorum. 

All the faithful who are incorporated into the Prelature by the juridical bond described in n. 27 are moved to do so by the same divine vocation. All pursue the same apostolic mission and live out the same spirit and ascetical practices. They receive a suitable doctrinal instruction and priestly care. In all that pertains to the mission of the Prelature they are subject to the authority of the Prelate and his Councils, in accordance with the norms of universal law and these Statutes.

No. 28 

§1  Antequam aliquis temporaliter Praelaturae incorporetur, potest quovis momento libere ipsam deserere. 

Before someone is temporarily incorporated into the Prelature, they can freely leave it at any time.

§2  Pariter auctoritas competens, ob iustas et rationabiles causas, valet eum non admittere, aut ei discedendi consilium dare. Hae causae praesertim sunt defectus spiritus proprii Operis Dei et aptitudinis ad apostolatum peculiarem fidelium Praelaturae. 

Likewise, the competent authority, for just and reasonable causes, has the authority not to admit a person, or to advise them to leave. These reasons are especially the lack of the spirit proper to Opus Dei and the lack of an aptitude for the particular apostolate of the faithful of the Prelature.

No. 29 

Perdurante incorporatione temporanea vel iam facta definitiva, ut quis possit Praelaturam voluntarie relinquere, indiget dispensatione, quam unus Praelatus concedere potest, audito proprio Consilio et Commissione Regionali. 

For someone to leave the Prelature voluntarily during the temporary incorporation or after the definitive incorporation, a dispensation is required which the Prelate alone can grant, after consulting his own Council and the Regional Commission.

No. 30 

§1  Fideles temporarie vel definitive Praelaturae incorporati nequeunt dimitti nisi ob graves causas, quae, si agatur de incorporatione definitiva, semper ex culpa eiusdem fidelis procedere debent.

The faithful who are temporarily or definitively incorporated into the Prelature cannot be dismissed except for serious causes, which in the case of the definitive incorporation must always be due to the fault of the faithful in question.

§2  Infirma valetudo non est causa dimissionis, nisi certo constet eam, ante incorporationem temporaneam, fuisse dolose reticitam aut dissimulatam. 

Ill health is not a reason for dismissal unless it is established with certainty that it was deceitfully concealed or misrepresented before the temporary incorporation.

No. 31 

Dimissio, si opus sit, fiat maxima caritate: antea tamen suadendus est is cuius interest ut sponte discedat. 

Dismissal, if necessary, should be carried out with the greatest charity. Before this, however, the person concerned should be persuaded to leave voluntarily.

No. 32 

Dimissio a Praelato vel, in sua circumscriptione, a Vicario, semper cum voto deliberativo proprii Consilii, est decernenda, causis ei cuius interest manifestatis dataque eidem plena respondendi licentia, et post binas monitiones incassum factas, salvo semper iure fidelium ad Praelatum vel ad Sanctam Sedem recurrendi. Si recursus interpositus fuerit intra decem dies, effectus iuridicus dimissionis suspenditur donec responsio a Praelato vel, in casu, a Sancta Sede prodierit.

Dismissal by the Prelate, or in his own territory, by the Vicar, must always be decided with the deliberative vote of his own Council, after the causes of the dismissal have been made known to the person concerned, and that person has been given full opportunity to respond. The dismissal must follow two unheeded warnings, and the right of the faithful to have recourse to the Prelate or the Holy See must always be preserved. If such a recourse is made within ten days, the legal effect of dismissal is suspended until a response is forthcoming from the Prelate, or from the Holy See if that is the case.

No. 33   

Exitus legitimus ab Opere Dei secum fert cessationem vinculi, de quo in n. 27, necnon officiorum atque iurium, quae ex ipso profluunt. 

Legitimate departure from Opus Dei brings with it the cessation of the bond described in n. 27 and of the duties and rights which flow from it.

No. 34 

Qui qualibet ratione Praelaturae valedicat vel ab ea dimittatur, nihil ab ea exigere potest ob servitia eidem praestita, vel ob id quod, sive industria sive exercitio propriae professionis, sive quocumque alio titulo vel modo, eidem rependerit. 

A person who for whatever reason leaves the Prelature or is dismissed from it can demand nothing from the Prelature for the services they might have rendered to it, nor for anything they might have given to it, whether this was earned by their activity or through the exercise of their profession or under any other title or in any other manner.

No. 35 

Clericus Praelaturae incardinatus, ad normam n. 36, nequit ipsam deserere donec Episcopum invenerit, qui eum in propria dioecesi recipiat. Quodsi non invento Episcopo exierit, nequit interim suos Ordines exercere, donec Sancta Sedes aliter providerit. 

A cleric incardinated in the Prelature according to the provision of n. 36 may not leave the Prelature until he finds a Bishop who will receive him into his diocese. If he leaves without finding a Bishop, he is unable to exercise his orders during that time, unless the Holy See provides otherwise.

No. 121 

§1  Praeter apostolatum personalem, quem Praelatura in suis fidelibus fovet cuique profecto locus praecipuus competit, Praelatura qua talis specificam assistentiam pastoralem praestat laboribus et inceptis indolis civilis ac professionalis, non confessionalis, persequentibus fines educativos, assistentiales, etc. 

As well as the personal apostolate which the Prelature fosters in its faithful, and which truly holds the primary place, the Prelature as such lends specific pastoral assistance to works and initiatives of a civil and professional, non-confessional, nature whose aims relate to education, social welfare, etc.

§2  Praelaturae Ordinarius, necessitate ductus adimplendi suam specificam missionem utque peculiaris Praelaturae finis quam melius in praxim deducatur, maxima cura eos seliget qui cappellanorum atque religionis magistrorum munere fungentur, tum in inceptis ab Opere Dei qua tali promotis, tum in iis quae a Praelaturae fidelibus una cum aliis suscitantur et pro quibus adiutorium spirituale ab Opere Dei postulant. In nominandis vero his cappellanis et religionis magistris, Praelaturae Ordinarius suum Consilium audire numquam omittat, atque nominationes ita factas loci Ordinario opportune communicet. 

The Ordinary of the Prelature, moved by the need to accomplish his specific mission, and so as to ensure the best possible fulfilment of the aim of the Prelature, will select with the greatest care the chaplains and religion teachers for initiatives promoted by Opus Dei as such, as well as for those organised by the faithful of the Prelature along with others, which request spiritual help from the Prelature. When appointing these chaplains and religion teachers the Ordinary of the Prelature should never fail to consult his Council, and once the appointments are made, he should communicate them opportunely to the local Ordinary.

No. 125 

§1  Praelaturae regimen committitur Praelato, qui suis Vicariis et Consiliis adiuvatur iuxta normas iuris universalis et huius Codicis.  

The governance of the Prelature is entrusted to the Prelate, who is assisted by his Vicars and Councils in accordance with universal law and with this Code.

§2  Potestas regiminis qua gaudet Praelatus est plena in foro tum externo tum interno in sacerdotes Praelaturae incardinatos; in laicos vero Praelaturae incorporatos haec potestas ea est tantum quae spectat finem peculiarem eiusdem Praelaturae.

With respect to priests incardinated in the Prelature, the Prelate’s power of governance is full in both the internal and the external forum; for lay persons incorporated in the Prelature, his power of governance extends only to what concerns the particular end of the Prelature.

§3  Praelati potestas, sive in clericos sive in laicos, ad normam iuris universalis et huius Codicis exercetur.

The power of the Prelate, with respect to both clerics and lay persons, is exercised in accordance with universal law and with this Code.

§4  Nomine Ordinarii Praelaturae iure intelleguntur et sunt Praelatus necnon qui in eadem generali gaudent potestate exsecutiva ordinaria, nempe Vicarii pro regimine tum generali cum regionali Praelaturae constituti.

The Ordinaries of the Prelature are understood in law to be, and are, the Prelate and those who possess general, ordinary executive power in the Prelature, that is, the Vicars appointed for the Prelature’s governance, both general and regional.

No. 151 

§1  Regimini uniuscuiusque Regionis praeponitur Vicarius, qui Consiliarius Regionalis nuncupatur, quemque nominat Praelatus cum voto deliberativo sui Consilii; Consiliario assistit Consilium, quod vocatur Commissio Regionalis, constans membris usque ad duodecim, designatis inter Praelaturae fideles de quibus in n. 13 pariterque nominatis a Praelato audito suo Consilio, cuius consensus requiritur in casibus de quibus in nn. 157 §1 et 159. 

The governance of each Region is entrusted to a Vicar, called the Regional Counsellor, whom the Prelate appoints with the deliberative vote of his Council. A Council called the Regional Commission assists the Counsellor; it consists of up to twelve members whom the Prelate also appoints from among the faithful of the Prelature mentioned in n. 13, after having consulted his Council. For the members mentioned in n. 157 § 1 and n. 159, the agreement of his Council is required.