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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
An officer acting under the superior general of areligious order, and exercising a general supervision over all the local superiors in a division of the order called a province. The division is to a certain extent geographical, and may consist of one or more countries, or of a part of a country only; however, one or more houses of one province may be situated within the territory of another, and thejurisdiction over the religious is personal rather than territorial. The old orders had no provincial superiors; even when themonasteries were united to form congregations, the arch-abbot of each congregation was in the position of a superior general whose powers were limited to particular cases, almost like the powers of anarchbishop over thedioceses of his suffragans. Provincials are found in the congregations of comparatively recent formation, which began with themendicant orders. TheHoly See hesitated for a long time before allowing the division of congregations with simplevows, especially congregations ofwomen into different provinces as a regular institution, and some congregations have no such division.
The provincial is ordinarily appointed by the provincial chapter, subject to confirmation by the general chapter: in theSociety of Jesus; he is appointed by the general. The "Regulations" (Normae) of 18 June, 1901, vest the appointment of the provincial in the general council. The provincial is never elected for life, but ordinarily for three or six years. Inreligious orders he is a regularprelate, and has the rank of ordinary with quasi-episcopaljurisdiction. He appoints the regular confessors, calls together the provincial chapter, presides over its deliberations, and takes care that the orders of the general chapter and the superior general are properly carried out. He is anex officio member of the general chapter. His principalduty is to make regular visitations of the houses in his province in the name of the general and to report to the latter on all the religious and theproperty of the order; his authority over the various houses and local superiors differs in different orders. He has in many cases the right of appointment to the less important offices. At the end of his term of office, the provincial is bound, according to the Constitution "Nuper" ofInnocent XII (23 Dec., 1697), to prove that he has complied with all theprecepts of thatdecree concerning masses; if he fails to do so, he loses his right to be elected and to vote in the general chapter. In accordance with the privilege granted to theSociety of Jesus, the provincial of areligious order is authorized to approve oforatories set apart for the celebration of Mass in theconvents of his order; theseoratories may receive the blessing usually given to publicoratories, and may not be permanently diverted from their sacred uses except for good reason and with the approval of the provincial. In congregations with simplevows and not exempt, the provincial has nopower of jurisdiction. According to the "Regulations" of 1901, hisduty is also to supervise the financial administration of the provincialprocurator and the local superiors.
APA citation.Vermeersch, A.(1911).Provincial. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12514b.htm
MLA citation.Vermeersch, Arthur."Provincial."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 12.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1911.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12514b.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Douglas J. Potter.Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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