Jurisprudence of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

• Prot. N. 37163/05 CA—December 2, 2006—Dismissal of a brother from an institute of consecrated life—Recourse against a decree of the Congresso—
• Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

Prot. N. 37163/05 CA
Dimissionis
(Fr. N. - Congregatio pro Institutis vitae consecratae et Societatibus vitae apostolicae)

Decretum Definitivum in Nomine Domini. Amen

Benedicto PP. XVI feliciter regnante, Pontificatus sui anno II, die 2 decembris 2006, Supremum Signaturae Apostolicae Tribunal, videntibus Em.mis ac Rev.mis Augustino Card. Vallini, Praefecto, Ioanne Ludovico Card. Tauran, atque Exc.mis ac Rev.mis D.nis Raimundo Leone Burke, Ponente, Francisco Coccopalmerio et Xaverio Echevarría Rodríguez, intervenientibus Cl.mo C. Gullo, utpote Recurrentis Patrono, Cl.ma M. Wegan, tamquam Patrona Congregationis pro Institutis vitae consecratae et Societatibus vitae apostolicae, et Rev.mo Francisco Daneels, o.praem, Promotore Iustitiae, in causa de qua supra, hoc definitivum tulit decretum.

I. Facti Species

1. Recurrens, die 26 iulii 1941 natus, die 14 augusti 1961 in Congregationem Fratrum [ . . . ] ingressus, die 15 augusti 1962 vota temporalia et die 28 iulii 1968 vota perpetua emisit.

Postea vero, in circumstantiis sufficienter expositis in impugnato Decreto Congressus, ad quod remittimus, Superior generalis una cum suo consilio die 21 novembris 2003 dimissionem Fratris N. decrevit. Quo decreto a Congregatione pro Institutis vitae consecratae et Societatibus vitae apostolicae die 10 februarii 2004 confirmato et fratri rite notificato, hic recursum hierarchicum proposuit et die 2 septembris 2004 perlongam defensionem exhibuit, sed idem Dicasterium die 28 februarii 2005 recursum reiecit.

Reiectione recursus die 11 aprilis 2005 notificata, frater N. die 22 aprilis 2005 ad H.S.T. provocavit. Re discussa inter Cl.mum C. Gullo, Patronum Recurrentis, Cl.mam M. Wegan, Patronam Congregationis et Instituti, necnon Rev.mum F. Daneels, o.praem., Promotorem Iustitiae, Em.mus H.S.T. Praefectus in Congressu diei 2 martii decrevit: "Recursum non esse admittendum et facto non admitti ad disceptationem coram Collegio Em.morum et Exc.morum Iudicum, utpote manifeste carentem fundamento".

Qua decisione die 17 martii 2006 notificata, Cl.mus C. Gullo, Patronus Recurrentis, die 21 martii 2006 recursum ad Em.mos et Exc.mos H.S.T. Iudices proposuit et die 26 eiusdem mensis rationes recursus exhibuit, ad quas respondit Rev.mus Promotor Iustitiae.

Quibus praehabitis, nunc Nobis respondendum est ad dubium: "An Decretum H.S.T. in Congressu diei 2 martii 2006 latum reformandum sit". [End Page 222]

Definitive decree of the College of Judges—No violation of procedural law—No violation of the law in the substance of the decision—Rejection of the recourse

Prot. N. 37163/05 CA
Dismissal
(Brother. N. - Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life)

Definitive Decree in the Name of the Lord. Amen

As Pope Benedict XVI happily reigns in the second year of his Pontificate, on December 2, 2006, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, under the judgment of Their Eminences Agostino Card. Vallini, Prefect, and Jean-Louis Card. Tauran and Their Excellencies, Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, Ponens, Bishop Francesco Coccopalmerio and Bishop Javier Echevarría Rodríguez, with the intervention of Carlo Gullo, as the Recurrent's Procurator-Advocate, and Martha Wegan, as the Procurator-Advocate of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and the Rev. Frans Daneels, O.Praem., the Promoter of Justice in the above described cause, issued this definitive decree.

I. The Facts

1. The Recurrent, who was born on July 26, 1941 and entered the Congregation of the Brothers [ . . . ] on August 14, 1961, made temporary vows on August 15, 1962 and perpetual vows on July 28, 1968.

Afterward, though, in circumstances sufficiently explained in the challenged Decree of the Congresso to which we remit, the Superior general together with his council decreed the dismissal of Brother N. on November 21, 2003. Once this decree had been confirmed by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on February 10, 2004 and properly communicated to the brother, the latter proposed hierarchical recourse and, on September 2, 2004, presented a rather lengthy defense; but the same Dicastery rejected the recourse on February 28, 2005.

Having been notified of the rejection...