Commentary on The Motu Proprio Communis Vita

Abstract

The Supreme Ponti Francis promulgated the Motu Proprio, Communis Vita, in 2019 on the case of ipso facto dismissal from a religious Institute (Can. 694). The religious have an obligation to live in their own religious house observing common life (Can. 665 §1). Communis Vita deals with cases of illegitimate absence from the community by a religious (Can. 665 §2), as well as those who cannot be located. This article presents a commentary of the Motu Proprio and presents the Canonical legislation on the ipso facto dismissal in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It will then demonstrate the spiritual values to be protected in religious life by common life and the necessary precautions to be observed in the application of the new Canonical legislation. This commentary is an English version of the commentary in Italian by Rev. Prof. Yuji Sugawara, S.J. published in Periodica 109 (2020): 177-195