Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists)

STATUTE ON TEMPORAL ADMINISTRATION
(approved by the General Chapters of 1999)  

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1.  The organization of the monastery is directed to bringing the monks into close union with Christ, since it is only through the experience of personal love for the Lord Jesus that the specific gifts of the Cistercian vocation can flower.  Only if the brothers prefer nothing whatsoever to Christ will they be happy to persevere in a life that is ordinary, obscure and laborious (C.3.5).  Hence the economy is organized in such a way that the members are given the utmost support in living the values proper to their Cistercian vocation.

INTRODUCTION

2.  The present Statute, elaborating in more detail what our Constitutions say about temporal administration (C.41-44), establishes suitable norms concerning the use and administration of the temporal goods of the communities, in accordance with our Cistercian tradition and the norms of Canon Law.  It aims at promoting a common interpretation of the Constitutions and helping those responsible in their administration.  It is for each monastery to apply and practice these norms in agreement with their Father Immediate and according to local culture, circumstances and traditions.

I - THE COMMUNITY

3.  The monasteries of the Order are juridical persons, capable of acquiring, possessing, administering and alienating temporal goods (can 634 § 1, 1255; C.42).

4.  Every effort is to be made in so far as possible, to have the monastery recognized by civil law as a juridical person, so that it will not be necessary for the monks to be proprietors in their own names, of goods, bank accounts, stocks, shares etc. belonging to the monastery.

5.  Each brother has the right and duty of serving the community by doing his share of its work according to his abilities and within the economic structure of the monastery (C.41.1).  He is encouraged to understand and foster the development of its economy.

II - THE GOODS OF THE COMMUNITY

6.  Acquisition of Goods - Although a community is allowed to acquire temporal goods by all lawful means (can 1259), fidelity to Cistercian tradition requires that the community's regular income be as far as possible the fruit of its own work (C. 41.1).

7.  Use of goods - In the use it makes of its goods, each community should respect the requirements of evangelical simplicity, as well as the prescriptions of the Church.  Following the example of the fathers of Cîteaux, who sought an uncomplicated relationship with the God of simplicity, the brothers' lifestyle is to be plain and frugal.  Everything in the household of God should be appropriate to the monastic life and avoid excess, so that its very simplicity can be instructive for all.  This is to be clearly apparent in buildings and their furnishings, in food and clothing and even in the celebration of the liturgy (can 635 § 2; C.27).  The monastery should be conspicuous for its simple and pleasant appearance (ST.27.A; cf. can 634 § 2).
      As far as it is possible, some part of the community's income is to be allocated for the needs of the Church and the Order, and the support of those in want (can 640; C.41.3).

8.  Regarding the temporal goods of postulants and novices, the prescriptions of universal law are observed.  The abbot ensures that the civil laws of the country are applied.

a) Prudence demands that a postulant on entry sign a renunciation of all salary relating to work which will be done while in the monastery.

b) Before temporary profession the novice should assign the administration of his goods to someone else and dispose freely of their use and income for the whole time of his engagement (can 668 § 1-3; C.52.2).

c) The temporary professed retains the ownership of his goods and the capacity to acquire more.  But anything which he receives for his work or because of his religious state or through pension, grant or insurance passes to the monastery (can 668 § 3).

d) Since the monk by virtue of solemn profession loses the capacity of acquiring and owning goods, if he has any or has a right to them he is bound to distribute them to the poor or dispose of them in some other way in accordance with the norms of can 668 § 4-5.  This renunciation is to be made before solemn profession, as far as possible in a form that is valid in civil law, to take effect from the day of profession.  Whatever comes to him after the renunciation goes to the monastery (C.55).

e)He will also, before his solemn profession, draw up a will in favour of the monastery, as far as possible valid according to civil law (can 668 § 1), so that in the case of death, his affairs will be easily be put in order (old age pension, author's rights etc.).

9.  The Oblate retains the radical ownership of his goods but he is invited to free himself as much as possible from their administration.  Where this is not possible, he administers these goods in agreement with the abbot who watches over the interests of the oblate and acts in such a way as to avoid anything that could be prejudicial to the community.  All legal arrangements should be taken to assure the necessary guarantees.  An expert in social legislation should be consulted if needed  (Statute on Oblates 2).

10.  Familiar : In the case of a particular status, such as a familiar for example it  is advisable to draw up a contract signed by the two parties, before a notary according to the local legislation, clearly mentioning the reciprocal obligations of the monastery and the person concerned.

11.  Those who leave or are dismissed are not entitled to claim anything from the monastery for services rendered.  Nevertheless the abbot is to observe the norms of equity and evangelical charity towards members who depart (can 702; C.59.2).  To safeguard the welfare of the members who leave or are dismissed, as well as that of the community, the abbot is to have a sound knowledge of the social legislation of the place where the monastery is located (ST.59.2.A).

III - ADMINISTRATORS OF THE GOODS OF THE COMMUNITY

12.  The Abbot, as steward of the House of God, is the one primarily responsible for the administration of the temporal goods of the community.  He exercises this part of his charge in the light of the Gospel (C.41.2), the Holy Rule, Canon Law, the Constitutions of the Order and this Statute.  This function is only part of the pastoral mission of the abbot and not his main concern.  Hence the need to delegate most of the responsibility in this regard.

13. The Cellarer: The Abbot appoints a cellarer who is responsible for the ordinary administration of the monastery's temporal affairs.  Normally, apart from the abbot, only he may act validly in the name of the monastery when incurring expenses and in legal matters" (C. 43.1).  The Abbot may, however, entrust the function traditionally assumed by the cellarer to several persons, one of whom may be given the title of cellarer.

14.  Other Administrators - The abbot entrusts to other brothers responsibility in one or other department of the monastery, or in a role of administration, subject to the overall co-ordination of the cellarer or the financial council, deciding in each case the limits of authority granted and to what extent there is financial responsibility.  Final accountability is in all cases to the abbot (C.43.1).

15.  Finance Committee - The monastery is to have a finance committee (C.43.2) comprising of at least two members, elected by the conventual chapter or appointed by the abbot, according to local custom (can 1280). The cellarer is a member of this committee.

     The role of the finance committee, with which the abbot meets at determined times (cf. can 636 § 2), and with which he regularly reviews the economic situation of the monastery (C.43.2), is to help the various administrators in fulfilling their respective offices (cf. 27d).

16.  The Good Steward - All administrators are to perform their duties with the diligence of a good steward.  Can 1284 gives a helpful list of duties.

IV - THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOODS OF THE COMMUNITY

17. Legal titles - The cellarer or a brother appointed by the Abbot ensures that all legal titles of ownership are kept in order and that when needed, provision is made for the updating of titles, and also that title deeds are suitably inventoried and held safely (can 1284 § 2-9).

18.   Property - It is for the cellarer or another brother appointed by the Abbot to ensure that the property of the monastery is properly maintained.  The brothers are to be concerned about conservation of the environment and to manage natural resources prudently (ST. 27.A).

19.  Organisation of work - The economy of the monastery should be organised in such a way that the members can live the values proper to their Cistercian vocation (C.2; 3; 14.2; 16; 19; 20; 21; 25; 26; 27; 29; 35).  To this end, it is above all necessary to have adequate organisation of the work and services which the different members of the community render.  Their respective duties and various responsibilities should be defined in a precise manner.  Appropriate information and communication facilitate the work and increases communion.

20.  Contracts should conform to the legal norms which apply to them (can 1290-1298). Care should be taken that all transactions carried out by the monastery are not only legal in character but also moral (cf. C.41.2).

21.  Commercial labels - It is not permissible in any circumstances for the members of our Order to grant to third parties rights to the use of the titles "La Trappe" or "Trappist" or terms derived from them.  They are to use their best efforts, according to their own civil law, to prevent or stop any usurpation, imitation or illegal use of these words.  They must avoid ceding or conceding for any reason the rights to the use as a title, commercial name or trademark, of any name derived from the title of the monastery or containing such words as "abbey", "monk" or "monastery" and the like (ST. 43.1.C). The rights of other monasteries and Regions should be respected.

22.  Money will be administered with prudence, so that income covers expenses.  It is prudent to have a policy of keeping a financial reserve, set in place with the help of the finance committee. As far as possible a reserve capable of covering at least the living expenses of one year will be set aside.

23.  Investments -The consent of the abbot is required for dealing in investments.  Investments are to be managed prudently.  Any speculation is forbidden (ST.43.1.B).

24.  Bank accounts - The abbot has the power to sign the cheques, as well as the brothers whom he has appointed for this. It would be prudent in certain cases that when the amount on a cheque exceeds a given sum, joint signatures would be required for its validity.

25.  Debts - If debts are to be contracted, these should be permitted only if it is certain that normal income can service the interest on the debt and by lawful depreciation, repay the capital over a period which is not unduly extended (can 639 § 5).

26.  Taxes - In accordance with the Gospel teaching taxes required by civil society are to be paid.  The official documents relating to taxes paid or possible tax exemptions are to be carefully preserved.

27. Ordinary and extraordinary administration - There exist two types of administration (can 638 § 1): acts of ordinary administration and acts of extraordinary administration.

a) An act of ordinary administration is one that an administrator can carry out within the framework and limits of his ordinary competence.

b) An act of extraordinary administration is one that an administrator cannot carry out without going through a special decision-making procedure, involving asking advice, consent or permission.  This special procedure is required because the act goes beyond his ordinary competence, or because it goes beyond certain limits such as: alienation, the necessity of borrowing, the fact that a new operation is involved, the amount of money involved.

c) The law already determines certain such cases. 

- Our Constitutions (C.44.1) state that alienation or any transaction by which the patrimonial condition of the monastery could be adversely affected is considered as an act of extraordinary administration (cf. can 638 § 3).

- The permission of the Holy See is required for an act of extraordinary administration, if the sum involved exceeds that fixed by the Holy See for each region, or if it concerns things donated to the monastery in fulfilment of a vow or that are precious for historical or artistic reasons (cf. C.44.2). When the permission of the Holy See is needed the consent of the conventual chapter and the General Chapter should be obtained (ST.44.2.A).  In an urgent case, the permission to be asked from the General Chapter may be obtained from the Abbot General with the consent of his council.  This permission is to be given in writing (ST 44.2.B).

- The General Chapter determines the sums in excess of which special permissions are needed for the validity of acts of extraordinary administration that are not covered by C.44.2 (C.44.3).  The consent of the conventual chapter and the General Chapter is required for any transaction that exceeds the greater sum fixed by the General Chapter, and for the construction or demolition of buildings if more than this amount is involved (ST. 44.3.A).

- The consent of the conventual chapter is required for any transaction that exceeds the lesser sum fixed by the General Chapter and for giving power of attorney in a serious matter (ST.44.3.B).

d) Each community, in Conventual Chapter, will decide for which acts of administration the advice or consent of the conventual chapter or the finance committee will be required.  This decision, which will be reviewed periodically, will have to be approved by the Father Immediate. Schemas (grilles, in French) will be proposed at the level of the Regions to help the communities and the Fathers Immediate.

28.  Budget - It is earnestly recommended that a budget of income and expenditure be drawn up each year (can 1284 § 3).  Such a budget and the method of approval corresponds to the degree of complexity of the monastery's economy.

29. The accounts - Each monastery is to keep accounts (ST.43.1.A).  Whether kept by a member of the community or not, the system of accounts used is to be standard in the locality and professional, with a degree of development according to the size and complexity of the community economy.  Well-kept accounts are necessary to ensure proper management of temporalities and to provide an adequate knowledge of the economic condition of the community. The accountant is obliged to give a statement of accounts to the persons in charge designated by the Abbot

      When a community possesses goods that are divided into various juridically distinct entities, each one having its own accounts, it is recommended that each year a consolidated statement of accounts be produced to enable the community to know the state of the patrimony as a whole.  Great clarity will be observed in the accounts as to the links between the monastery and its income-producing activities.

30.  Monitoring - The goods for which the various administrators assume responsibility are ecclesiastical goods, of which they are managers, so they exercise their administration with humility and accept willingly the monitoring necessary for good management.

a) The heads of departments are accountable to their superiors for their administration.  In addition, they have access to the accounts of their departments.

b)  At the end of the year, all the accounts must be submitted to the Abbot

c) The finance committee meets regularly to examine the economic situation of the community and to analyse the financial reports and budgets.  It examines the various projects and their development;  the organisation of the work is examined by the abbot's council and the finance committee.

d) At least once a year the abbot and the persons in charge appointed by him give the conventual chapter an account of the financial situation, and also of the different activities of the monastery.  Regular information encourages the participation and co-responsibility of the community.  The increasing complexity of economics and of civil legislation makes recourse to outside specialists, in a variety of disciplines, frequently necessary.  While making a prudent and grateful use of these specialists the community never renounces its own responsibility for decision making.

e) The Father Immediate, as part of his general role of vigilance, will see that this Statute is observed in his daughter houses (cf. C.74.1).

f) The temporal administration of the monastery is examined during the regular visitation (can 636 § 2).  The visitor is provided with the information necessary for a true evaluation of the material condition of the monastery: current accounts up to date, minutes of the finance committee and experts' reports on temporalities, if any etc.  Where the income-producing activities have a juridical structure and set of accounts separate from that of the community all the accounts shall be examined.  At least every four years, before the visitor signs them, they should be examined by a person who is really competent (ST.43.3.A/m). In certain cases the examination of the economic situation could consist of an "audit" by an expert, some time before the regular visitation, in order to verify the sound condition of the monastery's economy.  The expert's report would provide an objective vision of the situation, and help, should the case so require, the taking of a decision.
       The visitor's attention is not confined entirely to matters of economy and accounting but is also addressed to the wider questions of charity, justice and ethics.  Should he judge it opportune, the visitor will devote a paragraph of the visitation card to the economic condition of the community.

g) The information given to the Abbot General will mention finances without going into details. If the visitor perceives that the monastery is in a dangerous economic situation, he notifies the Abbot General who will take the necessary decisions, and if he is a delegated visitor, he also informs the Father Immediate (cf. ST.43.3.A).

31.  Employees - The teaching of the Church and the dispositions of civil law relating to labour and social life are to be observed in respect to all employees.  They are to be paid a just and honest wage, sufficient to provide for their needs and those of their dependants (can 1286).  A community policy regarding employees is co-ordinated by the cellarer or the financial council.

32.  Lay Administrator - If in particular circumstances one is forced to entrust to a layperson some of the duties normally incumbent on the function of cellarer, the abbot will work out in writing the precise nature and limits of this lay administrator's function.  The Abbot must be very mindful of the legal consequences of such a contract and ensure that there exists an atmosphere of peaceful collaboration between this lay administrator and the brothers.  In these circumstances, the role of the financial council is of particular importance.

V - THE ORDER

33.  The Order is a juridical person capable of acquiring, possessing, administering and alienating temporal goods (can 634 § 1; 1255; C.42).  In the area of the temporal administration, the Abbot General is responsible for the ordinary administration of the Order and of the Generalate (cf. ST.82.2.A and C) and the General Chapter for its extraordinary administration.

a) The General Chapter is authorised to establish which acts are to be considered acts of extraordinary administration in the Order.

b) The Abbot General appoints a monk of the Order to be responsible for the ordinary administration of the Order.  He also appoints a finance commission to administer the capital of the Order.  This commission will provide the General Chapter with its annual reports.

c) The ordinary administration of the Generalate is the responsibility of the bursar of the Generalate who also keeps account of the general expenses of the Order.  He presents its annual report to the General Chapter.  The administration of the Generalate follows the rules laid down for the other houses of the Order.  The Abbot General and the permanent council determine the share which each monastery contributes to the expenses of the Generalate, bearing in mind the economic situation of the monastery (ST.84.1.G).

d) Following the prescriptions of the Charter of Charity (7,4) when some houses of the Order are in need, the communities with more resources "inflamed by the fire of charity, and according to their ability, from the goods which God has given them" should help them. The finance commission of the Order works with the Abbot General to coordinate this help.

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