NORMS FOR THE ELECTION OF THE DELEGATES

The proclamation of the General Chapter has juridical value beginning with July 10, 2004. From that date, the process for the election of delegates to the Chapter begins, regarding which the following norms are given.

1. Members of the Chapter

Participating by right at the Chapter are:
. the Superior General
. the General Councilors
. the Secretary General
. the General Administrator
. the Regional Superiors

The delegates of the college for priests and perpetually professed student aspirants to the priesthood and delegates of the college for Brothers are elected delegates.

a) College for priests and professed seminarians. The delegates of each province are selected according to the criteria of proportionality fixed by the General Directory (no. 111.2).
Missionaries directly subject to the Superior General (no. 104) constitute an electoral college of their own (no. 111.3). This college therefore includes the General House, the Seminary of Bravetta, the community of London and of Mongolia, and Fathers Tranquillo Lazzaro and Luigi Bruno.

b) College for Brothers. The structure of the electoral college for Brothers, the number of delegates and the manner of their election are determined by the General Government (no. 111.4). It establishes the following:
- the college for Brothers is divided into three sections: one for Europe, another for Africa, the third for North and South America. Each of these elects one delegate from among its own members;
- the General Secretary is in charge of the voting procedure and the scrutiny.

Accordingly, there will be 49 Chapter members: 20 by right; 26 delegates of the Fathers and professed students, and 3 delegates from among the Brothers.

2. Election of the Delegates

All perpetually professed missionaries can elect the delegates to the Chapter and be elected themselves, except those who, when the Chapter is officially announced, are deprived of this right (Const. 111).
The General Secretary will send to each province the list of the members with active and passive vote who belong to the college for priests and professed students. These lists, as well as those of the Brothers, are compiled on the basis of the situation as of July 10, and will remain unchanged until the conclusion of the election, even if in the meantime there would be changes because of assignments, professions or other reasons (cf. Gen. Dir. 111.5). Bear in mind that missionaries who have been assigned to other provinces, but who have not yet arrived there, continue to belong to their former province. In addition:

a) Regional Superiors, as well as the members of the General Government, participate by right at the Chapter, and therefore have only active voice.

b) The Delegate Superiors are not participants by right at the Chapter and are included in the lists with active and passive voice.

c) The following are deprived of active and passive voice:

• The Bishops (AAA 78 [1986] 1324)
• missionaries who have been granted exclaustration or who have presented a request for dispensation from vows (Gen. Dir. 150.1);
• missionaries in irregular situations as foreseen by Gen. Dir. 146.3.

d) “The priests and seminarians of a Province will be represented at the Chapter by delegates in the following ratio: up to 50 members: one delegate; from 51 to 100 members: two delegates; over 100 members: three delegates”. (Dir. Gen. 111.2)

3. Norms for the scrutinies

The scrutinies are held on a date and in the designated place determined by the Provincial/Delegate Superior. They must be completed during the month of October 2004. In order to be elected delegate to the Chapter, an absolute majority is required in the first two scrutinies, a relative majority in the third.
For the validity of the election, at least two thirds of those having the right to vote must participate. The majority is calculated on the basis of the number of ballots received (valid, invalid or blank).

In each balloting, the number of delegates to be elected should be indicated on the ballot. The ballot is not valid if more names have been proposed than the number to be elected; if fewer are indicated, the ballot is valid. The envelope containing the ballot for the voting must carry the signature of the voter on the outside and the indication of whether it is the first, the second or the third scrutiny.

After each scrutiny, the results should be communicated to the missionaries of the province and a copy of the official record of the elections should be sent to the General Government, signed by the person who presided at the scrutiny and by the two examiners.
"If a member, elected as delegate to the Chapter, for serious reasons cannot accept his mandate, the General Government should evaluate his reasons and decide on the procedure to be followed" (Gen. Dir. 112.2).

For any eventuality relative to the election of the Delegates, missionaries may have recourse to the General Government.

Rome, June 20 th, 2004


Fr. Piero Trabucco, IMC
Superior General

Fr. Darci Vilarinho, IMC
Secretary General