Page:Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent Buckley.djvu/237

Rh only shall be conferred on one and the same person. If indeed that be not sufficient to afford a decent livelihood to the person on whom it is conferred, it shall then be lawful to bestow on him some other simple benefice that may be sufficient; provided that both do not require personal residence. And this shall hold good not only as touching cathedral churches, but also all other benefices soever, whether secular or regular, even those held in commendam, of what title and quality soever they may be. But they who at present hold several parochial churches, or one cathedral and one parochial church, shall be absolutely obliged, all dispensations soever and unions for life notwithstanding, retaining one parochial church only, or the cathedral church alone, to resign the other parochial churches within the space of six months. Otherwise, as well the parish churches, as also all the benefices which they hold, shall be accounted by the very fact void, and as void shall be freely conferred on other competent persons; nor shall they who previously held them be able to retain the fruits thereof, with a safe conscience, after the said time. But the holy synod desires that provision be made in some convenient maimer, as may seem fit to the Sovereign Pontiff, for the necessities of those resigning.

CHAPTER XVIII.

It is most especially expedient for the salvation of souls, to be governed by worthy and competent parish priests. To the end that this may more diligently and rightly be accomplished, the holy synod ordains, that when a vacancy [occurs] in a parish church, whether by death, or by resignation, even in the Roman Court, or in any other manner soever, though it may be alleged that the charge devolves on the church [itself], or on the bishop, and though it may be administered by one or more priests, and this even in the case of those churches called patrimonial, or receptive, in which the bishop has been accustomed to assign the cure of souls to one or more, all of whom [this synod] commands to be subjected to the examination herein prescribed later, even though the