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 KOVAEA 549 KOVIOE

sians and Xaverian Brothers; women, Dominicans, priests, lav and choir sisters, a novitiate made for one

Faithful Companions of Jesus, Franciscan Sisters class would not count for the other.

Minoresses, Franciscan Tertiaries, Little Company The following classes of persons cannot be admitted

of Mary, Poor Clares CoUetines, Poor Sisters of validly to the novitiate: (1) those who having been

Nazareth, Sisters of Charity of St. Paul, Sisters of Catholics later joined a non-Catholic sect^ (2) those

Mercy. Sisters of the Presentation, Sisters of who are still under the minimum aee for admission;

Providence of the Institute of Charity, Sistera of (3) those who enter under the influence of force,

Providence of Ruill^ sur Loir, Sisters of St. Dor- grave fear, or fraud, or those whom a supenor has

othy. Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and Sisters of admitted owmp to the same mfluences (this regulation

the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mafy. By the so far as admission to the novitiate is concerned »

1921 census the total Catholic population numbers an mnoyation); (4) a marnwi peraon while the bond

44,ffi7; the diocese comprises 91 secular and 62 of marriage lasts— this modifies a former pr^tice, for

regular clergy, 24 convents, 118 churches and mtherto if a mamage was unconsummated, one of

chapels, 49 public elementary schools receiving gov- *?© parti^ nught enter an order with solentm vows, and

emment grants with a total of 8562 pupils, 3 sec- the marriage would remam undissolved until he or

ondary schools for boys and 10 for girls with a total she had been solemnly professed; so a suoenoress

of 1118 pupils, 1 hospital, 3 residential institutions cannot now validly admit a i^e whose liusband

for poor children and 1 home. £°°^^v^*^ her lommg an order; (5) those who are or

^ have been professed m rehgion; (6) those who are

Kovara, Diocese op (Novariensis; cf. C. E., threatened with punishment for the commission of

XI — 134b); the capital of the Province of Novara, some crime, on account of which they have been or

Piedmont, Italy, is suffragan of Vercelli. The present are liable to be accused; (7) a residential or titular

incumbent is Rt. Rev. Guiseppe Gamba, born at San bishop, from the time of his nomination by the Holy

Damian, 1857, appointed Bishop of Biella 1900 and See; (8) a cleric while bound by a pontifical oath to

transferred to the see of Novara 13 August, 1906. He labor for souls in a certain diocese or in the missions,

was made an assistant at the pontifical throne 10 The following persons are not to be admitted to the

July, 1917. During the World War the religious insti- novitiate though their admission would be valid even

tutions were tran8K)rmed into military hospitals and if forbidden: (1) Clerics in sacred orders who would

places of refuge for fugitives. In 1921 the Catholics enter without the knowledge of the ordinary or against

m this diocese numbered 500,000; there are 377 his orders when he refuses his permission on the

parishes, 4 monasteries for women, 14 convents for grounds that their departure would result in serious

men and 10 for women, 3 seminaries, 200 seminarians, spiritual loss to his* flock which could not be avoided

9 secondary schools for boys and 9 for girls. Among otherwise; (2) those who are unable to pay their

the charitable institutions are 4 hospitals and an debts; formerly this was not usually considered an

asylum attached to idmost every psxii^. All the impediment in the case of those who seemed to be

asylums and hospitals permit the priests to minister permanently insolvent; (3) those who have to render

in them; all the Catholic schools and institutions are an accountmg of their oflSce or who are mfted up in

maintained privately. A number of mutual benefit secular business in such a way that lawsuits or other

societies are organized, 2 among the clergy and 6 inconveniences to the order are likely to residt;

among the laity. W children who have to relieve the grave necessities

of their fathers, or mothers^ or grandparents, and

Novice (cf. C. E., XI — 144b). — ^Any Catholic parents so long as their services are needed for the

endowed with the reauisite moral afid physical ouali- support or education of their children; (5) those who

fications and inspired by right motives may, it free are intended to receive Holy Orders in religion and

from canonical impediments, become a religious, who are irregular or debarred from the reception of

Before his profession bv making his vows in an insti- orders by any canonical impediment: (6) Orientals,

tute or other, he must have passed a certain time in that is members of the Eastern Churcnes, unless they

probation as novice, which, moreover, is usually have obtained permission of the Sacied Congregation

preceded by a postulancy. The canonical obstacles for the Eastern Church.

to one's becoming a novice may in some cases render Testimonial LETTERfi. — ^The Code of Canon Law

a novitiate null and void while in other cases they effected considerable changes in the matter of teeti-

misht affect not its validity but its lawfulness. monials required from aspirants to the novitiate.

Admission. — ^An aspirant is admitted to the novi- Before being admitted applicants must produce oer-

tiate ordinarily when he receives the habit, though tificates of baptism and confirmation. Male aspirants

in certain orders a different regulation may obtam. must in addition show testimonial letters from their

To be veJidly admitted he must have completed his ordinary of their place of origin and of any place in

fifteenth year (a higher minimum age is required by which they have spent more than one morally oontinu-

the constitutions oi some institutes). The novitiate ous year after completing their fourteenth year, any

must last a year without interruption and be passed privilege contrary to this being now revokea. Those

in the house of novices; if a longer time is prescribed who have been seminarians or postulants or novices

in any institute, this extension is not required for in another religious institute, require in addition

the validity of profession unless that is expressly testimonial letters from the rector of the seminary

laid down m the constitutions. If a novice having after consulting the local ordinary, or from one of

been dismicBed leaves the house or if he goes out of his higher religious superiors. Clerics, however, need

own accord with the intention of not returning, or if besides the ordination papers only testimonial letters

for any cause he has been outside of the house of from the ordinaries in whose dioceses they have spent

novices for more than thirty days, not necessarily more than one morally continuous year, unless they

successive, he must begin his whole novitiate over had been postulants or novices in another order, in

again; if he has been absent for more than fifteen which case they must secure a letter from a hi^er

but less than thirty day's, with permission or has been superior of that body. When a professed religious

kept away forcibly while remaming under the super- passes, with permission of the Holy See, from one

ior's obemence, the time of absence must be made up order to anotner, it is suflBcient for him or her to

before he can be professed; if, finally, the absence present a letter from a higher superior of the institute

was for less than nfteen days, the superior is free to he is leaving. Superiors in all orders or institutes

disregard it. If the members of any institute are may require further proofs of the fitness of ajspirants,

divic^d into two classes, for instance lay-brothers and and women, in particular, must not be admitted as