4. Organisation of a Diocese. (I) The Cathedral Chap ter.—In the general regulations of his diocese the bishop must conform to the general laws of the Church and must not do anything which would impair the general unity of Church govern ment. He has as his constitutional council, to assist him in the work of government, the canons of his Cathedral Chapter. The cathedral itself is the Church in which he has his seat (Kaeibpa.), and this he cannot choose at will, the pope reserving to himself the right of erecting a church to be a cathedral, as well as of instituting a chapter. Generally of course, the bishop finds both already established and in existence. The appointment of in dividual canons is generally in the hands of the bishop, though the appointment of dignitaries in the chapter is often reserved to the Holy See. As the chapter constitutes the diocesan senate the bishop is bound to convene it, and to ask its consent or advice in important matters. In some matters, which touch diocesan rights, or affect diocesan property, its consent is neces sary and the bishop cannot validly act without it. In other mat ters, though the advice of the chapter must be asked, the bishop is not bound to act upon the counsel tendered. When the see is vacant by the death or resignation of the bishop, the chapter succeeds to his ordinary jurisdiction, but not to any jurisdiction that was personal to himself. Within eight days after the vacancy the chapter must elect a "vicar capitular," to whom the whole administration of the diocese immediately passes. In the United States of America and elsewhere, where Cathedral Chapters have not as yet been constituted, a body of "diocesan consultors" has generally to be appointed by the bishop, and he is bound to ask the advice of these consultors on important matters, though they have not the power of vetoing his action.
The bishop generally appoints one or more priests to assist him, deputing to them with a certain universality of power all his own jurisdiction within the diocese, so that the vicar general is his alter ego, and no appeal lies from the one to the other. By virtue of this general mandate the vicar general exercises "ordinary" jurisdiction throughout the diocese in the bishop's name. This jurisdiction however, being dependent on that of the bishop, ceases at the bishop's death, or with the cessation of the bishop's own jurisdiction. The office of a vicar general ceases also with his own death or resignation, or with the withdrawal of his vicarial mandate, which last however can only be taken from him for a grave cause, allowing of an appeal to the Holy See.
This is the office through which the ordinary and routine work of the diocese is carried on. At its head is the chancellor. His duties are to carry on the official correspondence of the diocese and to see that records are duly kept. He can be removed by the bishop, but by the vicar capitular during a vacancy only with the consent of the whole chapter.
Where the full organisation of the Church is in force, the diocese is subdivided into parishes covering the whole ground. Each parish should have its own church, and is under its own pastor having care of souls, and irremovable except for grave cause. But where the full organisation is not in force, there are quasi-parishes, with pastors who do not possess the full rights of parish priests. The full parish system has not yet been introduced either in England or the United States, though certain mission districts or quasi-parishes have pastors who are not re movable at the will of the bishop. The bishop can alter the boundaries of parishes, erect new ones, or join two together where there is just cause for so doing. He is bound however first to ask the counsel of the chapter, though he is not bound to follow it.
The pastor of a properly constituted parish has "ordinary" jurisdiction. His rights within the parish are regulated by canon law, and include the faculties of preaching, celebrating Mass, hearing confessions and administering the sacraments, though he can delegate this authority. Where the parish is too large to be administered by one priest, assistant priests are sent by the bishop to help him. These assistants are appointed by the bishop (though in some places the parish priest has the right of nomina tion) and are removable by him but only for just cause. Their jurisdiction is "delegated" and they receive their faculties from the bishop.
If the parish priest is ill or incapacitated for any reason, the bishop must send a coadjutor to fill his place, and in like manner will appoint an administrator of the parish during a vacancy.
In districts where the ordinary hier archy of the Church has not yet been established and there are no proper dioceses erected, the Holy See governs directly by means of a delegate who has received episcopal consecration to a titular see, and who has the title of vicar apostolic, or prefect apostolic. The main difference between the two is that the vicar apostolic is bound to make the visit ad lirnina at certain intervals while the prefect apostolic is not. They are not diocesan bishops and therefore have no cathedral and no chapter, and all their powers are "delegated" and not "ordinary." Otherwise they enjoy as a rule all the powers that bishops have by canon law in their own dioceses. They have no vicar general, though they can give special faculties to individual priests to enable them to assist in the rule of the district, and as they have no chapters they are bound to nominate three or more of their leading priests to act as counsellors. There are at the present time vicariates apostolic, prefectures apostolic and "missions." In addition there are vicar iates apostolic of Uniat Greco-Bulgar rite; and four vicars apos tolic of the Syro-Malabar rite in India.