Canon 1292, §1 - Minimum and Maximum Sums, Alienation of Church Property
On November 13, 2002, the Latin Church members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved complementary legislation for the implementation of canon 1292, §1 of the Code of Canon Law for the dioceses of the United States. The action was granted recognition by the Congregation for Bishops in accord with article 82 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, issued by a Decree (Prot. N. 296/84) of the Congregation for Bishops, dated June 3, 2003, and signed by His Eminence Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re, Prefect, and His Excellency Most Reverend Franciscus Monterisi, Secretary. On March 31, 2004, a subsequent Decree with the same Protocol Number was issued granting recognition to the norms ad biennium. Through subsequent Decrees, dated January 31, 2006 and March 31, 2008, again with the same aforementioned Protocol Number, the same Congregation decreed the extension of its previously granted recognitio for two additional two-year periods. By means of a Decree, dated March 31, 2010 (Prot. N. 778/2005), signed by His Eminence Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re, Prefect, and His Excellency Most Reverend Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Secretary, the Congregation for Bishops granted definitive recognition to the following defined sums. A subsequent Decree, dated May 10, 2011, with the same aforementioned Protocol Number, signed by His Excellency Most Reverend Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Secretary, and His Excellency Most Reverend Giovanni Maria Rossi, Subsecretary, granted definitive recognition to the sums defined in norm 3 of the complementary legislation.
Wherefore, and in accord with the prescripts of canon 1292, §1, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that:
- The maximum limit for alienation and any transaction which, according to the norm of law, can worsen the patrimonial condition is $7,500,000 for Dioceses with Catholic populations of half a million persons or more. For other Dioceses the maximum limit is $3,500,000 (cf. can. 1295).
- The minimum limit for alienation and any transaction which, according to the norm of law, can worsen the patrimonial condition is $750,000 for Dioceses with Catholic populations of half a million persons or more. For other Dioceses the minimum limit is $250,000.
- For the alienation of property of other public juridic persons subject to the Diocesan Bishop, the maximum limit is $3,500,000 and the minimum limit is $25,000 or 10% of the prior year’s ordinary annual income, whichever is higher.
As President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I hereby decree that these norms are effective immediately for all dioceses of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Given at the offices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in the city of Washington, the District of Columbia, on the 1st of December, in the year of our Lord 2011.
Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
President, USCCB
Reverend Monsignor Ronny E. Jenkins
General Secretary, USCCB