The Bishop and Consecrated Life in the Diocese

Abstract

Starting from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council about the authority of the diocesan bishop, the category of the faithful and the role of consecrated life in the Church, the article examines the rights involved in the relationship between consecrated life and Church hierarchy. In the light of conciliar ecclesiology the study highlights the legal principles underlying the rules governing the behavior of the diocesan bishop with regard to the consecrated life. The article studies the scope of exemption and of the principle of autonomy.