DECREE
OF ESTABLISHMENT
Quasi-Parish
of
Divine
Mercy
Whereas on May 23, 1989, Most Reverend James
F. Carney, then Archbishop of Vancouver, authorized the regular celebration
of the Eucharist at Holy Spirit Parish according to the Use of the Roman Rite
commonly called "Tridentine";
Whereas the Sovereign Pontiff has stated that
“respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached
to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the
directives already issued…for the use of the Roman Missal according to the
typical edition of 1962” (Apostolic
Letter “Ecclesia Dei”).
Whereas it is the right of the diocesan bishop
to erect or alter the limits of parishes after consulting the Presbyteral
Council (canon 515),
And having consulted the Presbyteral Council
at its meeting of November 23, 1999;
I
hereby decree as follows:
For
the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls, by virtue of my pastoral
office, I do hereby establish canonically a personal quasi-parish (canon 516,
§1) to be known as “Divine Mercy Parish,” to serve the faithful of the Archdiocese
of Vancouver who remain attached to the Tridentine rite.
The
quasi-parish is established subject to the following provisions:
1. The parish is to be a personal parish (canon 518).
Membership is obtained by registration in the quasi-parish or by regular
attendance at its liturgical services.
2. This quasi-parish is under the full jurisdiction
of the Archbishop of Vancouver and is subject to the prescriptions of the
Code of Canon Law, the Archdiocesan Synodal Statutes and any approved customs
of the Archdiocese.
3. The pastor shall be appointed by the Archbishop
of Vancouver according to the same prescriptions of canon law or particular
law.
4. The power of the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish
is cumulative with that of the territorial pastor of each member.
5. The quasi-parish will retain the registers of
baptism, marriages and funerals required by canon law and the particular law
of the Archdiocese.
6. Divine Mercy quasi-parish has juridic personality
by law. It will rely for support on
the donations of the faithful who will also be asked to contribute to the
customary diocesan collections and Project Advance.
7. The pastor shall be bound to the obligation of
the Mass “pro populo” according to
canon 534.
8. Within a reasonable time of the establishment
of Divine Mercy Parish, the pastor will appoint a parish finance committee
and from those registered in the according to diocesan norms. In accordance with the recommendation of canon
536, it is strongly urged that a parish pastoral council be established at
an opportune time.
9. Divine Mercy Parish will belong to the deanery
in which the church in which it regularly celebrates the Sunday liturgy is
located.
10. By virtue of his appointment, the pastor of Divine
Mercy Parish has the faculty to celebrate the marriages of his subjects throughout
the Archdiocese, with the power to sub-delegate.
This decree will take effect on January 7, 2001, the Solemnity of the
Epiphany and the closing day of the Great Jubilee Year.
I entrust to the Lord under His title
of Divine Mercy the continued spiritual growth and development of this community
of Christ’s faithful. May those who
choose to belong to this new quasi-parish continually develop their sense
of belonging to the Church, in close communion with the Archbishop of Vancouver,
and strive to be an integral part of the pastoral activities of the Archdiocese
of Vancouver.
Given at Vancouver, BC, on the fifth day of
the month of January in the year of Our Lord two thousand and one.
Most Reverend
Adam Exner, OMI
Archbishop
of Vancouver
Chancellor