What it means to be incardinated

Priests and deacons in the Catholic Church, referred to as clerics, must be attached to a particular Church or religious institute to which they must be accountable and which must be accountable to them.

Nov 29, 2019

Priests and deacons in the Catholic Church, referred to as clerics, must be attached to a particular Church or religious institute to which they must be accountable and which must be accountable to them. Every cleric in the Church makes a promise or vow of obedience to a bishop, prelate or religious superior who directs his ministry and ensures that he is engaged in the work of the Gospel in accord with his talents, aptitudes and abilities. The superior is, at the same time, responsible for ensuring that the cleric receives lodging, food,  healthcare and remuneration for his pastoral work. No priest or deacon  can function in the Catholic Church if he is not accountable to a superior.

The relationship of obedience and accountability between a cleric and his diocese or religious order is referred to as incardination. The word literally means “to be hinged” because a cleric is attached as if by a hinge. A cleric who is not incardinated, which is forbidden by canon law, is referred to as an acephalous cleric, which means that he is literally “without a head.” (Based on #265-266 of the 1982 Code of Canon Law).

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