Which statement best defines incardination?

Which statement best defines incardination?

• A. Cleric is officially attached to a diocese or religious institute and serves under its authority.
• B. Cleric is released from one diocese or institute in order to join another.
• C. A cleric undergoing temporary assignment remains incardinated in his original diocese.
• D. A cleric is ordained without attachment to any diocese.

Answer: (A)

Incardination is the legal bond by which a cleric is attached to a particular diocese or religious institute, placing him under that body’s authority and governance. This attachment defines where he exercises his ministry, who has jurisdiction over him, and who is responsible for his training and discipline. So, describing a cleric as officially attached to a diocese or religious institute and serving under its authority accurately captures what incardination means. It emphasizes the enduring link between the cleric and the governing ecclesial body. The other statements describe related concepts but not the binding definition: releasing from one place to join another refers to a transfer, which is about moving incardination to a new see or institute; temporary assignments typically do not alter the fundamental incardination; and being ordained without attachment contradicts the canonical requirement that clergy are incardinated in some diocese or institute.

Incardination is the legal bond by which a cleric is attached to a particular diocese or religious institute, placing him under that body’s authority and governance. This attachment defines where he exercises his ministry, who has jurisdiction over him, and who is responsible for his training and discipline.

So, describing a cleric as officially attached to a diocese or religious institute and serving under its authority accurately captures what incardination means. It emphasizes the enduring link between the cleric and the governing ecclesial body.

The other statements describe related concepts but not the binding definition: releasing from one place to join another refers to a transfer, which is about moving incardination to a new see or institute; temporary assignments typically do not alter the fundamental incardination; and being ordained without attachment contradicts the canonical requirement that clergy are incardinated in some diocese or institute.