Statutes

IN TERMS OF CIVIL LAW

An Association in accordance with the French Law on Associations of 1901.

IN TERMS OF CANON LAW

An Association placed under the authority of His Lordship the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, guide and pastor of the associations of Christians engaged in the service of the Catholic Church in his diocese.

ASSOCIATION OF CHRIST’S FAITHFUL

(Article 298 et.seq. of the Code of Canon Law)

« In the Church there are associations in which the faithful, clerics or lay persons (…) strive in a common endeavour to foster a more perfect life, to promote public worship or Christian doctrine, or to exercise other works of the apostolate. »

ARCHCONFRATERNITY

The Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes was elevated to the status of Archconfraternity in 1928 by Pope Pius XI. Extract from the Code of canon Law of 1917

TEXT of the BRIEF of HIS HOLINESS POPE PIUS XI

Pius XI, Pope, for eternal memory,

Our venerable brother the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes has informed us that a brotherhood “of Our Lady of Lourdes” was canonically erected in his diocese by a decree of 28 January 1885 carried by the Bishop in charge of that diocese. Today, because of the many pious pilgrimages and the sick that are brought to the Marian shrine of Lourdes, several dioceses of Europe, under the authority of the ordinary of each place, have seen the formation of similar associations, of women or of men who, driven by the spirit of charity, devote themselves to giving their care to the sick who go on pilgrimage to this sanctuary, either during their journey or during their stay in the city of Lourdes.

This is why the current Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes urges us to be willing, in our Apostolic benevolence, to elevate to the rank of Archconfraternity the brotherhood already established in Lourdes, with the same aim of helping the sick on pilgrimage. To answer this request, after having taken counsel from our venerable brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, members of the Sacred Congregation entrusted with interpreting the decrees of the Council of Trent, we raise and promote by our own Authority, and in perpetuity, by these letters, the Hospitalité  N.D. de Lourdes, canonically established in the Diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes, to the rank of Archconfraternity with customary privileges.

To the present and future directors of this Archconfraternity We agree, in accordance with the code of Canon Law, to aggregate all other brotherhoods of the same name and purpose already existing as well as those that may be established in the future and communicate to them all the indulgences and spiritual favours present and future conceded or to be conceded to the Archconfraternity by the Apostolic See, provided that they are communicable.

We rule and declare that our present Letters shall be and will remain firm, valid and effective, that they shall have and will obtain their full and complete effect and that they may always be for the brotherhood of Lourdes, thus raised by us to the dignity of Archconraternity, the most absolute guarantee. It is thus that we will have to judge and pronounce. Any act infringing these provisions shall now be held as vain and of no effect, irrespective of whichever authority may be responsible, knowingly or not.

Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary. Given in Rome, near St Peter, under the ring of the fisherman on 20th March in the year 1928, the seventh of our pontificate.

The code of Canon Law of  1983 does not modify the fundamental status of the association nor the ecclesiastical authority on which it depends.