Act on Public-Law Recognized Religious Communities (RGG) - Membership (RGG)

1. Residents with domicile in the Canton of St. Gallen who belong to a religious community recognized as a public-law corporation must

a) Fulfill the membership requirements set by the religious community according to the measures of their confession;

b) Not have explicitly declared their resignation or renunciation of membership in accordance with the regulations issued by the religious community.

2. The Christian Catholic church community may accept residents of the Christian Catholic faith residing in the cantons of Glarus, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Thurgau, and Grisons as members, provided that these cantons do not exclude the membership.

3. The Jewish community may accept residents of the Jewish faith residing in the cantons of Glarus, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Thurgau, and Grisons as members, provided that these cantons do not exclude the membership.

1. The management of religious affairs is the responsibility, based on the self-conception of the religious community, of the authorities, institutions, and officeholders designated by its rules.

2. The management of mixed affairs falls under the jurisdiction of the authorities designated in the respective decree on organization pursuant to Article 111 of the Cantonal Constitution of June 10, 2001.

1. Agreements with the Holy See concerning matters that pertain to the Diocese of St. Gallen and are not purely ecclesiastical in nature shall be concluded by the Canton and the Catholic Confederation. They require the approval of the Cantonal Council and the Catholic Collegium.

1. The canton and the religious community recognized as a public-law corporation collaborate in accordance with special legal provisions or within the framework of public-law agreements.

1. Insofar as the religious communities recognized as public law corporations provide for decision-making at the citizens' assembly and do not enact their own regulations, they shall apply the provisions of the Municipal Act of April 21, 2009 on the procedure at the citizens' assembly accordingly.

1. Insofar as religious communities recognized as public-law corporations do not issue their own regulations, the elections and votes in the Catholic Confessional Part and in the Protestant Church shall, as appropriate, be conducted according to the regulations governing cantonal elections and votes. In the church communities of the Catholic Confessional Part and the Protestant Church, as well as in the Old Catholic Church community and the Jewish community, they shall, as appropriate, be conducted according to the regulations governing elections and votes in the municipalities.

1. Orders issued by lower instances of a church parish may be appealed to the highest administrative authority of the church parish.

2. Orders and decisions of the highest administrative authority of a church parish, as well as orders from lower instances within the Roman Catholic Confessional part, the Protestant Church, the Old Catholic Church parish, and the Jewish community, may be appealed to the highest administrative authority of the Roman Catholic Confessional part, the Protestant Church, the Old Catholic Church parish, and the Jewish community.

3. In personnel law suits arising from public law employment contracts, the conditions and procedures shall follow, as appropriate, Articles 78 to 88 of the Personnel Law of January 25, 2011. For the conciliation procedure, the religious communities shall establish their own conciliation bodies.

4. For the public law institutions and public law corporations founded by religious communities or their church parishes recognized as public law corporations, particularly the special-purpose associations and the municipal associations of the church parishes, the procedures for church parishes according to Paragraphs 1 to 3 of this provision shall apply accordingly.

5. Moreover, the procedure and legal protection in administrative disputes shall be governed by the Law on Administrative Procedure of May 16, 1965.

1. The decrees of the Catholic and Protestant confessions, as well as those of the Old Catholic Church congregation and the Jewish community, approved by the Cantonal Council or the government pursuant to the provisions of the law governing the affairs of the Catholic and Protestant confessions dated June 25, 1923, the Grand Council's decree concerning the Jewish Community of St. Gallen dated January 14, 1993, and the Cantonal Council's decree concerning the Old Catholic Church congregation of St. Gallen dated May 17, 1899, shall retain their legal validity after the entry into force of this decree.

1. Proceedings on Appeals under Article 7 of the Act on the Management of Affairs of the Catholic and Protestant Denominations of June 25, 1923, which are pending with the government at the commencement of the execution of this decree, shall be concluded under previous law.