Agreement of the Catholic College of the Cantonal Council with the Holy See on the reorganisation of the Diocese of St. Gallen

1. The Diocese of St. Gallen, following the dissolution of its association with the Diocese of Chur, is reorganized as an independent diocese for the Catholic residents of the canton within its current political boundaries.

1. The bishop shall have his residence at the previous main Catholic church of the canton, which, while retaining its status as a parish church, shall be known as the "Cathedral of St. Gallus."

1. The new chapter of the Cathedral Church of St. Gallen shall consist of five resident canons, namely one dean, as the sole dignitary, and four canons, then eight external or so-called titular canons, and three assistant priests or vicars.

1. The habitual pastoral care of the parishioners of the main church shall remain with the resident chapter and shall be exercised in the usual manner with the assistance of the appointed three coadjutors. The three vicars additionally assigned to the chapter will be utilized both for service in liturgical duties and for the exercise of pastoral care.

1. The residing cathedral canons ordinarily form the ecclesiastical council of the bishop; they assist in the administration of the diocese and in the management and supervision of the seminary, and they oversee the liturgical services at the cathedral church. Additionally, according to the provisions of the canonical statutes, one of them will be appointed by the bishop as the penitentary and another as the theologian, who will provide religious instruction on designated days.

1. For the purpose of the first episcopal election, the Catholic Collegium of the canton shall submit a proposal of five eligible clergymen to the Holy See, from which the Holy Father will choose the bishop, to whom he will simultaneously grant canonical appointment.

1. In the event of a future vacancy of the episcopal see, the right to elect the bishop resides with the cathedral chapter and must be executed by both the residing and non-residing members of the chapter within three months from the date the vacancy occurs.

2. However, the person elected must not be objectionable to the Catholic College.

1. The person appointed as Bishop shall, once the election is recognized as conforming to the canonical statutes and the qualifications of the elected person are demonstrated to be in accordance with the canonical regulations based on the practices existing for the other Swiss churches, receive canonical appointment from the Holy Father.

1. Eligibility for Election as Bishop requires, in addition to canonical qualities, that the appointee be a priest from the diocesan clergy and that he has worked in the diocese of St. Gallen for several years in pastoral care, teaching, or the administration of the diocese with merit and distinction.

1. The Bishop of St. Gallen shall swear an oath of allegiance in the hands of the representatives of the government of the Canton, according to a formula that must be approved by the Holy See.

1. The first appointment of the cathedral chapter occurs in the following manner: After the bishop has been installed by the authority of the Holy See, he will be authorized by the Holy Father to appoint, in his name, the dean, the resident and non-resident canons, as well as the vicars of the chapter, from among those clergy who are agreeable to the Catholic Administration Council, and to grant them canonical institution.

1. In future cases of vacancy, the Bishop shall submit to the Catholic Administrative Council a list of three candidates for the election of the Dean from among the resident and non-resident canons. From this list, the Administrative Council shall appoint the Dean. The appointed individual must then receive their canonical installation from the Holy See before assuming their prebend and drawing their income. For two of the remaining four residential canonries, the Catholic Administrative Council shall make the appointments, and those appointed shall receive their canonical installation from the Holy See as outlined above. The Bishop shall appoint the individuals for the other two canonries, to whom he will also grant the canonical installation.

1. For each position of non-resident canons, whenever such a position becomes vacant, a list of five candidates, endowed with the required qualifications, shall be submitted to the Catholic Administrative Council within six weeks from the date of the vacancy. The Council may, within an additional period of six weeks, strike out those less pleasing to it if it so desires; in any case, three of the proposed candidates must remain available for free election, from which the canon shall be appointed within a month as follows

2. For the canonships that become vacant in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November, the Bishop shall submit the aforementioned election proposals to the Catholic Administrative Council, and the chapter of resident and external canons shall appoint from the candidates remaining on the election list the canon, who shall then receive his canonical installation from the Holy See as outlined above.

3. For the canonships that become vacant in the remaining months of the year, the chapter shall prepare the election list for the Administrative Council, and from the remaining proposals on this list, the Bishop shall select the canon, to whom he shall also provide canonical installation.

4. The three vicariates shall each be freely chosen by the Bishop from the eligible clergy of the canton and shall also be canonically installed by him.

1. Eligible as canons are only secular priests who generally possess the canonical attributes and specifically belong to the Diocese of St. Gallen. They must have engaged in pastoral care within the diocese for an extended period with zeal and prudence, or have performed other ecclesiastical duties, or have distinguished themselves particularly in the conduct of curial affairs, the administration of the seminary, or in the teaching office, gaining commendation and distinction.

1. The seminary established for the candidates for priesthood of the Diocese of St. Gallen is, in accordance with church regulations, under the direction of the Bishop. The Catholic Administrative Council assigns to it the premises and funds required according to its existing status.

1. The annual income of the bishop is fixed at fl. 4000. The dean of the chapter is allocated fl. 1200, each of the four remaining canons fl. 1000, and each of the three vicars fl. 400 as their annual salaries are determined and assigned.

2. The external chapter members receive appropriate compensation whenever they are summoned for the chapter meetings.

3. The income of the one among the four canons who is entrusted with the parish rectorate shall be increased to fl. 1200.

1. In addition to the specified annual salaries, the Bishop, the Dean, and each of the four other residential clergy are provided with free accommodations appropriate to their dignity, and the necessary premises for the vicarages are also assigned and maintained by the Catholic Administration Council.

2. Similarly, the necessary premises are provided free of charge for the Bishop and his Curia for business dealings, for the chancery and the archive, as well as for the seminary.

1. On the Collection of Fees and Charges, Regardless of the Title They May Be Demanded From, e.g., to Cover Office Expenses, and in Ecclesiastical Matters, Especially in Matrimonial Cases for the Session Fees of the Ecclesiastical Council, the Bishop Must Reach an Agreement with the Catholic Administrative Council.

1. Of the revenues accruing during the vacancy of the episcopal see, half shall be allocated to the successor to facilitate the management of his initial arrangements, while the other half shall be received by the diocesan administrator.

1. For the foundation and security of both the maintenance of the cathedral church and the seminary as well as the stipulated revenues and salaries of the bishop and the chapter, the following capital sums and corresponding funds in well-secured debt instruments are designated and declared as their inalienable endowment

a) for the cathedral church and the associated prebends, fl. 200,000, the titles of which are already found in the treasury of this church and will be stored there;

b) for the seminary and the associated prebend, fl. 75,000, the titles of which are present in the same treasury and will be stored there;

c) for the episcopal income and the remaining prebends of the chapter, fl. 160,000, the titles of which, once the papal bull on the reorganization of the Diocese of St. Gallen has been promulgated, will be deposited in the diocese treasury, where they shall then be stored.

1. It is expressly stipulated and guaranteed that the Cathedral Church and the Seminary shall retain their respective endowments in their current property holdings in all cases.

1. For the purpose of managing the diocese of St. Gallen, all and any documents of any kind related to this diocesan district are to be extracted from the old episcopal archives and delivered to the new episcopal chancery in St. Gallen.

1. In the potential event that in the future other cantons with their Catholic populations wish to join the Diocese of St. Gallen, the necessary arrangements for this case are reserved for a later agreement.