Tacit or ipso facto incardination: A cleric becomes automatically incardinated in a new diocese after five years of service there, with the knowledge and no objection of both bishops.

• A. A cleric becomes automatically incardinated in a new diocese after five years of service there, with the knowledge and no objection of both bishops.
• B. A cleric becomes automatically excardinated after five years.
• C. A cleric becomes incardinated after ten years.
• D. A cleric cannot become incardinated automatically.

Answer: (A)

Tacit or ipso facto incardination occurs when a cleric has lived and ministered in a different diocese for a continuous period—five years—and both the home bishop and the new diocesan bishop know about it and do not object. In that situation, incardination in the new diocese happens automatically by law, without a formal act of transfer.

The scenario fits this rule precisely: after five years of service in the new diocese, with the knowledge and no objection of both bishops, the cleric is incardinated ipso facto there. This automatic change reflects how long-term, uncontested service in a diocese can establish canonical belonging to that diocese without a separate incardination ceremony.

If either bishop objects, tacit incardination does not occur. The other options contradict the established five-year, no-objection condition, or deny that automatic incardination can happen.