To SMHW and tafan2: I know CAF prefers one response rather than many to several posts, which is what I am doing here, but I have not yet discovered how to do this by incorporating your previous posts.
The Code of Canon Law states that a church is a sacred place which is used for the celebration of divine worship and to which the public have access (cf. Can. 1214). It does not confine the use of the word ‘church’ to a parish church. Indeed, if church meant only a place of worship for a parish the use of the adjective ‘parish’ would be tautologous.
The canon after the one which defines ‘church’ states that a church may not be built without the explicit written consent of the diocesan bishop. Paragraph 3 of the same canon states that regular institutes of consecrated life must obtain the same permission even if they already have permission to establish a conventus in that diocese.
The word ‘church’ is not solely the place of worship of a parish community. It is any sacred place in which the sacred liturgy of the church is celebrated and to which the public have access. Monastic communities have a sacred place in which they celebrate the Mass, recite the Divine Office and other liturgical rites. They are open to the public and are, thus, monastic churches.