“The Roman pontiffs, to whom, in the person of S. Peter the chief of the Apostles, that great duty was committed of feeding the universal flock of Christ, have all been constant in preserving whole and inviolate the most precious deposit of the Faith, and in nourishing the Christian peoples of the world with the food of sound doctrine. Hence the fervent and provident care continually taken by them that, as good grain from tares, so sound and excellent books may be separated from the alloyed, the apocryphal, and the hurtful, lest Christian men, by using them incautiously or daringly, may injure the integrity of their faith and morals. Under this head, the pontiffs themselves or the councils have been ever careful to provide remedies suitable to the evils, changing these to suit the changes of time. When the invention, in the 15th century, of the new art of printing caused a great increase in the number of books and also a great spread of the pest of evil heresies, it was everywhere deemed necessary to take severe notice of evil writings, both to forestall danger and to repair evil already done. Therefore the Fathers of the Council of Trent, to whom our predecessor Pius IV had entrusted the matter, deemed that the great contagion of heretical books, or of books suspected of the crime of heresy, or of books hurtful to piety and morals, should be attacked in two ways: First, the scholars and theologians, chosen for this purpose by the authority of the same synod, made certain general rules so that it might be easier to decide of what books in general the faithful should beware; and secondly, they compiled an accurate and absolute exposition or Index of books of improper contents. When the synod adjourned, by its own decree, this Index, with the rules above mentioned, was shown to our predecessor, Pius IV, that it might, before publication, receive the support of the Apostolic sanction. The pontiff approved it after it had been worked over again with great diligence, and ordered its observance by all.

“In the nature of the case, his Index required additions as in the course of time new wicked and hurtful books appeared, and every one knows that the Apostolic Chair has attended to this again and again with zealous care. Thus Clement VIII and later Alexander VII and Benedict XIV, our predecessors, by the specification of those books which the popes had proscribed, by Apostolic letters, by the Roman Congregations, and chiefly by the Congregations of the Inquisition and the Index, revised and reshaped the Index proper so that it constituted practically a new compilation. Since (the issue of Benedict) there has been a long interval, almost a hundred and forty years, and the conditions seemed to call for something more comprehensive and more efficient for the present needs....

“(Signed),

“Alois. Card. Macchi

.

“Rome, Sept. 17, 1900.”

“PREFACE

“Behold, worthy reader, a new Index of the prohibited books, revised and published with the greatest care, by direction of His Holiness Leo XIII, P. M.; together with a syllabus of books to be avoided, there are published also the Constitutions of the Apostolic Chair by which the examination and proscription of bad books are at present governed: viz.: the Constitution ‘of Offices and Duties,’ promulgated by Leo, Jan. 25, 1897, and the Constitution ‘Solicita ac Provida’ by which Benedict XIV, on July 9, 1753, established clear and firm rules for the use of the Roman and universal Inquisition, and also of the Holy Congregation of the Index, in examining and judging books.

“As to the Constitution of Benedict XIV, it does not apply so much to the faithful in general as to those who are entrusted by the Holy See with the task of examining books. The Constitution of the present Pope has another object, since, revoking the rules of the holy Synod of Trent, ‘it sets forth certain new general Decretals, which are to be obeyed religiously by Catholics everywhere.’

Furthermore, these general Decretals and the Index have this in common, that both exist for the purpose of teaching what books to avoid reading and owning. The Decretals, however, serve this end in one way, the Index in another. For the Decretals prohibit the greatest possible number, indeed almost all, of noxious and tainted books, the reading of which is strongly forbidden by the natural law itself; while the Index reviews and notes but a small part of these. By the Decretals, genera and classes only of bad books are proscribed; by the Index, individual books, each with its title and even the author’s name. Hence it is plain how greatly they err who suppose the whole question of improper books to be decided by the Index alone, as though of the innumerable perverse and pernicious books which have appeared in the course of centuries, those only are prohibited which have been condemned by special decrees and noticed in the catalogue of prohibited books. In fact, any given book can only be safely declared lawful reading when these two conditions are satisfied: it must not occur in the Index nor be contained in any of those classes which are as a whole reprobated and condemned by the Decretals.

“It remains to consider what the character of the Index is and what the object was in planning and compiling it. For a catalogue of prohibited books does not go as far as to note each and every bad book. Obviously this would not be done, nor, if the principle of the Decretals be grasped, does it appear necessary. There must, therefore, be some special reason why the Roman Congregations black-list by special decree a book already included in those classes noted by the Decretals. This reason is furnished in most cases by denunciations, from a bishop or other of the persons specified in Const. Off. ac Mun., vv. 27, 28, 29, recommending a given book to the Holy See for examination as destructive or dangerous. Following this clue, and not of set purpose choosing the worst among all the books in existence, the Holy See is very often led to examine other books not included by the Decretals. Therefore, it would be vain to seek in the Index either all noxious and wicked books or those distinguished as it were for wickedness in any department, or to demand that the books in the Index be dealt with in a fixed order based on either the argument or the matter. The only basis of the Index is then this, that it notes those works which for any reason have been prohibited by special decree during the last three centuries, whether by popes in Apostolic letters or by Roman Congregations, and especially the Congregation of the Index, so that neither oblivion nor ignorance may obscure the dangerous character of their contents.

“A few words are needed to explain the principle of the new edition and its chief points of difference from the earlier ones. The intention of the Pope in ordering a thorough revision of the Index was not only to temper the severity of the old rules but also, on behalf of the maternal kindness of the Church, to accommodate the whole spirit of the Index to the times. In the actual compilation of the list of prohibited books some material modification has been shown and the number of books formerly prohibited has been diminished. This can be seen in the first Decretal, by which all books prohibited before the year 1600 are declared to be henceforth expunged from the Index, although they are to be considered as much condemned to-day as they ever were, with the exception of those permitted by the new Decretal. Hence in the case of condemned authors hitherto described in Class I, all of whose works were prohibited, by the present Index those of their works are permitted which either ex professo do not treat of religion, or, if they do treat of it, contain nothing contrary to the Faith, unless they happen to have been prohibited by some general or special decree. And this mitigation may properly be extended to the case of non-Catholic authors whose complete works are expressly prohibited in the Index. This prohibition will not apply in future to those books which touch the Faith either not at all or only incidentally by the way, if these have not been noted by any general or special decree. Therefore the old distinction between ‘all works’ simply and ‘all works treating of religion’ might be cancelled as superfluous. For whenever the complete works of an author are prohibited, those works only are understood which either treat of religion or are proscribed by some general or special decree.

“Moreover, certain books, not a few in number, have been dropped from the Index, which, although they labour under certain defects or have some slight taint, yet have such a reputation for learning or such documentary value that their errors or views seem to be compensated by their usefulness.

“It was also thought best to delete a good many works which deal with the Immaculate Conception, soundly, it is true, but too intemperately or with some offence to adversaries. Again, a number in which domestic controversies and private quarrels were agitated with improper acrimony, to the injury of good feeling and with hardly any gain to truth; and some which deserved prohibition not by defective doctrine nor failure in charity, but by the indiscretion of the author in failing to obey the public injunction to silence for the sake of extinguishing private quarrels. These controversies having become extinct and the injunction to silence having been long ago removed, these books could be dismissed.

“Since certain books, otherwise harmless, had been placed on the Index because they contained offices and litanies of the Church which were disapproved and published contrary to prohibition, it seemed good to expunge these also, since to-day the power is entrusted to Ordinaries to publish litanies and prayers of this kind for the private use of the faithful.

“Certain minor works, frivolous, or absurd or superstitious, and such as cite false and apocryphal indulgences, are omitted. For superstitions and magic are sufficiently excluded by Dec. 12, 13, 16, and 17; while for the elimination of apocryphal indulgences, there is at hand for all the authoritative ‘decree of the Holy Congregation in charge of Indulgences and Holy Relics,’ published by command and authority of the Pope, and the decree ‘concerning the discrimination between regular or normal indulgences and apocryphal,’ published by the same Congregation on the 10th of Aug., 1899.

“It happened often that there were placed on the Index works of slight bulk, sometimes of only a few pages, which were full of venom and danger, but which have been so dispersed by the passage of time (as by the wind) that to-day copies are hardly to be found. These have not been placed on the new Index. Under this head are included a series of pamphlets, for the most part scholastic, which were transferred to the Index proper from the appendices to the Indexes of Innocent XI and of Clement XI. Theses, also, which were prepared for public academic discussion, although not free from error and rightly and justly placed on the Index on their first appearance, have been thought fit for omission, the more as oblivion has long ago blotted out most of them. But those prohibited writings, however small in compass, which claim any part in the historic evolution of Catholic theological doctrine, are for this very cause retained in the Index.

“All those works were struck off which had been condemned only by the edicts of the Magister Palatii early in the 17th century, and those in regard to which the Congregation itself decreed that they might or should be omitted by the next decree, as well as certain old collections of declarations, decisions, and interpretations of the Council of the Congregation, which this body proscribed by its decree of April 29, 1621. For although the decrees in these collections are not to be considered authentic simply on the ground of inclusion there, the collections are nevertheless believed to be of some value to-day. Besides, the making of such collections in future has been sufficiently guarded against by Dec. gen. 33.

“It happened sometimes that the first volume or volumes of a work were placed in the Index, the later volumes of which followed the publication of the prohibition; or that periodicals were proscribed which continued afterwards to be published; also that all the works of an author were proscribed, who, after the publication of the decree, produced other works. In all these cases, the volumes or numbers published after the latest special decree, although not mentioned in that special decree, are nevertheless held suspicious and are justly presumed to fall under the prohibition of some general decree, unless there is evidence of the author’s change of heart.

“It remains to indicate in a few words, for the readier use of the Index, the method used in arranging and describing books. In order that the issue of Leo might be more correct than its predecessors, and that all corruptions might be eliminated which, in the course of so many editions, (some of them prepared by private authority) had crept in, much zealous labour has been given to the investigation of the records of the Congregation of the Index and of the Inquisition, both Roman and general; and of libraries in Rome and abroad. Books whose authorship is declared in their titles are entered under their titles in alphabetical order, the author’s name being subjoined when possible. These names are always entered in full, lest the omission of a syllable should lead to the confusion of similar ones. Assumed or fraudulent names included in titles are treated on the same basis as real names.

“Italian names prefixed by the syllable De, Del, Di, etc., which appears to be part of the name, always begin with that syllable in this catalogue. The same applies to Van etc., in Dutch names, and to Des, etc., and St. in French names; but names beginning with the two syllables De la are entered under La. When the syllable De alone begins a French name, it is placed after the name in this catalogue unless the name begins with a vowel.[156]...”

“Of the duties and obligations which ought to be most carefully and faithfully performed in this Apostolic Office, this is the chief and most important matter, namely,—to watch zealously and make every effort that the integrity of the faith and morals of Christians shall not be impaired. If this were ever necessary, it is especially so in this age—when, in the midst of unbounded license of character and morals, almost all the teaching which Jesus Christ, the Saviour of Mankind, entrusted to the care of his Church for the salvation of the human race is attacked, with daily criticism and discussion.

“In this criticism, our opponents use various and innumerable stratagems and artifices for the purpose of causing injury; but especially dangerous is the lack of moderation in their writings and the influence of these pernicious writings among the people. For nothing worse can be imagined for contaminating the minds of men, both by making them despise religion and by suggesting many incentives to sin. Wherefore the Church, the guardian and protector of the integrity of faith and morals, in fear of this great evil, long ago came to the conclusion that measures must be adopted to guard against the danger. To this end, it made continued efforts to prohibit men, as far as practicable, from the reading of pernicious books, which are the worst kind of poison. Even the very remote age of St. Paul saw an eager zeal in this matter. And in like manner, every subsequent generation has witnessed the watchful care of the holy Fathers, the instructions of the bishops, and the decrees of the Church councils.

“Especially do the records of literature bear witness to the care and diligence shown by the Roman pontiffs to prevent the writings of heretics, a constant menace to the community, from making their way unnoticed into circulation. The earlier years are full of examples of this. Anastasius I condemned by a solemn edict the more dangerous writings of Origen; Innocent I did the same with all the works of Pelagius, and Leo the Great with those of the Manichaeans. There are known to be decretal letters about the same matter concerning the acceptance and the non-acceptance of certain books. For one of these letters Gelasius is responsible. Likewise, in the course of years, the decree of the Holy See has condemned the pestilent books of the Monothelites, of Abélard, Marsilius of Padua, of Wyclif, and of Huss.

“But in the 15th century, with the invention of the new art of printing, not only were prohibitions made against wicked books that had actually appeared, but efforts were also made to prevent the publication of any further such books. This foresight was demanded for that age not on any trivial grounds, but by the necessity for the preservation of the public integrity and safety; because an art, most excellent in itself, and the source of very great advantages, which had come into existence originally for the purpose of propagating Christian civilisation, had been speedily perverted by the action of many into a powerful instrument of evil. The great and pernicious influence of wicked writers had more serious and more rapid results because of this very increase in the extent of the circulation of literature. Therefore, by a most wise policy, both Alexander VI and Leo X, my predecessors, made regulations, adapted to the character of the times, to keep publishers in the path of duty.

“Later, as the evil was recognised as more serious, it became necessary to use strict and more strenuous measures to check the contagious spread of wicked heresies. To this end, the same Leo X, and afterwards Clement VII, positively forbade any one to read or to possess the books of Luther. But when, in accordance with the calamities of the age, the foul collection of dangerous books had increased beyond all bounds and had penetrated in every direction, the need of a more far-reaching and more immediate remedy was recognised. This remedy was first opportunely suggested by our predecessor Paul IV, namely, the publication of a list of writers and books, from the perusal of which the faithful were to abstain. Not long afterwards, the Fathers of the Synod of Trent took further measures for checking the increasing license of writing and of reading. In accordance with their wish and instructions, directors and theologians chosen for this purpose took great pains not only in amplifying and perfecting the Index which Paul IV had published, but also in framing rules to be observed in the publishing, reading, and possessing of books. To these rules, Pius IV added the weight of the Apostolic authority.

“But the needs of the public welfare, which in the beginning had caused to be framed the Rules of Trent, promulgated from the council, came in later years to call for further action. Therefore, the Roman pontiffs, and especially Clement VIII, Alexander VII, and Benedict XIV, with full understanding of the requirements and with thoughtful discretion, framed further decrees to explain these rules and to adapt their instruction to the later generations.

“This record shows plainly that the Roman pontiffs have always taken exceptional pains to protect human society from errors of opinion and from influences inimical to morality, and to combat those causes of disaster and ruin to the community which are engendered and distributed from pernicious literature. Good results attended this action as long as, in the administration of public affairs, the Divine law had control of the directing and the prohibiting, and as long as the temporal Rulers of States were in accord with the sacred Authority.

“As to what followed, no one is ignorant. When, in the progress of the ages, the conditions of society had gradually changed, the Church modified with discretion the application of its authority, because, with full understanding of the character of the times, it saw that these regulations were of assistance and service for the guidance of mankind. Several of the rules of the Index, which appeared no longer to be pertinent, were either abolished by decree, or the books therein forbidden were permitted under conditions and with wise judgment on the ground of the increasing importance of antiquarian researches. Of more recent occurrence is the action of Pius IX instructing the archbishops and bishops to modify materially the strictures of Rule V. In addition, in view of the approaching important Vatican Council, Pius IX confided to a group of learned men the task of making a fresh examination of all the rules of the Index with instructions to report as to what action might be necessary in regard to them. They unanimously agreed that certain changes ought to be made. The majority of the Fathers frankly avowed that they were of the same opinion and they submitted to the council a similar recommendation. There are extant letters concerning this matter from the bishops of France, whose opinion was unanimous as to the necessity for immediate action in order that these rules and the entire Index should be framed in an entirely different manner, which would render the regulations better suited to our age and easier to observe. Similar counsel was received from the bishops of Germany, who united in recommending that the rules of the Index should be submitted to a new examination and revision. A great number of the bishops in Italy and in other countries were in accord with this conclusion.

“If one considers the character of the times, and the condition of civil institutions and of popular morals, we must admit that these demands are just and reasonable, and are not out of accord with the purposes or the material affection of the Holy Church. In the rapid development of intellectual activity, there is no field of knowledge in which literature is not produced too freely, with the result of a daily accumulation of foul and of dangerous books. What is still more serious is that this great evil is not only connived at by the civil laws, but even secures under these a great freedom. As a result, therefore, unrestricted license is assured for reading anything whatever, and the minds of many are filled with religious doubts.

“Concluding, therefore, that we must now take measures to remedy these evils, we have decided that there are two things to be done in order that there should be a fixed rule of action in this class of matter, a rule that should be plain to every one. The Index of books forbidden to be read has been gone over again with the utmost care and this revised list shall be published as soon as it is in readiness. Furthermore, we have directed our attention to the rules themselves and have decided, without changing their general character, to make them more lenient, in order that unless a man be really depraved, he shall not find it a difficult matter to obey them. In this we not only follow the examples of our predecessors, but we also imitate the zeal of the Mother Church, which, with loving zeal, takes pains to spare the infirmities of her children.

“Therefore, after mature deliberation and after summoning the cardinals and a holy council to go over the lists of books, we have decided to publish the following general decrees, which are made part of this Constitution. The holy council will in the future make use of these rules only, and Catholics all over the world must obey them scrupulously. We decree that these only shall have the authority of law, and we abrogate the ‘Rules’ published by the order of the very holy Council of Trent, and the ‘observations,’ ‘instructions,’ ‘decrees,’ and ‘precepts,’ and every other statute or law concerning this matter which have been made by our predecessors, except only the ‘Constitution’ of Benedict XIV, which we decree shall remain in force in the future as it has done hitherto.”

ARTICLE I

Of the Prohibition of Books

I. OF THE PROHIBITED BOOKS OF APOSTATES, HERETICS, SCHISMATICS, AND OTHER WRITERS

1. All books condemned before the year 1600 by the Sovereign Pontiffs, or by Oecumenical Councils, and which are not recorded in the new Index, must be considered as condemned in the same manner as formerly: with the exception of such as are permitted by the present General Decrees.

2. The books of apostates, heretics, schismatics, and all writers whatsoever, defending heresy or schism, or in any way attacking the foundations of religion, are altogether prohibited.

3. Moreover, the books of non-Catholics, ex professo treating of religion, are prohibited, unless they clearly contain nothing contrary to Catholic Faith.

4. The books of the above-mentioned writers, not treating ex professo of religion, but only touching incidentally upon the truths of Faith, are not to be considered as prohibited by ecclesiastical law, unless proscribed by special decree.

II. OF EDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF HOLY SCRIPTURE AND OF VERSIONS NOT IN THE VERNACULAR

5. Editions of the original text and of the ancient Catholic versions of Holy Scripture, as well as those of the Eastern Church, if published by non-Catholics, even though apparently edited in a faithful and complete manner, are allowed only to those engaged in theological and biblical studies, provided also that the dogmas of Catholic Faith are not impugned in the prolegomena or annotations.

6. In the same manner, and under the same conditions, other versions of the Holy Bible, whether in Latin, or in any other dead language, published by non-Catholics, are permitted.

III. OF VERNACULAR VERSIONS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

7. As it has been clearly shown by experience that, if the Holy Bible in the vernacular is generally permitted without any distinction, more harm than utility is thereby caused, owing to human temerity: all versions in the vernacular, even by Catholics, are altogether prohibited, unless approved by the Holy See, or published, under the vigilant care of the Bishops, with annotations taken from the Fathers of the Church and learned Catholic writers.

8. All versions of the Holy Bible, in any vernacular language, made by non-Catholics, are prohibited; and especially those published by the Bible Societies, which have been more than once condemned by the Roman Pontiffs, because in them the wise laws of the Church concerning the publication of the sacred books are entirely disregarded.

Nevertheless, these versions are permitted to students of theological or biblical science, under the conditions laid down above (No. 5).

IV. OF OBSCENE BOOKS

9. Books which professedly treat of, narrate, or teach lewd or obscene subjects are entirely prohibited, since care must be taken, not only of faith, but also of morals, which are easily corrupted by the reading of such books.

10. The books of classical authors, whether ancient or modern, if disfigured with the same stain of indecency, are, on account of the elegance and beauty of their diction, permitted only to those who are justified on account of their duty or the function of teaching; but on no account may they be placed in the hands of, or taught to, boys or youths, unless carefully expurgated.

V. OF CERTAIN SPECIAL KINDS OF BOOKS

11. Those books are condemned which are derogatory to Almighty God, or to the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Saints, or to the Catholic Church and her worship, or to the Sacraments, or to the Holy See. To the same condemnation are subject those works in which the idea of the inspiration of Holy Scripture is perverted, or its extension too narrowly limited. Those books, moreover, are prohibited which professedly revile the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, or the clerical or religious state.

12. It is forbidden to publish, read, or keep books in which sorcery, divination, magic, the evocation of spirits, and other superstitions of this kind are taught or commended.

13. Books or other writings which narrate new apparitions, revelations, visions, prophecies, miracles, or which introduce new devotions, even under the pretext of being private ones, if published without the legitimate permission of ecclesiastical superiors, are prohibited.

14. Those books, moreover, are prohibited which defend as lawful duelling, suicide, or divorce; which treat of Freemasonry, or other societies of the kind, teaching them to be useful; and not injurious to the Church and to Society; and those which defend errors proscribed by the Apostolic See.

VI. OF SACRED PICTURES AND INDULGENCES

15. Pictures, in any style of printing, of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and Saints, or other Servants of God, which are not conformable to the sense and decrees of the Church, are entirely forbidden. New pictures, whether produced with or without prayers annexed, may not be published without permission of ecclesiastical authority.

16. It is forbidden to all to give publicity in any way to apocryphal indulgences, and to such as have been proscribed or revoked by the Apostolic See. Those which have already been published must be withdrawn from the hands of the faithful.

17. No books of indulgences, or compendiums, pamphlets, leaflets, etc., containing grants of indulgences, may be published without permission of competent authority.

VII. OF LITURGICAL BOOKS AND PRAYER BOOKS

18. In authentic editions of the Missal, Breviary, Ritual, Ceremonial of Bishops, Roman Pontifical, and other liturgical books approved by the Holy Apostolic See, no one shall presume to make any change whatsoever; otherwise such new editions are prohibited.

19. No Litanies—except the ancient and common Litanies contained in the Breviaries, Missals, Pontificals, and Rituals, as well as the Litany of Loreto, and the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, already approved by the Holy See—may be published without the examination and approbation of the Ordinary.

20. No one, without license of legitimate authority, may publish books or pamphlets of prayers, devotions, or of religious, moral, ascetic, or mystic doctrine and instruction, or others of like nature, even though apparently conducive to the fostering of piety among Christian people; unless issued under license, they are to be considered as prohibited.

VIII. OF NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS

21. Newspapers and periodicals which designedly attack religion or morality are to be held as prohibited, not only by the natural, but also by the ecclesiastical law.

Ordinaries shall take care, whenever it be necessary, that the faithful shall be warned against the danger and injury of reading of this kind.

22. No Catholics, particularly ecclesiastics, shall publish anything in newspapers or periodicals of this character, unless for some just and reasonable cause.

IX. OF PERMISSION TO READ AND KEEP PROHIBITED BOOKS

23. Those only shall be allowed to read and keep books prohibited, either by special decrees, or by these General Decrees, who shall have obtained the necessary permission, either from the Apostolic See or from its delegates.

24. The Roman Pontiffs have placed the power of granting licenses for the reading and keeping of prohibited books in the hands of the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Nevertheless the same power is enjoyed both by the Supreme Congregation of the Holy Office, and by the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda for the regions subject to its administration. For the city of Rome this power belongs also to the Master of the Sacred Apostolic Palace.

25. Bishops and other prelates with quasi-episcopal jurisdiction may grant such license for individual books, and in urgent cases only. But if they have obtained from the Apostolic See a general faculty to grant permission to the faithful to read and keep prohibited books, they must grant this only with discretion and for a just and reasonable cause.

26. Those who have obtained Apostolic faculties to read and keep prohibited books may not on this account read and keep any books whatsoever or periodicals condemned by the local Ordinaries, unless by the Apostolic favour express permission be given to read and keep books by whomsoever prohibited. And those who have obtained permission to read prohibited books must remember that they are bound by grave precept to keep books of this kind in such a manner that they may not fall into the hands of others.

X. OF THE DENUNCIATION OF BAD BOOKS

27. Although all Catholics, especially the more learned, ought to denounce pernicious books either to the Bishops or to the Holy See, this duty belongs more especially to Apostolic Nuncios and Delegates, local Ordinaries, and Rectors of Universities.

28. It is expedient, in denouncing bad books, that not only the title of the book be expressed, but also, as far as possible, the reasons be explained why the book is considered worthy of censure. Those to whom the denunciation is made will remember that it is their duty to keep secret the names of the denouncers.

29. Ordinaries, even as Delegates of the Apostolic See, must be careful to prohibit evil books or other writings published or circulated in their dioceses, and to withdraw them from the hands of the faithful. Such works and writings should be referred by them to the judgment of the Apostolic See as appear to require a more careful examination, or concerning which a decision of the Supreme Authority may seem desirable in order to procure a more salutary effect.

ARTICLE II

Of the Censorship of Books

I. OF THE PRELATES INTRUSTED WITH THE CENSORSHIP OF BOOKS

30. From what has been laid down above (No. 7), it is sufficiently clear what persons have authority to approve or permit editions and translations of the Holy Bible.

31. No one shall venture to republish books condemned by the Apostolic See. If, for a grave and reasonable cause, any particular exception appears desirable in this respect, this can only be allowed on obtaining beforehand a license from the Sacred Congregation of the Index and observing the conditions prescribed by it.

32. Whatsoever pertains in any way to Causes of Beatification and Canonisation of the Servants of God may not be published without the approval of the Congregation of Sacred Rites.

33. The same must be said of Collections of Decrees of the various Roman Congregations: such Collections may not be published without first obtaining the license of the authorities of each Congregation, and observing the conditions by them prescribed.

34. Vicars Apostolic and Missionaries Apostolic shall faithfully observe the decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda concerning the publication of books.

35. The approbation of books, of which the censorship is not reserved by the present Decrees either to the Holy See or to the Roman Congregations, belongs to the Ordinary of the place where they are published.

36. Regulars must remember that, in addition to the license of the Bishop, they are bound by a decree of the Sacred Council of Trent to obtain leave for publishing any work from their own Superior. Both permissions must be printed either at the beginning or at the end of the book.

37. If an author, living in Rome, desires to print a book, not in the city of Rome but elsewhere, no other approbation is required beyond that of the Cardinal Vicar and the Master of the Apostolic Palace.

II. OF THE DUTY OF CENSORS IN THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF BOOKS

38. Bishops, whose duty it is to grant permission for the printing of books, shall take care to employ in the examination of them men of acknowledged piety and learning, concerning whose faith and honesty they may feel sure, and that they will show neither favour nor ill-will, but, putting aside all human affections, will look only to the glory of God and the welfare of the people.

39. Censors must understand that, in the matter of various opinions and systems, they are bound to judge with a mind free from all prejudice, according to the precept of Benedict XIV. Therefore they should put away all attachment to their particular country, family, school, or institute, and lay aside all partisan spirit. They must keep before their eyes nothing but the dogmas of Holy Church, and the common Catholic doctrine, as contained in the Decrees of General Councils, the Constitutions of the Roman Pontiffs, and the unanimous teaching of the Doctors of the Church.

40. If after this examination, no objection appears to the publication of the book, the Ordinary shall grant to the author, in writing and without any fee whatsoever, a license to publish, which shall be printed either at the beginning or at the end of the work.

III. OF THE BOOKS TO BE SUBMITTED TO CENSORSHIP

41. All the faithful are bound to submit to preliminary ecclesiastical censorship at least those books which treat of Holy Scripture, Sacred Theology, Ecclesiastical History, Canon Law, Natural Theology, Ethics, and other religious or moral subjects of this character; and in general all writings specially concerned with religion and morality.

42. The secular clergy, in order to give an example of respect towards their Ordinaries, ought not to publish books, even when treating of merely natural arts and sciences, without their knowledge.

They are also prohibited from undertaking the management of newspapers or periodicals without the previous permission of their Ordinaries.

IV. OF PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS OF BOOKS

43. No book liable to ecclesiastical censorship may be printed unless it bear at the beginning the name and surname of both the author and the publisher, together with the place and year of printing and publishing. If in any particular case, owing to a just reason, it appears desirable to suppress the name of the author, this may be permitted by the Ordinary.

44. Printers and publishers should remember that new editions of an approved work require a new approbation; and that an approbation granted to the original text does not suffice for a translation into another language.

45. Books condemned by the Apostolic See are to be considered as prohibited all over the world, and into whatever language they may be translated.

46. Booksellers, especially Catholics, should neither sell, lend, nor keep books professedly treating of obscene subjects. They should not keep for sale other prohibited books, unless they have obtained leave through the Ordinary from the Sacred Congregation of the Index; nor sell such books to any person whom they do not prudently judge to have the right to buy them.

V. OF PENALTIES AGAINST TRANSGRESSORS OF THE GENERAL DECREES

47. All and every one knowingly reading, without authority of the Holy See, the books of apostates and heretics, defending heresy; or books of any author which are by name prohibited by Apostolic Letters; also those keeping, printing, and in any way defending such works; incur ipso facto excommunication reserved in a special manner to the Roman Pontiff.

48. Those who, without the approbation of the Ordinary, print, or cause to be printed, books of Holy Scripture, or notes or commentaries on the same, incur ipso facto excommunication, but not reserved.

49. Those who transgress the other prescriptions of these General Decrees shall, according to the gravity of their offence, be seriously warned by the Bishop, and, if it seem expedient, may also be punished by canonical penalties.

We decree that these presents and whatsoever they contain shall at no time be questioned or impugned for any fault of subreption or obreption, or of Our intention, or for any other defect whatsoever; but are and shall be ever valid and efficacious, and to be inviolably observed, both judicially and extrajudicially, by all of whatsoever rank and preëminence. And We declare to be invalid and of no avail, whatsoever may be attempted knowingly or unknowingly contrary to these, by any one, under any authority or pretext whatsoever; all to the contrary notwithstanding.

And We will that the same authority be attributed to copies of these Letters, even if printed, provided they be signed by the hand of a Notary, and confirmed by the seal of some one in ecclesiastical dignity, as to the indication of Our will by the exhibition of these presents.

No man, therefore, may infringe or temerariously venture to contravene this document of Our constitution, ordination, limitation, derogation, and will. If any one shall so presume, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God, and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, in the year of the Incarnation of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, on the 25th day of January, in the nineteenth year of Our Pontificate.

A. CARD. MACCHI.

A. Panici, Subdatary.

Visa.

De Curia: J. De Aquila Visconti.

L. ✠ S.

Registered in the Secretariat of Briefs,

I. Cugnoni.