,the ,roman ,index of ,forbidden ,books ,,briefly ,,explained ,,for ,,catholic ,,booklovers ,,and ,,students ,,by ,,francis ,s4 ,,betten1 ,s4,j4 ,,with ,a ,,summary ,,of ,,the ,,index ,,second ,,edition ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo41 #aiji ,published by ,b4 ,herder #ag ,south ,broadway ,,freiburg 7,,baden7 ,,london ,,and ,,edinburgh ,b4 ,,herder ,,sands ,,and ,,co4 ,,nihil ,,obstat4 ,st4 ,louis1 die #a4 ,nov41 #aijh4 ,r4,j4 ,meyer1 ,s4,j4 ,praep4 ,pror4 ,missour ,,nihil ,,obstat4 ,st4 ,louis1 #ag ,nov41 #aijh4 ,f4,g4 ,holweck4 ,censor ,librorum4 ,,imprimatur4 ,st4 ,louis1 #ag ,nov41 #aijh4 ,o4,j4,s4 ,hoog1 ,v4,g4 ,copyright1 #aiji1 by ,joseph ,gummersbach4 --,,becktold-- ,,printing ,,and ,,book ,,mfg4 ,,co4 ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo4 ,,note ,this short treatise was written for the benefit of those who cannot devote much time to the study of the ,index4 ,it appeared first in the 8,catholic ,union and ,times10 ,buffalo1 ,n4 ,y41 and was reprinted in the 8,catholic ,mind0 series1 ,fordham ,university ,press1 ,new ,york1 as numbers #bc and #bd of #aijg4 ,those who wish to make a deeper study of the subject are referred to the following books3 ,rev4 ,timothy ,hurley4--,a ,commentary on the ,present ,index ,legislation4 ,dublin1 ,brown and ,nolan4 ,new ,york1 ,benziger ,bros4 #a4ce4 ,rev4 ,arthur ,vermeersch1 ,s4,j4--,de prohibitione et censura librorum4 #j4he4 ,rev4 ,jos4 ,hilgers1 ,s4,j4--,der ,index der verbotenen ,bcher4 ,st4 ,louis1 ,herder4 #c4be4 --,die ,bcherverbote in ,papstbriefen4 ,st4 ,louis1 ,herder4 #j4ie4 ,rev4 ,jos4 ,hilgers1 ,s4,j4--,the ,roman ,index and its ,last ,historian4 ,a ,critical ,review of 8,the ,censorship of the ,church of ,rome0 by ,george ,haven ,putnam4 ,techny1 ,ill4 ,society of the ,divine ,word4 #aj cents4 ,there is also a long article on 8,censorship10 written by ,rev4 ,j4 ,hilgers1 ,s4,j41 in vol4 ,,iii of the ,catholic ,encyclopedia4 ,an ,english translation of the ,constitution 8,officiorum ac munerum0 is contained in ,the ,great ,encyclical ,letters of ,pope ,leo ,,xiii1 with ,preface by ,rev4 ,john ,j4 ,wynne1 ,s4,j4 ,new ,york1 ,benziger ,bros4 #b4be4 ,,contents ,,page ,section ,i4--,commentary4 #a4 ,the ,index #a #b4 ,the ,power of the ,church #d #c4 ,book ,prohibitions ,antedating the ,roman ,index #g #d4 ,the ,roman ,index #aa #e4 ,books ,forbidden by ,general or ,particular ,decrees #ac #f4 ,duties ,imposed by ,law and by ,nature #ah #g4 ,who ,puts ,books on the ,index8 #bd #h4 ,the ,method of ,examination #bh #i4 ,the ,spirit of the ,index ,congregation #cc #aj4 ,further ,explanations #ce a4 ,why an ,author is not ,permitted to ,defend ,his ,book #ce b4 ,the ,index does not ,advertise ,bad ,books #cg c4 ,index ,decisions not ,omitted for ,fear of ,apostasies #ci d4 ,the 8,good ,catholic0 #da e4 ,a ,mortal ,sin #dc f4 ,the ,galileo ,case #dd g4 ,non-,catholic ,book-,laws #df h4 ,some ,examples of ,submission to the ,index #dh ,section ,,ii4--,a ,summary of the ,index4 #a4 ,our ,duties in ,relation to ,forbidden ,books #ea #b4 ,forbidden ,books #ec a4 ,books ,forbidden by ,general ,decrees #ed b4 ,books ,forbidden by ,particular ,decrees #eg ,,section ,i ,,commentary #a4 ,the ,index4 ,in #aija1 a reviewer of the ,roman ,index of ,forbidden ,books opened his criticism by congratulating himself upon having before him a genuine copy of that book1 of which1 he says1 only a very limited number were printed for the exclusive use of 8the leaders of the ,church40 ,owing to its scarcity1 he thinks1 the owner of the volume1 which he had borrowed1 must have paid at least two hundred dollars for it4 ,he could have bought a brand new copy for #b4be4 ,the ,index of which he speaks1 issued by order of ,leo ,,xiii1 in #aijj1 is for sale in this country by ,b4 ,herder1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,so are the three later editions 7#aija1 #aijd1 #aijg71 the last two issued under1 and by order of1 our gloriously reigning ,pontiff1 ,pius ,x4 ,when the critic felt his heart beat with joy upon being allowed to view with his own blessed eyes a book so rare1 so expensive1 and so jealously guarded by 8the leaders of the ,church10 a whole edition of that same book had already been sold1 and a second was about to be put on the market4 ,its title is now3 ,index librorum prohibitorum1 ,leonis ,,xiii ,sum4 ,pont4 auctoritate recognitus ,,ss4 ,d4 ,n4 ,pii ,p4 ,x iussu editus4 ,prmittuntur ,constitutiones ,apostolic de examine et prohibitione librorum4 7,index of forbidden books1 revised by the authority of ,pope ,leo ,,xiii1 and issued by order of ,his ,holiness ,pope ,pius ,x4 ,preceded by the ,apostolic ,constitutions on the examination and prohibition of books47 ,a glance at the neatly printed volume will disclose the reason why it is called 8,index02--almost nine-tenths of it consists of a catalogue of books condemned by the ,roman authorities4 ,of still greater importance than this catalogue are the first thirty-four pages1 which give1 in the 8,apostolic ,constitutions10 the general laws of the ,church regarding books4 ,there are only two 8,constitutions40 ,but the whole work is introduced by a brief of ,leo ,,xiii1 in which the ,pontiff declares that this edition is to be the authentic one for the whole ,church4 ,it is to be binding on all the faithful of the universe1 regardless of race or language1 nationality or country1 education1 learning or station in life4 ,in a preface headed 8,lectori ,s410 the ,secretary of the ,roman 8,congregatio ,indicis0 compares this edition of the 8,index0 with the former ones1 points out the changes that were made1 and explains the technical arrangement of the book4 ,after these preliminaries follow the 8,constitutions40 ,the first is the 8,officiorum ac munerum0 of ,leo ,,xiii1 dated ,jan4 #be1 #ahif4 ,this document recasts the whole legislation of the ,church regarding the production1 dissemination1 reprinting and prohibition of such books as the ,church may and must concern herself with4 ,it abrogates all former laws and regulations of ,general ,councils as well as of ,sovereign ,pontiffs1 with one exception3 the ,constitution ,sollicita ac provida of ,benedict ,,xiv1 also reprinted here1 by which this great pope established or rather sanctioned a method--the one still in use--of examining and passing sentence on the books submitted to the ,roman authorities4 ,these two ,constitutions contain the entire general legislation of the ,church on the head of books4 ,there is no 8,index expurgatorius40 ,if there were1 it would consist of books condemned conditionally1 donec corrigatur1 8until amended40 ,but such books are all entered in the ordinary ,index1 with those two ,latin words added4 ,in ,pope ,leo's edition they are1 besides1 marked with an asterisk4 #b4 ,the ,power of the ,church4 ,that the ,church has the right to legislate on the publication and use of all books that touch on questions of faith and morals1 must be evident to every ,catholic4 ,it is a truth clearly contained in the words of ,christ to ,st4 ,peter3 8,feed my lambs1 feed my sheep10 and in the duty imposed on the ,apostles of 8teaching the faithful to observe all1 whatsoever ,i have commanded you40 ,the fact that general councils as well as many popes have issued laws and decrees regarding books1 is sufficient evidence of their power and of their commission to do this4 ,this very fact must also convince us that the observation of these laws must be salutary and conducive to the welfare of the ,church at large and of the individual ,christian4 ,the inventions1 discoveries and progress of our times can introduce no change in this respect4 ,the human mind is still as prone to err and as much subject to the persuasive influence of books as it ever was4 ,good books are as useful to-day as they were in olden times1 and objectionable writings have the same deplorable effects they had a thousand years ago4 ,nor can the ,church1 possessing the power to watch over our reading1 neglect to make use of this power when the salvation of souls calls for its exercise4 ,bad literature is one of the worst enemies of mankind4 ,the ,church can never allow it to corrupt the hearts of her children or to undermine the foundation of their faith1 without at least raising a warning voice4 ,how great are the precautions the civil authorities take in case of an epidemic2 yet1 no matter how seriously the precautions hamper traffic and trade1 we find them reasonable4 ,we should even censure our executive and legislative officers if they omitted to take proper precautions4 ,but1 says ,pope ,leo1 in the ,constitution ,officiorum ac munerum1 nothing can be conceived more pernicious1 more apt to defile souls than uncurbed license in the writing and disseminating of bad books4 8,therefore10 he continues1 8the ,church1 whose office it is to watch over the integrity of faith and morals1 has ever striven1 as far as in her power lay1 to restrain the faithful from the reading of bad books as from a deadly poison40 #c4 ,book ,prohibitions ,antedating the ,roman ,index4 8,the early days of the ,church witnessed the earnest zeal of ,st4 ,paul10 when the ,christians at ,ephesus brought together all the superstitious books they had in their possession and burned them publicly4 ,this example of loyalty to the ,church cost them1 as ,holy ,scripture says1 between eight and nine thousand dollars4 ,such was the policy in regard to bad books at ,ephesus at a time when the ,apostle whom many love to call the most liberal and broadminded1 ruled that part of the ,church4 ,every subsequent age records similar measures of vigilance4 ,the first ,general ,council of ,nica1 in #cbe1 besides proscribing the heresy of ,arius1 also issued a decree prohibiting the use of ,arius' book ,thalia1 which contained his heresy2 indeed1 at all times the condemnation of a heresy by the ,church entailed the prohibition of the works propagating it4 ,pope ,st4 ,leo the ,great1 #ddj-dfa1 does not hesitate to declare that one who reads forbidden books cannot be considered a ,catholic4 ,in the early days the ,church had to direct her attention largely to the many so-called apocryphal books1 falsely claimed to have been inspired by ,god and to form part of ,holy ,scripture4 ,in #dif1 ,pope ,gelasius issued his famous decree1 in which he enumerates the true books of the ,bible1 a number of the writings of the ,fathers1 7which he recommends17 together with a short list of apocryphal and heretical books1 the reading of which he forbids4 ,in #gde1 by order of the ,pope1 a ,roman synod examined and forbade a number of superstitious books sent by ,st4 ,boniface1 who had found them among the ,germans4 ,in fact1 already in those days the entire present-day book legislation of the ,church existed in all its essential features1 though there were few written decrees4 ,it seems the loyal ,christian's duty of avoiding bad books1 and the power of the ,church to prohibit them1 were held to be so self-evident that the need of written laws was not felt4 ,the necessity of watching over the mental food of the faithful became more urgent when1 in the fifteenth century1 was invented printing1 which popes and bishops hailed as a 8divine art0 and eulogised as the greatest blessing of ,god's providence in the natural order4 ,it spread rapidly4 ,before the year #aejj1 the city of ,rome alone had one hundred and ninety printing establishments4 ,the oldest of them1 in the first seven years of its existence1 produced not less than twenty-eight works in forty-seven editions1 the total number of pages being one hundred and twenty-four millions4 ,as to the moral quality of the books printed at that period1 a ,german1 ,wimpheling1 writes with pardonable pride in #aejg3 8,we ,germans practically control the whole intellectual market of civilized ,europe2 the books1 however1 which we bring to this market are for the most part high-class works1 tending to the honor of ,god1 the salvation of souls1 and the civilisation of the people40 ,how soon1 alas1 was this to change6 ,even while these words were written1 the evil was already striking root1 and steps had been taken by the civil as well as by the ecclesiastical power1 to prevent the printing and spreading of noxious books4 ,but it was not until the beginning of the so-called ,reformation that the boundless increase of heretical and other pernicious literature called for radical and extensive measures4 ,they began in #aebj with the solemn condemnation of ,luther's doctrine and the prohibition of his writings4 ,about that time the first indexes or catalogues of forbidden books appeared4 ,they were not issued by the popes1 but emanated mostly from bishops1 provincial councils1 or universities4 ,the civil power was expected to enforce them4 ,in some cases the princes themselves or the magistrates of cities and republics issued their own indexes1 in full harmony and after consultation with the clergy4 ,as the object of these measures was to safeguard the faithful against imminent danger1 we can easily understand that catalogues of forbidden books were most numerous in those countries that were most exposed to heresy1 namely1 ,germany1 ,belgium1 ,france1 and ,northern ,italy4 ,it is remarkable that ,henry ,,viii of ,england1 who afterwards fell away from the ,church1 was among the first to legislate against heretical books1 his index of forbidden books appearing as early as #aebf4 ,after his apostasy he continued with increased severity the policy of prohibiting books which he deemed objectionable4 #d4 ,the ,roman ,index4 ,more than thirty years after the first index of ,henry ,,viii had appeared1 the first ,roman ,index of ,forbidden ,books was compiled and issued by order of ,paul ,,iv4 ,it remained in force only a few years1 till #aefd1 when the so-called ,tridentine ,index was published under ,pius ,,iv4 ,it was called 8,tridentine10 because it had been drawn up by a commission appointed for this purpose by the ,council of ,trent4 ,it was milder than the ,index of ,paul ,,iv1 and contained divers 8,index rules10 the forerunners of the general decrees embodied in the ,constitution 8,officiorum ac munerum40 ,the ,tridentine ,index remained the ,roman ,index for more than three hundred years4 ,its 8rules0 were occasionally modified1 new regulations were added or old ones abrogated1 other books were inserted in the catalogue2 but the essential features remained the same4 ,in #ahig1 ,leo ,,xiii took the matter up again4 ,the index of forbidden books was thoroughly revised4 ,about a thousand were dropped4 ,the 8rules10 too1 were overhauled1 8to make them milder1 without altering their nature1 so that it cannot be difficult or irksome for any person of good will to obey them40 ,this1 then1 represents the whole book legislation of the ,church4 ,there are no other documents1 except the decrees by which1 as occasion demanded1 individual books were forbidden4 ,the encyclical of ,pius ,x on ,modernism merely enjoins on the bishops special vigilance in regard to publications infected with modernistic views4 ,this universal legislation1 however1 does not preclude the local prohibition of books by bishops or other ecclesiastical authorities4 ,thus ,spain had1 until #ahbj1 its own ,index1 controlled by the ,spanish ,inquisition4 #e4 ,books ,forbidden by ,general or ,particular ,decrees4 ,as we have already mentioned1 the ,constitution 8,officiorum ac munerum0 establishes the general laws by which books are forbidden4 ,as will be seen in our ,summary1 these laws deal with classes of books4 ,the only one named expressly is the ,bible4 ,but all the books clearly contained in these classes are as strictly1 and sometimes even more strictly1 condemned than those listed singly in the second part of the ,index4 ,pope ,leo changed the ,tridentine rules 8without altering their nature40 ,it is1 indeed1 difficult to see how the nature of these regulations could have been changed4 ,they simply express the point of view from which the ,church must look upon objectionable publications4 ,while opposing and condemning spoken error1 the ,church surely cannot allow full sway to the printed4 ,in regard to the second part1 or ,index proper1 many wrong notions are current4 ,one of these is1 that this ,index contains all the books forbidden by the ,church1 and that there are no others which we are obliged to avoid4 ,from the foregoing remarks1 it must1 on the contrary1 be concluded that there are many other books forbidden by the laws of the ,church4 ,the worst of them are not in this special ,index at all1 because they fall under the general decrees4 ,it is by no means the intention of the ,roman authorities to catalogue all the literary virus that has been vomited forth by printing presses all over the world in the course of four and a half centuries4 ,by means of the general laws laid down in the 8,officiorum ac munerum0 we are in all cases able to see our duty4 ,there are especially two purposes for which books are prohibited separately and by name4 ,whenever there is a doubt about the nature of a book1 recourse may be had to ,rome2 sometimes the ,roman authorities appointed for this purpose1 will take up the matter without being appealed to4 ,they will investigate and decide by putting the book on the ,index1 or1 by dismissing it4 ,this is the case with most books publicly censured4 ,it was the case with the books of ,schell and ,loisy1 which1 it was strongly urged by learned men1 propagated ideas contrary1 or at least dangerous1 to the faith1 though a host of followers admired them as orthodox masterpieces4 ,rome had to speak1 and settled the controversy by condemning the books in question4 ,dismissal does not always mean that a book is unobjectionable4 ,the authorities may refrain from pronouncing deserved condemnation for reasons of prudence and expediency4 ,sometimes the preservation of discipline or religious unity necessitates this step4 ,thus about two hundred years ago the ,pope had imposed silence on two factions that were carrying on a theological feud4 ,this silence was violated on both sides1 a book appearing for the defence of either position4 ,what was more natural than that both books should be put on the ,index8 ,these and similar cases could not be covered so clearly by the general decrees4 ,what has thus far been said1 offers a partial solution of another current error4 ,the ,index is not a studiously selected1 not even a systematically arranged catalogue of objectionable books4 ,it was the need of the moment1 doctrinal blunders1 cavillations and heresies1 grievous trespasses against discipline and charity1 proceeding from animosity or want of tact1 that caused the insertion of most of the books4 ,in nearly all cases the ,roman authorities confine themselves to books concerning which they are appealed to2 and as there is no system in the making of these appeals1 there can be no system in the condemnations4 ,in the new ,leonine edition of the ,index the books are enumerated alphabetically by authors or pseudonyms2 anonymous books are listed according to titles4 ,it must now be obvious to the attentive reader why most of the books put on the ,index are works on theology1 or on the history and government of the ,church1 and why 7as may be expected in the case of such publications71 a considerable percentage are written in ,latin4 ,however1 a goodly number of books are on the ,index because they are detrimental to good morals4 ,there are very few there which treat of the natural sciences4 ,the ,index will not busy itself with publications on electricity or ,x-rays1 unless an author on a subject of this sort devote a considerable part of his work to attacks upon religion4 ,there are some well-meaning people who1 while agreeing that the productions of ,zola1 ,dumas and other writers of the same sort1 fully deserve condemnation1 cannot understand why works like ,ranke's ,history of the ,popes1 which is an acknowledged authority in its line1 should be proscribed4 ,such works are not on the ,index for the good things they contain1 but for the poison they mix with the wholesome food so cleverly that it takes more than ordinary scholarship and discretion to separate the one from the other4 ,the ,roman ,committee of ,cardinals1 which has charge of this part of ecclesiastical discipline1 is not at all bent on proscribing books4 ,works like the one mentioned are never put on the ,index unless it is quite clear that the mischief to be feared from them will far outweigh the good they may do4 ,scholars and students well grounded in their faith1 who have a real and legitimate cause for reading a forbidden book can easily obtain a dispensation4 ,it is clear from the preceding explanations that a book may sometimes be dropped from the ,index4 ,this is done when a book has long ceased to be dangerous1 or a cause of dissension1 or if it has fallen into oblivion4 ,thus ,pope ,leo ,,xiii caused to be expunged about a thousand titles4 ,this does not imply a reproach for the authorities of former centuries1 much less the giving up of an iota of the old principles4 #f4 ,duties ,imposed by ,law and by ,nature4 ,suppose a person were so well grounded in faith and virtue1 so thoroughly versed in theology1 philosophy1 and the natural sciences1 that the reading of books e4 g4 on ,christian ,science1 or the works of ,voltaire1 would not harm him4 ,the ,index prohibits these books2 would he whom they could not harm be allowed to read them8 ,as we put the case1 he would1 by reading them1 not commit the sin of seriously endangering his soul4 ,yet he would sin by disregarding a positive law of the ,church4 ,these laws are like the precautionary measures taken by the civil authorities in times of epidemic2 if they are to have the desired effect1 they must be observed by all4 ,when the community is under quarantine1 those who declare themselves free from the disease must observe the regulations as well as the rest4 ,let those who think they have a good reason for reading a forbidden book1 and who are not mistaken in supposing that there is no danger for them1 humbly ask for permission1 as did the ,saints4 ,by doing so they declare that the standpoint of the ,church is theirs1 and that they willingly submit to a power which was entrusted with the care of 8teaching to observe whatsoever ,i have commanded you40 8,we have to develop a loving habit of loyalty and obedience to the ,church as to ,christ1 our ,savior40 ,suppose1 on the other hand1 there were no ,church laws prohibiting pernicious reading4 ,in that case should we be allowed to read any book we pleased8 ,by no means4 ,we should then1 it is true1 by reading1 e4 g41 ,zola's novels1 not commit an act of disobedience to the ,church4 ,but1 as already hinted1 there is another duty imposed on us by ,god ,himself--the grave duty to guard our soul from serious danger4 ,this duty does not depend on any positive law or decree of authority1 and it equally binds the ,christian and the non-,christian4 ,it is expressed in the fifth commandment3 8,thou shalt not kill40 ,this duty corresponds on our part to what we ask of ,god in the sixth petition of the ,our ,father3 8,lead us not into temptation40 ,we should undoubtedly violate it by reading ,zola's filthy works4 ,the prohibition of these works by the ,church merely adds another obligation to that imposed by the natural law1 thereby considerably strengthening our will and enabling us to resist every enticement to read what can be read only at a serious risk to our soul4 ,this grave duty1 therefore1 is not imposed by the ,church and cannot be taken away by the ,church4 ,it is a natural duty and as such remains in force even after we are granted a formal permission1 which is neither intended nor able to suppress temptations that may arise from the perusal of bad books4 ,if we have a good reason to apply for permission--curiosity is not a good reason--then and then only can we expect a special protection from ,divine ,providence4 ,of course1 this protection does not dispense us from the necessity of using all the means of self-protection1 both natural and supernatural4 ,i know of a priest who was in every way a model man4 ,he fell suddenly away from the ,church1 married1 and is now a foremost champion in the ranks of the enemy4 ,his apostasy is1 not without reason1 attributed to the reading of infidel books1 though no doubt he had the necessary dispensation4 ,there was another priest1 who has meanwhile died the death of the just1 a celebrated author and art critic4 ,in writing a work on ,voltaire he had to study the books of that arch-agnostic4 ,he obtained the requisite permission1 but1 while perusing ,voltaire's writings1 he was on his knees1 to implore1 as it were1 by this humble posture the protection of ,god against the wicked influence to which he was exposed4 ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1 the great and learned ,bishop of ,geneva1 had obtained permission to read the books of heretics in order to refute them1 and he is careful to let his readers know the fact1 at the same time thanking ,god in pathetic words that his soul had suffered no harm in so great a danger4 ,this grave natural duty in the choice of our reading matter extends much farther than the legislation of the ,church4 ,parents and priests do not comply with their obligation of controlling the reading of their charges if they merely look up the ,index to see whether a certain book is mentioned there4 ,if an otherwise unobjectionable book contains an obscene passage of a page or so1 no one will claim that it falls under the general law prohibiting obscene books4 ,nor is it likely to be put on the ,index4 ,yet such a book is apt to work havoc in the innocent soul of your daughter or son1 perhaps in your own4 ,as long as that passage is in it1 the book--even though it is not on the ,index--cannot and must not1 under pain of sin1 be allowed in the hands of children4 ,would that this twofold duty were always faithfully complied with1 especially in our large cities1 where books of every sort are within easy reach4 ,do not many1 perhaps all1 public libraries offer among other books such as are 8derogatory to the ,church1 the hierarchy1 the religious state10 and especially novels which 8defend as lawful or tolerable1 freemasonry1 suicide1 divorce08 ,how can we expect our young people to have ,catholic views on courtship and marriage1 on the priesthood1 on the veneration of the saints1 if we allow them to imbibe the ideas of such writers as ,balzac or ,dumas8 ,it is deplorable enough that the modern novel is the catechism of millions outside of the ,church4 ,we must not allow it to displace the ,catholic catechism or to unteach1 totally or in part1 the truths taught by it4 #g4 ,who ,puts ,books ,on ,the ,index8 ,the popes have at all times exercised the prerogative of their supreme office as guardians of the faith by condemning books opposed to the faith4 ,the latest of such condemnations is that1 in #ahfb1 of the works of the ,munich professor1 ,frohschammer1 who answered this condemnation by falling away from the ,church4 ,there are in all #add books that were individually proscribed by a papal document4 ,in ,pope ,leo's edition they are marked with a dagger4 ,yet only in cases of the utmost importance did the popes act themselves4 ,to facilitate the government of the world-wide ,church1 in the course of centuries special committees of cardinals were appointed1 to whom part of the pontiff's various duties were entrusted4 ,these committees are styled ,congregations4 ,a larger or smaller number of learned priests and bishops1 generally called ,consultors1 assist the cardinals and practically do the greater part of the work1 though the final decision in all cases is reserved to the cardinals4 ,the highest of these ,roman ,congregations is the ,sacrum ,officium or 8,general ,inquisition10 called also the 8,congregation of the ,holy ,office10 of which the ,pope himself is ,prefect4 ,its purpose is especially to watch over the purity of faith4 ,it is this august body that1 after the ,pope himself1 is in the first place called to judge the doctrines propounded in any book4 ,it was this ,congregation that performed the preparatory work for the first ,index of ,paul ,,iv1 and1 although another congregation for the examining of books was soon after established1 the ,sacrum ,officium continued to exercise the same power4 ,as may be expected1 especially such works as seemed to affect the integrity of the faith1 were submitted to this supreme court4 ,in our days the works of the ,french priest ,loisy were proscribed by the ,sacrum ,officium4 ,but the bulk of this work is at present performed by the ,congregatio ,indicis librorum prohibitorum1 or 8,congregation of the ,index of ,forbidden ,books40 ,it was founded by ,saint ,pius ,v in #aega1 seven years after the publication of the ,tridentine ,index4 ,since then about eighty per cent4 of all individual prohibitions of books have emanated from it4 ,its ,prefect is a cardinal4 ,the present one is ,cardinal ,segna4 ,the perpetual assistant and secretary are always members of the ,dominican order4 ,besides the seven or ten cardinals there are about thirty consultors1 many of whom are bishops4 ,though three or four prohibitions of books have emanated from other ,roman authorities1 the practice has been to let either the ,sacrum ,officium or the ,congregation of the ,index decide in all cases4 ,the latter ,congregation1 moreover1 had to register all condemnations pronounced by any of the legitimate authorities and to see that they were entered in the new editions of the ,index4 ,our present ,holy ,father1 ,pius ,x1 has lately brought about a long desired reform in the central government of the ,church4 ,the competency of many of the ,roman ,congregations has been more clearly defined1 and several of those originally instituted have been either suppressed or united with others4 ,the ,congregation of the ,index has received a wider sphere and greater power4 ,while formerly it passed only on books in regard to which it was expressly appealed to1 it has now become a regular vigilance committee for the whole ,church4 ,the ,holy ,father says3 8,for the future it shall be the province of this ,sacred ,congregation not only to examine diligently the books reported to it1 to prohibit them1 if this should seem well1 and to concede dispensations2 but also to officially investigate in the best available way whether writings of any kind that should be condemned are being circulated2 and to remind the ordinaries how strictly they are bound to condemn pernicious writings and to denounce them to the ,holy ,see40 ,on the relation of the ,congregation of the ,index to that of the ,sacrum ,officium 7,holy ,office7 the ,pope says3 8,as the prohibition of books has very frequently the scope of defense of the ,faith1 which is also the object of the ,congregation of the ,holy ,office1 we decree that in future in all things relating to the prohibition of books1 and in those alone1 the ,cardinals1 ,consultors and officers of both congregations1 may communicate with one another1 and that all of them shall be bound by the same secret40 ,the ,roman ,congregations are not infallible4 ,but they represent the ,pope in his highest capacity as shepherd of the entire flock of ,christ4 ,therefore we owe them obedience4 ,their regulations and orders must find us even more willing to obey than those of our bishops and pastors1 to whom only a small portion of ,christ's kingdom is entrusted4 #h4 ,the ,method of ,examination4 ,our confidence in the fairness of the verdicts of the ,s4 ,congregation of the ,index will be much increased1 if we acquaint ourselves with the method it follows in carrying out its arduous1 odious and yet very important task4 ,this method is practically the same for both the ,holy ,office and the ,index4 ,the usual procedure is based mainly on the regulations laid down in the ,bull of ,pope ,benedict ,,xiv1 8,sollicita ac provida40 ,when a book is reported to the ,index ,congregation1 the secretary first tries to ascertain whether it is worth examining4 ,he also inquires by letter from bishops and other reliable persons about the advisability of a condemnation4 ,several consultors assist him in this preliminary investigation2 but the ,cardinal ,prefect has to ratify their decision4 ,if they think the book should be examined1 it is handed to a consultor1 who has to study it carefully and to draw up a detailed report1 noting exactly the passages which he finds objectionable1 and conscientiously pointing out all redeeming features4 ,his report together with the book is passed on to other consultors1 each of whom can thus satisfy himself whether the first 8examiner's0 verdict is fair1 and has also an opportunity to formulate his own view4 ,one question they have to answer is1 whether the condemnation is likely to have a good effect4 ,after comparing the opinions of the consultors1 the secretary of the ,congregation draws up an official statement of the reasons for and against a prohibition1 which statement together with the book is submitted to the ,cardinal ,prefect1 by whose orders it is printed and a copy sent to each cardinal and consultor of the ,congregation4 ,next a preparatory meeting of the consultors is called for a previous discussion4 ,the consultor who examined the book speaks first1 then all the others1 beginning with the youngest4 ,the secretary carefully records the views of each consultor1 together with his reasons4 ,at least ten days must elapse between this meeting and the solemn session of the whole ,congregation1 in which the question is finally decided by a vote of the cardinals4 ,the decision arrived at is commonly given in one of these four technical phrases3 ,damnetur1 8condemned02 dimittatur1 8dismissed02 donec corrigatur1 8forbidden until amended02 res dilata1 8the case is postponed40 ,the verdict donec corrigatur of course1 can only be given when a book admits of correction2 when it is thoroughly bad 7e4 g4 written for the sole purpose of eulogizing ,freemasonry or maligning ,catholic bishops71 a donec corrigatur would have no meaning4 ,finally1 the secretary of the ,congregation lays the whole matter before the ,pope1 who1 if he sees fit1 authorizes the publication of the decree4 ,nobody will deny that this is a very excellent method of procedure4 ,under it a book is examined at least three times1 and twenty-five or thirty picked scholars participate in the proceedings1 each of whom has taken a solemn oath never to allow himself to be influenced by sympathy or antipathy and to have nothing in view but the eternal welfare of souls4 ,if the author is a ,catholic1 he must be informed before the decree is published4 ,if but a few copies of the book have been sold1 and the author promises either to suppress it1 or to issue an amended edition1 if possible1 the decree is not published4 ,but even when this cannot be prevented1 e4 g4 when a whole edition is already in circulation1 credit is given to the author in the decree itself for declaring his submission1 by adding the words3 auctor laudabiliter se subjecit1 8the author has praiseworthily submitted40 ,great care is taken to have all books examined by men who are not only well versed in the subject matter1 but who also understand thoroughly the language in which they happen to be written4 ,nor does the ,congregation in important cases confine itself to its regular consultors2 whenever it seems advisable1 the services of other competent critics are enlisted4 ,all the members of the ,congregation are bound by oath to keep absolute secrecy with regard to every detail of the official transactions1 no matter whether a book under discussion is finally condemned or not4 ,by this means each feels more free in giving his opinion1 and the reputation of the author is spared as long and as much as possible4 #i4 ,the ,spirit of the ,congregation of the ,index4 ,as to the spirit that should actuate the members of the ,congregation of the ,index1 the rules laid down for its consultors by ,benedict ,,xiv in the ,bull 8,sollicita ac provida0 are instructive4 8,ipsos 444 monemus ac vehementer hortamur ut in examine iudicioque librorum sequentes regulas diligenter inspiciant accurateque custodiant40 8,we wish to admonish and exhort them most urgently to study carefully and observe accurately the following rules for examining and judging books3 #a4 ,let them not imagine that it is their duty to use every means to bring about the condemnation of the books submitted to them4 ,they ought rather to study such books conscientiously1 without passion or anxiety 7sedato animo71 in order to furnish such well-found observations1 such objective reasons1 as will enable the ,congregation to pass a just verdict4 #b4 ,should a consultor find that he is not competent to judge a book which he is asked to examine1 let him know that he will not be free from guilt1 either before ,god or man1 unless he at once confesses his incompetence4 ,far from damaging his reputation with the pope or the cardinals1 such an avowal will rather gain their esteem and praise for his straightforwardness and honesty4 #c4 ,let them set aside absolutely all prejudice in favor of nation1 family1 school or order2 let them relinquish all party spirit1 and keep before their minds the undoubted doctrine of the ,church1 as laid down in the decrees of the councils1 in papal documents1 etc41 knowing that there are opinions that1 while they seem certain to one nation1 school1 or order1 are1 with the knowledge of the ,holy ,see1 opposed by others2 the ,holy ,see leaving all these opinions in their degree of probability4 #d4 ,it must also be borne in mind that it is impossible to judge fairly the meaning of a passage1 unless the entire book is studied1 and unless the various statements found in different sections are compared with one another1 and the whole purpose of the book is steadily kept in view4 #e4 ,if an author who enjoys the reputation of sound theological learning1 has used expressions which might be understood in a wrong as well as in a right meaning1 fairness demands that they be1 as far as possible1 interpreted in his favor4 ,these and similar rules 444 must be kept before the minds of the consultors1 in order that they may have due regard for their own conscience1 the good name of authors1 the interests of the ,church1 and the welfare of souls40 #aj4 ,further ,explanations4 ,a4 ,why an ,author is ,not ,permitted to ,defend ,his ,book4 ,if an author could accompany every copy of his work that leaves the bookstore or library1 he would be able to explain obscure passages and to show what meaning he wished doubtful phrases to convey to the reader4 ,it is precisely because he cannot multiply himself that he employs printer's ink to convey his ideas to others4 ,it must1 therefore1 be supposed that his words mean what he intends to say4 ,the reader1 at any rate1 has no corrective4 ,he has only the book1 not the author to fall back upon4 ,it is impossible to recur to the author when there is question of the correctness or incorrectness of a book4 ,if the author has to be called upon to explain the meaning of his book1 he should have left it unprinted4 ,moreover1 it is hardly credible1 as ,pope ,benedict ,,xiv points out1 that anything an author might advance in his favor1 should escape so many examiners without receiving due attention and emphasis4 ,the whole procedure is primarily not intended as a measure against the author1 although pecuniary loss may ensue1 but to protect the faithful4 ,a condemnation is rather a warning to the would-be reader1 than a punishment inflicted upon the author4 ,it is not an act of jurisdiction4 ,were the author's personal views under investigation1 he would be summoned personally before another tribunal and tried according to a method that would give him the amplest opportunity to defend himself4 ,these considerations also show that the condemnation of a book after its author's death is not unreasonable4 ,a book remains what it is independently of its author4 ,nor would it change the nature of a book were the author afterwards to prove his orthodoxy to the satisfaction of the authorities1 or to do penance in sackcloth and ashes1 or for the rest of his mortal life consort with the ,trappists4 ,were it morally certain1 however1 that almost all the copies of a book were destroyed1 a prohibitory decree would fail of its purpose4 ,b4 ,the ,index ,does ,not ,advertise ,bad ,books4 ,now and then there is expressed an apprehension lest the ,index1 far from suppressing1 rather advertises bad books and arouses a desire to read them4 ,it is even maintained that in some cases evil-minded authors have intentionally written so as to get their books put on the ,index4 ,now1 every prohibitory law may have the effect of increasing the inclination of men towards the prohibited thing or act4 ,thus a person may possibly feel a stronger appetite for meat on ,friday than on any other day of the week4 ,we have inherited this tendency from ,eve1 who1 when tempted1 saw that the forbidden fruit 8was good to eat and fair to the eye and delightful to behold10 and then proceeded to violate the first prohibitory law ever given4 ,but is that a reason to do away with every prohibitory law8 ,who does not see at once that the ,index must prove a very poor advertising medium8 ,those who have it are certainly not the prospective buyers of immoral novels or of works which propagate heretical views in theology2 while those who hanker after sensationalism or doubtful theology will not invest #b4be for a book list which contains1 e4 g4 for the year #ahih1 fully eight titles1 four of which are ,german1 and for #aijc fifteen1 all ,french4 ,this side of the question1 as we have remarked elsewhere1 is also in each case carefully weighed by the ,sacred ,congregation1 before it resolves upon a prohibition4 ,even if the sale of a book should be increased by the fact of its condemnation1 the ,index would nevertheless achieve its main purpose1 namely1 to warn the faithful that the ideas advocated in the proscribed book are contrary to faith and morals4 ,this is enough for all men of good will to enable them to shun the poison4 ,those who refuse to heed the warning will have to blame their own ignorance or malice if the reading of a condemned book results in spiritual hurt4 ,c4 ,index ,decisions ,not ,omitted for ,fear of ,apostasies4 ,a book1 we are reminded1 often represents the opinions not only of its author1 but of many of his disciples and admirers4 ,by forbidding it and thus branding such opinions as erroneous1 it is said1 many influential men may become embittered and may even be driven into an attitude of open hostility4 ,however1 the ,church is in duty bound to exercise her guardianship2 which she cannot do if every one is to have his own way4 ,nor can the ,church neglect the mass of her children in order to accommodate this or that coterie or school1 whose opinions are manifestly wrong4 ,moreover1 to be a trustworthy guide1 the ,church must state the truth clearly and unmistakably4 ,the faithful are not guided by ambiguous circumlocutions1 by terms that may be understood in two or perhaps more ways4 ,neither may she keep exclusively in the lofty heights of theory2 but she must instruct with regard to the facts of everyday life4 ,the dangers arising from books are concrete not abstract1 and they must be met by concrete measures4 ,this can be done effectively only by an energetic and unmistakable 8thou shalt not10 which makes men realize that they are 8under authority40 ,no one has ever stated the truth more clearly1 more unmistakably than ,christ our ,lord4 ,was it not precisely for this very fact that 8many of ,his disciples went back and walked no more with ,him08 7,john #f1 #fg47 ,d4 ,the 8,good ,catholic40 8,i am a ,catholic4 ,i live up to my religion and go regularly to the sacraments4 ,i have had a good ,catholic education and hear a sermon every ,sunday4 ,i do not see why ,i should be afraid to read any book1 even if it belonged to those forbidden by the ,index40 ,you may do so2 but you may fare in consequence as ,david fared--,david who was a saint and yet committed adultery and murder4 ,if you read a forbidden book without permission1 you are as good a ,catholic as one who eats meat on ,friday4 ,the object of the law of abstinence is to make sure that every ,christian performs at least a certain minimum of penance4 ,now there are saintly persons who1 in imitation of our crucified ,savior1 do more penance on ordinary days than the average ,catholic does by abstaining from meat on twenty or more ,fridays2 and yet they are not exempted from the law of abstinence and would be the last to claim such an exemption4 ,similarly the object of the ,index is to make sure that every ,christian avoids at least the worst books4 ,by obeying its laws we declare that our standpoint is that of the ,church of ,god4 ,this result cannot be obtained unless the prohibition is made universal1 exempting no one1 no matter how pious or learned he may be4 ,therefore1 all ,christians1 good and bad1 priests1 religious and lay people1 students and professors1 unless they have a dispensation1 are bound by the ecclesiastical laws regarding books4 ,by asking for a dispensation we implicitly acknowledge and approve of the official position of the ,church on the subject of wicked books1 and1 so far as in us lies1 ratify and sanction the reasons which lead to their condemnation4 ,you say you are a good ,catholic1 and therefore this law does not bind you4 ,are there any commandments of the ,church that bind only bad ,catholics8 ,e4 ,a ,mortal ,sin4 8,i am told that a transgression of the ,index law is a mortal sin4 ,can it be true that the ,church1 the kindest of mothers1 should load us down with such a severe obligation80 ,according to the theologians1 the reading of a forbidden book1 or of a considerable part of it1 is a mortal sin4 ,the selection of the books on which our souls feed is a matter of no small importance4 ,true1 the ,church is the kindest of mothers2 but she is also the wisest4 ,to direct the consciences of her children and 8to restrain them from the reading of bad books as from a deadly poison10 is the great object of her legislation4 ,under the leadership of a mastermind like that of ,leo ,,xiii1 the ,roman authorities have labored for years in formulating the present ecclesiastical laws about books4 ,these laws are the voice of the supreme pastor1 the successor of ,st4 ,peter4 ,let us not spurn it like the heathen and the publican4 ,f4 ,the ,galileo ,case4 ,the ,roman ,congregations are no more infallible than our bishops and pastors4 ,and yet there is practically but one case1 during more than three centuries1 in which they are accused of having made a mistake4 ,it is the condemnation1 by both the ,holy ,office and the ,index1 of ,galileo ,galilei ,linceo 7died #afci7 for defending the theory that the earth moves around its own axis and around the sun4 ,this teaching was according to the common belief of ,catholics and ,protestants1 at that time1 clearly opposed to ,holy ,scripture1 which the ,church was bound to vindicate4 ,if ,galileo's theory was true1 the traditional interpretation of sundry ,bible texts would have had to be abandoned4 ,the ,church had weighty reasons for not allowing this4 ,the new theory was not at all certain4 ,galileo himself admitted he could not establish more than a probability4 ,several very obvious objections he was unable to explain satisfactorily4 ,none of the real proofs used in our days were known to him4 ,he was told by the ,jesuit ,cardinal ,bellarmin1 if he could advance any convincing proof for his theory1 the traditional interpretation of those passages would be given up4 ,but all ,galileo had to offer was an ingenious hypothesis4 ,had he advocated it as such with due respect for the time-honored interpretation of the ,book of ,books1 had he not used bold1 sometimes bitter and defying language1 no steps would have been taken against him1 who had until then been a favorite of the pope and of many dignitaries4 ,as matters stood1 8the ,church could wait for the education of a physical system1 but she could not allow a change in the universally accepted interpretation of ,scripture1 before the necessity of such a change was proved40 7,guggenberger1 ,history of the ,christian ,era4 ,vol4 ,,ii1 pp4 #def1 etc47 8,the marvelous unanimity of the enemies of the ,church in concentrating all their attacks against the ,roman ,congregation on the case of ,galileo1 is a striking negative testimony to the value of the decisions of courts which have been at work for centuries40 7,rome47 ,g4 ,state and ,protestant ,book ,laws4 ,as we have already remarked1 ,henry ,,viii continued his policy of proscribing books opposed to his views long after he had constituted himself the head of the ,english ,church4 ,between #aebf and #aedf there were issued by the ,king's authority nine catalogues of books which ,englishmen were forbidden to read4 ,among these books were the works of the continental 8reformers02 for some years the ,english ,bible2 also writings against the ,king's matrimonial projects4 ,the ,protestants on the continent followed the same system4 ,calvin condemned a ,spanish physician1 who happened to come to ,geneva1 to be burned at the stake1 because he had written a heretical book4 ,the ,protestant princes and republics had each its special book-legislation1 which was made to serve not only religious but also political purposes4 ,after the middle of the eighteenth century1 in almost all ,catholic countries1 the civil power usurped the monopoly of proscribing books1 and practiced it in a truly despotic way4 ,thus in ,austria #fci books were forbidden within five years4 ,no book was allowed to be printed without previous permission1 not even on forestry or cattle-raising4 ,bishops were severely reproved for enforcing the prohibitions of the ,roman ,index in their seminaries4 ,napoleon ,i had a publisher shot1 practically without trial1 for issuing a work contrary to his political plans4 ,one book was publicly burned because it contained the picture of ,pius ,,vii4 ,to enable the authorities to control the book trade more effectively1 no printing establishment was allowed to have1 in ,paris more than four1 and in the provinces more than two1 presses4 ,needless to remark1 the civil authorities have the right to prohibit books that seriously endanger the common welfare4 ,if they use this right in a reasonable way1 their measures are likely to bring about good and prevent evil4 ,we all have occasional opportunities to observe this in the measures taken against immoral literature by the police or the post-office department4 ,h4 ,some ,examples of ,submission to the ,index4 ,the first ,roman ,index1 that of #aeei1 was considered rather severe4 ,one of the influential men who tried hard to have its provisions softened1 was ,blessed ,peter ,canisius1 the 8,second ,apostle of ,germany40 ,yet the very letters he wrote to ,rome for this purpose show that he scrupulously observed all the regulations1 though he himself1 called the 8,hammer of ,heretics10 surely incurred little personal risk by reading forbidden books4 ,about #afih1 a book by ,archbishop ,fnelon was under investigation at ,rome4 ,fnelon was a great scholar and one of the greatest preachers of all centuries1 but he was also a loyal son of the ,church4 ,he knew a condemnation of his book would mean his own condemnation in the eyes of ,catholic ,france4 ,his friends as well as his antagonists were eagerly awaiting ,rome's decision on one of the great churchman's books4 ,at last the verdict was pronounced in the most solemn way by the ,pope himself1 and it was a condemnation4 ,fnelon was just ascending his pulpit1 ,march #be1 #afii1 when his brother broke the news to him4 ,the great ,archbishop at once proceeded to read to his own flock the papal document and preached an eloquent sermon on the obedience every ,christian owes to his superiors4 ,we can imagine what a profound impression his words must have made4 ,his was a truly heroic example of self-abnegation4 ,in #ahfa there died in ,munich ,ernest von ,lasaulx1 a famous professor of the ,university4 ,in his writings he had now and then been very bold1 and it was rumored that the ,congregation of the ,index thought of censuring some of his books4 ,von ,lasaulx knew this4 ,a few weeks before his death he made an implicit retraction of the errors he might have involuntarily committed1 which was forwarded to ,rome by his friends4 ,already some years before he had declared that he had never intended to contravene the doctrine of the ,church1 but that he feared there were many errors in his books4 8,if ,rome would think it advisable to put my books on the ,index1 ,i should consider the verdict perfectly just1 since ,i firmly believe that such measures are truly in the interest of the ,catholic ,church in our times40 ,four of his books were really condemned after his death4 ,in ,july1 #aijf1 an ,italian novel1 ,il ,santo1 7,the ,saint7 by ,fogazzaro1 was put on the ,index4 ,the author 8submitted himself40 ,an ,american edition of the book had meanwhile appeared2 8but the prohibition by the ,roman authorities was duly respected by the publishers of the leading ,catholic papers of ,america1 which declined to accept advertisements of the book40 7,putnam47 ,,section ,,ii ,a ,,summary ,,of ,,the ,,index #a4 ,our ,duties in ,relation to ,forbidden ,books4 ,,rule #a4 ,we are not allowed to read forbidden books1 nor any considerable portion of them1 even if those portions be in themselves harmless4 ,if1 however1 a book is forbidden merely on account of the one or other objectionable passage it contains1 the objection ceases as soon as these passages are expunged or rendered illegible4 ,,rule #b4 ,no one1 whether he be the owner or not1 is allowed to keep a forbidden book4 ,he must either destroy it1 or give or sell it to some one who has permission1 or he must obtain permission for himself4 ,,rule #c4 ,it is not lawful for a ,catholic publisher or printer to issue1 or print1 or reprint forbidden books4 ,nor may a bookseller keep such books in stock1 unless he has obtained formal leave to do so4 ,note #a4 ,although all the members of a ,catholic family should endeavor to keep forbidden books out of the home1 the head of the household is chiefly responsible before ,god4 ,it is to be remarked1 however1 that ,catholic librarians or servants do not violate this law by keeping1 handling1 or cataloguing forbidden books for their employers1 e4 g4 in the latter's house1 or in a public library4 ,note #b4 ,if a book or any particular issue of a forbidden periodical calls for a speedy public refutation1 and if permission to peruse it cannot be waited for1 any educated ,catholic1 who may be reasonably presumed to be competent to refute it by sermon1 lecture or newspaper article1 may read such book or periodical without awaiting special permission4 ,note #c4 ,in all other cases1 each and every ,catholic1 be he priest or layman1 professor or student1 must first obtain permission4 ,neither piety1 nor learning1 nor position exempts one from this law4 ,the permission is granted by bishops and their vicars general1 who can also delegate this power to others4 ,when asking for this permission the applicant should mention the book which he thinks he has good reasons to read4 ,the juridical question1 whether the bishop's faculty is ordinaria1 or quasi-ordinaria1 or extra-ordinaria1 and how far it extends1 is not within the scope of this ,summary4 ,note #d4 ,all who are dispensed from the ,church law regarding forbidden books1 must apply every possible precaution1 in order that they may not suffer injury to their faith or purity of heart4 ,such precautions are3 the hearing of sermons1 the reading of ,catholic books1 the frequenting of ,catholic society1 regular prayers1 and the frequent and humble reception of the sacraments4 #b4 ,forbidden ,books4 ,,rule #d4 ,general ,rule4--,translations of a forbidden book into any language1 if they faithfully reproduce the original1 are also forbidden4 ,a4 ,the ,general ,decrees ,prohibit the ,following ,publications4 ,,rule #e1 a4 ,books defending heresies1 i4 e4 doctrines contrary to divine revelation4 b4 ,books derogatory to ,god1 the ,blessed ,virgin1 the ,saints4 c4 ,books vilifying the sacraments1 the clerical or religious state1 the hierarchy1 the ,church4 ,,rule #f4 ,books professedly treating of1 narrating or teaching lewdness and obscenity4 ,,rule #g4 ,books teaching or recommending sorcery1 ,spiritism1 ,christian ,science1 or other superstitions4 ,,rule #h4 ,books defending as lawful or harmless ,freemasonry1 divorce1 ,socialism1 suicide1 duelling4 ,,rule #i4 ,those newspapers and periodicals which1 not only now and then1 but regularly and of set purpose1 attack religion or morality1 or propagate anti-,catholic views4 ,,rule #aj4 ,episcopal approbation1 to be printed in the beginning or at the end of the book1 is required for all editions of the ,bible or parts of the ,bible in any language1 likewise for all prayer books1 books of devotion and of practical piety4 ,without episcopal authorization such publications are forbidden1 though they may have been issued by the most learned and pious men4 ,note #a4 ,leaflets which are so small that they cannot be called books1 or even booklets or pamphlets1 do not fall under this law4 ,but if they are not approved by the bishop1 the duty of making sure that they contain nothing erroneous devolves upon those who use them4 ,summaries of indulgences1 however1 no matter how small1 always need episcopal approbation and may not be circulated without it4 ,note #b4 ,all editions of the ,bible1 edited by non-,catholics1 in ancient as well as modern languages1 are permitted to those1 and those only1 who are engaged in serious theological or biblical studies1 provided1 however1 that the ,,prolegomena ,,and ,,annotations do not of set purpose impugn the ,catholic faith4 ,it is not enough that the text itself is faithfully and completely rendered4 ,note #c4 ,an exception has also been made in favor of those classics1 ancient and modern1 which on account of their obscenity fall under rule #f4 ,in as far as they are models of style they may be read by persons engaged in teaching university or higher college classes of literature1 by those who are preparing for such a position in the near future1 and by those who1 on account of their profession1 e4 g4 as critics or authors of literary works1 cannot well do without them4 7,see note #d above47 99 99 99 99 99 ,whenever we know1 or discover while reading1 that a book undoubtedly belongs to any one of these classes1 we may be sure that it is a work which our ,holy ,mother the ,church does not wish to see in our hands1 and we must then act according to the words of ,christ3 8,he who heareth you1 heareth ,me1 and he who despiseth you despiseth ,me40 ,no need of first looking up the catalogue of forbidden books2 whether the volume in question is mentioned there or not1 makes no difference4 ,nor does it matter what the literary character of the book is4 ,an apparently learned history of the seizure of ,rome in #ahgj1 written with the obvious intention of maligning ,pius ,,ix1 is forbidden just as well as a novel written for the same purpose1 or the prayer book of some ,protestant sect4 ,b4 ,books ,forbidden by ,particular ,decrees4 ,the following list contains a number of titles which every ,english-speaking ,catholic ought to know4 ,all the books that have been put on the ,index during the last few years have been mentioned1 not so much for completeness' sake1 as because they contain the palmary error of our time1 namely3 ,modernism1 and among its doctrines especially the unchristian treatment of the ,bible4 ,none of these books are written in ,english4 ,but some have been and others may soon be translated4 ,their titles1 as well as those of most other foreign books1 are given in ,english4 ,addison1 ,jos4 ,remarks on ,several ,parts of ,italy4 ,bacon1 ,francis4 ,de dignitate et augmentis scientiarum4 7,on the ,dignity and ,increase of ,science47 ,balzac1 ,honor de4 ,all novels4 ,bentham1 ,jeremy4 ,three ,tracts1 etc4 ,deontology or the ,science of ,morality4 ,bingham1 ,jos4 ,origines ,ecclesiastic1 or ,the ,antiquities of the ,christian ,church4 ,blunt1 ,john ,james4 ,vestiges of ,ancient ,manners and ,customs1 etc4 ,bois1 ,jules4 ,satanism4 ,bruno1 ,giordano4 ,the ,conflict of ,religion1 ,morals and ,science in ,contemporary ,education4 ,bunsen1 ,christian ,chas4 ,j4 ,hippolytus and ,his ,age1 or ,the ,doctrine and ,practice of the ,church of ,rome under ,commodus and ,alexander ,severus1 etc4 ,bureau1 ,paul4 ,the ,moral ,crisis in ,modern ,times4 ,preface by ,m4 ,alfred ,croiset4 ,burgess1 ,richard4 ,lectures on the ,insufficiency of ,unrevealed ,religion4 ,cudworth1 ,ralph4 ,the ,true ,intellectual ,system of the ,universe1 etc4 ,darwin1 ,erasmus4 ,zonomia or the ,laws of ,organic ,life4 ,denis1 ,chas4 ,an ,apologetic ,lenten ,course on the ,fundamental ,dogmas1 #aijc4 ,church and ,state3 ,the ,lessons of the ,present ,hour1 #aijc4 ,descartes1 ,ren4 ,meditations on ,original ,philosophy4 ,dimnet1 ,ernest4 ,catholic ,thought in ,england4 ,dllinger1 ,john ,joseph ,ignatius4 ,the ,pope and the ,council4 ,janus4 ,draper1 ,john ,william4 ,history of the ,conflicts ,between ,religion and ,science4 ,duggan1 ,james4 ,steps towards ,reunion4 ,dumas1 ,alexander 7father and son74 ,all novels1 except ,the ,count of ,monte-cristo4 ,earle1 ,john ,chas4 ,the ,spiritual ,body4 ,the ,forty ,days1 or ,christ ,between ,his ,resurrection and ,ascension4 ,fnelon1 ,franois de ,salignac4 ,the ,principles of the ,saints4 ,ferrire1 mile4 ,the ,soul a ,function of the ,brain4 ,the ,apostles4 ,darwinism4 ,the ,scientific ,blunders of the ,bible4 ,matter and ,energy4 ,paganism of the ,hebrews4 ,life and ,soul4 ,the ,myths of the ,bible4 ,ffoulkes1 ,edmund ,s4 ,christendom's ,divisions4 ,the ,church's ,creed or the ,crown's ,creed4 ,fogazzaro1 ,antonio4 ,the ,saint 7a novel74 ,frohschammer1 ,jacob4 ,origin of the ,human ,soul4 ,introduction to ,philosophy4 ,on the ,liberty of ,science4 ,christianity and ,modern ,science4 ,the ,right of ,one's ,own ,conviction4 ,the ,new ,knowledge and the ,new ,faith4 ,georgel1 ,michl4 ,matter3 ,its ,deification1 ,its ,rehabilitation1 and ,its ,ultimate ,destiny4 ,gibbon1 ,edward4 ,history of the ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire4 ,goblet d',alviella1 ,eug4 ,the ,idea of ,god4 ,goldsmith1 ,oliver4 ,an ,abridged ,history of ,england ,from the ,invasion of ,julius ,csar to the ,death of ,george ,,ii4 ,graf1 ,arthur4 ,the ,devil4 ,gregorovius1 ,ferdinand4 ,history of the ,city of ,rome ,during the ,middle ,ages4 ,the ,sepulchral ,monuments of the ,popes4 ,urban ,,viii in ,opposition to ,spain and the ,emperor4 ,athenas3 ,the ,history of a ,byzantine ,empress4 ,wanderings in ,italy 7fifth volume71 ,scenes in ,apulia4 ,hallam1 ,henry4 ,the ,constitutional ,history of ,england1 etc4 ,view of the ,state of ,europe ,during the ,middle ,ages4 ,heine1 ,heinrich4 ,de l',allemagne4 ,de la ,france4 ,reisebilder4 ,neue ,gedichte4 ,hilaire de ,paris4 ,exposition of the ,rule of ,st4 ,francis4 ,hobbes1 ,thomas4 ,all works4 ,houtin1 ,albert4 ,the ,biblical ,question among the ,catholics of ,france in the ,,xix ,century4 ,the ,biblical ,question in the ,,xx ,century4 ,my ,troubles with ,my ,bishop4 ,americanism4 ,the ,crisis of the ,clergy4 ,hugo1 ,victor4 ,notre ,dame de ,paris4 ,les ,misrables4 ,hume1 ,david4 ,all works4 ,james ,i1 ,king of ,england4 ,basilikon dron 7,royal ,gift7 divided into three books4 ,triplici nodo triplex cuneus1 etc4 ,meditatio in ,orationem dominicam4 ,meditatio in caput ,,xxvii evangelii ,s4 ,matthali4 ,kant1 ,immanuel4 ,critique of ,pure ,reason4 ,laberthonnire1 ,lucien4 ,essays on ,religious ,philosophy4 ,christian ,realism and ,grecian ,idealism4 ,lacaze1 ,flix4 ,to ,lourdes with ,zola4 ,lang1 ,andrew4 ,myth1 ,ritual and ,religion4 ,lasserre1 ,henri4 ,the ,holy ,gospels4 ,lefranc1 ,e4 7pseudonym74 ,the ,conflicts of ,science and the ,bible4 ,le ,morin1 ,jean4 ,truths of ,yesterday8 ,lenau1 ,nicolaus4 ,die ,albigenser4 ,lenormant1 ,franois4 ,the ,beginnings of ,history4 ,le,roy1 ,edouard4 ,dogma and ,criticism4 ,locke1 ,john4 ,an ,essay ,concerning ,human ,understanding4 ,the ,reasonableness of ,christianity1 etc4 ,loisy1 ,alfred4 ,gospel ,studies4 ,the ,gospel and the ,church4 ,the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,apropos of a ,little ,book4 ,the ,religion of ,israel4 ,maurice1 ,frederick ,d4 ,theological ,essays4 ,mill1 ,john ,stuart4 ,principles of ,political ,economy4 ,milton1 ,john4 ,liter pseudo-senatus ,anglicani1 ,cromwellii reliquorumque perduellium nomine conscript4 ,mivart1 ,st4 ,george4 ,happiness in ,hell4 ,montesquieu1 ,chas4 de ,secondat de4 ,the ,spirit of the ,laws4 ,persian ,letters4 ,mller1 ,joseph4 ,reform ,catholicism4 ,negri1 ,ada4 ,fatalism4 ,olive1 ,jos4 ,letters to the ,members of the ,pious and ,devout ,society of the ,heart of ,jesus1 etc4 ,osborne1 ,francis4 ,miscellaneous ,works4 ,payot1 ,jules4 ,about ,faith4 ,before ,entering ,life4 ,program of ,modernism 7a reply to the encyclical74 ,planchet1 ,franc4 ,regis4 ,episcopal ,absolutism in the ,mexican ,republic4 ,pufendorf1 ,samuel von4 ,introduction to the ,history of the ,principal ,states of ,europe4 7,also four ,latin works47 ,quivreux1 ,camille4 ,paganism in the ,,xix ,century4 ,ranke1 ,leopold4 ,the ,roman ,popes3 ,their ,church and ,their ,state in the ,,xvi and ,,xvii ,centuries4 ,renan1 ,ernest4 ,practically all his works 7the ,index names nineteen74 ,renouf1 ,peter ,le,page4 ,the ,condemnation of ,pope ,honorius4 ,richardson1 ,samuel4 ,pamela1 or ,virtue ,rewarded4 ,robertson1 ,wm4 ,the ,history of the ,reign of the ,emperor ,charles ,v4 ,rohling1 ,august4 ,the ,kingdom of the ,future4 7,der ,zukunftsstaat47 ,roscoe1 ,william4 ,the ,life and ,pontificate of ,leo ,x4 ,rosmini-,serbati1 ,antonio4 ,the ,constitution according to ,social ,justice4 ,of the ,five ,wounds of ,holy ,church4 ,rousseau1 ,jean-,jacques4 ,emile1 or ,about ,education4 ,the ,social ,contract4 ,letter to ,christopher de ,beaumont1 ,archbishop of ,paris4 ,letters ,written from a ,mountain4 ,julia1 or the ,new ,helose4 ,sabatier1 ,paul4 ,life of ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi4 ,saintyves1 ,p4 ,the ,intellectual ,reform of the ,clergy and the ,freedom of ,education4 ,the ,saints as ,successors of the ,gods4 ,miracles and ,historical ,criticism4 ,miracles and ,scientific ,criticism4 ,sand1 ,george 7pseudonym74 ,all novels4 ,schell1 ,hermann4 ,catholic ,dogma 7,katholische ,dogmatik74 ,catholicism as a ,principle of ,progress4 ,the ,divine ,truth of ,christianity4 ,the ,new ,time and the ,old ,faith4 ,seymour1 ,michael ,h4 ,a ,pilgrimage to ,rome4 ,souli1 ,frdric4 ,all novels4 ,stendhal1 ,h4,b4 de4 ,all novels4 ,sterne1 ,laurence4 ,a ,sentimental ,journey4 ,strauss1 ,david ,f4 ,the ,life of ,christ4 ,stroud1 ,william4 ,treatise on the ,physical ,cause of the ,death of ,christ4 ,sue1 ,eugne4 ,all novels4 ,taine1 ,h4-,a4 ,a ,history of ,english ,literature4 ,tolstoy1 ,dmitry4 ,roman ,catholicism in ,russia4 ,vericour1 ,l4,r4 de4 ,historical ,analysis of ,christian ,civilization4 ,viollet1 ,paul4 ,the ,infallibility of the ,pope and the ,syllabus4 ,vogrinec1 ,anton4 ,nostra maxima culpa 7,our ,greatest ,fault74 ,voltaire1 ,f4-,m4 ,arouet4 ,practically all his works4 ,whateley1 ,richard4 ,elements of ,logic4 ,white1 ,thomas4 ,all works4 ,wiese1 ,sigismund4 ,jesus 7drama74 ,zola1 ,emile4 ,all works4