28. On Communication with Infidels

1. Marcellinus the missionary proposes the following doubts:

1. Is it licit for Christians to rent houses and workshops to gentiles? The reason for doubting is that the gentiles, in the nobler place of those houses, burn incense, exhibit reverence to an idol, and exercise other superstitious things.

R. "It is licit, if it is established that the houses are sought for inhabiting and the workshops for an indifferent use; yet it is not licit if they are expressly sought for constructing a shrine." S. C. de P. F., 8 Feb. 1806.

2. Is it licit for Christians to lease farms belonging to a temple?

R. Here is in summary the instruction given by the S. C. de P. F., 15 Jan. 1807. 1. It is licit to lease farms belonging to a temple; especially if a cause consonant with reason for contracting concurs; for the thing is of its own nature indifferent. 2. To pay the lease price is a debt of justice, even if the lessee thinks it will be expended for the sake of the temple. 3. Scandal which perhaps arises for Christians from a thing of this sort, insofar as it is born from ignorance, or is scandal of the little ones, must be restrained by protestation and instruction; insofar as it is produced by the malice of the wicked, or is pharisaic, it must be contemned. 4. The lessee is to be exhorted to abstain from the lease if from this some danger of perversion or occasion of scandal is feared.

2. Christians buy territories on which there are idols or oratories of idols. Can they admonish the gentiles, to whom the territory previously belonged, to remove them from the territory?

R. "They cannot, if the ownership of these idols or oratories is annexed to the territory, and passes with the dominion of the land to the buyer, who is held to remove and destroy them, or so change their form that every occasion of superstitious worship is removed, and no appearance of an oratory consecrated to idols appears any longer. But if such idols or oratories are of public right and under the power of the prince, it is not licit for Christians to remove or destroy them, but rather they should abstain from buying those territories in which these profane images and oratories are found." Holy Office, month of May, year 1781.

3. Gentiles who preserve the tablets of the progenitors of the family are converted to the faith. Can they hand over tablets of this sort to pagan relatives, to whom they belong, or admonish them to remove them from their house, or hide them, to be handed over afterwards if they are demanded by relatives or by prefects, and they are compelled to this? Likewise, to what are proselytes held who have with themselves the idols of other pagans, which they preserve by way of deposit?

R. "If those superstitious tablets by special dominion belong to the converted gentile, he cannot preserve them at home, nor hand them over to other pagans of the family, but must altogether destroy them; and thus it is to be taught and enjoined by the missionaries. But if these tablets belong jointly to others of the family, the Christian is held to remove them from his house; but he can hand them over to others of the family to whom they belong, or admonish them to remove them and take them for themselves; for thus he will confess his faith, and will render to another his own right. By equal right, the idols of pagans which the proselyte preserves for the sake of deposit are to be restored to their owners." Holy Office, 20 Aug. 1778.

4. The bishop of Sergiopolis, Apostolic Vicar of Kiang-nan, proposed a case to the S. C. de P. F.: "Whether Catholics can be permitted, with boats and carrying-chairs, by which they are accustomed indiscriminately to transfer all persons from place to place, also to convey those gentiles who, bringing with themselves incense, idols, and other superstitious things, approach the sepulchers of their ancestors, or other places, so that there they may exercise superstitions."

The S. C. de P. F., 14 Sept. 1868, transmitted the response of the Holy Office, July 1854, given to a similar question:

"Since the actions of which there is discussion are in themselves licit, or at least indifferent, and do not directly influence superstition, provided that scandal is not present, and grave damage is imminent, those Catholics are not to be disturbed; and provided that it is not in contempt of religion, and a protestation is made by the Christian sailors, insofar as it can conveniently be done, that they do not intend toward superstition." Collectan. S. C. de P. F., n. 2195.

5. Marcellus, a missionary, proposes the following doubts:

1. In order to avoid some tumults against Christians, is it licit for Christians to contribute money which is demanded, to be spent in the new year on idolatries of demons, and at the same time on other indifferent demonstrations of the people's joy?

R. "The Chinese Christians can contribute money, provided that through contributions of this sort they do not intend to concur in superstitious acts, the cause which is narrated being supposed, especially a protestation having been premised, if it can conveniently be done, that they furnish the taxes imposed only in order to the joy of the people and to indifferent acts, or at least to acts not repugnant to the worship of the Christian Religion." S. C. de P. F., 12 Sept. 1645.

2. Is it lawful for Christians to contribute money which, if one is unwilling to give it, he is prohibited from entry into the market of goods; which money partly falls to the leading men, partly to repairing the market, and partly to burning incense to a false deity?

R. "The payment of the tax can be permitted to Christians, especially with a protestation premised." S. C. de P. F., year 1816; Holy Office, 21 Apr. 1849.

3. What if the tax to be paid is imposed solely for a superstitious end, for constructing pagodas, for making sacrifices to idols, etc.?

R. That indeed is not licit, even with any protestation premised. For this contribution bears before itself at least external consent with the superstition of the gentiles, which is altogether illicit. Holy Office, 16 Nov. 1769.

4. By the edict of the king Christians are now compelled to erect shrines to idols and to progenitors. Moreover, in very many places where pagans and Christians are mixed, Christians make an agreement with pagans that they themselves will sustain, according to their choice and as they can, a greater and some special part of public and licit works in the village, provided that the pagans do not disturb them concerning superstitions nor betray and accuse them before the Mandarins, and furthermore handle the superstitious business before the Mandarin for the whole village according to their choice and as they can. By acting thus, the Christians do not intend that the pagans perform superstitious things in their place, but only to free themselves from doing superstitions, and to hide themselves from the Mandarins. Moreover, the pagans do not do more superstitions, either greater or more in number, than they do according to their custom. - Q. Is such an agreement between Christians and pagans licit, with attention to the things said above, with attention also to the reason that, unless Christians make an agreement with pagans in such a way, they will either perform superstitions, or will be compelled to sustain innumerable vexations?"

R. "As it is explained, it can be tolerated, or they are not to be disturbed." S. C. de P. F., 10 Aug. 1841, Vicar Apostolic of Western Tonkin.

6. "Christians, few in number, cannot avoid using the society of gentiles: they find themselves daily at their tables and banquets; but because pagans have it as a custom that they offer to idols foods prepared not only directly for the worship of idols, but for the ordinary eating of the family, and place them indifferently on the table, Christians who sit there, timid, likewise eat indifferently, because it would be shame to themselves and injury to the gentiles if they refused to use the foods placed there."

"Q. Can those Christians eat of these, when scandal is not given?"

R. "It is licit to eat feasts placed indifferently, although offered to idols, provided that it is not in a temple, nor in a place sacred to idols, and provided that every appearance of worship or veneration of idols and of superstition is absent, and no danger is present of scandalizing the faithful or infidels." Holy Office, 15 Dec. 1768. Collectan. S. C. de P. F., n. 1703.

7. The wives, daughters, and maidservants of pagans are compelled to cook foods for the common meal of the family. But some part of these foods will afterwards be offered to an idol.

Q. In the case, can the aforesaid persons licitly cook foods?

R. "It is generally licit to cook and prepare foods if there is question of ordinary servants and cooks, who through the whole time of the year are assigned to a ministry of this sort; if extraordinary banquets of this sort are made primarily for the joy of the family, for guests, and for other occasions by no means superstitious, although it is not unknown that some part of them is to be offered to idols; if the dishes are not distinguished, so that some are made for a superstitious offering, others for the food of the guests, but the destination depends on the judgment of the father of the family; if no dishes are specially directed and prepared for the idol; if in the division of the feasts, nor in their exposition at the place of sacrifice, or at the table of the idol, they do not cooperate.

"It is not licit for maidservants and children of the family to buy, cook, or in any way prepare extraordinary foods accustomed to be deputed to sacrifice or superstitious offering, when they well know that such foods are destined by masters, husbands, or parents for sacrifice or offering to be made to their deceased. Nor is this licit for the same persons because of grave fear or damage which probably or certainly threatens themselves, even if a protestation is premised, that their mind is altogether alien from superstition. Likewise this is not licit for the same persons even when those extraordinary foods are bought, cooked, etc., in a greater quantity than is necessary for furnishing the said table serving superstition, when the primary end of the said preparation is to make the aforesaid superstitious table, although the part of the foods which remains over serves occasionally and accessorily for licit eating." S. C. de P. F., 13 Jan. 1793.