On Irregularity

"1. Whether being born in heresy, or having parents, uncles, brothers, or cousins who are heretics or married to heretics, is by the common law an impediment which excludes one from religious profession?

"2. Whether it is correct to say that, by reason of another's heresy, only those who have either a heretical grandfather, father, or mother incur irregularity?

"3. Whether the doctrine of those who teach that such irregularity is not incurred in Germany can be followed, because there relatives labor under no infamy; and whether such doctrine can be extended to all those regions where the dominant religion is heterodox or Protestant?

"4. Whether those legitimately dispensed from irregularity with respect to Sacred Ordination can, by reason of religious profession, be promoted to the prelacies of the Order; or whether they can be authorized for this by their superiors when these superiors possess, by an ancient direct grant subsequent to the Council of Trent, the power 'by Apostolic authority, in the forum of conscience only, to absolve those incurring irregularity from any head or cause whatsoever, except voluntary homicide, bigamy, and mutilation of members, and also to dispense with them, even with rehabilitation and the removal of the stain of incapacity and infamy'?

"Response. To 1. Negative, saving the proper Constitutions of each religious family.

"To 2 and 3. Let the decree of Wednesday, 4 December 1890, be given; that is: "Heretics converted to the Catholic faith, and children of heretics who persist in heresy or have died in it, to the first and second degree through the paternal line, but through the maternal line to the first degree only, are irregular even in Germany and in the other places concerning which the petition is made; and therefore they need a dispensation in order to be promoted to tonsure and orders.

"To 4. As set forth, negative." Holy Office, 3 February 1898.