On the Constitution *Officiorum ac Munerum*

"Whether the aforesaid Constitution has obligatory force also for English-speaking regions, which some think enjoy a tacit dispensation? - Response. Affirmative." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 23 May 1898.

"45. Prohibited books, until they are expurgated, can be retained until, with diligence applied, they are corrected." Proposition condemned by Alexander VII.

"79. It is useful and necessary at every time, in every place, and for every class of persons to study and to know the spirit, piety, and mysteries of Sacred Scripture. - 80. The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all. - 81. The obscurity of the holy word of God is not a reason for laymen to dispense themselves from reading it. - 82. Sunday must be sanctified by Christians with readings of piety, and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful to wish to draw a Christian away from this reading. - 83. It is a delusion to persuade oneself that knowledge of the mysteries of Religion ought not to be communicated to women through the reading of sacred books. The abuse of the Scriptures did not arise from the simplicity of women, but from the proud learning of men, and heresies were born. - 84. To snatch the New Testament from the hands of Christians, or to keep it closed to them by taking away from them the means of understanding it, is to close for them the mouth of Christ. - 85. To forbid Christians the reading of Sacred Scripture, especially of the Gospel, is to forbid the use of light to the sons of light and to cause them to suffer a certain kind of excommunication. - 86. To take away from the simple people this consolation of joining their voice to the voice of the whole Church is a practice contrary to Apostolic practice and the intention of God." Propositions of Pasquier Quesnel condemned by Clement XI.

"1. Whether under the name of those who devote themselves to theological or biblical studies are included also students who devote themselves to theology and the Hebrew and Greek languages in seminary schools? And, in the affirmative: 2. Whether a bishop can permit students in the schools, under the guidance of a professor, to read and translate Hebrew and Greek texts edited by non-Catholics, provided that the dogmas of the Catholic Faith are not attacked in the prolegomena or annotations of such books? - Response. To 1. Affirmative. - To 2. Negative, unless they have obtained a special faculty from the Holy See." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 21 June 1898.

"Whether it is prohibited in books called books of devotion to add a translation in the vernacular language to the Latin text of the Order of Mass, and especially of the Canon. - Response. The books and their translations in the vernacular language in question are, by canonical prescriptions and Apostolic Decrees, entirely reserved to the authority of bishops; and therefore it is not lawful for the faithful to use editions of these unless they bear the express approval of the bishops." Sacred Congregation of Rites, 4 August 1877; New York.

"Whether works, which are very numerous, infected with errors condemned by the Syllabus, are considered prohibited by the words of article 14 insofar as they contain errors proscribed by the Apostolic See? - Response. Affirmative, if they defend or uphold these errors." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 23 May 1898.

"Whether in decree no. 17 of the General Decrees concerning the prohibition and censure of books recently issued by Our Most Holy Lord Pope Leo XIII, these words: let them not be published without the permission of the competent authority, are to be understood in such a way that henceforth all books, booklets, sheets, etc., of indulgences are to be referred only to the Ordinaries of places in order to obtain permission? Or are they to be subjected to the review either of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences or of the Ordinary of the place according to the norms established before the new Constitution Officiorum ac Munerum? - Response. To the first part: Negative. - To the second: Affirmative." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 7 August 1897.

"Article 12, section 3, of the Decrees issued after the old Rules of the Index is to be understood in such a way that, if there is question of publishing the grant of some indulgence, or a summary of indulgences which is to be taken from an Apostolic Brief or Rescript, or a summary already published by authority of the Sacred Congregation, it is within the power of the Ordinary to grant permission to print the grants of those indulgences (provided that there is not a special and express prohibition for some list); but, on the contrary, if there is question of a summary previously collected but never approved, or now to be collected for the first time from various grants, the express permission of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences is required. His Holiness approved." Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, 22 January 1858.

"Whether chapters extracted from periodicals and published separately (commonly called tirages à part, or separate offprints) are to be regarded as 'new editions' and therefore require a new approval, as is required by article 44? - Response. Negative." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 25 May 1898.

"Whether Ordinaries who, after the examination of a book submitted to their prior censorship has been completed, deny permission to publish it are bound to indicate to the author the reasons for the permission denied? - Response. Affirmative, if the book appears capable of correction or expurgation." Sacred Congregation of the Index, 3 September 1898.

"The Sacred Congregation, moved by just causes, deliberately decreed that henceforth it is lawful for no Apostolic missionary, of whatever rank, condition, preeminence, religion, or state, to commit to print, under any pretext, by himself or through another or others, any work of his own or of another without the express written permission of this Sacred Congregation in the customary form, etc., under the penalty of deprivation of office, of active and passive voice, of suppression of that work, and of excommunication latae sententiae, incurred by the fact itself and reserved to Our Most Holy Lord alone. It commanded the aforesaid and each one of them that, in the event that they obtain the aforesaid permission, they are bound to print it at the beginning of the work itself under the same penalties; any privileges, faculties, permissions, etc., even those otherwise given or granted orally, notwithstanding, all and each of which are to be considered revoked in every manner by the present Decree and regarded as revoked." Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 6 December 1655.

"Since therefore, as We have learned, although at another time the Congregation of Our Venerable Brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, for just causes had forbidden anyone to publish in print without its permission books and writings in which missions were treated in any manner, nevertheless many, either ignorant of what the same Congregation had decreed or rashly transgressing its Decree, publish writings and books often containing false and inept things, not without offense to pious and learned men: We, moved by these and other grave causes, with the counsel of the aforesaid Cardinals, by Apostolic authority and by the tenor of the present letters, again forbid anyone of whatever state, rank, and condition, even a regular of any order, congregation, institute, and society, even of Jesus, although he be one concerning whom specific and individual mention would have to be made, to publish, by himself or through another, without the written permission of the Congregation of those same Cardinals, which he is bound to print at the beginning of the work, books and writings in which missions or matters pertaining to missions are treated, under the penalties, incurred by the fact itself, of excommunication latae sententiae, from which no one can be absolved by anyone other than Us, or the Roman Pontiff existing at the time, unless placed at the point of death, and of deprivation of office and of active and passive voice, as well as of suppression of the works." Clement X, Brief Creditae nobis, 6 April 1673; Collectanea, no. 1872.

"It is in no way expedient that, in the Empire of China and the Kingdom of Tonkin, any writings or books be published, whether treating directly or indirectly of religion or discussing ecclesiastical matters, unless after the prior examination and approval of this Sacred Congregation. It nevertheless declared exempt from this law small doctrinal works, catechisms, instructions and prayers which serve for the daily use of the faithful; under this condition nevertheless, that they cannot be disseminated among the people unless the respective bishops of the places, or the Apostolic Vicars, have first examined them and permitted them to be published." Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 28 December 1770; 31 March 1836, to the Apostolic Vicar of Cochinchina; 31 August 1840, to the Apostolic Vicar of Siam; 30 September 1848, to the Apostolic Vicar of Western Cochinchina.

"And since it has been learned that in several vicariates books and booklets are published in which the morals and customs of pagans are discussed, and which refer more or less directly to the interpretation of the Apostolic Constitution of Benedict XIV, of holy memory, which begins Omnium sollicitudinum, the Most Eminent Fathers judged that the Apostolic Vicars and missionaries are to be admonished that a copy of every instruction and booklet in which matters pertaining in any manner to the interpretation of the aforesaid Bull are treated must altogether be sent to this Sacred Congregation." Instruction of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to the Apostolic Vicars of India, 8 December 1868.

"Whether the sermons or preachings of missionaries are understood to be included under the prohibition concerning the printing of books of religion, in such a way that the examination and approval of the respective Apostolic Vicar is not sufficient. - Response. Insofar as they wish them to be published in print, affirmative; otherwise, negative in the case, provided that the Apostolic Vicar has approved those sermons." Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 27 September 1843.