On the First Precept of the Decalogue

"Our Most Holy Lord... declared, established, and decreed that images and the other things aforesaid, and anything else carrying before itself and indicating veneration and cult, of any persons whatever who have died with a reputation for sanctity or martyrdom, whenever that reputation may exist, are not to be placed in oratories or public or private places, or in churches, whether Secular or Regular, of any Religion, Order, Institute, Congregation, or Society whatsoever, before they are canonized or declared Blessed by the Apostolic See; and, if any have been placed, they are to be removed, just as he commanded them immediately to be removed.

2. And likewise he prohibited that henceforth books of the same persons be printed, containing deeds, miracles, or revelations, or any benefits whatsoever as received from God through their intercessions, of those who have departed from life celebrated by reputation or opinion of sanctity or martyrdom, as stated, without the recognition and approval of the Ordinary, who in recognizing them is to employ Theologians and other pious and learned men for counsel; and, lest henceforth fraud, or error, or anything new and disordered be committed in a matter so grave, he is to transmit the instructed matter to the Apostolic See and await its response. But the revelations and miracles and other aforesaid benefits which hitherto have been printed in books containing the life and deeds of these persons without recognition and approval of this kind, His Holiness wills and commands to be judged in no way approved.

3. He also forbade and prohibited that at the sepulchers of these persons tablets and images of wax or silver, or of any other material whatever, whether painted or fashioned and sculpted, be hung or affixed, and lamps or any other lights be lit, without recognition by the Ordinary to be made wholly as above, and to be referred to and approved by the Apostolic See.

4. Declaring that through the above-written things he does not will nor intend to prejudice in any way those who are venerated either by the common consent of the Church, or by immemorial course of time, or by the writings of Fathers and holy men, or by the knowledge and tolerance of the Apostolic See or of the Ordinary through a very long time.

5. But so that the foregoing may be more diligently observed, he strictly commands all and singular, both Ordinaries and Inquisitors of heretical depravity, that each in his own Diocese or Province carefully keep watch lest, without the aforesaid approvals, images with the aforementioned signs be exposed, or the aforesaid miracles, revelations, and benefits be published, or other things be done against what has been disposed above.

6. But transgressors, if they are Regulars, are to be punished with deprivation of their offices and of active and passive voice, and also suspension from Divine things; but if they are secular Clerics, likewise with deprivation of their offices, suspension from Divine things, and from the administration of Sacraments and the execution of their Orders respectively, and with other penalties to be inflicted at the judgment of the aforesaid Ordinaries or Inquisitors, according to the manner of the fault.

7. But those who shall have printed books or painted, sculpted, or in any way fashioned or formed images, and the rest of the craftsmen in any way offending concerning the foregoing, let them lose all the aforesaid things, and besides be affected with monetary and other, even corporal, penalties, according to the gravity of the crime, at the judgment of the same Ordinaries or Inquisitors.

8. Anything whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding." Urban VIII, 13 March 1625.

"Whether the practice of separating Relics of the Most Holy Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ from Relics of the Saints is accurate and to be observed? - Resp. In the affirmative." S. C. Indulg. 22 Feb. 1847.

"Whether nuns, or pious women living a common life under a rule, can, with the license of the Ordinary, first wash Corporals, Palls, and Purificators? - Resp. In the negative." S. R. C. 12 Sept. 1857.

"Having received responsive letters of the Bishop of Corneto concerning the petition of nuns who were prohibited by the Bishop from bleaching Purificators for the service of their Church, the Sacred Congregation granted the requested bleaching, not only for the service of their Church, but also of the whole city, provided that the Purificators are first washed by some Priest and the ablution is placed in the sacrarium." S. R. C. 12 Jan. 1636.

"Whether the custom of exacting an annual canon is sustained in the case? An annual canon of 35 centesimi to be exacted from any parish whatever for obtaining the material of the Most Holy Oils and remunerating the ministers distributing the same. - Resp. The custom can be tolerated." S. C. C. 20 Dec. 1879. Cf. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 13, p. 180 ff.

"Whether one who buys crosses, medals, etc., in order to distribute them after they have been blessed with the application of indulgences, can ask their price from the recipients without fault, or without danger of losing the indulgences? Whether they are lost only when someone has made those things his own and has used them with the intention of gaining Indulgences? - Resp. In the negative to the first part; to the second, it does not need a response." S. C. Ind. 22 Feb.; 12 July 1847; 2 Oct. 1840; 15 May 1886.

"... His Holiness... strictly commanded that the Christian faithful, under any pretext whatever, even of redeeming Sacred Relics and remains of the Saints, although enclosed in a little case and furnished with a seal, presume neither to buy nor trade for them, both in the City and outside it. Furthermore he commanded that whoever finds sacred relics standing for sale is to notify the Ordinaries of the places, whose concern it will be to provide opportunely. Therefore the same Most Holy Lord ordered this Decree to be made and published..." S. C. Ind. 21 Dec. 1878. Cf. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 11, p. 365. Likewise Letters of the Most Eminent Cardinal Vicar, by command of Our Most Holy Lord Leo XIII, were given to the Bishops concerning the sacrilegious commerce of false relics, on the 16th day before the Kalends of February 1881. Cf. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 14, p. 59.