Chapter II: Of the Prohibition of Books

§ 1. The right and office of prohibiting books from a just cause belongs not only to the supreme ecclesiastical authority for the universal Church, but also, for their subjects, to particular Councils and local Ordinaries.

§ 2. From this prohibition recourse is given to the Holy See, but not in suspensive effect.

§ 3. Even the Abbot of a monastery of its own law and the supreme Moderator of an exempt clerical religion, with his Chapter or Council, can prohibit books to their subjects from a just cause; and the same, if there is danger in delay, can be done by other major Superiors with their own Council, under this law however, that they refer the matter as quickly as possible to the supreme Moderator.

Books condemned by the Apostolic See are to be considered prohibited everywhere and into whatever language they may be translated.

§ 1. It belongs to all the faithful, especially clerics and those constituted in ecclesiastical dignity and those who excel in doctrine, to refer books which they have judged pernicious to local Ordinaries or to the Apostolic See; moreover this pertains by a peculiar title to Legates of the Holy See, local Ordinaries, and Rectors of Catholic Universities.

§ 2. It is expedient that in the denunciation of bad books not only the title of the book be indicated, but also, as far as can be done, the causes be set forth why the book is thought to be prohibited.

§ 3. For those to whom the denunciation is referred, let it be a sacred duty to keep secret the names of those denouncing.

§ 4. Local Ordinaries, personally or, where there is need, through suitable priests, are to watch over books which are published or stand for sale in their own territory.

§ 5. Books which require a more subtle examination, or concerning which the sentence of the supreme authority seems to be required for obtaining a salutary effect, Ordinaries are to refer to the judgment of the Apostolic See.

§ 1. The prohibition of books brings about this, that without due permission the book can neither be published, nor read, nor retained, nor sold, nor translated into another language, nor in any way communicated to others.

§ 2. A book prohibited in any way cannot again be published, unless, corrections having been made, he who had prohibited the book, or his Superior or successor, has given permission.

By the law itself the following are prohibited:

1° Editions of the original text and of ancient Catholic versions of sacred Scripture, even of the Oriental Church, published by any non-Catholics whatever; and likewise versions of the same into any language, made or published by the same.

2° Books of any writers whatever, defending heresy or schism, or striving in any way to overturn the very foundations of religion.

3° Books which, by deliberate work, attack religion or good morals.

4° Books of any non-Catholics whatever which professedly treat of religion, unless it is established that nothing contrary to the Catholic faith is contained in them.

5° Books of which in can. 1385, Sec. 1, n. 1 and can. 1391; likewise from those of which in the cited can. 1385, Sec. 1, n. 2, books and booklets which narrate new apparitions, revelations, visions, prophecies, miracles, or which introduce new devotions, even under the pretext that they are private, if they have been published without the prescriptions of the canons being observed.

6° Books which attack or deride any of the Catholic dogmas, which defend errors proscribed by the Apostolic See, which detract from divine worship, which strive to overturn ecclesiastical discipline, and which by deliberate work afflict the ecclesiastical hierarchy, or the clerical or religious state, with reproaches.

7° Books which teach or commend superstition of any kind, sorceries, divination, magic, evocation of spirits, and other things of this kind.

8° Books which establish duel or suicide or divorce as lawful, or which, treating of masonic sects or other societies of the same kind, contend that they are useful and not pernicious to the Church and civil society.

9° Books which professedly treat, narrate, or teach lascivious or obscene matters.

10° Editions of liturgical books approved by the Apostolic See, in which anything has been changed in such a way that they do not agree with authentic editions approved by the Holy See.

11° Books by which apocryphal indulgences or indulgences proscribed or revoked by the Holy See are divulged.

12° Images printed in any way of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Angels and Saints or of other Servants of God, which are alien from the sense and decrees of the Church.

The use of books of which in can. 1399, n. 1, and of books published contrary to the prescription of can. 1391, is permitted only to those who in any way give effort to theological or biblical studies, provided that the same books have been published faithfully and integrally and that dogmas of the Catholic faith are not attacked in their prolegomena or annotations.

Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Bishops, even titular ones, and other Ordinaries, with necessary cautions applied, are not bound by the ecclesiastical prohibition of books.

§ 1. Ordinaries are able to grant to their subjects permission, as regards books prohibited by the law itself or by decree of the Apostolic See, only for individual books and only in urgent cases.

§ 2. But if they have obtained from the Apostolic See a general faculty of permitting their subjects to retain and read proscribed books, they are to grant it only with selection and from a just and reasonable cause.

§ 1. Those who have obtained the apostolic faculty of reading and retaining prohibited books cannot for that reason read and retain any books proscribed by their own Ordinaries, unless in the apostolic indult express power has been given to them to read and retain books condemned by anyone whatever.

§ 2. Moreover they are held by grave precept to guard prohibited books in such a way that these do not come into the hands of others.

Sellers of books are not to sell, lend, or retain books treating professedly of obscene matters; they are not to have the other prohibited books for sale unless they have obtained due permission from the Apostolic See, nor are they to sell them to anyone unless they can prudently judge that they are sought legitimately by the buyer.

§ 1. Permission obtained from anyone in no way exempts someone from the prohibition of natural law of reading books which present to him a proximate spiritual danger.

§ 2. Local Ordinaries and others having care of souls are opportunely to admonish the faithful concerning the danger and harm of reading bad books, especially prohibited ones.