ARTICLE II: ON THE NEGATIVE OBLIGATIONS OF CLERICS, OR ON THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE PROHIBITED TO CLERICS

1132. • The Plenary Council of Baltimore II sets forth the negative obligations of Clerics in the following words.

1° "Let them not be present at stage-plays, spectacles, dances."⁴

2° "Let them abstain from every forbidden" (that is, clamorous, or which is done with dogs and the noise of weapons, or hawks, or which would be scandalous) "kind of hunting."⁵

3° "Let them not practice medicine and surgery, neither for the sake of gain nor under the appearance of charity" (that is, habitually and by profession; not in some particular case and by accident). "In this matter we most strictly command that those things be observed which were established by Benedict XIV."⁶ But the summary of those things which are established, or rather taught, by Benedict XIV is this: a) An Apostolic indult is required, to obtain which a cause is necessary, namely either defect of a surgeon, if it is a question of surgery, or scarcity of physicians, if it is a question of the exercise of medicine, or poverty of the cleric. b) Nothing is to be demanded, nor, from the poor, even from those spontaneously offering, is anything to be accepted. c) Medicine to be practiced without incision or burning, and ordinarily also surgery.¹

4° "We decree that clerics not carry arms of any kind for offense, or even for defense, unless perhaps outside the city they must make a journey in suspected places."²

5° "Let priests diligently avoid every illicit game; and let them also abstain from all games of whatever kind, even if for diversion of the mind, which can be for scandal,"³ for example to Sectarians.

But today a cleric is judged immune from grave sin who plays in a mixed game, or rarely, moderately, privately, and, as was just said, without scandal, in a game of chance; indeed also from light sin if he plays in a game of skill, or, for the sake of recreation, in any game whatever, in places where the Canons concerning gaming are not rigidly observed.⁴

6° "Let them not rashly approach profane tribunals for the sake of business or litigation."⁵ Cf. n. 113, Resp. to 2nd, 2°. 3°.

7° "Renewing the precepts of the Canons, we decree that they not carry on traffic of any things or goods, or of money;⁶ that they not exercise gainful negotiations in their own name, or under the covering of another name; that they not rent another's estates for the sake of profit; that they not stand surety for others; that they not, without consulting the Bishop, become agents in the affairs of others; that they not undertake care and tutelage of anyone, except of their own, unless the Bishop consents." ... "We forbid priests, while preaching, or on the occasion of preaching, or under any other pretext whatever, from the pulpit or from the place of the altar, to make words to the people too often concerning their revenues, honoraria, stipends, Sunday collections, and other things of this kind, and to complain as if these were not sufficiently ample or were less than just." ... "We prescribe ... that no one hereafter accept deposits of this kind" (of money with priests under this condition, that, increased by interest, it be recovered at a fixed time), "not even under the pretext that they are to be converted into the temporal good of the Church, works of mercy, or other pious uses, unless beforehand the permission of the Bishop, to be granted in writing, is had."¹

8° "That we may remove from clerics the occasion of crime, which is not usually absent in inns and taverns, we altogether forbid them the entrance and use of inns, except on a journey from necessity."²

9° "First of all we will that" (the priest) "not use excessive association and familiarity with secular women, not even his own being excepted; nor permit them, even though joined by near blood-relationship, to dwell in the same house with him, unless they are most respected in life and morals, and in no way, whether directly or indirectly, interfere in managing sacred duties or administering the things of the church. Let him have no housekeeper, maidservant, or other female servant, unless she is of more mature age and enjoys a reputation wholly intact. Let him never speak before them or before relatives, if he has any with him, about the governance of the flock, about affairs of the church, about the vices or defects of parishioners.... Also with women devoted to the pursuit of piety, let there be for him no familiarity, no custom, which the reason of charity or of office does not demand."

Wherefore they are also prohibited from acquiring shares ("stock") of banks called en commandite ("joint stock banking companies"), as was answered by the S. C. of Bishops and Regulars, June 30, 1845, apud Lucidi, de visitatione Liminum Apost. Tom. I. p. 499, n. 493, which several, on account of parity of reason, extend to shares of mines, woolen factories, and the like. See Scavini (Ed. 12th) Tom. I. n. 576. 13). Yet they are not prohibited from acquiring bonds ("bonds").