Chapter — Marc, Institutiones Morales
CHAPTER I: On Prelates Set Over the Censure of Books
- "With whom the power resides of approving or permitting editions and versions of the sacred Bibles is plain from those things which are established above (n. 7)."
The censure of which there is question in this title is not required that a book be committed to type, but that it come forth into the light. Thus understand the things that will be said in n. 37, 38, and 40.
The obligation of subjecting a book to censure is grave or light according to the argument of the book, or the manner of publication. Thus, for example, omission of a new approval, if the edition is conformable to the prior approved one, does not seem to be a grave sin.
- "Let no one dare to issue again into the light books proscribed by the Apostolic See: but if, from a grave and reasonable cause, some singular exception seems to be admitted concerning this matter, this will never be done unless license of the S. Congregation of the Index has first been obtained."
By books proscribed by the Apostolic See are understood only those books which by special Decree and by name are condemned by the Holy See, whether immediately, or through some Congregation, but not those which are reached only by these General Decrees.
- "Those things which in any way pertain to causes of Beatifications and Canonizations of the Servants of God cannot be published without the beneplacit of the Congregation set over guarding Sacred Rites."
- "The same must be said of Collections of Decrees of individual Roman Congregations: namely these Collections cannot be issued unless license has first been obtained, and the conditions prescribed by the moderators of each Congregation have been observed."
- "Let Apostolic Vicars and Missionaries faithfully observe the Decrees of the Sacred Congregation set over Propaganda Fide concerning the issuing of books."
- "The approval of books whose censure, by force of the present Decrees, is not reserved to the Apostolic See or to the Roman Congregations, pertains to the Ordinary of the place in which they are made of public law."
Therefore this approval no longer pertains to the Ordinary of the place in which the printing is done. If the edition has place in several dioceses, the approval of one Ordinary suffices. - In Germany, from legitimate custom, the approval of the Ordinary of the diocese to which the author is ascribed suffices.
Yet let the Response of the S. C. of the Index, 9 May 1912, be noted: The Bishop of the place in which some author not subject to him desires to make public a book already examined by his own Ordinary and judged worthy of the press, can permit the printing of this book without subjecting it to a new censure. It suffices that he place the judgment Nihil obstat of the censor of the other diocese, transmitted to him by that Ordinary (A. A. S., IV, p. 370).
- "Let regulars remember that, besides the license of the Bishop, they are held by the Decree of the sacred Council of Trent to obtain from the Prelate to whom they are subject the faculty of issuing a work into the light. But each concession is to be printed at the beginning or end of the work."
The Constitution uses the word Regulars; yet, as the S. C. of Religious declared, 15 Jun. 1911, the article extends itself also to religious of Institutes. The same Congregation also prohibited religious, as often as their Moderators interdict to them publication of a manuscript, from handing it over to a printer, who may publish the book with only the Imprimatur of the Bishop (A. A. S., III, p. 270).
- "If an author living at Rome wishes to print a book not in the City, but elsewhere, no other approval is required besides the approval of the Cardinal Vicar of the City and of the Master of the Sacred Apostolic Palace."