Chapter — Marc, Institutiones Morales
CHAPTER V: On Certain Books of Special Argument
- "Books are condemned in which God, or the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Saints, or the Catholic Church and its Worship or Sacraments, or the Apostolic See, are disparaged. Works in which the concept of the inspiration of Sacred Scripture is perverted, or its extension is too much narrowed, are subject to the same judgment of reprobation. Books also are prohibited which with set purpose load the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy or the clerical or religious state with reproaches."
It is said: 1. Books... in which are disparaged; the word disparage here comprehends whatever by words takes away or diminishes the fame or esteem of someone. Nor is it required that detractions be made with set purpose, for whenever the legislator requires this condition, he indicates it. More truly it suffices that the detraction be grave and be made in some notable way, yet so that (as the title of the chapter requires) it can be called the special argument of such a book.
In which the concept of inspiration... is perverted; if someone, for example, wished by arguments to prove and persuade the reader that inspiration must be restricted to matters of faith and morals or to some parts. Cf. Const. Providentissimus, 18 Nov. 1893; Resp. Biblical Commission, 13 Feb. and 23 Jun. 1905.
Books also are prohibited which with set purpose; with set purpose is taken by approved authors almost in the same sense as professedly and in a notable part (Pennacchi, ap. A. S. S., 30, p. 346; Hollweck, p. 34). See what was said above, art. 2 and 3.
Church, Hierarchy, etc.; hence a book is not prohibited which only loads singular persons with reproaches.
- "It is unlawful to publish, read, or retain books in which lots, divination, magic, evocation of Spirits, and other superstitions of this kind are taught or commended."
Since only books which teach these things, or hand down rules of the art, or commend them, namely extol them with praises, are proscribed, those are not condemned which treat of these things in order to refute them, nor those which merely report facts (Can. Cont., 20, p. 307). Cf. what was said above n. 566.
- "Books or writings which narrate new apparitions, revelations, visions, prophecies, miracles, or which introduce new devotions, even under pretext that they are private, are proscribed if they are published without legitimate license of the Superiors of the Church."
It is said: 1. Books or writings; therefore even manuscripts, but only if they are published; now, for the most part these are not sufficiently made of public law, or spread among the common people. But as regards newspapers which carry to public notice some miraculous fact which occurred on pilgrimage (for example at Lourdes), especially if there is question of a simple narration of facts, authors testify that the practice of publishing supernatural things of this kind has prevailed among all, without either the Bishops or the Apostolic See being solicitous about the matter. "But that which is commonly done, with the prelates of the Church seeing and being silent, is not to be condemned so easily" (cf. A. S. S., 30, p. 290; Del Vecchio, on this article).
Which narrate. Authors require that the book narrate rather fully and, as it were, professedly, so that it has this narration for its argument.
New apparitions, etc.; we understand those which have occurred recently, or even less recent ones but not yet received by usage, or approved. - As regards new devotions, the word introduce must be attended to; namely it does not suffice merely to report them. Several devotions of this sort in these times have been condemned by the Holy Office (cf. Vermeersch, n. 80, p. 84).
If they are published without legitimate license; if there is question of marvelous facts of living persons, the Holy See must be approached; if of those things which pertain to causes of beatification, license must be sought from the S. R. C.; for the rest, the Bishop of the place is competent.
Note. The new Constitution has nothing concerning the protestation of the author prescribed by Urban VIII: whence authors are no longer obliged to place it at the beginning of books. Cf. nevertheless the Motu proprio Sacrorum Antistitum, n. VI (A. A. S., II, p. 665), where mention is made of this declaration.
- "Likewise books are prohibited which establish duel, suicide, or divorce as licit, which treat of masonic sects or other societies of the same kind, and contend that these are useful and not pernicious to the Church and civil society, and which defend errors proscribed by the Apostolic See."
Authors require that books of this kind treat of these matters not in passing but as if with set purpose, and not without reason: for otherwise someone cannot truly be said to establish, contend, defend. To establish is the same as to demonstrate, to contend the same as to affirm keenly, to defend the same as to champion.
What societies are of the same kind as masonic sects we said n. 1331. Errors proscribed by the Apostolic See are also those which the Holy See proscribes through the Sacred Congregations, provided the sentence has been confirmed by the Roman Pontiff. Among these errors come those which the Syllabus condemned (S. C. Ind., 23 May 1898; A. S. S., 30, p. 698). Cf. n. 1328.