CHAPTER V: On the Penalties Established against Transgressors of the General Decrees

47. "All and singular persons knowingly reading, without authority of the Apostolic See, books of apostates and heretics defending heresy, and also books of any author whatever by name prohibited through Apostolic Letters, and retaining, printing, and in any way defending the same books, incur by the very fact excommunication reserved in a special way to the Roman Pontiff."

Cf. those things which we said n. 1315. Yet, according to some authors, the word printing may be interpreted more strictly than was done in the Constitution Apostolicae Sedis (n. 1316, 3), so that it is understood in the sense indicated n. 1355.

48. "Those who, without the approval of the Ordinary, print or cause to be printed books of the Sacred Scriptures, or annotations or commentaries on the same, fall by the very fact into excommunication reserved to no one."

See what was said n. 1355.

49. "But those who have transgressed the other things which are prescribed by these General Decrees, according to the diverse gravity of guilt, are to be seriously warned by the Bishop; and if it will seem opportune, they are also to be coerced by canonical penalties."

Back to n. 1248 B in the main text.

Editorial note. The corresponding main-text place, n. 1248 B, has been marked with a link to this Addenda entry; the full printed Addenda text is preserved here.

Page 782 n. 1248 B (up to the end), where there is question of the Bull of the CRUSADE, all things must be reformed according to the norm of the Apostolic Letters of 12 Aug. 1915. Cf. A. A. S., VII, p. 557.

These Apostolic Letters consist of diverse parts, in which various faculties are contained: namely Indults as regards indulgences, divine offices and burial, confession and commutation of vows, dispensation from irregularity and from the impediment of affinity and crime, convalidations and compositions of benefices, the law of abstinence and fast, and finally as regards private oratories. From these it pleases us to note only those things which pertain to the matter of fast and abstinence.

Note. For Lusitania and places subject to the dominion of Lusitania, an almost identical Indult, to be valid for ten years, was promulgated on 31 Dec. 1914. Cf. A. A. S., VII, p. 549.

I. Publication of the Indults (of the Crusade) and their use. The Indults conceded to the Spanish nation are to be published every year. The year is computed from the day of the publication previously made, up to the day of the new publication to be made.

Summaries (of these Indults) taken by the faithful are valid for their use during the whole aforesaid year. But the Indults are always understood to be prorogued, for the greater convenience of the faithful, to one entire month after the completed year from their publication.

All who are staying in the territory of Spain, or in any other territory whatever subject to Spanish dominion, enjoy the Indults, if however they take the Summaries. But they can use the Indult as regards the law of abstinence and fast both in Spain and outside Spain, provided scandal is absent.

For licit and valid use of the Indults, it suffices to take the Summaries. It is not necessary to subscribe in them one's proper name and surname. Nor is it necessary to have them with oneself, or to preserve them.

The tax, or alms, to be paid, is to be consigned at the foot of each Summary. Moreover let the faithful know that proceeds of this kind are destined principally for sustaining divine worship, for pious works of beneficence, and for sustaining the burdens of the Bull of the Crusade itself.

II. Indult as regards the law of abstinence and fast. 1. To all absolutely, on whatever day, and at whatever meal, it is licit to use condiments from any fat, from butter, from margarine, and other similar condiments; likewise it is licit to eat milk-foods and even eggs, in the same way, that is, on whatever day and at whatever meal.

2. Abstinence from meat and from meat-juice is to be observed only on Fridays of Lent, of the Four Times, and also on the three vigils of Pentecost, of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, and of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note. For Lusitanians, there are besides days of abstinence: the Fridays of Advent and the vigil of All Saints.

3. Fast will have to be observed only on Wednesdays and Fridays and also Saturdays of Lent, and on the vigils noted in the preceding paragraph 2.

The vigil of the Nativity is anticipated and remitted to the Saturday of the Four Times immediately preceding.

Nor is it forbidden to mix fish and meats in the same meal on days of fast and Sundays of Lent.

4. All can, from a reasonable and just motive, be dispensed by their own confessors from the law of abstinence and fast.

III. Conditions concerning the use of the preceding Indult.

With the Indult of paragraphs 1 and 2, the law of fast remains intact, or of one eating per day, for those who are held to fast, according to the third paragraph.

They do not enjoy the same Indult except only those who have taken the present Summary and the Summaries of indulgences and of divine offices, and have paid the taxed alms to be applied for the benefit of Seminaries and other pious ends assigned by the Holy See.

This Indult can be taken by a collective Summary for oneself and the whole family, extending to any familiars whatever, guests even for a very brief time, and table companions. That collective Summary has altogether the same effects if it is taken by the mother of the family.

The poor are not held to take the aforesaid Summaries, nor to give any alms, in order that they may enjoy the Indult as regards the law of abstinence and fast. But they are held, if they wish to enjoy the other Indults.

Regulars who by special vow are held to observe esurial foods throughout the whole year are altogether excluded from the same Indult, as regards the law of abstinence.