Treatise — Arthur Vermeersch, S.J.

On the Prohibition and Censorship of Books (De prohibitione et censura librorum)

Name: On the Prohibition and Censorship of Books (De prohibitione et censura librorum)
Author: Arthur Vermeersch, S.J.

First published 1906. Translated into English for this library from the Latin of the fourth edition, enlarged and rearranged (Rome: Desclée, Lefebvre and Co., 1906), which carries the imprimatur of Albertus Lepidi, O.P., Master of the Sacred Apostolic Palace, and of Joseph Ceppetelli, Vicegerent. The author's own paragraph numbering (nn. 1–168) is kept and is what the site cites; his marginal headings are set beside the passages they gloss, and his footnotes are given at the foot of each paragraph. The publisher's advertisement of other books, printed at the end of the volume, is not part of the work and is omitted. Download: PDF (complete) · PDF — the Latin original · EPUB

Vermeersch's canonico-moral dissertation on the law of forbidden books: the history of prohibition and prior censorship, the force and interpretation of the laws then in force, a commentary article by article on Leo XIII's General Decrees — what may be read, kept, published, sold or translated, and by whose leave — the penalties, and the forms and catalogues, with the constitutions of Leo XIII and Benedict XIV in full.

The book’s own contents, as printed: Summary of Contents

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On the Prohibition and Censorship of Books
- Imprimatur
Preface to This Fourth Edition
Summary of Contents
Prooemiumn. 1
Part One: General Notionsnn. 2–64
- Chapter I: Historical Notionsnn. 2–9
  - I. On the Prohibition of Booksnn. 2–6
  - II. On the Previous Censorship of Booksnn. 7–9
- Chapter II: The Present Usefulness of Laws of This Kindnn. 10–12
- Chapter III: Brief Description of the Laws Which Are in Force Todaynn. 13–17
- Chapter IV: Abrogation of the Earlier Lawnn. 18–22
- Chapter V: The Universal Force of These Lawsnn. 23–24
- Chapter VI: The Right Interpretation of These Lawsnn. 25–46
  - I. What General Principles Are to Be Usednn. 25–27
  - II. Applications or Particular Casesnn. 28–32
  - A. Book, Booklet, Writingnn. 33–41
  - 3. On the Signification of Various Words and Clausesnn. 42–46
- Chapter VII: What Acts the Prohibition of a Book Forbids by Positive Lawnn. 47–52
  - I. On Perfect Prohibitionnn. 47–51
  - II. On Less Perfect Prohibitionn. 52
- Chapter VIII: Obligation of Conscience. Gravity of Faultnn. 53–61
- Chapter IX: By What Power Books Are Prohibitednn. 62–64
Part Two: Commentaries on the General Decreesnn. 65–127
- Title I: On the Prohibition of Booksnn. 65–103
  - Chapter I: On the Prohibited Books of Apostates, Heretics, Schismatics, and Other Writersnn. 65–68
    Article 1n. 65
    Article 2n. 66
    Article 3n. 67
    Article 4n. 68
  - Chapter II: On Editions of the Original Text and of Non-Vernacular Versions of Sacred Scripturenn. 69–70
    Article 5n. 69
    Article 6n. 70
  - Chapter III: On Vernacular Versions of Sacred Scripturen. 71
    Article 7n. 71
    Article 8
  - Chapter IV: On Obscene Booksnn. 72–73
    Article 9n. 72
    Article 10n. 73
  - Chapter V: On Certain Books of Special Subject Matternn. 74–84
    Article 11nn. 74–76
    I. On Books Which Contain a Certain Kind of Detractionsn. 74
    II. On Books Which Act Perversely Concerning the Inspiration of Sacred Scripturen. 75
    III. On Books Injurious to the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy or to the Clerical or Religious Staten. 76
    Article 12n. 77
    Article 13nn. 78–80
    I. On Books or Writings Which Report New Supernatural Factsnn. 78–79
    II. On the Other Partn. 80
    Article 14nn. 81–84
    I. On Books Which Patronize Duel, Suicide, Divorcen. 81
    II. On Books Which Favor Masonic Sectsnn. 82–83
    III. On Books Which Defend Errors Proscribed by the Holy Seen. 84
  - Chapter VI: On Sacred Images and Indulgencesnn. 85–87
    Article 15n. 85
    Article 16n. 86
    Article 17n. 87
  - Chapter VII: On Liturgical and Prayer Booksnn. 88–91
    Article 18n. 88
    Appendix on Gregorian Melodiesn. 89
    Article 19n. 90
    Article 20n. 91
  - Chapter VIII: On Newspapers, Sheets, and Periodical Bookletsnn. 92–94
    Article 21nn. 92–93
    I. On Proscribed Newspapers, Sheets, and Periodical Bookletsn. 92
    II. On Pastoral Vigilance to Be Exercised by Ordinariesn. 93
    Article 22n. 94
  - Chapter IX: On the Faculty of Reading and Retaining Prohibited Booksnn. 95–99
    Article 23n. 95
    Article 24
    Article 25nn. 96–97
    I. On Ordinary Powern. 96
    II. On Delegated Powern. 97
    Article 26nn. 98–99
    I. On the Former Partn. 98
    II. On the Other Partn. 99
  - Chapter X: On the Denunciation of Bad Booksnn. 100–103
    Article 27n. 100
    Article 28n. 101
    Article 29nn. 102–103
    I. On the Former Partn. 102
    II. On the Other Partn. 103
- Title II: On the Censure of Booksnn. 104–127
  - Chapter I: On the Prelates Set Over the Censure of Booksnn. 106–114
    Article 30
    Article 31n. 106
    Article 32n. 107
    Article 33n. 108
    Article 34n. 109
    Article 35nn. 110–112
    Article 36n. 113
    Article 37n. 114
  - Chapter II: On the Office of Censors in the Previous Examination of Booksnn. 115–116
    Articles 38 and 39n. 115
    Article 40n. 116
  - Chapter III: On Books to Be Submitted to Previous Censurenn. 117–120
    Article 41nn. 117–118
    I. On Booksn. 117
    II. On Any Writings Whatevern. 118
    Article 42nn. 119–120
    I. On Booksn. 119
    II. On Periodic Sheetsn. 120
  - Chapter IV: On Typographers and Editors of Booksnn. 121–124
    Article 43n. 121
    Article 44n. 122
    Article 45n. 123
    Article 46n. 124
  - Chapter V: On the Penalties Established Against Transgressors of the General Decreesnn. 125–127
    Article 47n. 125
    Article 48n. 126
    Article 49n. 127
    Additamenta
Part Three: Summary of the General Decrees; and a Brief Repetition Arranged in Logical Ordernn. 128–133
Part Four: Formulae and Cataloguesnn. 134–168
- Chapter I: Formulaenn. 134–166
  - Article 1: Formulae of the Sacred Congregation of the Indexnn. 134–152
    I. Indults for Permitting the Reading of Prohibited Booksnn. 134–152
  - Article 2: Formulae of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fidenn. 153–166
    I. Indults for Permitting the Reading of Prohibited Booksnn. 153–160
    II. Faculties of Reading and Retaining Prohibited Booksnn. 161–166
- Chapter II: Cataloguesnn. 167–168
  - I. List of Writers Whose Works Are Marked by the General Clause, Together with the Day of the Decreen. 167
  - II. List of Works Proscribed by Special Decree After the Index of Leo XIII Was Publishedn. 168
Leo XIII, Constitution on the Prohibition and Censure of Books (Officiorum ac Munerum)
- Title I: On the Prohibition of Books
- Title II: On the Censure of Books
Benedict XIV, Constitution by Which the Method to Be Observed in the Examination and Proscription of Books Is Prescribed (Sollicita ac provida)
Bibliography
Alphabetical Index of Things
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- Q
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