Article 15

Images, in whatever manner printed, of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and Saints, or other Servants of God, discordant with the sense and decrees of the Church, are altogether forbidden. But new ones, whether they have prayers annexed or are published without them, are not to be published without the license of ecclesiastical power.

What two things are established by article 15

85. I. Concerning Images of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels, Saints, and Servants of God, both these things are established by article 15:

Those abhorrent from the sense of the Church are forbidden

1. Images which are discordant with the sense and decrees of the Church are altogether forbidden. Yet you should take this insofar as images of this sort are in some manner exhibited or held as sacred. For the distinguished Palmieri, on this place, thinks that images of this sort can be retained "as a monument or abnormal thing of art."

Thus, for example,¹ the former manner of representing the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Sacred Heart (Uxellodunensis, Issoudun) is disapproved; an image of a servant of God which would shine with an aureole, etc.

But which images are to be approved or disapproved is learnedly explained by Benedict XIV, Constitution Sollicitudini, October 1, 1745. Also the Decrees of the same Pontiff which used to be set before the catalogue of the Index, although now formally suppressed, contain in § 3 examples of images which are discordant with the sense of the Church. Cf. concerning these C. Gennari² and Pennacchi.³

New ones are not to be published without license

2. New ones, even without prayers, cannot be published without the license of ecclesiastical power.

Moreover, new images are those which are newly invented, drawn (sur de nouveaux "dessins"), not those whose type has already been fashioned and tacitly approved by usage itself. Thus with us are Desjardins,⁴ Pennacchi³ and Ciolli;⁵ while Hollweck,⁶ more severely, to whom Wernz⁷ assents, also understands a new edition (allen Neudruck) of an ancient image.

Already before this the Bishops of Belgium had prescribed something similar, and the statutes of Liège, n. 272, 7, had gone before by example.

Published without license are not prohibited

But what if they are published without competent license? The publisher sins; but from a comparison of each part of article 15, which here does not repeat the absolute prohibition by which in the first part it punishes abnormal images, we draw that the faithful are not prohibited from their use. Besides, greater severity would give place to excessive scruples and practical difficulties. With us are Pennacchi,⁸ Gennari,⁹ against Hollweck.¹⁰

Exposition of the letter

II. But that we may explain somewhat the letter of article 15:

Images printed in whatever manner, which these are

1. Images printed in whatever manner are regarded. That expression, very general, embraces many of those ways by which, through imposition and compression (l'application et la pression), likenesses are mechanically multiplied. It matters nothing to the matter whether the exemplar was first engraved in bronze, or whether imitations were made through "lithography," "phototype," or "photography."

Whether medals

Concerning medals it can be disputed. They indeed bear an image impressed in metal; they are also very easily spread. Yet on the other hand the very customary word "medal" is lacking, which Benedict XIV did not omit when, in the General Decrees, § 3, n. 3, he wished to prohibit these things. And they are rather struck than printed.¹¹

Concerning statues, paintings

But statues and paintings are not comprehended,¹² since they by no means pertain to the genus of printed images. Nor do these have that rapid diffusion on account of which the Supreme Pontiff grieves in the Exordium that "the art [of books], in itself excellent ... has been perverted into an enormous instrument of ruin" by many abusing it.

Besides, this is certainly provided by the more general disposition of Trent, session 25,¹³ that, even in exempt churches, by whatever title they are exempt, no unusual image should be placed "unless it has been approved by the Bishop."

2. Images of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Angels and Saints or Servants of God. On account of the manifest parity of reason, the law also regards images of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Holy Spirit, although these are passed over in silence, and any sacred images whatever.

What "altogether forbidden" means

Moreover, every use of those which are forbidden, even for private devotion, is disapproved. For the prohibition is absolute: they are altogether forbidden. Yet this, as we were just saying, you should take concerning use which in some manner is religious.

Whether approval of a new image must be printed

You will ask whether the approval of a new image must be printed on the image itself. As far as the nature of an image permits, that is strongly to be urged, as plainly consonant with the mind or wish of our Constitution. Yet because article 40 requires this in express words concerning books alone, we do not think there is a strict precept. Boudinhon, Canoniste, 1897, p. 433, responds more severely. With us is Sleutjes, cited work, p. 44.

¹ Cf. decree of the Holy Office, April 3, 1895, N. R. Th., t. 27, p. 488.

² Monit., cited place, pp. 63, 65.

³ A. S. S., cited work, n. 53.

⁴ Études, t. 71, p. 213.

⁵ Cited work, n. 39.

⁶ Das kirchl. Bücherverbot, p. 51.

⁷ Cited work, n. 111, note 69.

⁸ Cited work, n. 55.

⁹ Monit., cited place, p. 66 and note 1.

¹⁰ Cited work, p. 51 and p. 36, note 3. He relies on the general reason which we rejected in n. 52, namely because these things are treated in the chapter which is inscribed concerning the prohibition of books. Yet he tempers his statements, since here he recognizes only a venial obligation (p. 36, note 3).

¹¹ Wherefore Pennacchi, cited work, n. 53, and Moureau, Rev. des Sciences Eccl., cited place, t. 6, p. 110, deny that they are comprehended.

¹² Since the present Constitution is not occupied with these, the Decrees of prior law have force. Cf. Gennari, Monit., cited place; Planchard, Rev. Th. Fr., cited place, n. 58 and note 3.

¹³ On invocation, etc., and sacred images.