Articles 38 and 39

Let Bishops, whose office it is to grant the faculty of printing books, take care that for examining them they employ men of tried piety and doctrine, concerning whose faith and integrity they can promise themselves that they will give nothing to favor, nothing to hatred, but, every human affection having been put aside, will look only to the glory of God and the utility of the faithful people.

Concerning various opinions and sentences (according to the precept of Benedict XIV) let censors know that they must judge with a mind empty of all prejudices. Therefore let them shake off affection of nation, family, school, institute; let them lay aside party zeal. Let them have before their eyes solely the dogmas of the holy Church and the common doctrine of Catholics, which are contained in the decrees of General Councils, the Constitutions of the Roman Pontiffs, and the consensus of Doctors.

Censors to be well chosen

115. 1. By each article it is commended to Ordinaries that they choose learned and upright censors, who set aside party zeal and consider only dogmas and the common doctrine of Catholics (art. 38, 39).

2. And since we are referred to the Constitution of Benedict XIV, it will not be displeasing here to transcribe from it two golden rules.

One must not judge from a separated place

"This also," the Supreme Pontiff observes in sec. 18, "we warn must diligently be noted, that a right judgment concerning the true sense of an author cannot be made unless his book be read from every side ... nor indeed is it to be pronounced concerning him from one or another proposition torn from its context or considered and weighed apart from the others which are contained in the same book."

One must incline into a good sense when the author is Catholic

And in sec. 19, he adds this, so consonant with evangelical charity: "But if certain ambiguous things have fallen from an author who otherwise is Catholic, and of intact reputation in religion and doctrine, equity itself seems to demand that his sayings, explained kindly as far as possible, be taken in a good part." The book of the Exercises of our holy father Ignatius already contained similar things. "It is to be supposed," thus that Saint says at the opening of the Exercises, immediately after the annotations, "that every pious Christian ought with a readier mind to draw the sentence or obscure proposition of another into a good part than to condemn it. But if he can protect it by no reason, let him inquire into the mind of the speaker; and if he thinks or understands less rightly, let him correct him kindly: if this does not suffice, let him attempt all opportune ways by which he may render him sound in understanding and secure from error."