I. On Books

What books are

117. 1. Books, therefore not writings, nor journals, nor sheets, nor periodic pamphlets, at least of smaller bulk.

In itself, however, there are comprehended periodic publications of greater bulk, whose individual fascicles attain to the quantity of a book and are destined for treating theological or canonical subjects. The reason is that they have the bulk of a book and a sufficient unity of subject matter. Cf. above n. 34. With us are Genicot,¹ Planchard.² Moureau³ seems to doubt; while Hollweck⁴ releases all periodic publications from this obligation, because the Church trusts the persons by whom they are ruled. Yet this seems said gratuitously, unless usage or custom tempers the law. Gopfert⁵ testifies that a usage of this kind was in force in Germany before our Constitution. Cf. Arndt,⁶ and also Wernz, n. 121, note 109.

What are other similar disciplines

2. Or other religious or moral disciplines of this kind, for example, treatises concerning liturgical matters and matters of natural law;⁷ lives of the servants of God; books which by institution report prodigious facts which, for example, occur in some sanctuary; books which under a moral or religious respect, thus Genicot,⁸ not under a merely economic or political respect, treat of social science, as by commenting on the Encyclical concerning the condition of workers.

3. And this indeed is the general rule. For attention must also be paid to the special sanctions, explained above, by which works even of smaller bulk are governed. Thus the following are subject to previous censure, and sometimes to a special one:

Writings concerning which article 13 treats, that is, those which narrate new apparitions, miracles, etc. Cf. n. 78.

New images, from article 15. Cf. n. 85.

Pamphlets and sheets of Indulgences, from article 17. Cf. n. 87.

All litanies besides the most ancient and common ones, from article 19. Cf. n. 90.

Pamphlets written for fostering piety, from article 20. Cf. n. 91.

Works proscribed by the Apostolic See, from article 31. Cf. n. 106.

Those things which pertain to the causes of beatifications and canonizations, from article 32. Cf. n. 107.

Collections of Decrees of Sacred Congregations, from article 33. Cf. n. 108.

¹ Cited place, 458.

² Rev. Th. Fr., n. 73.

³ Rev. des Sciences Eccl., cited place, p. 117.

⁴ Cited work, p. 45.

⁵ Cited work, p. 321.

⁶ Cited work, n. 207, p. 293.

⁷ C. Gennari seems too subtly to separate Natural Law from Ethics.

⁸ Cited place, 458, 7.