Section — Vermeersch, On Forbidden Books
II. Laws on Previous Censure
132. A) Dispositions Common to All.
What things are subject to censure.
- From the general rule:
Books which regard religious or moral disciplines (41, 1st part).
Writings in which religion and the honesty of morals are specially concerned (41, 2nd part).
A new edition and version of a work subject to the law of censure (44).
- From special mention of the common law:
Versions of the Sacred Bibles (7).
Books or writings which narrate new supernatural facts, or introduce new devotions (13).
New sacred images (15).
Books, sheets, etc., of Indulgences (17).
Litanies not approved by the Holy See (19).
Books, pamphlets of practical devotion (20).
Proscribed books or versions of them, even if they are corrected (31).
Those things which pertain to causes of Beatification or Canonization (32).
Collections of Decrees of Sacred Congregations (33).
Liturgical books concerning sacred chant (Cf. Appendix to article 18).
- From the peculiar law of the Missions, insofar as Apostolic Vicars or Missionaries must observe the decrees of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide (34).
To whom the censure pertains.
In itself to the Bishop of the place of edition (35).
The following are reserved to the Holy See:
Versions of the Sacred Bibles without notes (7).
Authentic editions of liturgical books or of sacred chant (subject matter from article 18 and the decrees of 1905).
Books proscribed by the Holy See (31).
Those things which look to causes of beatifications or canonizations (32).
Collections of Decrees of Sacred Congregations (33).
Those things which the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide reserves to itself (35).
- For Roman inhabitants, to the Master of the Sacred Palace and the Cardinal Vicar of the City (37).
Various secondary rules.
Censors are to be chosen well, who, human affection having been put aside, prudently and with right intention judge concerning books (38 and 39).
Gratis, in writing, if nothing stands in the way, the faculty is to be given, to be printed at the beginning or at the end of the work (40).
At the beginning of the book the name, place, year, are in themselves to be signified (43).
133. B) Dispositions Proper to the Secular and Regular Clergy.
- Proper to the secular clergy:
That they not publish books without consulting the Bishop (42, 1st part).
That, without his assent, they not direct newspapers or periodic sheets (42, 2nd part).
- Proper to the regular clergy:
By the Tridentine decree they are ordered also to obtain the license of their proper Prelate. Each license, of Bishop and of Prelate, is to be printed at the beginning or at the end of the work (36).