II. On the Other Part

80. The other part of article 13 takes care lest new devotions be introduced imprudently. For it forbids books or writings ... which introduce new devotions, even under the pretext that they are private, if they are published without the legitimate license of the Superiors of the Church.

What books or writings are

1. Books or writings. Therefore it does not matter in what form or size they are published. Cf. above, the things just said, n. 78, 2.

Which introduce

2. Which ... introduce, insofar as they do not merely report them, but suggest them, recommend them, or appear composed for the spreading of the devotion (Ecrits, feuillets de propagande).

Devotions

Devotions are manners of exercising the virtue of religion, or of worshipping God or the saints.

New?

They are judged new which have not yet prevailed by usage. With us is Pennacchi, cited work, n. 51.

Moreover, a devotion can be new either from its immediate object: for example, toward the heart of St. Joseph, some part of Christ's humanity hitherto not specially honored; or from its manner, as if you should invent the cincture of St. Aloysius; if, from a certain pretended vision, you began to propose St. Catherine as patroness of those who are carried on those wheels which have the name "velocipedes." Cf. Cosmos, August 1897, pp. 164-166, etc.¹ But it will not be a new devotion if you propose certain prayers customary in the Church to be recited for nine days in honor of some saint; or if from approved prayers you compose a "week" or a month, adorn them with commentaries and explain them.² Yet if you wished first to consecrate a month or certain Sundays to the worshipping of some saint, we think this to be a new devotion.

Once and again already before this, the Holy See had recalled the minds of the faithful from following these novelties, and had warned writers "that they should weigh the danger which underlies the drawing of the faithful into error even concerning dogmas of faith, and the furnishing of an occasion to haters of religion for disparaging the purity of Catholic doctrine and true piety." Holy Office, general Monitum added to the decree of January 13, 1875, inculcated anew June 3, 1891, and April 3, 1895.³

It does not matter by what manner they are to be exercised

3. Even under the pretext that they are private. Therefore it does not matter by what manner they are to be exercised.

Who will give legitimate license?

4. If they are published without legitimate license. This will sometimes be given by the Bishop, sometimes by the Holy See alone: as if they look to sacred Rites.

But once approved by one Bishop, in themselves they can be diffused into other dioceses. We draw this from the general canon concerning previous censure. Cf. below. But if that new devotion seems inopportune to another Bishop, he will be able to exercise against it his faculty of proscribing works published or diffused in his diocese.

¹ Thus there were disapproved: the feast concerning the most sacred blood of Mary; the title N. D. du Sacré Coeur explained by dominion over the Son Himself; emblems of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist; the title Friend of the Sacred Heart given to St. Joseph; a certain manner of honoring the Face of the Redeemer as a distinct object; the title D. N. I. C. the Penitent; the prayer for the dominion of Christ and Mary Immaculate over all creatures (Holy Office, 1875, 1891, 1893, 1895); any writings whatever, even not printed by type, provided nevertheless they were propagated, concerning the private cult of the divine hands of the Redeemer, the devotion della Mano poderosa, of the New Cross of the Immaculate Conception, the devotion to the soul of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Cf. decree of the Congregation of the Index, April 19, 1906, referring the decree of the Holy Office, February 6, 1906; decree of March 31 and May 1, 1901.

² Pennacchi, cited work, n. 51.

³ N. R. Th., t. 7, p. 205; t. 24, p. 382; t. 27, p. 488 sq.