Summary of Contents

Editorial navigation note. In the PDF version, the Summary of Contents and note markers are clickable internal links. Bracketed phrases beginning [navigation: ...] are supplied in this translation for easier navigation; the original printed summary often gave only article or part numbers. Unbracketed subsection titles under articles reproduce headings found in the body of the translated text.

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| Prooemium (1) | I |

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| Chapter I. Historical notions | |

| I. On the prohibition of books (2-6) | 3 |

| II. On the previous censorship of books (7-9) | 5 |

| Chapter II. The present usefulness of laws of this kind (10-12) | 6 |

| Chapter III. A brief description of the laws which are in force today (13-17) | 8 |

| Chapter IV. The abrogation of the earlier law (18-22) | 13 |

| Chapter V. The universal force of these laws (23, 24) | 18 |

| Chapter VI. The right interpretation of these laws | |

| I. What general principles are to be used (25-27) | 20 |

| II. Applications, or particular cases (28-46) | 24 |

| Chapter VII. What acts the prohibition of a book forbids by positive law | |

| I. On perfect prohibition (47-51) | 37 |

| II. On less perfect prohibition (52) | 40 |

| Chapter VIII. Obligation of conscience. Gravity of fault (53-61) | 41 |

| Chapter IX. By what power books are prohibited (62-64) | 51 |

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| Chapter I. On the prohibited books of apostates, heretics, schismatics, and other writers | |

| Article 1 (navigation: pre-1600 condemnations preserved under the present decrees) (65) | 59 |

| Article 2 (navigation: books defending heresy or schism, or overturning the foundations of religion) (66) | 60 |

| Article 3 (navigation: non-Catholic books which expressly treat religion) (67) | 63 |

| Article 4 (navigation: non-Catholic books touching truths of faith only incidentally) (68) | 65 |

| Chapter II. On editions of the original text and of non-vernacular versions of Sacred Scripture | |

| Article 5 (navigation: non-Catholic editions of original biblical texts and ancient Catholic versions) (69) | 65 |

| Article 6 (navigation: other non-Catholic non-vernacular Bible versions) (70) | 67 |

| Chapter III. On vernacular versions of Sacred Scripture | |

| Article 7 (navigation: Catholic vernacular Bibles, approval, and annotations) (71) | 67 |

| Article 8 (navigation: non-Catholic vernacular Bibles and Bible Societies) (71 bis) | 69 |

| Chapter IV. On obscene books | |

| Article 9 (navigation: books treating obscene matters of set purpose) (72) | 69 |

| Article 10 (navigation: obscene classics and limited use for office or teaching) (73) | 71 |

| Chapter V. On certain books of special subject matter | |

| Article 11 (navigation: books against sacred persons, Scripture inspiration, and ecclesiastical states) | 74 |

| I. On Books Which Contain a Certain Kind of Detractions (74) | 75 |

| II. On Books Which Act Perversely Concerning the Inspiration of Sacred Scripture (75) | 77 |

| III. On Books Injurious to the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy or to the Clerical or Religious State (76) | 78 |

| Article 12 (navigation: books teaching or commending sortilege, divination, magic, evocation of spirits, and like superstitions) (77) | 79 |

| Article 13 (navigation: supernatural facts and new devotions) | |

| I. On Books or Writings Which Report New Supernatural Facts (78, 79) | 81 |

| II. On the Other Part (navigation: writings which introduce new devotions) (80) | 83 |

| Article 14 (navigation: duel, suicide, divorce, masonic sects, and condemned errors) | |

| I. On Books Which Patronize Duel, Suicide, Divorce (81) | 85 |

| II. On Books Which Favor Masonic Sects (82, 83) | 86 |

| III. On Books Which Defend Errors Proscribed by the Holy See (84) | 90 |

| Chapter VI. On sacred images and indulgences | |

| Article 15 (navigation: printed sacred images, discordant images, and new images needing license) (85) | 91 |

| Article 16 (navigation: apocryphal, proscribed, or revoked indulgences) (86) | 93 |

| Article 17 (navigation: books, summaries, sheets, and other publications of indulgences) (87) | 95 |

| Chapter VII. On liturgical and prayer books | |

| Article 18 (navigation: authentic liturgical books and prohibited altered editions) (88, 89) | 97 |

| Article 19 (navigation: litanies requiring review and approval) (90) | 104 |

| Article 20 (navigation: prayer, devotion, and religious or moral instruction books) (91) | 105 |

| Chapter VIII. On newspapers, sheets, and periodical booklets | |

| Article 21 (navigation: periodicals attacking religion or morals, and episcopal vigilance) | |

| I. On Proscribed Newspapers, Sheets, and Periodical Booklets (92) | 107 |

| II. On Pastoral Vigilance to Be Exercised by Ordinaries (93) | 112 |

| Article 22 (navigation: Catholics writing in hostile newspapers and periodicals) (94) | 113 |

| Chapter IX. On the faculty of reading and retaining prohibited books | |

| Article 23 (navigation: necessity of a faculty to read and retain prohibited books) (95) | 114 |

| Article 24 (navigation: authorities able to grant faculties for prohibited books) (95 bis) | 116 |

| Article 25 (navigation: episcopal and delegated faculties) | |

| I. On Ordinary Power (96) | 117 |

| II. On Delegated Power (97) | 119 |

| Article 26 (navigation: limits of apostolic faculties and custody of prohibited books) | |

| I. On the Former Part (navigation: apostolic faculties and books prohibited by Ordinaries) (98) | 122 |

| II. On the Other Part (navigation: grave obligation of custody) (99) | 124 |

| Chapter X. On the denunciation of evil books | |

| Article 27 (navigation: who should denounce pernicious books, and to whom) (100) | 125 |

| Article 28 (navigation: manner of denunciation and secrecy of denouncers) (101) | 126 |

| Article 29 (navigation: episcopal proscription and referral to the Apostolic See) | |

| I. On the Former Part (navigation: power and duty of Ordinaries to proscribe and remove harmful writings) (102) | 127 |

| II. On the Other Part (navigation: works to be reserved to Apostolic judgment) (103) | 129 |

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| Introduction (navigation: end of censure, meaning of imprimatur, submission for review, and obligation) (104, 105) | 130 |

| Chapter I. On the prelates placed over the censorship of books | |

| Article 30 (navigation: authority over editions and versions of the sacred Bibles) (105 bis) | 131 |

| Article 31 (navigation: republication of books proscribed by the Apostolic See) (106) | 132 |

| Article 32 (navigation: publications concerning causes of beatification and canonization) (107) | 132 |

| Article 33 (navigation: collections of decrees of Roman Congregations) (108) | 132 |

| Article 34 (navigation: Propaganda Fide decrees for Apostolic Vicars and Missionaries) (109) | 133 |

| Article 35 (navigation: Ordinary of the place of publication as competent censor) (110-112) | 135 |

| Article 36 (navigation: regulars, episcopal license, and license of the proper Prelate) (113) | 136 |

| Article 37 (navigation: Roman authors publishing outside the City) (114) | 137 |

| Chapter II. On the office of censors in the previous examination of books | |

| Articles 38 and 39 (navigation: choosing learned and upright censors, and judging without prejudice) (115) | 138 |

| Article 40 (navigation: written and gratuitous license to publish when nothing stands in the way) (116) | 139 |

| Chapter III. On books to be subjected to previous censorship | |

| Article 41 (navigation: general rule for books and writings subject to previous censure) | |

| I. On Books (117) | 141 |

| II. On Any Writings Whatever (118) | 143 |

| Article 42 (navigation: special law for secular clerics) | |

| I. On Books (119) | 145 |

| II. On Periodic Sheets (120) | 145 |

| Chapter IV. On printers and publishers of books | |

| Article 43 (navigation: author, editor, place, and year to be printed in censured books) (121) | 147 |

| Article 44 (navigation: new editions and translations requiring new approval) (122) | 148 |

| Article 45 (navigation: worldwide force of condemnations by the Apostolic See) (123) | 149 |

| Article 46 (navigation: booksellers, obscene books, and sale of prohibited books) (124) | 149 |

| Chapter V. On the penalties established for transgressors of the General Decrees | |

| Article 47 (navigation: specially reserved excommunication for certain prohibited books) (125) | 151 |

| Article 48 (navigation: excommunication reserved to no one for unapproved printing of Scripture books) (126) | 156 |

| Article 49 (navigation: episcopal admonition and canonical penalties for other transgressions) (127) | 157 |

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| I. Laws on the prohibition of books and works (128-131) | 159 |

| II. Laws on previous censorship (132, 133) | 161 |

| III. On the sanctions of these laws and the faculty of reading and retaining prohibited works (133 bis and ter) | 163 |

| Section | Original page |

| --- | ---: |

| Chapter I. Forms | |

| Article 1. Forms of the Sacred Congregation of the Index | |

| I. Indults for permitting the reading of prohibited books (134-137) | 165 |

| II. Faculties of reading and retaining (138-152) | 167 |

| Article 2. Forms of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide | |

| I. Indults for permitting the reading of prohibited books (153-160) | 169 |

| II. Faculties of reading and retaining prohibited books (161-166) | 171 |

| Chapter II. Catalogues | |

| I. List of writers whose works are marked by the general clause, together with the day of the decree (167) | 173 |

| II. List of works proscribed by special decree after the publication of the Index of Leo XIII (168) | 176 |

| Constitution of Leo XIII on the prohibition and censorship of books | 179 |

| Constitution of Benedict XIV by which the method to be observed in the examination and proscription of books is prescribed | 189 |

| Bibliography | 201 |

| Alphabetical Index of Matters | 205 |

NB. The works which in the Commentaries are designated by the initial letters op. c. are accurately described at the end of our study, in the Bibliography.