Chapter XI

. These two Indexes contain each an introduction by the same editor, Hieronymus Pius Saccheri. The second Index of Leo represents a higher standard of bookmaking than had been reached by any previous Index either papal or Spanish. The lists are remarkably free from bibliographical or typographical errors and the printed page is not only readable but artistic. The previous issues of the 19th century, and those of the 18th and 17th, present but very little advance in the matter of consistent and uniform bibliography or in freedom from misprints. According to the routine obtaining after the accession of Benedict, all the more important of the changes which took shape in the successive Indexes were decided upon in sessions of the Congregation at which the Pope himself presided. Such was the case, for instance, with the elimination of the general prohibition of the Copernican writings, with the cancellation of the series of entries connected with the issues between Paul V and Venice, and with the recall of the prohibition of the writings of Cardinal Noailles.

What may be called the editorial division (that is to say, the introduction and official entries) in the Index of Benedict is repeated without change in all the later Indexes through the 19th century. In the Index of 1835, are added to this division two papers. The first is a _mandatum_ of Leo XII, issued under a decree of the Congregation of March 26, 1825, which reads in substance as follows:

“His Holiness has ordered that all patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and other ecclesiastical dignitaries shall carefully bear in mind their responsibilities under the Rules as promulgated by the Council of Trent, together with the additions to the same which were published by Clement VIII, Alexander VIII, and Benedict XIV. It is evidently impossible to bring into the Index the titles of all publications appearing from year to year which are pernicious in character or dangerous in doctrine. It is no longer practicable to apply the authority of the Church through prohibitions of specific books or cautions as to these, to prevent the faithful from being injured by such pernicious literature. The Church authorities must therefore issue general instructions based upon the Index Rules, by means of which instructions, the faith of believers can be protected against heresy and demoralisation.”

The second is a _monitum_ of the Congregation of the Index, dated March 4, 1828. The Congregation enjoins upon all patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, confessors, and local inquisitors the importance of making thorough application of the provision of the second of the Tridentine Rules: “Works by heretics which have to do with religious or theological subjects are prohibited without reservation.” The _monitum_ makes reference also to the instruction of Clement VIII: “All works which are prohibited by the Holy See in the original text are also forbidden in all translations of the same.”

In the Index of 1841, was included a _monitum_ concerning translations into the vernacular of the Scriptures. In the Index of 1877, was included a statement concerning the modification of the penalties that had been prescribed under the Bull of 1869, and also a declaration concerning books on the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

In May, 1844, Gregory XVI had included in an encyclical a _monitum_ cautioning all believers to guard themselves not only against the reading of all books prohibited by title, but against the use or the influence of any literature belonging to the classes which are condemned and prohibited under the general instructions of the Index. This _monitum_ of Gregory’s was, however, not itself reprinted in any of the succeeding Indexes.

The _Decreta Generalia_ have received no additions since the time of Benedict. A number of general prohibitions have, however, been issued which are analogous in their character and authority to the _Decreta_. These are printed in the text of the Index proper and, in certain cases, under headings where they would hardly be looked for. Some of them are entered under _libri_ (_omnes incredulorum_); the prohibition of books on spiritualism is entered under the term “matter.” Some of these general prohibitions, such as that of the writings of the Carbonari, escaped being repeated in any of the Indexes.

A formula which finds place in the Index first under Benedict reads: _Auctor laudabiliter se subjecit et opus suum reprobavit_.

When a work has been condemned by the Inquisition or by the Congregation on the ground of heretical propositions, the determination of such propositions is based upon certain general principles laid down by the Inquisition. The author has the alternative of cancelling the book altogether or of agreeing to reprint it with the elimination of the propositions condemned as heretical.

In later years, it has been the practice of the Congregation in the case of authors to whom, on one ground or another, it is thought desirable to extend consideration, to give to such authors, in advance of the publication of any condemnation, the opportunity of making the eliminations or corrections required. If the author promptly assents to such a course, his work is not included in any of the official lists of condemnation. Catholics who learn first through the publication of the official reports that their writings have come into condemnation and who thereupon make submission and promise of correction, are recorded in a supplementary decree of the Congregation. Such decree makes announcement of the fact of the submission and gives approval to the text as corrected, of the work in question. The form of announcement is as follows: _Auctor laudabiliter se subjecit et opus reprobavit_. In the case of works which have been prohibited with a _d.c._ the formula reads: _Auctor laudabiliter se subjecit et reprobanda reprobavit_ or _et opus amendavit_. There are various examples of the use of this formula between the years 1873 and 1881.

In a decree of Pius IX, issued in June, 1848, the censorship concerning material of a religious or doctrinal character, printed either in books or periodicals, was restricted to the territory of the States of the Church. A decree of the inquisitor-general, issued in September, 1851, states:

“It is become known to us that either on the ground of malice, of wilful disobedience, or of ignorance, certain persons fail to give information to the Holy See concerning the undertakings of heretics and the spread of Protestant contentions, or concerning the publication of attacks or satires against the Pope or against ecclesiastical Orders, or as to the distribution of writings in which the Holy Scriptures have been misused or misquoted, or the distribution of works printed without the official permit, or the reading, printing or possession of such works. It is hereby ordered that all such delinquents shall incur the penalty of excommunication _latae sententiae_. This edict is to be placed in every sacristy. It is further ordered that all printers, booksellers, collectors of customs, janitors, landlords, and shopkeepers of any kind shall place copies of this edict in their premises in such manner that it shall be read by all.”

In an instruction given in July, 1878, by the cardinal vicar of Rome, which has to do particularly with the regulation of divine service, of the sermons, and of the schools of heretics, “whose operations are carried on under the very eyes of the Teacher of Infallible Youth,” is printed the announcement:

“The typesetters who, in order to prevent themselves from losing their work, put into type the writings of heretics, come into grievous sin. This is essentially the case with those who lend themselves to the production of works maintaining or defending heretical doctrines for which works the Pope has ordered the larger excommunication.”

_1806. Rome. Index Prohibitorius._ This Index, issued under Pius VII, is a reprint of the Index of 1786 with continuations of the lists up to the year of its publication.

_1819. Rome. Index Prohibitorius. Index Librorum Prohibitorum, Sanctissimi Domini Nostri Pii Septimi Pontificis Maximi jussu editus._ The only article in this volume which is distinctive is the “Address to the Catholic Reader” by the editor, Alex. Angelicus Bardani, of the Order of St. Dominic and Secretary of the Congregation of the Index. This address refers, with congratulation, to the pious interest of the faithful which had exhausted the edition of the Index of 1786 (making, curiously enough, no reference to the intervening Index of 1806). The volume was reprinted in 1822 with two appendices and two decrees. The closing portion of the second decree is devoted to a denunciation of five works in English relating to papal controversies in North America, as follows:

“An Address to the Congregation of St. Mary’s Church, Philadelphia.”

“Continuation of an Address,” etc.

“The Opinion of the Right Reverend John Rico on the Address.”

“Address of the Committee.”

“Address of the Right Reverend Bishop of Pennsylvania,” etc.

A further edition of this Index with some revisions was printed in Paris in 1825--_Le Catalogue des Ouvrages mis à l’Index, contenant les noms de tous les Livres condamnés par la Cour de Rome, depuis l’invention de l’Imprimerie jusqu’ à 1825, avec les dates des Décrets de leur condamnation_. The lists are preceded by an _Avis de l’Éditeur_ in which an account is given of the Congregation of the Index at Rome with reference to the work of Catalani. It proceeds to say that the works comprehended in this Index are those which had been prohibited by Pius VI and Pius VII, together with all which are known to have been since censured _sous l’heureux gouvernment de l’Église Universelle par N.T.S. Père le Pape Léon XII_. It is not clear what authority this general Index may have been held to possess in France as, under various preceding utterances, the Gallican Church had taken the position that the Indexes of Rome were not to have authority in France unless reissued with the specific approval of the rulers of the French Church.

This Index contains a condemnation of the “Defence of the Ancient Faith,” by the Rev. Peter Gandolphy, published in 1816, a work which had secured the approbation of the master of the sacred palace and of Damiani, master of theology. The appendix includes also Lady Morgan’s volume on Italy, and a special decree in regard to the New Testament.

A reprint of the Index of 1819 was issued in Brussels in 1828.

_1835. Rome. Gregory XVI. Prohibitorius._

_1841. Rome. Gregory XVI. Prohibitorius._ Reprints of these two Indexes were issued (with papal privileges) in Mechlin, Monza, Monreale, and Naples.

_1855. Rome. Pius IX. Prohibitorius._

_1871. Rome. Pius IX._ Reissue, with an appendix, of the Index of 1841.

_1877. Rome. Pius IX. Prohibitorius._ Each of these Indexes contains an introduction by Hieronymus Pius Saccheri. The lists of titles in both present a number of errors, bibliographical and typographical, and are in fact much less correct than those of Benedict.

_1881. Rome. Leo XIII. Index Prohibitorius_, reprinted with appendix in 1884.

_1896. Rome. Leo XIII. Index Prohibitorius._ A reprint of the Index of 1884, with appendix carrying the titles to 1895.

_1899–1900. Rome. Leo XIII. Index Prohibitorius_: for specification of contents, see Chapter XI .

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