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1、【英文读物】The Roman Index of Forbidden BooksNOTEThis short treatise was written for the benefit of those who cannot devote much time to thestudy of the Index. It appeared first in the uCatholic union and Times,” Buffalo, N. Y., and wasreprinted in the uCatholic Mind” series, Fordham University Press, Ne
2、w York, as numbers 23and 24 of 1907.Those who wish to make a deeper study of the subject are referred to the following books:Rev. Timothy Hurley.一A Commentary on the Present Index Legislation. Dublin, Brown and Nolan.New York, Benziger Bros. $1.35.Rev. Arthur Vermeersch, SJ,De prohibitione et censur
3、a librorum. $0.85.Rev. Jos. Hilgers, SJ,一Der Index der verbotenen Bücher. St. Louis, Herder. $3.25.iv一Die Bücherverbote in Papstbriefen. St. Louis, Herder. $0.95.Rev. Jos. Hilgers, SJ.The Roman Index and its Last Historian. A Critical Review of “TheCensorship of the Church of Rome by Georg
4、e Haven Putnam. Techny, III. Society of the DivineWord. 10 cents.There is also a long article on “Censorship,” written by Rev. J. Hilgers, SJ., in vol. Ill of theCatholic Encyclopedia.An English translation of the Constitution “ Officiorum ac munerum ” is contained in The GreatEncyclical Letters of
5、Pope Leo XIII, with Preface by Rev. John J. Wynne, SJ. New York, BenzigerBros. $2.25.SECTION I COMMENTARY1. The Index.In 1901, a reviewer of the Roman Index of Forbidden Books opened his criticism bycongratulating himself upon having before him a genuine copy of that book, of which, he says,only a v
6、ery limited number were printed for the exclusive use of “the leaders of the Church.”Owing to its scarcity, he thinks, the owner of the volume, which he had borrowed, must havepaid at least two hundred dollars for it. He could have bought a brand new copy for $2.25. TheIndex of which he speaks, issu
7、ed by order of Leo XIII, in 1900, is for sale in this country by B.Herder, St. Louis, Mo. So 2are the three later editions (1901, 1904, 1907), the last two issuedunder, and by order of, our gloriously reigning Pontiff, Pius X. When the critic felt his heart beatwith joy upon being allowed to view wi
8、th his own blessed eyes a book so rare, so expensive, andso jealously guarded by “the leaders of the Church,” a whole edition of that same book hadalready been sold, and a second was about to be put on the market. Its title is now:Index librorum prohibitorum, Leonis XIII Sum. Pont, auctoritate recog
9、nitus SS. D. N. Pii P. X iussueditus. Pr?mittuntur Constitutiones Apostolic? de examine et prohibitione librorum. (Index ofbooks reported to it, to prohibit them, if this should seem well, and to concede dispensations;but also to officially investigate in the best available way whether writings of a
10、ny kind that shouldbe condemned are being circulated; and to remind the ordinaries how strictly they are bound tocondemn pernicious writings and to denounce them to the Holy See. ”On the relation of the Congregation of the Index to that of the Sacrum Officium 28(Holy Office)the Pope says: As the pro
11、hibition of books has very frequently the scope of defense of the Faith,which is also the object of the Congregation of the Holy Office, we decree that in future in allthings relating to the prohibition of books, and in those alone, the Cardinals, Consultors andofficers of both congregations, may co
12、mmunicate with one another, and that all of them shall bebound by the same secret.The Roman Congregations are not infallible. But they represent the Pope in his highest capacityas shepherd of the entire flock of Christ. Therefore we owe them obedience. Their regulationsand orders must find us even m
13、ore willing to obey than those of our bishops and pastors, towhom only a small portion of Christ s kingdom is entrusted.8. The Method of Examination.Our confidence in the fairness of the verdicts of the S. Congregation of the Index will be muchincreased, if we acquaint ourselves with the method it f
14、ollows in carrying 29out its arduous,odious and yet very important task. This method is practically the same for both the Holy Officeand the Index. The usual procedure is based mainly on the regulations laid down in the Bull ofPope Benedict XIV, “Sollicita ac provida. ”When a book is reported to the
15、 Index Congregation, the secretary first tries to ascertain whetherit is worth examining. He also inquires by letter from bishops and other reliable persons aboutthe advisability of a condemnation. Several consultors assist him in this preliminary investigation;but the Cardinal Prefect has to ratify
16、 their decision.If they think the book should be examined, it is handed to a consultor, who has to study itcarefully and to draw up a detailed report, noting exactly the passages which he findsobjectionable, and conscientiously pointing out all redeeming features. His report together withthe book is passed on to other consultors, each of whom can thus satisfy himself
