ROMAN CATHOLIC LIBERTY

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 26, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 33.

ROMAN CATHOLIC LIBERTY.

On Roman Catholic liberty in reading as compared with Protestant, the Independent, among other things, has this to say:—

Probably Catholics and Protestants would agree that there is no greater practical difference between them than that which is indicated by the expression, “the right of private interpretation.” It is the right of each person, claimed by the Protestant and denied by the Catholic, to use his own best intelligence in the interpretation of Scripture, and, accordingly, in deciding what is duty.

No better illustration of the rigid control which the Catholic Church exercises over the consciences of its members can be given than the rules it lays down as to what they may or may not read. We give some of these rules as promulgated only last year by the present rather liberal pope as popes go. Here is one:—

Books of apostates, heretics, schismatics, and all other writers which defend heresy or schism, or in any way tend to overthrow the basis of religion, are absolutely forbidden.

Every book which defends our Protestant forms of faith is thus absolutely interdicted. Here is another rule:—

Likewise are forbidden books of non-Catholics which professedly treat of religion, unless it is known that they contain nothing contrary to Catholic faith.

It is not enough, it seems, to forbid books which defend heresy or schism, but any book on religion written by a Protestant is forbidden unless it is known that there is nothing in it that contradicts any part of the Catholic faith. But we are further told in another rule that books by non-Catholic writers which are not on religion, such as novels, we suppose, or scientific treatises, may be read even altho they may “merely incidentally touch on truths of faith.”

Next follow, in the document from which we quote, the rules about the Holy Scriptures. No edition of the Bible in the original tongues, and no ancient version in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Armenian, Arabic, or any other language of the earlier church, prepared by a non-Catholic, is allowed to any except those engaged in theological or Biblical studies, and to them only, provided no attack is made “in the prefaces or notes, on dogmas of the Catholic faith.”

Much more is it forbidden to read any edition of the Holy Scriptures in the vernacular prepared by a non-Catholic.

Since experience has proved that, on account of man’s boldness, more evil than good arises if the Sacred Books are allowed to all without check in the vulgar tongue; wherefore all versions in the vernacular, even those made by Catholics, are entirely forbidden, unless approved by the Holy See or issued under the care of bishops, with notes taken from the holy fathers of the church and from learned Catholic writers.

Prohibited are all versions of the Holy Scriptures made by whatever non-Catholic writers, in whatever vulgar tongue, and those especially which are spread broadcast by Bible societies, again and again condemned by the Roman pontiffs, since they entirely discard the most salutary laws of the church relative to the issuing of Divine Books. But these versions are allowed to those who are engaged in theological or Biblical studies, on observing the regulations set forth above.

If any Catholic wants, for any reason, to read a book thus forbidden, he must ask permission not of his confessor, but of his bishop; and this permission must not be easily granted, for the rule says that this permission may be given “only in chosen cases and for good and sufficient cause,” “only in urgent cases,” and “for single books.” Furthermore, bishops must “proscribe and take out of the hands of the faithful” any forbidden books that have been circulated. And still further, no Catholic layman is allowed to publish any book on religion without episcopal permission, and no priest can publish on any subject, religious, scientific, or social, without such license.—The Independent.