Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-11-02
BANNING A BOOK.

Readers Of the NEWS will remtmbel
a paper under the heading ''5aiurday
Talk by an Editor" written by
President Georg @ Cannon, and pub
lishod in these columns some time ago,
commenting on the startling magazine
articles Of sir George Mivari entitled
"Happlness IN He'll" They will alsl
have noticed that those articles came
under the scrutiny aud later the con.
demnstion II the Catholic church, the
articles being finally biunol or pro.
sor.bsi or whatever The usual term In
such Instances may be. Sir George
Mivaft was too good a Catholic 10 reslst
tho intcriio', and he obeiio1tly 6igui.
fisd his reiractlon Of the opllions ne
had lnciutious.y advanced.
Now comes a writer In tho Nine
tenth Century aud details IN an ia.
torsstius manner the formal aud
deliberate steps taken by the church
in the banning u a book. Ffom his
account We losru that tho mombsrl Of
Tie congregation Of the index are somo
xix 0saovcn cardinals appointed BY lhe
pope. IL has a project, or president, an
g'sistanl ani secretary, the last.
uamed being always a Djminica1. II
has attached TO It a number o. con.
suliors, selected from the racks Of the
secular and regular clergy Of Rome.
lie method Of procedure Is naturally o
replica, more or less, OF that OF the
congregation OF tho inquisitlon, ana IT,
sentences asc,in a MAJ Jr.iy ofinsiauccs,
supplementary 10 sentences already
passed In tho older c0Dgrcg ,tiou.
A large proportion Of the books
condemned by II have previously been
condemned ~ tho luqulsiu1n. Some.
times, however illascs the Initiative,
aud II then proceeds rs follows; a
book Is denounced by some jealous
Catholic 10 the cariinal project %
hurtful 10 The soul, sni the dununcl.
alton is laid before the secretary Of tho
congregation. Tho dunouncer or dc.
later az ho ls Technically termed, has
20 give tull reasons for his complaint.
The secretary has then 10 examine
tho book Tor himself with care, aud 10
associate With himself two advisers,
chosen by him with the consent Of the
holy father or the cardinal protect Il
their collective judgment IL against
the book, further adviser has 10 he
selected who Is an expert In the
special subject OF which the
book treats. Ito has 10 give 10
detailed report 10 the secre.
tary, marking the particular passages to
which exception eau justly be taken.
Alter this a preliminary meeting OF
the body Of consultors 4 held, the sec.
Rotary being prcsunt with ut least six
oonsuliors WIN are familiar with the
topics discussed 10 the book. Finally
n general meeting OF tho cardinal,
compelling tho con yregalion h held,
whose procedure ID exactly he same no
thht OIL the congregation OF the inqulsi.
lion. There Is tho Same iuI discussion,
the same reference 70 tho oonsultors,
AMI nnally the same report OF the pro.
ccedings and Of their result TO the pope,
with View to his approval Of tue
sentence passed.
There would accordingly seem to be
neither undue haste nor uuAirness-
though the hearing Ia ia sense
er paTtc-in reaching a conclusion that
means 40 much to tho publisher
Of unorthodux We've. Mr.. Mivart, nj
any rate, has conceded with the crlti.
cisms Of his church suporiors, ana In
promptly accepting their verdict he
intlmates belief that no Injustice has
boon done him. The Incident IL note.
worthy as Illustrating that In these
latter days Of Boosted Independence Ia
Ihought-whioh, however, Ia frequent
" a ,uphomism Tor stubbotnuess
against roas0u-thero are san leading
spirits that yield readily T. the pressure
brought by the eleven Jurymvn ayaluti
the one.