The Irish standard., 1901-07-13
On the List of Prohibited Books is One
Written by Pope Leo When
Cardinal Pecci.
The Latest Edition of the Index Issued
Only Few Months Since
is Interesting.

1t is not long since an ill-foundcd ru-
NOR was ailout that one of the greatest
historical novels of our tmcs-"Quo
Vadis ?'-was placed by the Pope on
the Index, says the New York Herald.
Then many persons wondered what the
Index" meant. Briefly, the "IndeX
Librorum Prohibitorum' Ito give 1t it's
official nance is list Of books deemed
to be injurious to faith and morals and
is kept at the Vatican in Rome. Gath
olics are forbidden to read the books
listed OH the Index.
This list Of prohibited books has been
revised and published at intervals dur
ing the last 300 years. A copy Of the
work is difficult to get, because it is
an extraordinary book, not intended for
general circulation. There recently ar
rived in this city single copy of the
latest edition, printed by the Vatican
press toward the close of 19OO
This copy is beautifully printed and
handsomely bound, containing 31S png-
es, large quarto. The Introductory and
explanatory matter is in Latin, attest
ed by Alois Cardinal Macchi, project of
the Sacred Congregation Of the Index.
and Rev. Father Thomas lIsscr, sccrc-
tary.
The Introduction is brief of Leo
NIIl., pointing out the necessity Of
such Il work ana commanding the bish-
the books condemned. The preface, by
Father ESScr, gives a sketch of the
work and explains the abbrcviations,
etc, and the system upon which it is
put together.
The next part contains the apostolicnl
constitutions and Il well digested sum
mary, under two titles, of the various
dccrces Of councils and Popcs concern
ing books not fit for Catholics to read.
Then follows the famous decree, "Soli-
cita ac Provida," of Pope Benedict
NV, directing how the Congregation
Of the Index should do it's work and
prescribing the methods of the exami-
nation.
In the time OF Benedict XIV. 1744)
the Index contained between 5000 and
10000 entries Of books and authors,
about 0ne-third being cross references.
This latest index does not appear to
contain more than 5000 books. The
English books are remarkably few, and
there does not seem to be any American
author Oh the fateful list. Not even
Tom Paines or Ingcrsolls name is to
be found.
Nor is the name of Charles Darwin
the great apostle Of atheism and ag.
n0sticism, to bc found there. Yet his
grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, has his
name in the Index, his great work
'Zoonomia; or, The Laws Of Organic
Life" having been condemned on Dec
-, 1917. Still more notable is the alb
scnce Of the name of the clevercst and
greatest sceptic of the times, Ernest
Haeckel
The books of such authors, however
are covered by the 'Dccrcta Generalia,' y
one paragraph of which prohibits the
reading Of works of apostatcs, heretics
schismatics, or Of any book, which
savors Of schism or heresy, or which
tends to ovcrturn the fundamentals OF
religion.
All books condemned by Popes OF
councils previous to the year 1000 are
still prohibited, although they are not
specially mentioned in the list.
OF course none Of the legion of lewd
and obscene books is mentioned, but
the tenth paragraph of the general
decree says that any classic, ancient OF
modern, even though it be tainted, yet
OH account Of the elegance of it's style
and literary excellence, is permitted tc
those who are masters or professors
but is strictly forbidden to boys and
girls unless the Objectionable matter