KOMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 



619 



it would be useful to preserve and retain, and which 

 to modify or abrogate. 



This list having been made, and the counsel of 

 our Venerable Brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy 

 Koman Church, deputed as the general inquisitors of 

 the faith for the wnole Christian world, having been 

 taken; and after long and patient examination of 

 every matter by Our own movement, of Our certain 

 knowledge, with serious deliberation, and in the 

 fulness of Our Apostolic authority, We decree by 

 this constitution, which is to be of perpetual author- 

 ity, that of all censures of every^ kind whether of ex- 

 communicationj suspension, or interdict, which have 

 hitherto been inflicted latce sententice, and incurred 

 ipso facto, no other shall henceforth remain in force, 

 saving only those inserted^ in this Constitution, and 

 that only in the manner in which they are here in- 

 serted ; declaring at the same time that the same, 

 not only in so far as the canons of old accord with 

 this Our Constitution, but should receive all their 

 force in virtue of this Our Constitution itself, and as 

 if they were now for the first time published. 



EXCOMMUNICATIONS LAT^J SENTENTIJG SPECIALLY RE- 

 SERVED TO THE ROMAN PONTIFF. 



We declare that henceforth such are subject to ex- 

 communication latce sententice, specially reserved to 

 the Koman Pontiff: 



1. Who apostatize from the Christian Faith ; and 

 all and singular, heretics, whatever their name, and 

 to what sect soever belonging, and those who believe 

 in them, and their receivers, promoters, and de- 

 fenders. 



2. All, and singular, those who knowingly read 

 without authority of the Apostolic See the books 

 of the said apostates and heretics, arguing in favor 

 of heresy, or the books of what author soever pro- 

 hibited by name by Letters Apostolic, and those 

 who hold, print, or defend, such books in whatsoever 

 manner. 



3. Schismatics and those who with persistence 

 withdraw themselves from the obedience of the 

 Roman Pontiff of the time being. 



4. All, and singular, and of whatever state, dig- 

 nity, and condition, those who appeal against the 

 ordinances and decrees of the Koman Pontiffs of the 

 time being to a future Universal Council, as also 

 those by whose aid, counsel, or favoring, such an 

 appeal shall be made. 



5. All those who may kill, wound, smite, arrest, 

 imprison, restrain, or hostilely persecute, the Cardi- 

 nals of the Holy Koman Church, the Patriarchs, 

 Archbishops, Bishops, Legates, or Nuncios of the 

 Apostolic See, or drive them from their dioceses, 

 territory, estates, or dominions ; as well as those who 

 ordain such things, ratify them, or lend their aid, 

 counsel, or furtherance. 



6. Those who impede, directly or indirectly, the 

 exercise of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, whether by 

 means of local or foreign courts of law, or who have 

 recourse to the secular courts with this end, or who 

 procure, or publish, or lend aid, counsel, or further- 

 ance to any ordinances to this end. 



7. Those who constrain, directly, or indirectly, 

 lay judges to drag before their tribunals ecclesias- 

 tical persons, contrary to the dispositions of the 

 Canons, as also those who make laws and decrees 

 against the rights and liberties of the Church. 



8. Those who have recourse to the lay power to 

 impede the letters or any other act whatever of the 

 Apostolic See, or of any of its legates^ or delegates ; 

 those who directly or indirectly prohibit their pro- 

 mulgation or execution. 



9. All forgers of Letters Apostolic, especially in 

 the form of briefs or memorials concerning grace and 

 justice, purporting to be signed by the Koman Pon- 

 tiff or by the Vice-Chancellors of the S. R. C., or by 

 any other in their place, or by mandate of the Roman 

 Pontiff; as also those who publish falsely Letters 

 Apostolic, especially in the form of briefs, and more 



particularly those who falsely sign such memorials, 

 whether in the name of the Roman Pontiff or of the 

 Vice-Chancellors, or any acting in the stead of the 

 same. 



10. Whosoever absolves an accomplice in peccato 

 turpe, even in the hour of death, when another 

 priest, even one not appointed to hear confessions, 

 unless in a case where grave scandal might have 

 arisen, could have heard the confession of the dying 

 person. 



11. Those who usurp or sequestrate the jurisdic- 

 tions, possessions, or revenues, which belong to 

 ecclesiastical persons on account of their churches or 

 benefices. 



12. Those who invade, destroyj or retain for their 

 own use or that of others, the cities, lands, places, 

 and rights, belonging to the Roman Churchj or who 

 usurp, perturb, or retain, the supreme jurisdiction 

 within the same. 



We declare that the absolution from all the ex- 

 comunications here enumerated was, and specially, 

 reserved to the Roman Pontiff pro tempore, and for 

 such the general concession of power to absolve 

 from cases and censures or from excommunications 

 reserved to the Roman Pontiffs, in no way suffices. 

 On which account we further revoke all indults 

 whatsoever concerning such, under whatever form, 

 or to whatever persons, even regulars, of what order, 

 congregation, society, or institute soever. Those 

 then, who should presume, without the necessary 

 faculty, under whatever pretext, to absolve such, let 

 them know themselves to be under the bond of 

 excommunication, reserved to the Roman Pontiff', 

 unless, in case of peril or death, in which, how- 

 ever, the obligation is to be maintained with the 

 person so absolved, to stand under the prescrip- 

 tions of the Church in case he should be restored to 

 health. 



EXCOMMUNICATIONS RESERVED (NOT "SPECIALLY") TO 

 THE ROMAN PONTIFF. 



We declare that those are subject to excommunica- 

 tion latce sententice : 



1. Who teach or defend, be it in public or private, 

 propositions condemned by the Apostolic See under 

 pain of excommunication latce sententice; similarly, 

 those teaching or defending as lawful the practice of 

 asking the penitent the name of the accomplice, a 

 practice condemned by Benedict XIV. in the Con- 

 stitutions Suprema. 7th July, 1745 ; Ubi primum, 

 2d June, 1740; Ad eradicandum. 28th September, 

 1746. 



2. Those who, yielding to the temptation of Satan, 

 lay violent hands on ecclesiastics, or religious of 

 either sex, excepting those reserved cases and per- 

 sons for whom the bishop or others have, by right or 

 privilege, a permission to absolve. 



3. Those who engage in or provoke to a duel } who 

 accept a challenge, or are parties to the same, or lend 

 any help or furtherance, or any who permit or abet 

 the same, or who do not do all that lies m their power 

 to prevent the same, whatever their dignity, whether 

 regal or imperial. 



4. Those giving their names to the Masonic or Car- 

 bonari sects, or other similar sects that openly or 

 covertly conspire against the Church or any legiti- 

 mate authority, as well as any who favor the same 

 sects in any way, or fail to denounce the secret heads 

 or leaders until such time as they shall have de- 

 nounced them. 



5. Those who order the violation of ecclesiastical 

 asylum, or who with rash temerity perpetrate the 

 same. 



6. Those who violate the enclosures of nuns, and 

 who, of whatever nature or condition, sex or age, 

 enter a monastery without legitimate license, as also 

 those who admit or introduce them : and also nuns 

 leaving such enclosures, excepting the cases and in 

 the form prescribed by St. Pius V. in his Constitution 

 Decori. 



