Other Ecclesiastical Collections in Rome 
199 
of at least one bishop of Mexico, 13 and one of Quebec. 14 After having been 
long practically united with the parent congregation, it was in 1904 suppressed, 
the field of its work having almost vanished under modern conditions. 
Immunitatis Ecclesiastici. 
This congregation, which was founded in 1626, was also subordinate to that 
of the Council. It was in effect a tribunal for the adjudication of cases arising 
from the violation of ecclesiastical immunity inherent either in persons or 
places. These arose for the most part in the Papal States, 15 but occasionally 
cases from Spanish America were referred to it from the Propaganda, 16 though 
none were noted except from the provinces of South America. This congre¬ 
gation is noted by Grimaldi in 1890 as no longer existing, but in the Gerarchia 
of 1908 it is mentioned. Doubtless with the disappearance of the rights with 
which it dealt, it became merely titular. In the Constitutions of 1908 it is not 
mentioned. Its archives, doubtless now united with those of the congregation 
of the Council, amount to about 3000 volumes. 17 
Indicis. 
This congregation was established in 1571. Before that date its functions 
had been performed by the Holy Office, or by the Pope without the mediation 
of a congregation. Its purpose is to determine the character of books brought 
to its notice and to place those detrimental to faith upon the Index of pro¬ 
hibited books. Its archives are not extensive, amounting to only 500 volumes. 18 
Its decrees have, of course, always been widely published, and some material 
relating to it is to be found among the Bandi. 19 For the future, its initiative 
is increased; and on the question of prohibiting books, the cardinals of this 
congregation are to confer with those of the Holy Office. 
Sacrorum Rituum. 
This congregation has two fields of work. In the first place it has jurisdic¬ 
tion over the forms of worship and their execution. This does not, however, 
include the right of advising changes in liturgies, which are usually framed 
and adopted without its interposition. In connection with this part of its 
duties it had often to deal with questions arising from countries in which new 
missions were being introduced. The majority of such questions arose from 
the East Indies, but occasionally they came also from those of the West, as 
concerning the kind of oil to be used in baptism. 20 
The other branch of its duties is that of judging cases of beatification and 
canonization, and such cases were frequently presented from America, the 
most notable being that of Bishop Palafox. 
18 Nun. di Spagna 34, see page 64. 
14 See page 163. 
15 Angelica 1866, “ Resolutiones Sac. Congregationis Ecclesiasticae Immunitatis, anno 
1702 ad 1704.” 
10 See Lettere, letters of the secretary. 
17 Hinojosa, Los Despachos, p. liv. 
18 Ibid • , 
19 Its archives are apparently entirely inaccessible, as they are not referred to by 
Helgers in his Der Index der Verbotenen Bucher (Freiburg i. B., 1904* PP- 638) ; or in 
his Die Biicherverbote in Papstbriefen (Freiburg i. B., 1907, PP* 107). 
20 See Barberini 1496 and 1497; Vallicelliana L 22. 
14 
