Vatican Comment On Issue Of Doctrine

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31867, 20 December 1968, Page 13

Vatican Comment On Issue Of Doctrine

(N Z P A -Reuter—Copyright) VATICAN CITY, December 19. All new catechisms and books explaining Roman Catholic doctrine must be submitted to the local bishop for approval, the Vatican weekly, “Osservatore Della Domenica,” said yesterday.

It was commenting on an issue being widely discussed as theologians, priests and laymen try to explain Roman Catholic dogma and doctrine in ways more understandable •to modern minds.

The newspaper’s comment came in reply to a reader’s query clearly inspired by the case of the “rebel” Florence parish, L’lsolotto, which gave publicity to an unapproved catechism later rejected by the Church authorities as being “too interested in social issues and ignoring basic doctrine.” “Osservatore Della Domenica” recalled that the second Vatican Council did not disapprove of modern methods of teaching, but emphasised that the guardianship of the essential contents of Christian instruction was a task reserved primarily to the hierarchy. It said bishops should fulfil this duty with persuasion, exp’lanations, warnings and

instructions, and priests must follow suit. “This is why the rules of canon law require previous authorisation from the competent Church authority for the publication of catechisms or books which deal with religious subjects,” he said. “This ... is required not only from priests but all faithful, and the author of such a book must ask either his own bishop, or the bishop of the place where the book is printed or where it is published.”

The newspaper recalled that the penalty of excommunication had been abolished for those who broke this law, but bishops still had the authority to impose other punishments.. It did not specify what these were.