Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/654

Rh 630 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH of excommunication, that bishops and other beneficiaries having care of souls should reside in their respective dioceses. Innocent X. forbade cardinals to depart from Rome or its district that is, a radius of 40 miles with- out licence from the pope. The State of Regulars was instituted for enforcing on religious orders and congrega- tions the observance of their special rules and constitu- tions. Ecclesiastical Immunities treats of controversies concerning the liberty and independence of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and its violations, and prescribes that the im- munities due to churches be respected. This congrega- tion receives appeals of causes which in the first instance were brought before the episcopal courts. The various concordats entered into between Governments and the holy see have diminished the number of causes which come under the judgment of this congregation. For Pro- paganda Fide, see PKOPAGANDA. Propaganda Fide for Oriental Affairs, which provides for the affairs of the Eastern Church, was created by Pius IX. in a brief dated 6th January 1862. It depends upon the cardinal prefect of Propaganda, but has its own secretary, consultors, and officials. The Commission for the Correction of Books of the Oriental Church took its origin from a report made by Philip IV. of Spain to Urban VIII. in 1631, to the effect that the United Greeks inhabiting the Spanish dominions, especially Sicily, complained that schismatics had printed an Euchologium, or liturgy of the mass, filled with errors, and he begged the pontiff to provide a remedy for the evil and its consequences. The correction of the Eucholo- gium was decreed, and a special congregation now called commission composed of five cardinals, assisted by bishops and ecclesiastics of the Oriental Church, was appointed to correct the books of the Oriental Church, and to publish a correct Euchologium. The office of the congregation of the Index is to examine printed books and works contrary to faith or morals, and to compile an index or list, which is published at intervals, of the works the reading of which is prohibited. The method now followed in the examina- tion and condemnation of books, especially by Catholic authors, was fixed by Benedict XIV. A consultor examines the suspected work, and reports at a meeting of the con- gregation what it contains contrary to faith, good morals, ecclesiastical jurisdiction, &c. An examination of these passages is made, and it is determined by vote the car- dinals having the decisive vote whether the book shall be prohibited or corrected. The congregation of Sacred Rites was instituted by Sixtus V. in 1587, in order that in all the churches of Rome and the world, and in the pontifical chapel, in masses, divine offices, and everything else regarding divine worship, the ancient ceremonies may be rigorously followed; that if any primitive rite have fallen into disuse it may be restored to its ancient splendour or reformed ; that the pontificals, rituals, ceremonials, and all books of sacred rites may be emended and renewed ; and that the divine offices of the saints may be examined. Particular attention is likewise given by this congregation to all things concerning the canonization of saints, the celebration of their feasts, so that all may be done in an orderly manner, correctly, and according to the traditions of the fathers. Hence this congregation decides contro- versies on all these and on cognate matters. Its most serious work consists in processes for the beatification and canonization of the servants of God, the honours paid to saints, and the recognition of martyrdoms suffered for the Catholic faith. Its first cause in this line was that of the twenty-three minor observants martyred in Japan in the pontificate of Urban VIII. One of the rules established by this pope for the recognition of saints enjoins that, ex- cept by licence of the congregation, no one can proceed to any act of canonization, beatification, or declaration of martyrdom until fifty years after the death of the subject. The congregation of Ceremonial investigates and watches over the exact fulfilment of the sacred liturgy, and regu- lates and decides questions and doubts regarding for- malities, pre-eminence amongst cardinals, prelates, and others, as well as certain sacred ceremonies in pontifical functions. The work of the church in the world is directed im- mediately by the bishops, who receive their jurisdiction from the pope. The power inherent in the episcopal character and order is received from God directly and immediately. When established in a diocese by the pope, the bishop, in virtue of his title, receives the power of governing and of taking cognizance of all spiritual causes which regard his flo.k, whether laymen or ecclesiastics, with the exception of what is specially reserved to the head of the church, and he possesses and exercises these prerogatives under the jurisdiction of and in dependence on the pope. The bishops in the Catholic Church at the present time are (Gerarchia C ittolica, March 1885) thus divided : (a) patriarchal sees, of the Latin rite, 7 ; of the Oriental rite, 5 ; (6) archiepiscopal sees, of the Latin rite, immediately subject to the holy see, 14; with ecclesiastical provinces, 137; Oriental rite, with ecclesiastical provinces, 3; subject to patriarchates, 21 ; (c-) episcopal sees, Latin rite, immediately subject to the holy see, 86 ; suffragans in ecclesiastical provinces, 579 ; Oriental rite, immediately subject to the holy see, 2 ; suffragans in ecclesiastical pro- vinces, 8 ; subject to patriarchates, 41 ; (d) sees nullius dweceseos, 17. The titles dependent on the sacred congre- gation of Propaganda are apostolic delegations, 7 ; vicari- ates apostolic, 123; prefectures apostolic, 35. The total of these hierarchical titles amounts to 1085, and, including the 74 cardinalitial titles, to 1159. The vacant titles of all kinds amount to 107, and thus the whole hierarchy of the Catholic Church in March 1885 reached the total of 1266. Priests, placed in the second degree of the ecclesi- astical hierarchy, who are generally divided into parish priests and curates or assistants, are immediately under the direction of the bishops and administer directly to the people. Their primary office is the offering of the sacrifice of the mass. They also preach, bless, and administer bap- tism, penance, communion, and extreme unction. Their functions are numerous and important, and they constitute the working force of the church in its direct relations with its members throughout the world. Priests of religious orders exercise like functions, save those properly parochial. The Oriental churches in communion with the holy see, holding the same belief and the same principle of authority as the Latin Church, have their own special rites, discipline, and liturgical language. These are chiefly the Greek, Melchite, Bulgarian, Ruthenian, Maronite, Syro-Chaldaic, Coptic, Armenian, and Roumanian rites. The Greek Ori- ental rite is admitted by the pure Greeks, the Slavs (in the Slav language), the Melchites of Syria (in Arabic), the Roumanians (in the Roumanian tongue), and the Georgians (in their own language). The Georgian Greek rite has no hierarchy, and many Georgians in Russia have passed to the Latin or Armenian rites. The Greek and Slav languages are approved by the church as ritual lan- guages ; Arabic is only tolerated. Greeks in Communion. These are found at present in Constanti- nople, in the mission of Malgara in Thrace, and consist of about sixty families, having one bishop and about ten priests. In this rite marriage is permitted to clerics previous to the reception of sacred orders ; but there is a tendency to abolish the practice. In Greece nearly 30,000 Greeks have followed the Latin rite, and these have seven bishops and about a hundred priests. The mass of St Basil is celebrated by the Greeks ten times a year, on the three vigils of Christmas, the Epiphany, Easter, Holy Thursday, the Feast of St Basil, and the first five Sundays of Lent. After St Basil, St John Chrysostom abbreviated this mass and gave it the