Page:The Roman index of forbidden books.djvu/70

62 while reading that a work undoubtedly belongs to any of the above mentioned classes of forbidden publications, we may be sure that our Holy Mother, the Church, does not wish to see it in our hands, and we must then act according to the words of Christ: "He who heareth you heareth Me, and he who despiseth you despiseth Me." No need of first looking up the catalogue of prohibited books; whether the volume in question is mentioned there or not, makes no difference. Nor does it matter what the literary character of the book is. An apparently learned history of the seizure of Rome in 1870, written with the obvious intention of maligning Pius IX, is forbidden just as well as a novel composed for the same purpose, or the prayer book of some Protestant sect.

Note 13. All who are dispensed from the Church law regarding forbidden books, must use every precaution, not to suffer injury to their faith or purity of heart. Such precautions are: the hearing of sermons, the reading of Catholic books, the frequenting of Catholic society, regular prayers, and above all the humble reception of the sacraments. The same holds good as to those objectionable publications which on account of their smallness or for other reasons escape ecclesiastical prohibition. By reading them one would not violate a positive law, but he may seriously endanger his soul, which is a sin in itself. Only a grave reason can induce us to