Catholic Dictionary by Addis and Arnold - reliable?

[BigTurkey]

Hey guys,

There is this book I am reading called Catholicism Against Itself that takes quotes from different Catholic sources and shows how they are either absurd or contradictory to other statements. It is a very rude book written with very little understanding of the Catholic teachings. It quotes from the Catholic Dictionary by Addis and Arnold, The Catholic Publication Society Co., N.Y., 1887.

How reliable is this? I can’t find a copy in my library to check his quotes to see if they are taken out of context (which he does regularly to other quotes). What does it mean to have the Imprimatur? Does that certify infallibility? Does this book have an Imprimatur?

-Micah

 

[Aaron_I]

It is reliable if it has nihil obstat and imprimatur. Below I copy and pasted a statement of each (taken from the CA website). They explain themselves fairly well.

NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials
presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.
Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004

IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827
permission to publish this work is hereby granted.
+Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004

 

[thistle]

The one I use is the Modern Catholic Dictionary 1999 John A. Hardon, S.J. but I have the second printing 2001.
It contains Imprimatur, Nihil Obstat, and Imprimi Potest so I assume this one is reliable.