Condemned Book?!?!?!?!

[Corki]

Although the actual index of forbidden books is no more, all the books that were on it are still deemed to be condemned and will continue to be so unless the Church specifically says they are not.
It not the case that no more index means no more condemnation of the books that were on the list.

I am not sure that’s correct. My understanding is that the list is not being maintained at all any more. That means that a book may have been on the Index but under investigation. If the investigation was concluded after the Index was abandonded (I can’t think of a better word) the book would still show up on the Index even if the investigation showed it was actually not dangerous. In some cases, there would be a later edition with a Imprimatur but not always.

I am also nearly positive that there is no longer a penalty of sin attached to reading books on the Index. If you have a good reason to want to read something on the list, it might be alright if you do so with the counsel of a good spiritual director.

The fact is there are sooooo many good Catholic books that never crossed the Index, why even bother with the ones that might be questionable?

 

[thistle]

Extract from an EWTN article:

In 1966 when the Index was abolished many thought this meant the works listed on it could be read. Cardinal Ratzinger addressed this issue with respect to the “Poem of the Man-God,” in the aforementioned Letter saying,

“After the dissolution of the Index, when some people thought the printing and distribution of the work was permitted, people were reminded again in ‘LOsservatore Romano’ (June 15, 1966) that, as was published in the ‘Acta Apostolicae Sedis’ (1966), the Index retains its moral force despite its dissolution. A decision against distributing and recommending a work, which has not beeen condemned lightly, may be reversed, but only after profound changes that neutralize the harm which such a publication could bring forth among the ordinary faithful.”