Why don't more books have Imprimatur?

[mkamoski1]

All -

This is a just a question for discussion.

I wonder why don’t more books and writings and articles have Imprimatur?

There is a sense of relief and a bit more, IMHO, when a book or tract has such.

For example, given a list of 10 tracts “with Imprimatur” and 10 tracts without, one may well be more inclined to read the 10 tracts with Imprimatur 1st, following the lines of the old suggestions that one must be careful and spend one’s time wisely in choosing what to ready because life is short and in one’s life one probably will not have time to read even the best-of-the-best of all there is to read. Etc.

Given all this, I am wondering why more authors do not seek such for their works.

For example, these folks here seem to have a good focus…

americancatholic.org/newsletters/imprimatur.asp

…and, to be sure, there are many nice tracts with Imprimatur at Catholic.com but I am wondering why (virtually?) every tract and newsletter and etc at Catholic.com does not have (or at least get in queue to have) an Imprimatur.

What do you think?

Please advise.

Slave to Lord Jesus Christ, I am…

• Mark Kamoski

 

[svid2]

My worry is, people don’t care what the Church thinks. Or teaches.

 

[Barbkw]

I think this will become more of a issue as time goes by. Particularly when denominations and websites use “catholic” in their name and they’re either not Catholic or they’re not faithful to the Magisterium.

I noticed when buying this Catholic Children’s Bible, that it has an Imprimatur:

amazon.com/gp/product/1400315387/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0882710583&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=099EA6WRYDT93H6A0NH5

 

[Joe_5859]

More books might have it if more publishers and authors sought it.

FYI, the absence of an Imprimatur on that copyright page doesn’t mean it doesn’t have one. I know one popular Catholic author who has some books published on a mainstream secular publisher and the publisher doesn’t want to advertise the fact that it has an Imprimatur, despite the author’s insistence. I know of another author who has some books published at a major Catholic publisher and, as the book went to print before the Imprimatur was granted, it doesn’t show up in the book either.

I do agree that it is nice to see it inside a book, but I wouldn’t necessarily ascribe sinister motives or assume a book is heretical simply because it does not have an Imprimatur. Sometimes, the publisher and/or author simply don’t want to hold up publication by going through the additional process of having the book reviewed by the diocesan Censor Librorum (i.e., the appointed person who reviews the book and issues the nihil obstat “nothing objectionable”] which lets the bishop know he can give the Imprimatur “let it be printed”]).

Unfortunately, there are also some books out there with an Imprimatur that I think are doctrinally problematic in some areas (including some titles from the website listed in the OP…and I am not refering to the Catholic Answers website). But, your chances do go down.

The longer you’re around, the easier it is to navigate through it all, though.