Our esteemed correspondent is, of course, quite aware of the fact that there have been authentic declarations of the Congregation of Indulgences1 about the necessity of the invocation, either orally or mentally, of the Holy Name, as a condition essential for the gaining of this Plenary Indulgence in articulo mortis, when given by a duly authorised Priest. The purport, then, of the question proposed is, we assume, to ascertain whether this requirement arises out of the regulations laid down by Benedict XIV, or rather whether it is not demanded by subsequent legislation of the Holy See through some of its Congregations. We have read carefully the Constitution Pia Mater, of Benedict XIV, and have failed to discover any trace of the condition requiring the invocation of the Holy Name, even mentally. Theologians and Liturgists who advocate the necessity of the invocation of the Sacred Name rely for their reasons, not upon the Bull of Benedict XIV, but upon the Decree of the Congregation of Indulgences (September, 1775). For instance, De Herdt, after enumerating the requirements demanded by the Constitution Pia Mater, says :- Praecedentes conditiones in constitutione Benedicti XIV requiruntur, sed praeterea aliae atque aliae imponi possunt et etiam imponuntur, in indultis,' etc. Then he mentions the invocation. Similarly Van Der Stappen :-' In Indultis

semper praescribitur etiamsi de hoc in formula Ben. XIV specialis mentio non fiat.' Finally, the Congregation of Indulgences, answering in the affirmative the question addressed to it in 1892 about the necessity of the invocation, bases its reply upon the previous decision of 1775, and not upon anything stated in the original Bull of Benedict. It will also be in the memory of our readers that in the controversy which was carried on in the pages of the I. E. RECORD 3 about the necessity of invoking the Holy Name for the validity of this Indulgence, the main

Cf. Decr. Auth. S.C. Ind., 23 September, 1775, and 22 September, 1892.

Cf. Aertuys, n. 208; De Herdt, v. iii. n. 308; Van Der Stappen, De Sacr. Adm., 243.

Anno 1892, pp. 276, 362, 446, 1032, et seq.

argument on the negative side was the absence of any reference to this requirement in the Bull Pia Mater.

For these reasons, therefore, we believe that looking to the Constitution of Benedict XIV as it stands, our correspondent is quite within his right in maintaining that the invocation, even mentally, of the Name of Jesus is not required. Soon after 1747-the date of the issue of the Constitution Pia Mater-in some of the Indults, conferring upon Bishops powers to sub-delegate Priests to give the blessing, the Holy See inserted a clause requiring mention to be made of the Holy Name for the validity of the Indulgence. This practice led to the question being put to the Congregation of Indulgences in 1775, the reply to which constitutes an interpretatio extensiva of Pope Benedict's regulations.

P. MORRISROE.

DOCUMENTS

USE OF IMAGES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

E S. R. UNIV. INQUISITIONE

LICET DEGLUTIRE IMAGINES B.M. V., AD SANITATEM IMPETRANDAM, DUMMODO VANA OMNIS OBSERVANTIA REMOVEATUR

Romae, ex S. Officio, die 3 Augusti, 1903.

Illme. ac Rme. Domine,

Supplicibus litteris die 11 Martii huius anni signatis, quaerebat Amplitudo Tua num pro licito habendum esset parvas imagines chartaceas B.M.V. in aqua liquefactas vel ad modum pillulae involutas, ad sanitatem impetrandam, deglutire.

Re ad examen vocata, in conventu habito die 29 Iulii p. p., Sacra haec Suprema Congregatio S. Officii, durante vacatione S. Sedis Apostolicae specialiter delegata, respondendum decrevit : Dummodo vana omnis observantia, et periculum in ipsam incidendi removeatur, licere.

Valeas in Domino diutissime.-JOANNES BAPTISTA LUGARI, Adsessor S. O.-Fr. THOMAS MARIA, Archiep. Seleuciae, Con. Gen. S. O.

R. P. D. Archiepiscopo S. Iacobi de Chile.

FAST AND ABSTINENCE FOR AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS

E S. R. UNIV. INQUISITIONE

CIRCA DISPENSATIONEM A LEGE ABSTINENTIAE ET IEIUNII PRO MILITIBUS AUSTRIAE, QUI ACTU INSERVIUNT IN CASTRIS VEL PRAESIDIIS

Beatissime Pater,

Cardinalis Archiepiscopus Viennensis ad pedes Sanctitatis Vestrae provolutus haec exponit:

In libello supplici de die 2 Novembris 1898 Archiepiscopus Pragensis, piae memoriae Cardinalis Schönborn, Sanctitati Vestrae humillime exposuit, Episcopos Austriae intuiti acerrimi officii militiae stabilis (id est militiae subsidiariae, ad defendendos patriae limites destinatae), quae in iure subditur curae cleri civilis, aequum existimare, ut eidem militiae stabili talis ieiunii et

abstinentiae a carnibus venia detur, qualis a Sancta Sede Apostolica militiae vagae concedi solet.

Ea de causa supranominatus Archiepiscopus nomine Episcoporum Austriae humillime petiit, ut militia stabilis praecepto ieiunii et abstinentiae eodem, quo vaga militia, modo possit exsolvi.

Super hac petitione resolutio altissima Sanctitatis Vestrae hactenus non devenit.

Quum militia stabilis in exercitationibus at itineribus militaribus necnon in aliis officiis suis adimplendis easdem ac militia vaga defatigationes subire teneatur et iuxta communem probatissimorum auctorum doctrinam milites, sive in castris sive in stativis commorentur, ratione laboris a servanda lege ieiunii excusentur, Orator nomine Episcoporum Austriae devotissime petit, ut Sanctitas Vestra militiae stabili in ditione Austriaca eamdem ieiunii et abstinentiae a carnibus veniam, quae militiae vagae dari solet, gratiosissime concedat, videlicet Episcoputui Austriaco tribuere dignetur facultatem dispensandi personas militiae stabili adscriptas a praecepto ieiunii et abstinentiae Quadragesimae aliisque anni temporibus et diebus excepta Feria VI. Parasceve et Vigilia Nativitatis D. N. I. Ch.

Feria VI, die 7 Septembris 1900.

Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Leo, Divina Providentia Papa XIII, in solita audientia R. P. D. Adsessori S. Officii impertita, audita relatione suprascripti supplicis libelli una cum suffragiis RR. DD. Consultorum et Eminentissimorum ac Reverendissimorum DD. Cardinalium, in rebus fidei et morum Generalium Inquisitorum, benigne indulsit, ut singuli Reverendissimi PP. Domini Episcopi Austriae, pro eorum prudenti arbitrio et conscientia, ad septennium dispensare valeant ab abstinentiae lege milites, qui actu inserviunt in castris vel praesidiis, duobus tantum diebus exceptis, nempe pervigilio Nativitatis D. N. Iesu Christi et feria VI in Parasceve. Quoad dispensationem autem a ieiunii lege nihil obstare, quominus Reverendissimi Domini Episcopi sequantur doctrinas probatorum auctorum super exemptione militum ab ea lege ratione laboris. Contrariis quibuscumque non obstantibus.

L. S.

I. Can. MANCINI, S.R. et U.I. Not.

CERTAIN DOUBTS ABOUT THE EXPOSITION, PRESERVATION, AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

E SACRA CONGREGATIONE RITUUM

ORDINIS FRATRUM MINORUM PROV. PORTUGALLIAE

DUBIA SUPER EXPOSITIONE, ASSERVATIONE ET DISTRIBUTIONE SS. SACRAM., NEC NON SUPER CRUCIS COLLOCATIONE AD ALTARE

Reverendus Pater Dominicus Consalves Sanchez, Seraphicae Provinciae Portugalliae olim Minister Provincialis er Calendarista, ut in functionibus ecclesiasticis omnia ex ordine procedant iuxta Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae praescripta, hisque adversantes consuetudines tamquam abusus omnino tollantur, de consensu sui Reverendissimi Procuratoris Generalis, sequentia Dubia Sacrorum Rituum Congregationi humillime proposuit, nimirum :

I. Mos invaluit pluribus in Ecclesiis, etiam in Capellis ubi Sanctissimum Eucharistiae Sacramentum non asservatur, fre. quenter Festa Domini, Beatae Mariae vel Sanctorum celebrandi cum eiusdem Sanctissimi publica expositione in ostensorio etiam perdurante Missae celebratione ad maiorem solemnitatem, praehabita Ordinarii licentia, quae semper concedi solet. Saepe vero contingit quod in Capellis, ubi Sanctissimum non asservatur, pyxis non adsit; ideoque sacra Hostia pridie consecranda, in quadam tabernaculi specie inter corporalia asservetur, ibique deinde reponatur, ut sequenti die in Missa celebranda consumetur. Quaeritur, an huismodi usus saltem tolerari possint ?

Et quatenus affirmative ad primum et ad primam partem : II. An praedicta expositio Sanctissimi in Ostensorio adhuc fieri possit ante Missam solemnem celebrandam, in qua Communio puerorum vel aliorum fidelium solemniter ministranda sit ?

III. An tantummodo a tempus quo Missa celebrari permittitur, Communio Christifidelibus misistranda sit, iuxta Decretum 2572, ad XXIII1; aut etiam ultra praedictum tempus, nempe usque ad occasum solis ministrari liceat ?

En verba Decreti Tuden. sub num. 2572: XXIII. An die magna concursus ad Indulgentiam Plenariam vel Iubilaeum possit ministrari sacra Eucharistia fidelibus aliqua hora ante auroram et post meridiem?...Et Sacra Rituum Congregatio...censuit respondendum : Ad XXIII. In

casu de quo agitur, Affirmative a tempore ad tempus, quo in illa Ecclesia Missae celebrantur; vel ad formam Rubricae, vel ad formam Indulti eidem Ecclesiae concessi... Die 7 Septembris, 1816.'