2;32 SESSJON XXV. ON THE INVOCATION OF SA1NTS, &C. 233

'i· ON THE INVOCATION OF SA1NTS, &C. 233

2;32 SESSJON XXV. but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the
holy Synod enjoins .on bish.oPs that they diligent,ly endeavour
intention, that, by the foregoing words, the usual manner of that the sound d.octrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by
treating matters in general Councils should be in any respect the holy Fathers and sacred c.ouncils, be believed, maintained,
changed; or that anything new, besides that which has been taught, and every where pr.oclaimed by the faithful of Christ.
heretofore established by the sacred canons, or by the form of But let the more difficult and subtle questi.ons, and which tend
general COlpll:)ils, sllOuld be added to, or taken from, anyone. n.ot to edification, and from which f.or the most part there is no
increase .of piety, be excluded from popular discourses before
JNDICTWN .oF THE NEXT SESSION, the uneducated (i) multitude. In like manner, such things as
are uncertain, or which lab.our under an appearance .of err.or,(k)
Moreover, the same sacred and holy Synod ordains and de­ let them not allow t.o be made public and treated of. While
crees, that the next ensuing Session be held on the Thursday th.olie things which tend t.o a certain kind .of curi.osity or super­
after the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which will be stiti.on, or which savour .of filthy lucre, let them prohibit as
the ninth day of December next, with the power also of abridg­ scandals and stumbling-blocks .of the faithful. But let the
ing that term. In which Session there wiU be treated of the bish.oPs take care, that the euffrages .of the faithful wh.o are
the sixth ch"l.pter(l) which is now deferred till then, and the re­ living, t.o wit the sacrifices .of masses, prayers, alms, and otber
lIlaining chapters on Reformation which have been already set w.orks .of piety, which have been w.ont t.o be performed by the
forth, and other matters whieh relate thereunto. And if it shall faithful for the .other faithful departed, be pi.ously and devoutly
seem advisable, and the time will allow thereof, certain dQgmas perf.ormed, in accordance with the institutes .of the churc!l; and
may also be treated .of, as in their prQper season they shall be that whatsoever is due on their behalf, from thc end.owments of
proposed in the congregati.ons. . . testators, or in .other way, be discharged, n.ot in a pel'ftIDctory
manner, but diligently and accurately, by the priests and
Tke term fixed for the Session was abridged. ministers of the church, and .otllers wh.o are b.ound t.o render
this (service).
SESSION THE TWENTY-FIPTH.
ON THE INVOCATION, VENERATION, AND RELICS, OF SAINTS,
Begun on tlte third, mid terminated on tlte folt1·th, day f!J AND ON SACRED IMAGES.
Decembet', MDLXIII., being the ninth a1~d la8t u1.~der the Sove­
reign Pontiff, Pius IV.

DECREE CONCERNING PURGAT.oRY, The h.oly Syn.od enj.oins on aU bish.oPs, and .others who sus­
tain the office and charge of teaching, that, agreeably t.o the
Wherel:\>S the Cath.olic Church, instructed by the H.oly Gh.ost, usage .of the Catholic and Ap.ost.olic Church, received fr.om the
bas, from the sacred writings and the ancient tradition of the primitive times .of the Christian religi.on, and agreeably t.o the
:Fathers, taught, in sacred c.ouncils, and very recently(g) in this consent of the holy Fathers, and to the decrees .of sacred Coun­
<'ecumenical Syn.od, that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls cils, they especially instntct the faithful diligently concerning
there detained are heJped(h) by the suffrages .of the faithful, the intercessi.on and invocati.on .of saints; the h.onour (paid) to

(I) On Exemptions of Chapters. (h) Juval'i, relieved, -.------.---­ (k) SpecI!! falsi laboranL
(r) See Se6!l. VI., can. 30; Sess, XXlI. cap. 2, 3. (i) Rudem.

y~

234 SESSION XXV. ON THE INVOCATION OF SAINTS, &c. 235

relics; and the legitimate use of images: teaching them, that the their hope in idols; but because. the honour which is shown
saints, who reign together with Christ, offer up their own them is referred to the prototypes which those images repre­
prayers to God for men; that it is good and useful suppliantly . sent; in such wise that by(') the images which we kiss, and
to invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, (and) before which we uncover the head, and prostrate ourselves, we
help (I) for obtaining benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus adore Christ; and we venerate the saints, whose similitude they
Christ our Lord, who is our alone Redeemer and Saviour; but
that they think impiously, who deny that the saints, who enjoy 0:Jbear: as, by the decrees of Councils, and especially of the second
eternal happiness in heaven, are to be invocated; or who assert
either that they do not pray for men; or, that the invocation of ~ynod of Nicrea, has been defined against the opponents
them to pray for each of us' even in particular, is idolatry; or,
that it is repugnant to the word of God; and is opposed to the lImages.
And the bishops shall carefully tea.ch this,-tbat, by means
hononr of the one mediator 0/ God and men, Ghrist Jesus; (m) of the histories of the mysteries of our Redemption, portrayed
by paintings or other representations, the people is instructed,
or, that it is foolish to supplicate, vocally, or mentally,(") tbose and confirmed in (the habit of) remembering, and contli.llially
who reign in heaven. Also, that the holy bodies of holy revolving in mind the articles of faith; as also that great profit
martyrs, and of others now living with Christ,-which bodies is derived from all sacred images, not only because the people
are thereby admonished of the benefits and gifts bestowed upon
were the living members of Christ, and the temple 0/ the Holy them by Christ, but also because the miracles which God has
performed by means of the saints, and their salutary examples,
Ghost,(o) and which are by Him to be raised unto eternal life, are set before the eyes of the faithful; that so they may give
and to be glorified,-are to be venerated by the faithful; God thanks for those things; may order their own lives and
through which (bodies) many benefits are bestowed by God on manners in imitation of the saints; and may be excited to ad~
men; so that they who affirm that veneration and honour are and love God, and to cultivate piety. But if anyone shall
not due to the relics of saints; or, that these, and other sacred tea.ch, or entertain sentiments, contrary to these decrees; let
monuments, are uselessly honoured by the faithful; and that
the places dedicated to the memories of the saints are in vain him be anathema.
visited with the view of obtaining their aid; are wholly to be And if any abuses have crept in amongst these holy and salu­
condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned,
tary observances, the holy Synod ardently desires that they be
r -and now also condemns them. utterly abolished; iu such wise that no images, (suggestive) of
Moreover, that the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of false doctrine, and furnishing occasion of dangerous error to the
uneducated, be set up. And if at times, when expedient for
I God, and of the other saints, are to be had(p) and retained par­ the unlettered people ;(,) it happen that the facts and narra­
tives of sacred Scripture are portrayed and represented; the
ticularly in temples, and that due honour and veneration are to people shall be taught, that not thereby is the Divinity repre­
be given them; not that any divinity, or virtue, is believed to be sented, as though it could be seen by the eyes of the body, or
in them, on account of which they are to be worshipped;(q) or
that anything is to be asked of them; or, that trust is to be re­ be portrayed by colours or figures.
posed in images, as was of old done by the Gentiles who placed Moreover, in the invocation of saints, the veneration of relics,

(1) Ad eorum oratioues, opem, auxilium confugere. and the sacred use of images, every superstition shall be re­
moved, all filthy IUCl'e be abolished; finally, all lasciviousness be

(In) 1 Tim. ii.5. (n) Voce, yel mente. (0) 1 Cor iii. 6.

(p) Habendas. (q) Oolenda'. (r) Per. (s) Indoitre. plebi, an ufllearned multitude.

236 SESSION XXV.

ON REFORMATION. 237

avoided; in such wise that figures shall not be painted or CHAPTER I.
adorned with a beauty exciting to lust; nor the celebration of
the saints, and the visitation of relics be by any perverted into AU Regulars shall order their lives in accordance with wh.at
revellings and drunkenness; as if festivals are celebrated to the is prescribed by the rule whicll t/ley have professed; Superim's
honour of the saints by luxury and wantonness. shall sedulously pro'llide tl,at tMs be done.

In fine, let so great care and diligence be used herein by Forasmuch as the holy Synod is not ignorant how much
bishops, as that there be nothing seen that is disorderly, or that splendour and utility accrue to the Church of God, from monas­
is unbecomingly or confusedly arranged, nothing that is pro­ teries piously instituted and rightIy administered; It has,-to
the end that the ancient and regular discipline ma.y be the more
hfaonues,e 0no/ tGhiondg.(')indecorous, seeing that holiness becometlt the easily and promptly restored, where it has fallen away, and may
be the more firmly maintained, where it has been preserved,­
And that these things may be the more faithfully observed, thought it necessary to enjoin, as by this decree It doth injoin,
the holy Synod ordains, that no one be allowed to place, or that all Regulars, as well men, as women, shall order and regu­
cause to be placed, any unusual image, in any place, or church, late their lives in accordance '\'lith the requirements of the rule
howsoever exempted, except that image have been appl'Oved of which they have professed; and above all that tlley shall faith­
by the bishop: also, that no new miracles are to be acknow­ fully observe whatsoever belongs to the perfection of their pro­
ledged, or new relics recognised, unless tIle said bishop has fession, such as the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity,
taken cognizance and approved thereof; who, as soon as he has as also all other vows and precepts that may be peculiar to any
obtained some certain information ill regard of these matters, rule or order, respectively appertaining to the essential charac­
shall, after having taken the advice of theologians, and of other ter of each, and which regard the observance of a common(Y)
pious men, act therein as he shall judge to be consonant with mode of living, food, and dress. And all care and diligence
truth and piety. But if any dOUbtful, or difficult abuse has to shall be used by the Superiors, both in tIle general and ill the
be extirpated; or, in fine, if any more gI'ave question shan arise provincial Ohapters, and in their visitations, which they shall
touching these matters, the bishop, before deciding the Cont.m­ not omit to make in their proper seasons, that these things be
versy, shall await the sentence of the metropolitan and of tbe not departed from; it being certain, that those tIlings which
bishops of the province, in a provincial Council; yet so, that belong to the substance of a regular life cannot be by them re­
nothing new, or that previously has not been usual in the laxed. For if those things which are the basis and the founda­
Ohurch, shan be resolved on, without having Hrst consulted the tion of all regular discipline be not strictly preserved, tIle whole
most holy Roman Pontiff.
edifice must needs fan.
ON REGULARS AND NUNS.

The same sacred and holy Synod, prosecuting the subject of CHAPTER II.
roerfdoarimneadti.on, bas thought fit that the things following be
Property is wholly p1'ohibited to Regulars.

For no Regular, therefore, whether man, or woman, shall it
be lawful to possess, or hold as his own, or even in the name of .

(t) Pa. xcii. 5. (v) Communem vitam, living ill common.

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