Folio 435

Gregory XVI, 1831-1846

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The Congregation of the Holy Office responded August 31, 1831: This has been taken care of in the decree of Wednesday, August 18, 1830, and let the decrees be given.

1612. B. To the doubt of the Bishop of Nicea:

"Whether penitents, who have taken a moderate gain from a loan only, under title of the law, in doubtful or bad faith, can be sacramentally absolved without the imposition of the burden of restitution, provided they are sincerely sorry for the sin committed because of doubtful or bad faith, and are ready in filial obedience to observe the commands of the Holy See."

The Congregation of the Holy Office responded Jan. 17, 1838: Yes, provided they are ready to observe the commands of the Holy See. . . .1

Indifferentism (against Félicité de Lamennais)2

[From the Encyclical "Mirari vos arbitramur," Aug. 15, 1832]

1613. Now we examine another prolific cause of evils by which, we lament, the Church is at present afflicted, namely indifferentism, or that base opinion which has become prevalent everywhere through the deceit of wicked men, that eternal salvation of the soul can be acquired by any profession of faith whatsoever, if morals are conformed to the standard of the just and the honest. . . . And so from this most rotten source of indifferentism flows that absurd and erroneous opinion, or rather insanity, that liberty of conscience must be claimed and defended for anyone.

1614. Indeed, to this most unhealthy error that full and immoderate liberty of opinions which is spreading widely to the destruction of the sacred and civil welfare opens the way, with some men repeatedly asserting with supreme boldness that some advantage flows therefrom to religion itself. But "what death of the soul is worse than freedom for error?" Augustine used to say [ep. 1663]. For, since all restraint has been re-

  1. In the same sense were responses from the Sacred Penitentiary, Sept. 16, 1830, Aug. 14, 1831, Nov. 11, 1831, Feb. 11, 1832, Nov. 23, 1832, and from the Sacred Office in a resolution Aug. 31, 1831, approved by GREGORY XVI; cf. CL VI 677 ff.; MThCc 16, 1067 ff. ↩

  2. BRC 19, 129 a ff.; ASS 4 (1868) 34 ff.; RskRP IV 100 ff.—Félicité de Lamennais, born June 19, 1782, in Saint Malo in Lower Brittany, together with Montalembert and Lacordaire founded in 1830 the journal "L'Avenir" to defend the rights of the Church, which he was compelled to suspend when it was infected with errors. At first he was submissive to the condemnation, but afterwards he bitterly attacked the Church. He died at Paris without giving any sign of retraction on Feb. 27, 1854. ↩

  3. Elsewhere, 105; 2, 10 (ML 33, 400). ↩