The Raccolta - Decretum

Romani Pontifices, quibus praecipua demandata est cura de Christi gregis aeterna procuranda salute, apertis Ecclesiae thesauris, pene innumeris Indulgentias concesserunt ad spiritualem Christianorum utilitatem, cum "Indulgentiarum usum Christiano populo maxime salutarem esse,” Sacra Tridentina Synodus doceat. (Sess. xxv. in Decret. in Indulg.) Accidit tamen, et persaepe evenire solet, ut a fidelibus praefatae Indulgentiae non acquirantur ex eo quod vel earum concessiones, aut injunctae conditiones adinrplendae omnino ignorantur, vel ex eo quod in nonnullis praesertim opusculis, aut impressis foliis, quae per orbem absque hujus Sacrae Congregationis approbatione circumferuntur, ne quid de illis Indulgentiis dicatur, quae apocryphae quoque sunt et falsae, nec singulae nec integrae conditiones declarentur. Quamobrem opportunum et necessarium jamdudum S. eidem Congregationi videbatur, ut preces ac pia opera illa praecipue quibus ex generalibus Summorum Pontificum elargitionibus Indulgentiae sunt annexae ex suis germanis fontibus fideliter hausta et simul collecta, atque ordine digesta in vulgus ederentur. Quod quidem ad annum usque millesimum octogesimum quadragesimum quartum perfecit clar. me. Canonicus Telesphorus Galli hujus S. Congregationis consultor. Ne autem posteriores Indulgentiarum concessiones tum a felic. rec. Gregorio Papa XVI. a Pio IX. Pontifice Optimo Maximo, peractae in praefata collectione deessent, ipsas Aloisius Prinzivalli Archipresbyter insignia Basilicae S. Mariae in Cosmedin de urbe, Secretariae ejusdem Sacrae Congregationis substitutus, in decima secunda editione collectas, in hac urbe evulgavit, atque iterum ab eo ex Typographia Salvioniana novis generalibus quo concessionibus locupletata in lucem emmittitur.

Itaque Sacra haec Congregatio Indulgentiis Sacrisque Reliquiis praeposita non solum praedictum opus omnibus Christi fidelibus vivis atque defunctis maxime peutile fore probavit et ut authenticum recognovit, verum etiam monuit, ut si in quacunque ejusdem operis editione seu versione cujuscunque idiomatis tam intra quam extra urbem jam exarata, vol in posterum exaranda, dubium aliquod subinde emerserit, sive quoad Indulgentiarum concessiones, sive quoad praescriptas conditiones adimplendas ad praesentem decimam tertiam Romanam editionem in Actis ipsius S. Congregationis relatam recursus habeatur; ac propterea ut hoc Decretum omnibus omnino pateat, typis similter tum Latino tum Italico idiomate impres sum, ad calcem praefatae Editionis apponi mandavit.

Datum Romam ex Segretaria ejusdem S. Congregationis Indulgentiarum, die 15 Decembris 1854.

F. CARD. ASQUINIUS, Praefectus. Loco + signi.

Aloisius Colombo, Segretarius.

TRANSLATION

The Sovereign Pontiffs of Rome, to whom especially has been committed the care of advancing the eternal salvation of the flock of Christ, have granted an almost countless number of Indulgences for the spiritual benefit of Christians, the holy Council of Trent teaching that “the use of Indulgences is most wholesome to Christian people.” (Sess. xxv. in the Decree of Indulgences.) Cases, however, occur, and that not unfrequently, when the said Indulgences are not gained by the faithful, either because the grants of the Indulgences, or the conditions enjoined to be fulfilled, are altogether unknown, or because, in certain little tracts or printed pipers hawked about without the approbation of the Holy Congregation (not to speak of those Indulgences which are apocryphal and false), the conditions are not singly and integrally specified. For this reason it has long seemed to the said Sacred Congregation fitting and necessary that the prayers and good works, and especially those to which, from the general grant of Sovereign Pontiffs, Indulgences have been annexed, should be faithfully extracted from their genuine sources, collected together, and published in order  under their proper headings. Accordingly those Indulgences, up to the year 1844, were collected and published by Canon Telesphorus Galli, Consultor of this Holy Congregation. In order, however, that the later grants of Indulgences, made both by Pope Gregory XVI. of happy memory, and by our present Sovereign Pontiff Pius IX., might not be omitted from the said collection, Aloysius Prinzivalli, Archpresbyter of the illustrious basilica of St. Mary in Cosmedin, in this holy city, Sub-Secretary of the Office of the said Holy Congregation, has published them together with the rest in this thirteenth edition, this being now the second time that this collection has been published by him from the Salvionian Press, enriched with the new general grants.

Wherefore this Holy Congregation presiding over Indulgences and Sacred Relics hath not only approved of this work of his, as most useful to the living and dead, and recognised it as authentic, but has also issued an admonition that in future, if in any edition of this work, or version in any language, any doubt hereafter arise, either as regards the grants of Indulgences themselves or the conditions prescribed, recourse is to he had to this thirteenth Roman edition, referred to in the Acts of the said Holy Congregation; and accordingly, that all men may everywhere have access to this Decree, the said Holy Congregation hath commanded it to be printed in Latin and the vulgar tongue, and annexed to the end of the said thirteenth edition.

Given at Rome, from the Secretary’s Office of the said Holy Congregation of Indulgences, this 15th of December 1854.

F. CARD. ASQUINIUS, Prefect. In the place + of the seal.

Aloysius Colombo, Secretary.