Now first as to the meaning of the form of words viewed as a
proposition. When they were brought before the fitting authorities at
Rome by the Archbishop of Besancon, the answer returned to him
contained the condition that those words were to be interpreted,
"with due regard to the mind of the Holy See concerning the
approbation of writings of the servants of God, ad effectum
Canonisationis." This is intended to prevent any Catholic taking the
words about St. Alfonso's works in too large a sense. Before a saint
is canonised, his works are examined and a judgment pronounced upon
them. Pope Benedict XIV. says, "The _end_ or _scope_ of this judgment
is, that it may appear, whether the doctrine of the servant of God,
which he has brought out in his writings, is free from any soever
_theological censure_." And he remarks in addition, "It never can be
said that the doctrine of a servant of God is _approved_ by the Holy
See, but at most it can [only] be said that it is not disapproved
(non reprobatam) in case that the revisers had reported that there is
nothing found by them in his works, which is adverse to the decrees
of Urban VIII., and that the judgment of the Revisers has been
approved by the sacred Congregation, and confirmed by the Supreme
Pontiff." The Decree of Urban VIII. here referred to is, "Let works
be examined, whether they contain errors against faith or good morals
(bonos mores), or any new doctrine, or a doctrine foreign and alien
to the common sense and custom of the Church." The author from whom I
quote this (M. Vandenbroeck, of the diocese of Malines) observes, "It
is therefore clear, that the approbation of the works of the Holy
Bishop touches not the truth of every proposition, adds nothing to
them, nor even gives them by consequence a degree of intrinsic
probability." He adds that it gives St. Alfonso's theology an
extrinsic probability, from the fact that, in the judgment of the
Holy See, no proposition deserves to receive a censure; but that
"that probability will cease nevertheless in a particular case, for
any one who should be convinced, whether by evident arguments, or by
a decree of the Holy See, or otherwise, that the doctrine of the
Saint deviates from the truth." He adds, "From the fact that the
approbation of the works of St. Alfonso does not decide the truth of
each proposition, it follows, as Benedict XIV. has remarked, that we
may combat the doctrine which they contain; only, since a canoni