It has been customary to give the verdict in one of these four technical phrases: Damnetur, "condemned"; dimittatur, "dismissed"; donec corrigatur, "forbidden until amended"; res dilata, "the case is postponed." The verdict donec corrigatur can of course be given only when a book admits of correction. If it is thoroughly bad (if written for instance for the sole purpose of eulogizing Freemasonry or maligning Catholic bishops), a donec corrigatur would have no meaning.
If the author is a Catholic, he must be informed before the decree is published. If but a few copies of the book have been sold, and the author promises either to suppress it, or to issue an amended edition, if possible, the decree is not published. But even when this cannot be prevented, e. g. when a whole edition is already in circulation, credit is given to the author in the decree itself for declaring his submission, by adding the words: auctor laudabiliter se subjecit, "the author has praiseworthily submitted."
Great care is taken to have all books ex-
