Non Expedit

Non Expedit

Non Expedit (Latin for "It is not expedient") were the words with which the Holy See enjoined upon Italian Catholics the policy of abstention from the polls in parliamentary elections.

History

This papal policy was adopted after the promulgation of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Italy (1861), and the introduction of laws relating to the Catholic Church and, especially, to the religious orders (1865–66). The Holy Penitentiary made a decree on 29 February 1868, in which it sanctioned the motto; "Non expedit - Neither elector nor elected". Until then there had been in the young Italian Parliament a few eminent representatives of Catholic interests, e.g. Vito d'Ondes Reggio, Augusto Conti, Cesare Cantù.

Pius IX declared in an audience of 11 October 1874 that the principal motive of this decree was that the oath taken by deputies might be interpreted as an approval of the 'spoliation of the Holy See'. Also, in view of the electoral law of that day, by which the electorate was reduced to 650,000, it would have been hopeless to attempt to prevent the passage of laws the Vatican did not approve of.

In parts of Italy (Parma, Modena, Tuscany, the Pontifical States and the Kingdom of Naples), some Catholics were supporters of the dispossessed princes and they were liable to be denounced as enemies of Italy. They would also have been at variance with the Catholics of Piedmont and of the provinces that were part of Habsburg Austria, and this division would have further weakened the Catholic Parliamentary group.

This measure did not meet with universal approval; moderates accused the Vatican of failing in its duty to society and to the newly unified country.

In 1882, the suffrage having been extended, Leo XIII took into serious consideration the partial abolition of the restrictions established by the Non Expedit, but nothing was actually done (cf. "Archiv für kathol. Kirchenrecht", 1904, p. 396). On the contrary, as many people came to the conclusion that the decree Non Expedit was not intended to be absolute, but was only an admonition made to apply upon one particular occasion, the Holy Office declared (30 December 1886) that the rule in question implied a grave precept, and emphasis was given to this fact on several subsequent occasions (Letter of Leo XIII to the Cardinal Secretary of State, 14 May 1895; Congregation of Extraordinary Affairs, 27 January 1902; Pius X, Motu proprio, 18 December 1903).

Later Pius X, by his encyclical "Il fermo proposito" (11 June 1905) modified the Non Expedit, declaring that, when there was question of preventing the election of a "subversive" candidate, the bishops could ask for a suspension of the rule, and invite the Catholics to hold themselves in readiness to go to the polls. (See Giacomo Margotti).

In later years, particularly after the establishment of the Vatican City had reassured the papacy of its place within Italy, non-catholic politicians would complain that the Holy See made too many recommendations to the Italian voters. The papal policy was finally cancelled in 1918.

Source

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainHerbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "Non Expedit". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Non expedit — (en español: “no conviene”) es una disposición de la Santa Sede con la cual, por primera vez en 1868 se desaconsejó a los católicos italianos que participaran en las elecciones políticas del país y, por extensión, que participaran en la vida… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Non Expedit — • Words with which the Holy See enjoined upon Italian Catholics the policy of abstention from parliamentary elections Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Non Expedit     Non Expedit …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Non expedit — (Latein für (es ist) nicht angebracht) wird als Bezeichnung für eine am 10. September 1874 von Papst Pius IX. erlassene Bulle verwendet. Der Papst verbot den gläubigen italienischen Katholiken in dieser Bulle vor dem Hintergrund der Entziehung… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Non expĕdit — (lat., »es ist nicht förderlich«), in Anlehnung an 1. Kor. 6, 12 und Hebr. 13, 17 von Pius IX. im Rundschreiben vom 29. Febr. 1868 geprägte Formel, die das Verbot für den italienischen Klerus, sich am politischen Leben, insbes. an den… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • non expedit — ▪ Roman Catholicism       (Latin: “it is not expedient”), a late 19th and early 20th century policy of the Roman Catholic church that prohibited its Italian members from participating in politics. The non expedit dramatically emphasized that Pope …   Universalium

  • Non expedit — Le non expedit est la dénomination de la position de la papauté concernant la participation des catholiques italiens à la vie démocratique de leur pays entre 1868 et 1919. Cette expression signifie « ne convient pas ». À la suite de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • non expedit — non ẹxpedit   [lateinisch »es ist nicht angebracht«], katholische Kirchengeschichte: an 1. Korintherbrief 10, 23 angelehnte Formel, mit der die Päpste Pius IX. und Leo XIII. wegen der einseitigen staatlichen Aufhebung kirchlicher Privilegien und …   Universal-Lexikon

  • non expedit — non ex|pe|dit <lat. > es ist nicht angebracht (Formel kath. Päpste im 19. Jh., mit der sie ital. Katholiken die Beteiligung an politischen Wahlen wegen der ↑Säkularisation von Kircheneigentum untersagten) …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • Saint Expédit — Saint Expédit, église de San Nicolau, Milan. Selon le Martyrologium Hieronymianum  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • eum qui nocentem infamat, non est aequum et bonum ob earn rem condemnari; delicta enim nocentium nota ease oportet et expedit — /iyam kway nasentam infeymat non est iykwam et Jfejipwnam 6b iyam rem kondemneray; dalikta iynam rmsh(iy)am nowda esiy aportat et ekspadat/ It is not just and proper that he who speaks ill of a bad man should be condemned on that account; for it… …   Black's law dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”