Wednesday 27 January 2021

The Index

I am settling in a bit, in the new role of librarian. It is a beautiful library, but there is some work to do. Every year, the Theology Council's sacred congregation of the index publishes the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, also known as the red book because long ago it used to have a red cover. By now the list is too long to fit in a paper book, and it is only available on datapad, but it kept that nickname.
 
The Index lists the publications that are deemed heretical or unsuitable for the faithful to read without guidance and help from a theologian or clergy member. Index YC123 is out, it is updated yearly. Most notably, this year's Index adds to the list all volumes published in the previous year about Sedevacantism. We don't have these in the library. But nevertheless there are some other books that need to be purged. I am mostly concerned about some lewd titles that appear to be lent out regularly.
 
I feel safe and at peace between books, and I always feel unhappy when I have to get rid of books. I wonder if there is a separate, closed off section of the library that can be used to store the prohibited books so they can be consulted under strict guidance, or if I should just dispose of them... Well, certainly the world will not suffer a great loss if we incinerate "fifty games you can play with your pussy", which -as the Theology Council recently found out- is not about cats at all.