About 25 publishing houses regularly submit religion textbooks to the committee for approval, though that’s not required before a book can be used in a Catholic classroom. However, the committee’s imprimatur makes books more likely to be approved by the 277 bishops around the country–and the prelates have final say on which texts can be used in the schools in their dioceses.
The committee usually deems books unfit because the texts lack crucial information or contain errors in church doctrine, said Monsignor Daniel Kutys, a committee staff member.
“What they look for is a religion textbook that authentically and completely teaches the faith,” Kutys said.
Kutys declined to identify the publishers whose books had errors or omissions. Messages left with several publishers were not returned, and others declined to discuss the process.
The use of “imprimatur” in this case is, well, unfortunate, because it confuses things. Books used in Catholic settings are supposed to have a real, live “imprimatur,” given by a bishop. This committee doesn’t do that. It states that a text is in compliance.
Other than that, this reporter’s experience is consistent with mine. The publishers of the non-compliant texts won’t talk.
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