Can This be a Valid Catholic Imprimatur?

Question

Recently, I came across a book published in 2012 which indicates an "Imprimatur" (i.e., permission to print) from Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Archbishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It contains, however, no Nihil Obstat (which indicates that the book is not objectionable on doctrinal or moral grounds).

I don't recall having ever seen a book published with an Imprimatur but no Nihil Obstat.

An example from another of his book:

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QUESTION: Should I have reason to suspect that the Imprimatur is not valid? I ask this, because:

1. How can an archdiocese mandate "let it be printed" without having first assigned it to a qualified censor to determine if there is anything contained therein objectionable to the Catholic Faith?

2. Can an auxiliary bishop grant an Imprimatur? I thought that the granting of a valid Imprimatur comes is the prerogative of the local ordinary alone---which in this case would be the archbishop of Cincinnati---provided of course, that either the real author resides in Cincinnati or the book was published in Cincinnati? Incidentally, the book indicates a publisher based in Erlanger, KY, which is within the diocese of Covington, KY---and not Cincinnati.

QUESTION 2: The author indicated on the book is a young (< 50 years old) Australian who operates several companies and publishes many, many books (with his name on it)---some of which have been marketed to both Catholics and Protestants under "different" publishing companies. If a ghostwriter is involved, how does Canon Law account for that? I interpret the author as being the one who actually writes the book, not necessarily the one who's name appears on the book.

Answer 1

1. Canon Law does not require the appointment of a Censor Liborum according to the 1983 code. See When does a Catholic book need an imprimatur for additional details. In that case, a book could have an imprimatur without a Nihil Obstat

2. Usually it is the Ordinary -- the Bishop or Archbishop that heads a diocese:

Can. 824 §1 Unless it is established otherwise, the local ordinary whose permission or approval to publish books must be sought according to the canons of this title is the proper local ordinary of the author or the ordinary of the place where the books are published.

In this specific case, the auxiliary bishop was also vicar general (incidentally, Canon Law requires an auxiliary bishop to be vicar general). The vicar general acts on the authority of the Ordinary in a unique way in Canon Law -- the authority of the vicar general is not considered delegated from the bishop and hence you also cannot appeal from the vicar general to the ordinary. Thus, the vicar general in this case likely approved the book by acting in that capacity.

Canon Law at least for imprimaturs does not take account of "ghost writers" -- it is the work itself not the author which is scrutinized for defects in faith and moral.