Faith of Millions was presented to my father in law as a tool in his catechism. Imprimatur is endorsement to anyone who understands tenth grade English.
“A Roman Catholic imprimatur can require up to four steps:
* If the work is produced by a member of a religious order, a Nihil obstat (Latin, meaning “nothing hinders”) from two censors appointed by the order. This indicates that the work has been examined and approved by the delegated censors and that they both find it free of doctrinal or moral error. The censor is appointed either generally or for a particular work, and is often a scholarly priest and/or one who has expertise in the field. It is the censor’s task to work back and forth with the author of the work to correct any inaccuracies, ambiguities, easily misunderstood passages or other problems. The nihil obstats of two censors from the order were formerly required by universal canon law; today, they may be required by an order’s own canstitutions.
* If the work was produced by a member of a religious order, an Imprimi potest (Latin, meaning “it can be printed”) from a superior within the order. This indicated that it had first been examined and approved by the religious superior or head of the religious order (or a duly appointed representative). The imprimi potest was often given by the provincial superior of the author. This was given only after the two nihil obstats mentioned above. Today, such approval is still needed but the process is less specific.
* In all cases, whether a lay person or cleric, a nihil obstat from the censor of the diocese in which publication takes place was, and still is, always necessary to obtain the imprimatur itself. The censor in this case is appointed by the bishop and again may be a priest given general authority for this or assigned specifically for an individual book. Even if the above nihil obstats had been obtained, and the imprimi potest, this diocesan nihil obstat was also always necessary. Today, most books need just this nihil obstat.
* Imprimatur (Latin, meaning “let it be printed”) — This is the actual final approval by the bishop of the diocese where the work is to be published, or by other ecclesiastical authority. It is given under the bishop’s role as chief teacher of the faith within his diocese.[2]
Following this, some works may also include the following statement:
“The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur agree with the content, opinions or statements expressed.”
While at first glance this statement might seem contradictory, it indicates the purpose of the imprimatur: theologians and other writers are free to discuss various theories, ideas, approaches, or positions on theological topics - even if the bishop does not agree with the author’s positions - provided they do not actually contradict Catholic doctrine and are not likely to harm the faith or morals of the reader. Within Catholic doctrine, therefore, a breadth of possible opinions may be freely discussed.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprimatur
Wiki. Take it for what it is worth. It certainly would indicate that it that the opinions found within shouldn’t be ones damaging to Catholic faith.
“Imprimatur is Latin for “let it be printed.” When a Roman Catholic bishop grants his imprimatur to a printed work, he assures the reader that nothing therein is contrary to Catholic faith or morals. This imprimatur is not given lightly; only after a thorough review process.”
http://www.americancatholic.org/newsletters/imprimatur.asp
“Please know that the presence of an Imprimatur does not mean that a book is an official text of the Church. It doesn’t make the book the equivalent of an encyclical, say. It’s not the approval of the work by the Pope or a dogmatic Council, and it’s not a stamp of infallibility. It doesn’t even mean that everything in the book is accurate, only that there is nothing in it that contradicts Catholic dogma. But, while occasionally a book sneaks through and its Imprimatur later recalled, this procedure is an important way for Catholics to increase their chances of staying error-free with regard to doctrine. Sadly, because of the triumph of modernsists and liberals in the human aspect of the Church since the Second Vatican Council, books which could well contain a watered-down theology, a warped view of History, etc. now do receive the “Imprimatur.”
http://www.fisheaters.com/imprimatur.html
I have no idea how many books receive an imprimatur.
Bzzzzt. Wrong again, counselor.