- From catholicculture.org
If you look in the front of a religious book, you will usually find the term “imprimatur” with the name of a bishop next to it. The imprimatur is a signal to the reader that the book has been reviewed and allowed to be printed. It goes hand-in-hand with the nihil obstat, which is a certification that the book does not contain any moral or theological errors. These two certifications are intended to assure Catholics that there is nothing objectionable in the book. It is not intended to be an endorsement of the book or an indication that the bishop agrees with the information in the book. Rather, it is a way for bishops to ensure that what is published within their diocese or by members of their diocese is not going to lead people away from what the Church teaches.