Sunday, October 02, 2011

Let's sign THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM?

Fr Z posted this, Modernisn is more alive today than it was 100 years ago, if you are Catholic why not sign the Oath in the comments, BUT read it through first! If you have blog put it up.


THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM
Given by His Holiness St. Pius X September 1, 1910.

To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.
I . . . . firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:90), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical' misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our creator and lord.
Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi and in the decree Lamentabili, especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality-that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.
Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact-one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history-the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.
I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

37 comments:

Fr Ray Blake said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
Fr Raymond Blake

Anonymous said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
Hugh Montgommery

David O'Neill said...

Whilst not a member of the clergy I will promise to do all in my power to uphold this promise

Anonymous said...

I, Lynda Finneran, swear to uphold the oath too. It's integral to the Faith that we assent to, as Catholics. When we renew our baptismal promises each year, maybe we should also then explicitly assent to the contents of this oath. I think that Catholics today who have been poorly educated in their Faith, need to be shown in precise terms what the actual implications of their Credo are in respect of the prevailing false philosophies and ideologies, assumed to be valid by the elite in many societies today.

Anonymous said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
John Parry

Anita Moore said...

I sign it. And may God clear out of my mind any traces of modernism that have crept in and shaped my thoughts in ways that I am not aware of.

Miss Anita Moore, O.P., Esq.

motuproprio said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
(I was most disappointed that this oath was not required either on conversion or before ordination.)

Pablo the Mexican said...

Padre,

I am a Cristero.

We have signed this with our blood long ago.

That's part of what Viva Cristo Rey! means.

Good on you for posting this.

*

JARay said...

Wonderful!
Thus I promise.
This I swear.
So help me God.
John Rayner

Anonymous said...

I took that oath a few times. Once before Diaconate ordination and again the night before Priesthood. Also before induction as a PP.
Would be happy to renew.
Eamonn Whelan

Geremia said...

Read Pope St. Pius X's introduction to the Oath Against Modernism, Sacrorum antistitum, and this English translation of excerpts from the introduction.

Matthias said...

i am being Received,confirmed,first confessiona nd First holy Communion as a CatholicCatholic Community of Blessed John Henry Newman in Melbourne Australia- this Friday thus I will be back to sign

Matthias

Tancred said...

Speaking as a layman, who cares whether Or I sign it or not, but I have to ask, what kind of clergyman would refuse to sign this beautiful document?

YE OLDE JARRA SCRIBE said...

Fr Blake,
Thus I promise,this I swear, so help me God.

Michael Addison

Michael Clifton said...

I took the oath before ordination in 1959 and hope to keep it till I die. When did it stop being taken by clergy? Many of the errors are still with us today.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Father, I don't know, now of course as PP's we take shorter modified form of this oath. I think Wiki should give you an answer.

I want people to sign it, rather than debate it!

A Catholic Comes Home said...

Thus I promise,this I swear,so help me God.
Sandy Morris.

RJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Jonathan Ridgway

GOR said...

Yes Father, I'm happy to renew the Oath.

It should never have been abolished and is needed more than ever today!

GOR

The Bones said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Laurence England

Jay said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Jay Augustine

Matthew said...

This I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Matthew Rose

Millie said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Thank you for your timely post, Father. While there is such joy to be had in being a Catholic Christian, one's spirit begins to implode under the pressure of constantly having to refute the secular doctrine of "choice" from those outwith the Church, while simultaneously having to try to extinguish at first hand the smoke of Satan in the presbytery.

Jonathan Marshall said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
Jonathan Marshall

Anonymous said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Jon Kabel
Diocese of Harrisburg, USA

Damask Rose said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Thank you Father.

Dominic said...

RJ,

I think you're right. I think the new(ish) Catechism does backpeddle somewhat on the teaching of Vat I and the Oath concerning the demonstrability of the existence of God by the light of human reason.

Tim Stanley said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
Tim Stanley (now in Los Angeles)

RJ said...

Dominic

I withdrew my post as I thought it wasn't helpful, but I would point out that Vatican I doesn't specify the method by which reason comes to know that God exists. There could be more than one way.

Tim said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.
Timothy Travis

Left-footer said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Christopher Wright

Ray Desjardins said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Ray Desjardins
North Port, FL

Anonymous said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Nathan Budny

Anonymous said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Lola D'Souza

Just another mad Catholic said...

Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God.

Jack Andrew Henry Hughes

Josemaria Paulo Jeromino Martin Carvalho-Von Verster said...

Thus I Promise,this I Swear,so help me God!
(and may He remove all traces of modernist heresy called:Liberation Theology from My Mind)

Josemaria

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