THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM
Given by His Holiness Pope 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. .
Pope Pius X on his death bed 20
August 1914
