Oaths
What is an oath and how is it usually taken? The Baltimore Catechism states:
“An oath is the calling upon God to witness the truth of what we say. An oath is usually taken by laying the hand on the Bible or by lifting the hand towards Heaven as a sign that we call God to witness that what we are saying is under oath and to the best of our knowledge really true.”
The Baltimore Catechism also cautions that no oath should be taken lightly: “We may take an oath when it is ordered by lawful authority or required for God’s honor or for our own or our neighbor’s good.”
How may an oath be taken? Contrary to what some may believe, a valid oath does not require any certain words and, while often taken with a hand on the Bible or at least the Holy Gospels, does not require them. Turning to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, we read:
“…it is first to be observed, that to swear, whatever the form of words may be, is nothing else than to call God to witness; thus to say, ‘God is witness,’ and ‘By God,’ mean one and the same thing. To swear by creatures, such as the holy Gospels, the cross, the names or relics of the Saints, and so on, in order to prove our statements, is also to take an oath. Of themselves, it is true, such objects give no weight or authority to an oath; it is God Himself who does this, whose divine majesty shines forth in them. Hence to swear by the Gospel is to swear by God Himself, whose truth is contained and revealed in the Gospel. (This holds equally true with regard to those who swear) by the Saints, who are the temples of God, who believed the truth of His Gospel, were faithful in its observance, and spread it far and wide among the nations and peoples.”
What makes an oath lawful? Succinctly put by the Baltimore Catechism, “To make an oath lawful it is necessary that what we swear to, be true, and that there be a sufficient cause for taking an oath.” The Catechism of the Council of Trent, however, expands on this point by noting three conditions for a lawful oath: truth, judgment, and justice:
“Although to constitute an oath it is sufficient to call God to witness, yet to constitute a holy and just oath many other conditions are required, which should be carefully explained. These, as St Jerome observes, are briefly enumerated in the words of Jeremias: Thou shalt swear: as the Lord liveth, in truth and in judgment and in justice, words which briefly sum up all the conditions that constitute the perfection of an oath, namely, truth, judgment, justice.”
Continuing, the Catechism of the Council of Trent further explains what is meant by the necessary qualities of truth, judgment, and justice:
“Truth, then, holds the first place in an oath. What is asserted must be true and he who swears must believe what he swears to be true, being influenced not by rash judgment or mere conjecture, but by solid reasons… The second condition of an oath is judgment. An oath is not to be taken rashly and inconsiderately, but after deliberation and reflection. When about to take an oath, therefore, one should first consider whether he is obliged to take it, and should weigh well the whole case, reflecting whether it seems to call for an oath… The last condition is justice, which is especially requisite in promissory oaths. Hence, if a person swears to do what is unjust or unlawful, he sins by taking the oath, and adds sin to sin by executing his promise. Of this the Gospel supplies an example. King Herod, bound by a rash oath, gave to a dancing girl the head of John the Baptist as a reward for her dancing. Such was also the oath taken by the Jews, who, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, bound themselves by oath not to eat, until they had killed Paul.”
Did the Lord Prohibit Oaths?
An important objection concerning oaths concerns Our Lord’s own words, as recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew:
“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old, thou shalt not forswear thyself: but thou shalt perform thy oaths to the Lord. But I say to you not to swear at all, neither by Heaven, for it is the throne of God: Nor by the earth, for it is His footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king” (Matthew 5:33-35).
Bishop Challoner (1691-1781), in his Scripture commentary, explains the meaning of Our Lord’s words: “It is not forbidden to swear in truth, justice and judgment; to the honor of God, or our own or neighbor’s just defense: but only to swear rashly, or profanely, in common discourse, and without necessity.” On such an important clarification, the Catechism of the Council of Trent again wonderfully elaborates:
“It cannot be asserted that these words condemn oaths universally and under all circumstances, since we have already seen that the Apostles and our Lord Himself made frequent use of them. The object of our Lord was rather to reprove the perverse opinion of the Jews, who had persuaded themselves that the only thing to be avoided in an oath was a lie. Hence in matters the most trivial and unimportant they did not hesitate to make frequent use of oaths, and to exact them from others. This practice the Redeemer condemns and reprobates and teaches that an oath is never to be taken unless necessity require it. For oaths have been instituted on account of human frailty. They are really the outcome of evil, being a sign either of the inconstancy of him who takes them, or of the obstinacy of him who refuses to believe without them. However, an oath can be justified by necessity. When our Lord says: Let your speech be ‘yea, yea’; ‘no, no,’ He evidently forbids the habit of swearing in familiar conversation and on trivial matters. He therefore admonishes us particularly against being too ready and willing to swear; and this should be carefully explained and impressed on the minds of the faithful.”
Too often people “proof-text” and use an isolated passage to attempt to justify their erroneous belief. The scriptural passages which supposedly prohibit oath taking, should in fact be read in context with those passages where the Holy Ghost Himself inspires the making of an oath. Our Lord made use of an oath (Matthew 26:64), as did God when He swore to Abraham (Genesis 22:16), and St. Paul when he called upon God to witness to his epistles (e.g., Romans 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:23).
Common sense and a basic understanding of the faith should suffice for any Catholic to know that all oaths are not prohibited. A proper oath has a good object and is pleasing to God. In effect, an oath is a public profession of God’s goodness, truthfulness, justice, and omnipotence. Thus, an oath made correctly actually renders honor to God.
Oaths in Secret Societies
Lastly, the Baltimore Catechism further clarifies that oaths are never to be taken in secret societies:
“It is never allowed to promise under oath, in secret societies or elsewhere, to obey another in whatever good or evil he commands, for by such an oath we would declare ourselves ready and willing to commit sin, if ordered to do so, while God commands us to avoid even the danger of sinning. Hence the Church forbids us to join any society in which such oaths are taken by its members.”
For this reason, amongst others, the Catholic Church unequivocally condemns freemasonry and prohibits Catholics without exception to join masonic organizations.
Conclusion
No oath may be taken lightly, and no oath may ever be taken in a secret society. However, a claim advanced by some Protestants that oaths are never to be taken for any reason is manifestly false.