Gallipolis Journal

OATH OF ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP.

The newly elected Bishop of Portland was recently consecrated in New York, with ceremonies imposing and impressive. The following is the oath taken and subscribed by the Bishop elect:

THE OATH.

"I, N., elected Bishop of the church of N., shall from this hour hence forward, be obedient to the blessed Peter, the Apostle, and to the Holy Roman Church, and to the most blessed father, Pope Pius IX, and to his successors canonically chosen. I shall assist them to retain and defend against any man whatever the Roman Pontificate, without prejudice to my rank. I shall take care to preserve, defend, and promote the rights, honors, privileges and authority of the Holy Roman Church, of the Pope and his successors, as aforesaid.—With my whole strength I shall observe, and cause to be observed by others, the rules of the holy fathers, the decrees, ordinances, or dispositions and mandates of the Apostolic See. When called to a synod, I shall come, unless I be prevented by a canonical impediment. I shall personally visit the Apostolic See once every ten years, and render an account to our most blessed father (the Pope) and his successors, as aforesaid, of my whole pastoral office, and of every thing in any way appertaining to the state of my church, to the discipline of the clergy and people, and to the salvation of souls committed to my care; and I shall humbly receive, in return, the apostolic mandates, and diligently execute them. But if I be prevented by a lawful impediment, I shall perform all the things aforesaid by a certain messenger especially authorized for this purpose, a priest of the diocese, or by some other secular or regular priest of tried virtue and piety, well instructed on all the above subjects. I shall not sell nor give away, nor mortgage, enfeoff anew, nor in any way alienate the possessions belonging to my table, without the leave of the Roman Pontiff. And should I proceed to any alienation of them, I am willing to contract, by the very fact, the penalties specified in the constitutions published on this subject."

Of course, it is impossible for our readers to understand the full force and meaning of this oath, for when the Bishop says he will "preserve, defend and promote the rights, honors, privileges and authority of the Holy Roman Church, of the Pope and his successors," we must first know what privileges and authority are claimed by the Pope. There is one clause, however, which one may understand, and we direct attention to its connection with an article penned by us a few days since, headed "Property in the hands of Bishops."

The Bishop elect swears as follows:

"I shall not sell nor give away, nor mortgage, enfeoff anew, nor in any way alienate the possessions belonging to my table, without the leave of the Roman Pontiff."