Section — Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis
§ 2. On the external profession of faith prescribed
504. Existence of the precept. The profession of faith is its external manifestation made before other men, and it can be made either by words or by deeds; but it is prescribed 1. by divine law; 2. by ecclesiastical law.
- That there exists a divine precept of confessing faith outwardly is drawn from Sacred Scripture. For St. Paul says: "If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and have believed in your heart, ... you shall be saved; for with the heart one believes unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."42 But Christ says: "Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But he who shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven."43
The intrinsic reasons why God prescribed the exterior profession of faith are chiefly: a) Christ founded a visible Church with worship also visible; and therefore the members of that Church must manifest themselves outwardly as such, and especially in external worship. But this happens through the profession of faith. b) Besides, he commits great irreverence toward God and shameful cowardice who, on account of vain human fear, omits to show himself a faithful servant and worshiper of God. c) There is added that the exterior profession of faith greatly serves for confirming interior faith and for converting other men tepid in faith, or even altogether unbelieving, to fervid faith.
Extension of this precept. The divine precept of professing faith is rather affirmative44 than negative. But insofar as it is negative, it forbids faith ever to be denied outwardly; this indeed can happen either directly or indirectly. Faith is denied directly by formal infidelity or heresy, i.e. by him who knowingly and voluntarily denies the true faith outwardly and inwardly. Faith is denied indirectly when someone places an external act which, all the circumstances having been seen, must be regarded by other men as a denial of faith, although he himself inwardly did not wish to deny the faith; e.g. when someone takes a Protestant supper, although inwardly he in no way believed that Christ is present in such a supper.
Principle. It is never licit to deny faith, neither directly nor indirectly.45 For every denial of faith inflicts grave dishonor on God, because it refuses God's authority and reverence. In addition, it causes grave scandal to one's neighbor. Christ threatens those denying faith: "He who shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven." But it must be noted that denying faith is one thing, concealing or dissembling faith another. For sometimes it is licit to dissemble or conceal faith, as will be said below, n. 507. Direct denial of faith will be treated in the following chapter (n. 512 sqq.).
The affirmative precept of professing faith is twofold, one divine, the other ecclesiastical. The following things are to be observed:
42 Rom. 10, 9 sq.
43 Matt. 10, 32 sq.
44 S. theol. 2, 2, q. 3, a. 2.
45 Some authors, such as Noldin, De praec. n. 24; Gopfert, I, n. 274, permit indirect denial of faith, provided sufficient reasons are present. This manner of speaking, although it can be rightly understood, is better avoided, since it sounds badly and gives occasion for erring.
505. The divine precept of professing faith obliges: 1. when from the omission of this confession the honor due to God is withdrawn; 2. when the utility of one's neighbor demands it. Thus the Angelic Doctor46 establishes rules which are admitted by all theologians.
- The honor of God to be preserved demands the profession of faith: a) when someone is questioned about his faith by public authority; b) when someone is moved in hatred of religion to deny faith by word or deed.
To a) Theologians commonly teach that a Catholic man is bound (even with danger of life) candidly to confess his faith if he is questioned by public authority in a cause of faith, because otherwise great scandal and grave irreverence against God are committed. And therefore on March 2, 1679, Innocent XI condemned the following proposition (18): "If someone is questioned by public power, I advise ingenuously confessing faith as glorious to God and faith; I do not condemn silence as sinful per se."47 But if someone were questioned not about faith, but about his state, e.g. whether he is a priest, monk, etc., and concealed the truth, he would not sin against faith, but perhaps against truth, or also against charity, if his neighbor were to suffer scandal from it. But if public authority, by persecuting religion, commands by general edict that the faithful present themselves or betray themselves by a certain sign, no one is bound to obey, because such a law is altogether unjust and therefore does not bind in conscience. Wherefore, in persecutions of Christians, the faithful and priests can conceal themselves, indeed also flee, as is clear both from the words of Christ: "If they persecute you in this city, flee into another,"48 and from his own example and that of the Apostles.49
505. But pastors of souls then would have to remain even with danger of life, if their flight would expose the people committed to them to grave danger of apostasy. For "the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep; but the hireling ... sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf catches and scatters the sheep."50
If someone is questioned about faith by a private person, he is not bound (at least per se) to confess the truth, but can be silent or give an evasive response. The reason is that in this case silence or an evasive response is not irreverence toward God, but rather slighting of the questioner, who has no right of putting questions of this kind. But by accident, even in this case of a private question, the one questioned would have to confess the truth, if namely "from this it would be believed either that he did not have faith, or that faith was not true, or that others through his silence would be turned away from faith."51
To b) If someone, in hatred of religion or faith, is moved by public or even private authority to act by word or deed against faith, certainly he cannot obey, but must profess the true faith. Thus, e.g., if a master out of hatred of the Catholic religion wished to compel servants to eat meat on prohibited days, then they could not silently obey, but would have to either refuse obedience absolutely, or say openly to the master: We venerate our Church and obey her; but, placed in great necessity, we eat meat, because in these circumstances the Church herself dispenses us from her law.52
46 S. theol. l. c. This precept is expressed in the Code of Canon Law, c. 1325, § 1, in these words: "The faithful of Christ are bound openly to profess faith whenever their silence, evasion, or manner of acting would carry with it an implicit denial of faith, contempt of religion, injury to God, or scandal of neighbor."
47 Denz. n. 1168.
48 Matt. 10, 23.
49 John 8, 59; 10, 39; 2 Cor. 11, 33; Acts 12, 8 sqq.
50 John 10, 11 sqq.
51 S. theol. 2, 2, q. 3, a. 2.
52 Cf. St. Alph., Theol. mor. l. 2, 15 at the end; Konings, Theol. mor. n. 137; Aertnys, Theol. mor. l. 2, n. 8, q. 6.
506. 2. The spiritual utility of one's neighbor demands confession of our faith whenever otherwise grave scandal would arise for one's neighbor. Thus, e.g., in the ancient persecutions of Christians, those who were called "libellatici" because they had bought from the prefect a certificate as though they had sacrificed to idols, sinned gravely. Yet they were punished more mildly than the so-called "sacrificati" or "thurificati," who namely from fear of death had truly sacrificed to idols. In our times all those sin against the divine precept of confessing faith in this way who publicly furnish favor to heresy, even if inwardly they do not wish to deny faith.
II. The ecclesiastical law establishes that the following persons make a profession of faith:
Those to be baptized; if they are infants, in their place the sponsors make the profession of faith through the recitation of the Apostles' Symbol.53
All who return from heresy or schism into the bosom of the Catholic Church.54
All who are present with either deliberative or consultative or decisive vote at an ecumenical or particular Council or diocesan synod. They must make the profession before the president of such an assembly or before the delegate of the president.55
Those promoted to the cardinalitial dignity.56
Those promoted to the episcopate (even titular), to the government of an Abbey or Prelature nullius, of an Apostolic Vicariate, of an Apostolic Prefecture, and indeed before the Delegate from the Apostolic See.57
The capitular vicar before the cathedral Chapter.58
Those promoted to a canonry or to a dignity in a Chapter. They must make the profession before the local Ordinary or his delegate and before the assembled Chapter.59
Diocesan consultors before the local Ordinary or his delegate and before the other assembled consultors.60
The vicar general, pastor, beneficed cleric having care of souls, rector of a Seminary, professors of theology, philosophy, and canon law, all who are to be promoted to the subdiaconate, censors of books in episcopal curias, those receiving the faculty of hearing confessions or preaching.61
The rector of a University or canonically erected Faculty before the Ordinary, i.e. before the bishop or his religious superior or their delegate; but all professors of such institutions before the Rector or his delegate. Likewise those who after examination are given academic degrees.62
The religious superior in clerical religious institutes before the Chapter or the superior who appointed him.63
Note. 1. He who, having left the former one, obtains another office or benefice or dignity, even of the same species, must again make the profession of faith.64 Therefore, e.g., a pastor who is transferred from one parish to another must again make the profession of faith.
- He does not satisfy the obligation of making the profession of faith who makes it through a procurator or before a layman.65
The penalties laid down against those who without a just impediment neglect to make the due profession of faith, after a fitting admonition has been disregarded, are a) loss of the fruits of the benefice, office, dignity, or function. This loss of fruits obtains at once, and therefore, e.g., a pastor who, having been admonished, did not make the profession of faith must restore the fruits received in the same way as if he had omitted the recitation of the Breviary. b) deprivation of the office itself, benefice, dignity, or function.66
It is very fitting that the profession of faith be made either before an altar, or at least before a Crucifix and two lighted candles.
53 Rit. Rom. de baptismo, tit. 3.
54 Holy Office, July 20, 1859 (Collect. de Prop. Fide n. 1178).
55 Cod. iur. can. c. 1406, § 1, n. 1.
56 Ib. n. 2.
57 Ib. n. 3.
58 Ib. n. 4.
59 Ib. n. 5.
60 Ib. n. 6.
61 Ib. n. 7. He who made the profession before receiving the subdiaconate is not bound to repeat the same before the diaconate or presbyterate, unless the Ordinary has judged otherwise. Likewise a confessor who made the profession before beginning the office is not bound to repeat it if in another diocese he receives the faculty of hearing confessions. S. C. Consist., March 24, 1911, and June 20, 1913 (Act. Ap. Sed. III, 182; V, 273).
62 Cod. iur. can. c. and § cited, n. 8.
63 Ib. n. 9.
64 Ib. § 2.
65 Cod. c. 1407.
66 Ib. c. 2403.
507. On the concealment or dissimulation of faith. It is never licit to deny faith either directly or indirectly, as has already been said above; but sometimes to conceal the true faith is not only licit, but even necessary. For the divine precept of professing faith is an affirmative precept, and therefore does not always oblige. Wherefore St. Thomas writes:67 "If disturbance of unbelievers arises from a manifest confession of faith, without any utility of faith or of the faithful, in such a case it is not praiseworthy to confess faith publicly; hence the Lord says: 'Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine, lest turning they tear you.'"68 But if some utility of faith is hoped for or necessity is present,
507. once the disturbance of unbelievers has been contemned, man must publicly confess faith; hence it is said69 that when the disciples had said to the Lord that the Pharisees, having heard his word, were scandalized, the Lord responded: "Let them alone" (namely, be disturbed), "they are blind and leaders of the blind." From these things the following practical conclusions are deduced:
Resolutions: 1. Some heretic or pagan who wishes to embrace the true faith, but cannot do this publicly without great temporal inconveniences, can be received secretly into the bosom of the Church before two discreet witnesses.70 But after conversion, although he is dispensed from positive divine and ecclesiastical precepts which cannot be fulfilled without grave inconvenience, nevertheless he can no longer perform acts which are a profession of heresy or paganism, such as, e.g., to receive a Protestant supper, to contract marriage before a non-Catholic minister, to exercise the office of a non-Catholic minister, to wear signs signifying idolatry,71 etc. But he could perform other things which are not a direct profession of heterodox faith, such as, e.g., to visit temples of heretics, to attend a non-Catholic funeral, indeed once or twice to attend a non-Catholic sermon, provided, however, that danger of perversion or scandal is absent.
A Catholic man can wear the garments which the inhabitants of some region of unbelievers are accustomed to wear, e.g. the cap of the Turks; but by no means is it licit to wear garments or signs which have been instituted solely for professing a false faith, as are the priestly garments of idolaters. Hence the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide on March 23, 1844, forbade Missionaries, in order more easily to introduce the Catholic faith among the Tartars, to put on garments used by Lama priests, or to shear their head after their manner.72 The reason for each solution is that to wear the garments of some non-Catholic region is indeed a dissimulation of the true faith, but not a simulation of false faith, since not all inhabitants of that region are non-Catholics; on the contrary, to wear garments or signs of some sect is to simulate false faith; this certainly is not licit.
A priest or Religious can, for a reasonable cause, lay aside the clerical or religious habit. He can also eat meat on days prohibited by ecclesiastical law, if, living in the land of heretics, he otherwise would have to suffer great distresses. The reason is that positive ecclesiastical laws do not oblige with grave inconvenience.73
A Catholic man cannot licitly make nods, movements, pressure of fingers, etc., which by convention serve solely for the profession of a false religion or of some non-Catholic sect. Hence it is not licit to wear the distinctive signs of Freemasons; it is not licit to make signs of reverence before an idol, etc.
507. 5. A Catholic eating together with non-Catholics is not bound to say the customary prayers before and after the meal and thus betray himself as a Catholic, if grave inconveniences would arise for him from this. The reason is obvious; for by no strict precept is a Catholic man obliged to these prayers, nor does this omission of prayers include denial of faith.
Note. For the rest, in practice it cannot always easily be distinguished whether concealment of faith is licit or not. Speaking generally, it is much better candidly to profess faith, because the harms arising from profession are not accustomed to be so great as they appear when considered at first glance. On the contrary, from an ingenuous profession of faith the greatest goods are accustomed to be produced, both for the one professing himself and for others admiring his good example.
67 S. theol. 2, 2, q. 3, a. 2 ad 3.
68 Matt. 7, 6.
69 Matt. 15, 14.
70 Thus also the Holy Office established on March 28, 1900 (Collect. de Prop. Fide n. 2079).
71 Very long and very sharp controversies arose among the Missionaries of the Indies and of other adjacent regions concerning the so-called Malabar rites, e.g. whether converted women to be joined in marriage could wear on the neck a certain token called Tauly, representing some idol. Several Supreme Pontiffs, and especially Benedict XIV, Const. "Omnium sollicitudinum," September 12, 1744, condemned this use. But the Holy Office on February 3, 1892, permitted the use of the Taly, after it had been cleansed of all superstition.
72 Collect. de Prop. Fide n. 948.
73 Cf. Noldin, De praecept. n. 21.
508. Scholion. On the means of advancing in faith. Since faith is of such great necessity and utility, it is excellent to use efficacious means for procuring its increase. Faith, as being an infused virtue, cannot indeed directly be increased by our acts, as was already said above, n. 493, but is increased in the measure in which sanctifying grace is increased in us. Nevertheless by our acts we acquire a very precious facility for eliciting meritorious acts of faith and thus for growing in grace and in faith itself. Such acts are:
Fervent and frequent prayer. Hence even the Apostles themselves asked the Lord: "Increase faith in us."74 For prayer, as being the elevation of the mind to God, intimately unites the mind with God, the father of light, and the spirit inflaming our hearts; and therefore it is exceedingly useful for advancing in faith.
Reading of Sacred Scripture, which contains divine revelation and vehemently incites us to believing. Also very useful is the reading of books treating of the distinguished acts of faith performed by holy men.
Pious hearing of sermons, in which the truths of faith are well set forth and inculcated. These sermons indeed are very useful not only to simple faithful, but also to clerics and religious.
The exercise of faith a) by thought; b) by word; c) by deed. We must direct all thoughts and judgments neither according to the prudence of the flesh, which is an enemy to God,75 nor according to the prudence of this age, which is foolishness before God.76 Therefore nothing is to be greatly esteemed except those things which are great before God. - Our words must be conformed to our thoughts, and therefore in conversations we must estimate the value of things according to the Gospel. - All our works must be performed from a supernatural motive, and not from empty glory, desire, or another merely egoistic motive.
Propagation of faith among others. For by laboring for the propagation of faith, both our faith is stirred up and our meritorious works are increased.
74 Luke 17, 5.
75 Rom. 8, 7.
76 1 Cor. 3, 19.