Case 3. External Profession of the Faith

Caius, an Anglican minister who was dying, summoned Titius, a Catholic priest, and asked to be received into the Catholic Church, which he firmly believed to be the one Church of Christ. As to other matters, Titius found him excellently disposed; nevertheless, he wished absolutely that his reception into the Church be kept secret, lest his wife and children be deprived of the pension to which widows of Anglican ministers have a right. Titius, however, doubted whether he could receive him under this condition or not. Hence it is asked:

1. Is it ever lawful to deny the faith?

2. Must the faith be professed externally, and when?

3. What must be done in the reception of converts?

4. What is to be said concerning the case?

1. Is it ever lawful to deny the Faith?

No, it is never lawful to deny the Faith: “He that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.”¹

1 Matt. x. 33.

2. Must the Faith be openly professed, and when?

Yes, it is at times necessary to profess the Faith openly; it is not sufficient to believe merely internally. This is required by the natural and divine law, as well as by positive law. A solemn profession of faith must, by positive law, be made by converts on their reception into the Church, by bishops at their consecration, by priests at their ordination, and by certain ecclesiastical functionaries on their assumption of office. We are chiefly concerned in this case with profession of faith which is required by natural and divine law. Like all positive precepts it always obliges, but not for always; in other words, there are certain occasions when the precept must be fulfilled; it does not oblige on all occasions whatever. The general rule is that the Faith must be openly professed whenever the honor of God, the spiritual good of one’s neighbor, or one’s own good requires it.

3. What is to be done in the reception of converts?

Inquiry must first of all be made about the baptism of the convert, he must be instructed, and where the bishop requires it, the leave to receive him must be obtained from the bishop. If the convert has not been validly baptized, he is only required to make a profession of faith, and he is baptized according to the Ritual with the longer form, unless an indult has been obtained to use the shorter form prescribed for infants. If he was baptized before, but the validity of the baptism is doubtful, he must make a profession of faith, and then conditional baptism is conferred (in England privately with holy water and without the ceremonies); then he is conditionally absolved from censures, and after making a general confession of his whole life he receives sacramental absolution conditionally. If he was validly baptized, he makes profession of his faith, is absolved from censures, and then makes his confession and is absolved. Youths before puberty are not absolved from censures.

4. The case. Caius, an Anglican minister, called Titius, a Catholic priest, and asked to be received into the Church. Caius was dying. Titius found him well disposed in other respects, but he desired that his conversion should be kept secret for fear lest his wife and children should be deprived of a pension to which they would have a right as the widow and children of an Anglican minister. Titius doubted whether this could be allowed.

No; Caius could not be received on that condition. The conversion of one in his position is likely to give great honor to God and to the true religion, and to be a cause of conversion to others.¹ In all probability the society which granted such pensions as are mentioned in the case would never dream of depriving Caius’ widow and children of theirs because of his conversion on his death-bed. Perhaps, through some friendly source, assurance on this point could be obtained and communicated to Caius, who might then be received unconditionally.

1 Cf. Collectanea S. C. de P. F., nn. 44, 84. 2d ed.