Section II. On Sins Against the Precept of the External Act

The principal sins against the precept of the external act are: omission of the external act prescribed by reason of faith, or concealment of faith; denial of faith; and dissimulation of it without proportionate reason.

I. Concealment of faith; concerning this note: one converted or returned to the faith per se cannot conceal his conversion; by accident, on account of a grave cause, this is licit for a longer or shorter time, although on account of the honor publicly due to God revealing, to which there is easily added scandal that must be repaired, it is scarcely ever licit to conceal conversion for a long time.¹

If someone placed in danger of death is converted and has a grave reason for concealing his conversion, let him profess the faith before at least two witnesses, who afterward should make the conversion known.²

¹ Cf. Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, May 28, 1635 (Collectanea, n. 84); n. 490.

² Cf. Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, June 26, 1790 (Collectanea, n. 602).

II. Denial of faith is always illicit, even in a case where it would be done only externally. This is clear both from Sacred Scripture (Matt. 10:33) and from the nature of the thing. Denial of faith made only externally is called simulation. Likewise, it is always illicit to be ashamed of the faith (Luke 9:26; St. Alphonsus, II, 12).

III. Dissimulation of faith, that is, an act by which someone signifies neither the true nor a false faith, but expressly hides the true one, is per se illicit; but from a sufficiently grave cause it becomes licit (St. Alphonsus, II, 12). Indeed, sometimes it obliges, namely if on the one hand the necessity of confessing the faith is absent, but on the other hand great harms are to be feared from manifestation of the faith.

Both denial and dissimulation can be done by words, signs, and deeds. Since often it is difficult to distinguish whether denial or dissimulation is had, let this be:

IV. Criterion for distinguishing denial and dissimulation of faith.

1. Things which of themselves or from the circumstances signify internal rejection of faith must be avoided as a denial of faith; of this sort are, for example, "burning incense or genuflection before an idol; likewise taking a heretical supper, etc." (St. Alphonsus, II, 15, 8).

2. Things which only indirectly, or by accident, signify internal rejection of faith contain dissimulation of faith, and therefore are licit from a proportionate cause; for example, the clothing and signs of the Turkish nation (St. Alphonsus, cited place, 9).

3. Things which neither of themselves nor from circumstances nor by accident signify internal rejection of faith contain neither denial nor dissimulation of faith, and therefore are per se licit, as if someone says: "I am not a priest"; by accident, because of a reason extrinsic to this precept, they can become illicit. These things noted, it is useful to apply the doctrine set forth to diverse cases.

V. Applications. In making applications we distinguish the diverse things by which both denial and dissimulation of faith can be done, namely words, signs more strictly taken, clothing, and deeds.

1. Words. One who is questioned about the faith, even by a private person, cannot respond in such a way that he must certainly be believed to deny the true faith. Hence he cannot respond, for example, that he is a Calvinist, or that he adheres to the faith of the kingdom, if the kingdom as such professes a false faith (St. Alphonsus, II, 13).

2. Signs more strictly taken. The distinctive signs of Freemasons (nods, movements of hands or fingers, a particular way of signing letters) contain profession of a false sect, since they are equivalent to words by which someone signifies that he belongs to a false sect.¹ Nor do the aforesaid signs seem to lose their signification from the fact that some who do not belong to the sect use them, for example so that they may be treated amicably; for these seem rather to lie than to make the signs lose their signification. Besides, those who use signs of this sort at least proximately intend that they be taken, at least probably, for Freemasons; but to use such a means is illicit.

3. Clothing. Among clothing: 1. Some garments are distinctive of a people or nation, as the cap of the Turks. It is licit to use these from a just cause, because garments of this sort, although they may be worn in a region of unbelievers, nevertheless of themselves do not involve profession of any faith. 2. Other garments are distinctive of a sect. It is not licit to use these, because one who uses them, considering the circumstances, signifies that he belongs to that sect.² Many, however, permit the use of garments "which do not have a peculiar sign of professing error, but are only an indication of more elegant dress, as formerly the cloaks of preachers in Germany; or of a more eminent life among their own, as the robes of bonzes in Japan. The same must be said concerning signs which the Jews used, for example, a yellow ring on the cloak at Frankfurt, etc.; because these are merely political signs and distinctive of one class of men from another, and not properly professive of faith" (St. Alphonsus, II, 15, 9).

4. Deeds. a) The eating of meat on a day of abstinence does not contain profession of a false religion. But to eat out of shame is not licit. Likewise it is illicit if someone is provoked to eating in contempt of religion, unless there is a grave cause and the one provoked protests that he is not acting in contempt of religion, but because the Church for a grave cause does not urge the law (St. Alphonsus, II, 15, 10).

b) Active assistance³ at the sacred rites of non-Catholics is illicit. The reason is that assistance of this sort either constitutes part of a worship that must be reproved or, as it is taken here, involves proximate cooperation in such worship. Hence can. 1258, § 1: It is not licit for the faithful in any way actively to assist or to have part in the sacred rites of non-Catholics. And can. 2316: Whoever in any way spontaneously and knowingly assists the propagation of heresy, or who communicates in divine things with heretics contrary to the prescription of can. 1258, is suspected of heresy. And so it is illicit, for example, to take a non-Catholic supper; to hear the Mass of a non-Catholic, even if on a feast of precept no other can be heard;⁴ to chant psalms or play the organ in their assemblies;⁵ to perform the office of sponsor in their baptisms;⁶ etc. Besides, compare what is to be said about cooperation (n. 557).

c) Assistance at sermons and merely passive assistance⁷ at sacred functions of non-Catholics contain at most material and remote cooperation, and therefore, considered under this respect, are licit for a just cause. But scandal is easily added and, if more frequent assistance is in question, danger of perversion. Hence the Holy Office⁸ declared that "regularly it is not licit for Catholics to be present at the sermons (baptisms and marriages) of heretics or schismatics" (cf. can. 1258, § 2). If civil authority orders Catholics, for example soldiers, to assist at the sermons and rites of non-Catholics, practically there is a cause excusing, while precautions against danger of perversion must nevertheless be employed.

It is licit, scandal being excluded, to enter the church of schismatics and there privately, not as if acting together with them, to adore the Most Holy Sacrament.⁹ Yet if this were done regularly, it would certainly provide scandal and occasion for religious indifferentism.

Besides this, the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide,¹⁰ to the doubt: "Whether it is licit for Catholics to adore the Most Holy Sacrament, carried by a schismatic parish priest in the public way, whether to a sick person or otherwise," responded: "Not only is it licit, but Catholics must adore the Most Holy Sacrament; nevertheless they must abstain from accompanying it."

Entry into the churches of non-Catholics in order to look at them involves nothing illicit.

d) Passive presence at funerals and weddings of non-Catholics. Passive or merely material presence can be tolerated, for the sake of civil office or honor, on account of a grave reason to be approved by the Bishop in a case of doubt, at the funerals, weddings, and similar solemnities of non-Catholics, provided danger of perversion and scandal is absent (can. 1258, § 2). It is said passive presence; hence if the wedding is entered into before a heretical minister as such, it is not licit to function as witness. Nor is it lawful to undertake the office of paranymph, if this office is as it were to offer the spouses to the heretical minister so that he may join them. It is said provided danger of scandal is absent; now in many regions scandal certainly would be present if there were question of cremating the body or of carrying out burial with the insignia of the Masonic sect.

e) Selection of a non-Catholic sponsor. The Holy Office said "that it is preferable that Baptism be conferred without a sponsor than with a non-Catholic."¹¹ Finally, can. 795, among other things, requires for validity that the sponsor in Baptism "be enrolled in no heretical or schismatic sect."

f) Flight in time of persecution is per se licit, because it involves neither denial nor dissimulation of faith, but only the use of the right to protect one's life. Practically:

alpha) It is illicit if, by your flight, the honor of God or the salvation of souls would suffer detriment; as if pastors of souls, that is, bishops and parish priests, were to flee.

beta) It is licit if your presence is indeed useful, but not necessary, and you cannot remain without grave inconvenience.

gamma) It obliges: 1. if by remaining you would harm rather than benefit the common good; 2. if by remaining you would expose yourself to danger of denying the faith (St. Alphonsus, II, 14, 6).

Note 1. For dissimulating the faith it is more easily licit to omit signs of Catholics than to use signs of non-Catholics.

Note 2. One who is converted to the faith is indeed bound, on the occasion of Baptism, to profess the faith; but if there are grave causes for dissimulating the faith for a time, and for that end for not observing certain precepts of the Church or even for passively assisting at rites of non-Catholics, this is licit (n. 498 sq.). Nevertheless it is preferable to explain the matter to the Ordinary, or even, if the dissimulation of faith will have to endure only for a short time, to defer Baptism. Yet the aforesaid should not per se be applied readily to one who has departed from the faith and desires to return to it, since he is also bound to repair scandal.

¹ According to some, these things are not to be extended to the signs by which Masons usually recognize one another; this does not seem equivalent to a profession of this sect, but is a means so that they may be treated amicably by members of the sect. But signs by which Masons usually recognize one another, if others do not use them, truly signify that someone belongs to the sect; this is and remains profession of the sect, although the said signs may be used as a means so that they may be treated amicably by members of the sect.

² Objection. Garments which are distinctive of a sect are not necessarily protestative of the sect. Now it is licit to use garments non-protestative of the sect, although distinctive, from a grave cause. Thus several authors. Response: Leaving aside the word protestative, I would say: one who uses garments distinctive of a sect signifies that he belongs to the sect; this is profession of the sect and denial of the true faith at least externally.

³ Active assistance is had when the one assisting has a part in the sacred rites of non-Catholics (can. 1258, § 1).

⁴ Holy Office, August 7, 1704 (Collectanea, n. 267).

⁵ Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, July 8, 1889 (Collectanea, n. 1713).

⁶ The Holy Office, May 10, 1770 (Collectanea, n. 478), responded that "it is absolutely not licit, either by oneself or through others, to perform the office of sponsor in Baptisms which are administered by heretics to the children of heretics"; likewise June 30 and July 5, 1864 (Collectanea, n. 1257).

⁷ Merely passive assistance is had if the one assisting, unlike one actively assisting, has no part in the sacred rites of non-Catholics (cf. can. 1258, § 1).

⁸ May 10, 1770.

⁹ Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, December 15, 1764 (Collectanea, n. 458, ad 1).

¹⁰ December 15, 1764 (Collectanea, n. 458, ad 4).

¹¹ May 3, 1893 (Collectanea, n. 1831).