Christopher Wendt: Good evening, everyone. Good evening, Your Excellency. I greet all members of the Confraternity, all guests, and everyone watching this broadcast. Thank you for joining us this evening. Your Excellency, could you start us off with a prayer? Yes.
His Excellency: In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency. Tonight’s broadcast will be on the second commandment, and then the broadcast in July will be another question-and-answer session where you can submit your questions beforehand. We will have His Excellency give us a catechism lesson on the second commandment. I want to encourage you to pick up and get your copy of Salve Regina, a rosary crusade to plead for the holy Pope. All you have to do to join this crusade, or to pray this crusade, is to pray the rosary with your family and then pray the prayer that Bishop Schneider has written for a plea for the holy Pope. Without further ado, Your Excellency.
His Excellency: Yes. Now we will speak today about the second commandment of God, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. This commandment is distinct from the first commandment.
The second commandment of the Divine Law is necessarily comprised also in the first commandment, which commands us to worship God in piety and holiness. For he who requires that honor be paid to him also requires that he be spoken of with reverence and forbids the contrary. However, on account of the importance of the obligation, God wished to make the law which commands his own Divine and most holy name to be honored a distinct commandment expressed in the clearest and simplest terms.
Let us look at the positive part of this commandment. Although this commandment uses the singular number, “Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain.”
This is not to be understood as referring to one name, but to every name by which God is generally designated. He is called by many names, such as the Lord, the Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, and by other similar titles which we find in Holy Scripture, all of which are entitled to the same and equal veneration.
In the first place, God’s name is honored on earth when we publicly and confidently confess Him to be our Lord and our God, and when we acknowledge and also proclaim Christ to be the author of our salvation. God’s name is also honored when we pray and pay religious attention to the word of God, which announces to us His holy will.
We make it the subject of our constant meditation, the name of God and strive by reading and hearing it, according to our respective capacities and conditions of life, to become acquainted with the holy Word of God.
We honor and venerate the name of God when, from a sense of religious duty, we celebrate His praises, and under all circumstances, whether prosperous or adverse, we return to Him unbounded thanks.
The name of God is honored especially when we confidently invoke His assistance, either to relieve us from our afflictions or to give us constancy and strength to endure them with fortitude and a spirit of faith.
Let us look at the aspect of the oath. We honor the name of God when we solemnly call upon Him to witness the truth of what we assert. This mode of honoring God’s name differs greatly from those already mentioned. Those means are in their own nature so good and so desirable that our days and nights could not be more happily or more holily spent than in such practices of piety as we mentioned, the prayers, the meditation, and God is blessed. Then, as the psalm says, His praise shall always be in our mouth.
On the other hand, oaths are in themselves good. Their frequent use is by no means praiseworthy. The reason for this difference is that oaths have been instituted only as remedies to human frailty and as a necessary means of establishing the truth of what we say and assert. Just as it is unwise to have recourse to medicine unless it becomes necessary, and since frequent use is harmful, so also with regards to oaths, it is not profitable to have recourse to them unless there is a weighty and just cause. A frequent recurrence to them, far from being advantageous, is, on the contrary, prejudicial.
Let us look at the meaning of an oath. 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 that 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 Holy Gospels.
This holds equally true with regard to those who swear by the saints, who are the temples of God, who believe the truths of His gospel, and who were faithful in its observance. This is also true of oaths uttered by way of execration, such as that of Saint Paul, who says, “I call God to witness upon my soul.” By this form of oath, one submits himself to God’s judgment, who is the avenger of falsehood.
All oaths are either affirmatory or promissory. Oaths are of two kinds. The first kind is an affirmatory oath, taken when we religiously affirm anything past or present. Such was the affirmation of the apostle in the Epistle to the Galatians: “Behold, before God, I lie not.” The second kind of oath, to which combinations may be reduced, is called promissory. It looks to the future and is taken when we promise firmly and certainly that such or such a thing will be done.
Let us look at the conditions of a lawful oath. 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 and should be carefully explained. As St. Jerome observes, these are briefly enumerated in the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, who says, “Thou shalt swear as the Lord lives, 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, and justice.
Let us first look at the truth. Truth holds the first place in an oath. What is asserted must be true, and he who swears must believe his words to be true, being influenced not by rash judgment or mere conjecture, but by solid reasons. Truth is a condition not less necessary in a promissory than in an affirmatory oath. He who promises must be disposed to perform and fulfill his promise at the appointed time, as no conscientious man will promise to do what he considers opposed to the most holy commandments and the will of God. Having promised and sworn to do what is lawful, he will never fail to adhere to his engagement unless, perhaps by a change of circumstances, it should happen that if he wished to keep the faith and observe his promises, he must incur the displeasure and enmity of God.
That truth is necessary to an oath, David also declares in these words: “He that swears to his neighbor and deceives him.”
The second condition is judgment. An oath is not to be taken rashly or inconsiderately, but only after careful deliberation and reflection. When about to take an oath, one should first consider whether he is obliged to take it and should weigh the whole case carefully, reflecting on whether it truly calls for an oath. Many other circumstances of time, place, and situation must also be taken into account. One should not be influenced by love, hatred, or any other passion, but by the nature and necessity of the case. Unless these careful considerations and reflections occur, an oath will be rash and hasty. Of this character are the irreligious messages, and affirmations of those who, on the most unimportant and trivial occasions, swear without thought or reason, influenced only by bad habit.
We see these practices daily, everywhere among buyers and sellers. The sellers aim to sell at the highest price, and the buyers to purchase at the cheapest rate. Neither makes any scruple to strengthen with an oath their praise or dispraise of the goods on sale.
Since judgment and prudence are necessary, and since children are not able, on account of their tender years, to understand and judge accurately, the Church has traditionally taught that an oath should not be administered to children before puberty, that is, before their fourteenth year.
The third condition is justice, which is especially required in a promissory oath. If a person were to do what is unjust or unlawful, he sins by taking the oath and adds sin to sin by executing his promise. The Gospel supplies examples of this. King Herod, bound by a rash oath, gave to a dancing girl the head of John the Baptist as a reward for her dancing. Similarly, the Jews, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, bound themselves by oath not to eat until they had killed Paul, the apostle.
Let us now look at the lawfulness of an oath. Those who observe the above conditions and take their oath with these qualities as bulwarks may swear with a safe conscience.
This is easily established by many proofs. The law of God, which is pure and holy, commands, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve Him only, and thou shalt swear by His name.” The psalm says, “All that swear by Him shall be praised by the Lord.” The Holy Scriptures also inform us that the most holy apostles sometimes made use of oaths, as appears from the epistles of the apostles in the New Testament. Even the angels sometimes swear. The angel writes St. John in the Apocalypse swore by Him who lives forever.
God Himself, the Lord of the angels, swears. As we read in many passages of the Old Testament, He confirmed His promises with an oath. This God did to Abraham and to David. Of the oath sworn by God, David says in the Psalm, “The Lord has sworn and He will not repent: Thou art a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In fact, if we consider the whole matter attentively and examine the origin and purpose of an oath, it is not difficult to explain why it is a laudable act.
An oath has its origin in faith, by which man believes God to be the author of all truth, who can never deceive others nor be deceived, to whose eyes all things are naked and open, and who superintends all human affairs with admirable providence. God governs the world. Filled with this faith, we appeal to God as a witness of the truth, as a witness whom it would be wicked and impious to distrust.
With regard to the end of an oath, its scope and intent are to establish the justice and innocence of man and to terminate disputes and contests. This is the doctrine of the apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
There can be some objections against oaths, but this doctrine does not clash with the words of the Redeemer recalled in the Gospel, where the Lord says, “You have heard that it was said to them of old, ‘Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thy oaths.’ But I say unto you, swear not 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. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black; but let your speech be ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no.’ And whatsoever is more than these is of evil.” So said the Lord in the Gospel.
It cannot be asserted that these words condemn oath 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 our Lord condemns and reproves, teaching that an oath is never to be taken unless necessity requires it. 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 yes, yes, no, no,” He evidently forbids the habit of swearing in familiar conversation and on trivial matters. The Lord 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. Countless evils grow out of the unrestrained habit of swearing, as is proved by the evidence of the Holy Scripture, the testimony of the saints, and the tradition of the Church.
Thus, we read in the book of Ecclesiasticus, “Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing, for in it there are many faults.” In another place, the Holy Scripture says, “A man that swears much shall be filled with iniquity and a scourge shall not depart from his house.” In the words of the holy Fathers of the Church, there are some works they wrote against lying, such as Saint Augustine and Basil. Much can be found on this issue where we must be very careful regarding an oath.
Now let us look at the negative part of the second commandment. So far we have considered what this commandment requires, and now it remains to look at what it prohibits, namely, to take the name of God in vain. It is clear that he who swears rashly and without deliberation commits a grave sin. That this is a most serious sin is declared by the words, “Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain,” which seems to assign the reason why this crime is so wicked and heinous, namely, that it derogates from the majesty of Him whom we profess to recognize as our Lord and God.
This commandment therefore forbids false swearing, because he who does not shrink from so great a crime as to appeal to God to witness falsehood offers grievous injury to God, charging Him either with ignorance, as though the truth of any matter could be unknown to Him, or with malice and dishonesty, as though God could bear testimony to falsehood.
There are various ways in which God’s name is dishonored. Among false swearers are to be numbered not only those who affirm as true what they know to be false but also those who swear to what is really true, believing it to be false. Since the essence of a lie consists in speaking contrary to one’s belief and conviction, these persons are evidently guilty of a lie and of perjury.
On the same principle, he who swears to that which he thinks to be true but which is really false also incurs the guilt of perjury unless he has used proper care and diligence to arrive at a full knowledge of the matter. Although his words accord with his belief, he nevertheless sins against this commandment if it does not correspond to the truth and to reality. Again, he who binds himself by oath to the performance of anything not intending to fulfill his promise, or having had the intention but neglecting its performance, is also guilty of sin against this commandment.
This equally applies to those who, having bound themselves to God by a vow, neglect the fulfillment of that vow. Then there are unjust oaths. This commandment is also violated if justice, which is one of the three conditions of an oath, is neglected. Hence, he who swears to commit, for example, a mortal sin or to perpetrate murder violates this commandment even though he speaks seriously and from his heart and his oath possesses what we pointed out before as the first condition, truth.
Then there are rash oaths. This commandment is also sinned against when judgment is violated. Judgment is violated when one swears to what is true or what he believes to be true, but his motives are light, based only on conjectures or far-fetched reasoning. Notwithstanding the truth of what is sworn, such an oath is not free from a kind of falsehood, for he who swears with such indifference exposes himself to the grave danger of perjury. He is motivated not by certainty but by speculation.
Then there are oaths by false gods. To swear by false gods is likewise to swear falsely. It is even more opposed to truth, for it appeals to lying and false deities and idols. This is a sin not only against truth but also against the true God.
One also sins against this commandment by irreverent speech. Scripture, in prohibiting perjury, says, “Thou shalt not profane the name of God,” thereby forbidding all irreverence toward all other things to which, in accordance with this commandment, reverence is due.
Among these is the Word of God, whose majesty has been revered not only by the pious but even at times by the impious, as is narrated in the Book of Judges. But he who, to support heresy or the teachings of the wicked, distorts the Sacred Scriptures from their genuine and true meaning is also guilty of a great injury to the Word of God. Against this crime, we are warned by the words of Saint Peter, who says, “There are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
It is also a foul and shameful contamination of Scripture when wicked men pervert its words and sentences, words which should be honored with all reverence, and turn them to profane purposes such as scurrility, fables, vanity, flattery, distraction, divination, satire, and the like. These are crimes which the Council of Trent commands to be severely punished.
Then there is blasphemy. Still more enormous is the guilt and sin against the second commandment of those whose impure and defiled lips dare to curse or blaspheme the Holy Name of God, that name which is to be blessed and praised above measure by all creatures, and even the names of the saints who reign with God in glory. So atrocious and horrible is this crime that Sacred Scripture, when speaking of blasphemy, sometimes uses the word “this” as a warning against it.
The commandment was therefore not only given but also necessarily accompanied by threats. There are advantages to be derived from this thought, for as nothing is more injurious than listless security, so the knowledge of our own weakness is most profitable.
God has appointed no particular punishment for the violation of this commandment. The threat is general; it declares that whoever is guilty of this crime shall not escape unpunished. The various chastisements with which we are visited every day should serve as warnings against this sin. It is easy to conjecture that men are afflicted with heavy calamities because many violate the second commandment of God. If these things are brought to their attention, it is likely they will be more careful in the future.
The Church, therefore, through holy threats, urges the faithful to use every effort to avoid sinning against the second commandment. If, for every idle word that men shall speak, they will render an account on the Day of Judgment, what shall we say of those heinous crimes that involve great contempt of the Divine Name and violate the second commandment?
Now we make the following summary about the second commandment. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” However, the name of God may be taken justly for six purposes, says Saint Thomas.
First, the name of God may be used to confirm something that is said, as in an oath. In this, we show that God alone is the first truth, and we show due reverence to Him. For this reason, it was commanded in the Old Law that one must not swear except by God. Those who swore otherwise violated this order: “By the name of strange gods, you shall not swear.” Although at times one swears by creatures, it must be understood that such is the same as swearing by God. When one swears by the soul or by the head, it is as if binding oneself to be punished by God. Thus says Sacred Scripture: “But I call God to witness upon my soul,” says Saint Paul. And when one swears by the Gospel, it is to swear by God, who gave the Gospel. However, those who swear either by God or by the Gospel for any trivial or unimportant reason sin against this commandment.
The second purpose is sanctification. Baptism sanctifies, as Saint Paul says: “You are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God.” Baptism has no power except through the invocation of the Holy Trinity. “But Thou, O Lord, art among us, and Thy name is called upon us.”
The third purpose is the expulsion of our adversary. Hence, before baptism, we renounce the devil. “Only let Thy name be called upon us. Take away our reproach,” says the prophet Isaiah. Therefore, if one returns to sin, the name of God has been taken in vain, as is the case when the grace given in Holy Baptism is rejected.
Fourthly, the name of God is taken in order to confess Him. “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” We confess God by word of mouth, that we may show forth His glory. “Everyone that calls upon My name,” says the Lord, “I have created him for My glory,” says the prophet Isaiah. If one says anything against the glory of God, he takes the name of God in vain. We also confess God’s name by our actions when our works reflect His glory. So says the Gospel: “That they may see your good works and may glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Fifthly, the name of God is taken for our defense. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower. They just run to it and shall be exalted,” says the Book of Proverbs. “In My name, they shall cast out devils.” And, “There is no other name under heaven given to man whereby we may be saved,” says the Acts of the Apostles.
Lastly, the name of God is taken to make our works complete. Thus says the Apostle Paul: “All whatsoever you do in word or work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes it happens that one begins a work imprudently, starting with a vow, for instance, and then does not complete either the work or the vow. This again is taking God’s name in vain. “If thou hast vowed anything to God, defer not to pay,” says Holy Scripture. “Vow and pay to the Lord your God. All you that are round about Him, bring presents to Him with your vows.”
Thank you for your attention.
Christopher Wendt: I don’t hear you. Sorry about that, Your Excellency. Thank you very much for your explanation of the second commandment. I have a few questions if you don’t mind. My first one is, what is the difference between a vow and an oath? Is there any difference, or is it the same?
His Excellency: Yes. A vow belongs to the category of an oath. To take the name of God to express a promise is what we do in a vow. So, it involves using the name of God for a holy purpose. When we do not observe the vow we have made, we are sinning against this commandment because we are unfaithful and have used the name of God in making a promise.
Christopher Wendt: So in the case where we speak of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, ultimately, those are oaths because we are invoking God?
His Excellency: They are a kind of oath. In cases of non-observance, a vow can be private or public. The sin is more grave when someone breaks a public vow made in the Church, compared to a private vow.
Christopher Wendt: Got it. Another question regarding the name of God: Sometimes people around us take God’s name in vain. They say things like “G O D” casually. Would you say that is a grave matter? Not necessarily a mortal sin, but a grave matter for mortal sin?
His Excellency: Well, sometimes people use this without bad intentions and not necessarily intending to invoke the name of God. It should be avoided, though. Maybe it is not directly a grave sin because they do it unconsciously or without purpose. Therefore, it cannot be directly considered a grave sin, but it is a bad habit and should be avoided. We really need to have veneration and reverence for the name of God. The second commandment teaches us to practice discipline in our speech because the holy name of God should be used only to praise Him or in solemn circumstances.
Christopher Wendt: One final question, Your Excellency. Can you give us one or two examples of how the lay faithful might make an oath in the course of their daily lives?
His Excellency: Well, there are cases where even the Church asks for an oath. For example, there is the Anti-Modernist Oath, which Pope Pius X prescribed for all priests and for people who held certain positions of authority or responsibility, such as teaching theology. This was a concrete oath in which they declared that they would fully observe and believe the truths of the faith and reject heresy. They made the oath on the Holy Gospel and in the name of God. So, the oath had the purpose of protecting the truth and also protecting the person from falling into heresy or error.
And then also, the Church asks for certain acts of oath from ecclesiastics before ordination, that they will observe the laws of God and of the Church. For lay people, the Church also prescribes this when, for example, they are teaching theology in the name of the Church and have what is called the missio canonica for teaching the doctrine of the faith. They must also make an oath, a kind of profession of faith. It was formerly referred to as the Oath of Fidelity. In these cases, even laypeople may be required by the Church to take such an oath.
Christopher Wendt: What about in America, when the President takes an oath of office? Does that also fall under the category of an oath?
His Excellency: Yes, of course. In this case, as we explained, the conditions of an oath, truth and justice, must be fulfilled. That is the case when he takes an oath on the Holy Gospel that he will fulfill his duties faithfully. So in this case, it is reasonable to make such an oath.
Christopher Wendt: One final question about the clergy. When they were ordained, we spoke of the Oath of Fidelity and the Oath against Modernism. Are there any other kinds of oaths that bishops, priests, or deacons would take?
His Excellency: Yes. Until 1967, the Church prescribed a specific oath called the Anti-Modernist Oath. Unfortunately, this was abolished more than 50 years ago, at the very time when modernism was at its height in the Church. It should be restored, or some kind of new Anti-Modernist Oath developed to address the new errors present in our day.
Today, however, only a profession of faith is required before ordinations, and also before someone begins teaching theology or becomes a superior. Superiors in the Church, or bishops, must take not only the profession of faith but also an Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and observe canon law and the norms related to the office they are exercising in the name of the Church.
Christopher Wendt: So, Your Excellency, when you were ordained a bishop, during that rite, did it include an Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and canon law?
His Excellency: It is done before the ordination ceremony, usually before the papal nuncio. Yes, I did this. But during the celebration of the rite of ordination, whether priestly or episcopal, there are not formal oaths but promises. For example, they ask, “Do you promise to preach the Gospel according to the tradition?” And the candidate responds, “Yes,” or “I will.” These are not direct oaths invoking the name of God, but they are similar, a kind of solemn declaration of intent. Because it is within the sacramental context, it carries a sacred weight, even though it is not explicitly called an oath.
Christopher Wendt: Thank you, Your Excellency, for your time. It has been very, very helpful.
Can you please close us with a prayer?
His Excellency: Yes.
You are the Good Shepherd! With Your almighty hand, You guide Your pilgrim Church through the storms of each age.
Adorn the Holy See with holy popes who neither fear the powerful of this world nor compromise with the spirit of the age, but preserve, strengthen, and defend the Catholic Faith unto the shedding of their blood, and observe, protect, and hand on the venerable liturgy of the Roman Church.
O Lord, return to us through holy popes who, inflamed with the zeal of the Apostles, proclaim to the whole world: “Salvation is found in no other than in Jesus Christ. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they should be saved” (see Acts 4:10-12).
Through an era of holy popes, may the Holy See, which is home to all who promote the Catholic and Apostolic Faith, always shine as the cathedra of truth for the whole world. Hear us, O Lord, and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, grant us holy Popes, grant us many holy Popes! Have mercy on us and hear us! Amen.
Dominus vobiscum.
Christopher Wendt: Et cum spiritu tuo.
His Excellency: Et benedictio Dei Omnipotentis: Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper. Amen.
Praise be Jesus Christ!
Christopher Wendt: Now and forever!
That concludes this evening’s broadcast. Thank you for joining us. A reminder that our next broadcast in July will be a question-and-answer session. We’ll be sending out an email soon to collect your questions. Until next time, God bless you.
