The Irish standard., 1912-06-15
Editor of America Answers Ques-
tions About Nature of Oath
Taken by Jesuits.
Says They Take no Oath But Solemn
Vows of Poverty, Chastity
and Obedience.
Form Part of Constitution of So.
ciety of Jesus--May be Found
in Any Library.

A reader of scurrilous sheet pub
lished in Missouri finding in it pre-
posterous fabrication labeled, Jesuit
OATH" thinking perhaps he was in a
position to make it disagreeable for
the Jesuits in this country, wrote to
America" as follows for conf1rma-
ton or denial of the truth of the asL
sertion made by the Missouri journal:
To the Editor of America:
l enclose herewith copy of a lit
tie paper called The Menace, on page
two of which you will find some oaths.
Since you are Jesuit, and believing
that You are in position to know,
1 write to ask this question:
"Are the publishers of The Menace
correct when they represent these
oaths to be true and correct copies
or translations of the oaths taken,
respectively by the Jesuits. the Car
dinals, the Bishops, the priests, and
the laymen of the Catholic Church,
If these are not correct will you
please send me copies Of the real
oaths? Please point out in what par
ticulars they are not correct. Do the
priests take any oath at all? Do the
laymen take any oath at all?.
81 want to know the facts in the
matter. If the subject has been treat
ed in your journal, America, would
like to see copy of it, in addition
to your personal reply to my ques-
tions. However it be, it seems to me
that the said oaths contain some
things which are so plainly contrary
to the spirit and teachings of Christ
that the disciples of Christ could not
take such oaths.
Has the Catholic hierarchy pol
itical organization in the United
States of America?
Tho Answer.
The editor of America has answered
the letter as follows:
Out of respect for our pages we
have never mentioned The Menace ir
America. We have always considered
its utterances. especially on what il
calls "the Jesuit Oath" as little else
than idiocy, or the rawlings of insane
hatred against the Catholic Church
and it is inconceivable that any ra.
tional being should imagine for a mo:
ment that that ridiculous and abom.
Unable formula called 1.-THE Jesui,
| Oath" should contain the slightest
shred of truth. There is no "Jcsui
Oath" except in the disordered imag.
ination of the writer's and perhap:
some of the readers Of The Menace
All Jesuits in common with the mem.
bers of other religious Orders in tht
Catholic Church, pronounce what ar,
called the three vows Of Poverty
Chastity and Obedience. They arr
made at the most solemn moment O
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, ant
are expressed in the simplest kind o
language. The formula that we hav,
adopted is as follows:
"Almighty Everlasting God, L
NJ although altogether unworth.
of the Divine sight, yet trusting IL
Thy infinite mercy, and impelled b.
the desire of serving Thee, in pres
ence of the most holy Virgin Mar.
and all the Court of Heaven, do WOW
to Thy Divine Majesty perpetual Pow
erty, Chastity and Obedience in tn
Society Of Jesus; and l promise tha
will enter the said Society foreve
to lead my life Observation-Disclosures
! ing all things according to the Con
stitution of the same Society There
fore, suppliantly beg of Thy infinit
goodness and mercy by the Blood o
4,Jesus Christ, to accept this holocaus
in the odor Of sweetness, and that a
Thou hast given me grace to desir
and make this offering, so Thou will
bestow on me plentiful grace to fulh
it. Amen"
The VOW of Poverty means that al
things shall be held in common an
be used for the purposes Of religion
4 charity and education. Personal own
ership is forbidden.
The vow Of Chastity means no