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The Oath of a Catholic Bishlop
"I, _____, elect of the church of _____, from henceforth will be faithful and obedient to St. Peter the Apostle and to the holy Roman Church, and to our Lord, the Lord _____, Pope _____, and to his successors canonically entering. I will neither advise, consent, nor do anything that they may lose life or member, or that their persons may be seized, or hands any wise laid upon them, or any injuries offered to them under any pretense whatsoever. The council with which they shall entrust me by themselves, their messengers, or letters, I will not knowingly reveal to any to their prejudice. I will help them to keep and to defend the Roman Papacy, and the regalities of St. Peter, saving my Order against all men. The legate of the Apostolic See, going and coming, I will honorably treat and help in his necessities. The rights, honors, privileges, and authority of the holy Roman Church, of our Lord the Pope, and his aforesaid successors, I will endeavor to preserve, defend, increase, and advance. I will not be in any council, action, or treaty in which shall be plotted against our said Lord, and the said Roman Church, anything to the hurt or prejudice of their persons, right, honor, state, or power; and if I shall know any such thing to be treated or agitated by any whatsoever, I will hinder it to my power, and, as soon as I can, will signify it to our said Lord, or to some other by whom it may come to his knowledge.
"The rules of the holy Fathers, the apostolic decrees, ordinances or disposals, reservations, provisions, or mandates I will observe with all my might, and cause to be observed by others.
"Heretics, schismatics, and rebels, to our said Lord, or his foresaid successors, I will to my power persecute and oppose.
"I will come to a council when I am called, unless I be hindered by a canonical impediment. I will by myself in person visit the threshold of the apostles every three years; and give an account to our Lord and his aforesaid successors of all my pastoral office, and of all things any wise belonging to the state of my Church, to the discipline of my clergy and people; and, lastly, to the salvation of souls committed to my trust; and I will in like manner humbly receive and diligently execute the apostolic commands. And if I be detained by a lawful impediment, I will perform all things aforesaid by a certain messenger heretofore especially empowered, a member of my chapter, or some other in ecclesiastical dignity, or else having a parsonage, or in default of these, by a priest of the diocese, or, in default of the clergy of the diocese by some other secular or regular priest of approved integrity and religion, fully instructed in all things above mentioned. And such impediments I will make out by lawful proofs, to be transmitted by the aforesaid messengers to the cardinal proponent of the holy Roman Church in the congregation of the sacred council.
"The possessions belonging to my table I will neither sell, nor give away, nor mortgage, nor grant anew in fee, nor any wise alienate, no, not even with the consent of the chapter of my church, without consulting the Roman Pontiff; and if I shall make any alienation, I will hereby incur the penalties contained in a certain constitution put forth about this matter. So help me God, and these holy Gospels of God." Oath Taken by a Perspective Catholic Bishop, as recorded in Congressional Record of the U.S.A., House Bill 1523, Contested election case of Eugene C. Bonniwell, against Thos. S. Butler, Feb. 15, 1913.