By Rev. Rhys Lowther
Over the past week, those to be ordained to the Priesthood and Diaconate made their Oath of Freedom, Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity. In so doing they swear to be faithful to the deposit of faith and to preserve communion with the Catholic Church. Furthermore, they swear that they freely undertake the office of deacon and priest.
Pope St John Paul II explained this requirement in his Apostolic Letter, Ad Tuendam Fidem (18 May, 1998):
TO PROTECT THE FAITH of the Catholic Church against errors arising from certain members of the Christian faithful, especially from among those dedicated to the various disciplines of sacred theology, we, whose principal duty is to confirm the brethren in the faith (Lk 22:32), consider it absolutely necessary to add to the existing texts of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, new norms which expressly impose the obligation of upholding truths proposed in a definitive way by the Magisterium of the Church, and which also establish related canonical sanctions.
We pray that our ordinands’ fidelity to the sacred deposit of faith may make Christ ever more known and loved.
