The Oath Against Modernism: A September Pledge of Fidelity

Fr. Scott Haynes

Introduction

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church faced a wave of intellectual currents that threatened to erode her doctrinal foundations. Rationalism, relativism, and new approaches to Biblical criticism—often grouped under the label of “modernism”—sought to reinterpret faith as nothing more than the evolution of religious feeling in human history. Pope St. Pius X, perceiving the immense danger, called modernism “the synthesis of all heresies.” It did not deny one doctrine alone; it attacked revelation itself, treating dogma not as God’s eternal word entrusted to the Church, but as a mutable expression of culture and psychology.

To confront this, Pius X took strong measures. His encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907) condemned modernism’s errors; the decree Lamentabili sane (1907) listed sixty-five erroneous propositions. Yet the pope realized that doctrinal statements would not suffice unless priests, teachers, and bishops solemnly committed themselves to uphold the faith against these dangers. Thus, in 1910, he promulgated the motu proprio Sacrorum antistitum, which instituted the Oath Against Modernism.

The Content of the Oath

The Oath was not a short profession but a detailed declaration. It affirmed God’s existence as the author of revelation, accepted miracles and prophecies as real proofs of faith, and insisted that Christ Himself founded the Church. It proclaimed that dogma must be held in the same sense the Church has always understood, rejecting the idea that doctrines evolve into something essentially different.

The text also denounced the modernist reduction of religion to inner feeling, or of dogma to cultural symbols. It concluded with a solemn promise to keep the oath “entirely, sincerely, and faithfully” before God, never deviating in teaching or writing.

THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM.pdf

Download PDF • 46KB

Who Had to Take It

The scope of the oath was wide. All bishops, before assuming their dioceses, had to profess it. Priests entrusted with teaching, preaching, or governing were likewise bound: pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, canons, and beneficed clergy. Professors of philosophy and theology in Catholic universities and seminaries had to swear it before taking up their duties. Candidates for holy orders made the oath before ordination to the subdiaconate, the traditional threshold into the clerical state.

Thus, the Oath functioned like a spiritual and intellectual safeguard. Anyone who taught the faith, preached from the pulpit, or governed a portion of the Church’s flock was obliged to anchor his mission in fidelity to the truths handed down from the apostles.

The September Renewal

A striking feature of Sacrorum antistitum was its regulation of when the oath had to be made. Not only was it required before ordination or the assumption of office, but an annual renewal was mandated in the month of September.

Why September? This was no accident. In many parts of the world, September marked the beginning of the ecclesiastical and academic year. Seminaries reopened, professors resumed lectures, new pastors took up their work, and preachers prepared for the coming liturgical cycle. Pius X wanted the Church’s clergy and teachers to begin their labors by solemnly grounding themselves in fidelity to Christ’s revelation.

Thus, every September, thousands of priests, religious, and professors worldwide stood before God and His Church to renew this oath. It was a liturgical rhythm of loyalty: just as the Church marked the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter with spiritual practices, so too she marked September with this conscious reaffirmation of doctrinal fidelity.

The timing also resonates with the liturgical calendar. September contains the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8) and the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). To renew the oath near these feasts was symbolically to entrust the defense of faith to Mary, the Mother of God, and to the mystery of Christ’s Cross, the victory over error and sin.

Spiritual and Practical Effects

The September renewal gave the Oath a rhythm in the life of the clergy. It was not a one-time pledge but a recurring act of fidelity. Priests were reminded annually that their ministry was not their own, but Christ’s. Teachers of theology recalled that their task was not to invent doctrine, but to hand on what they had received. Bishops were reminded that their governance must be rooted in fidelity to the deposit of faith.

For seminarians, the Oath marked a decisive step. Before they could be ordained, they had to profess this loyalty, ensuring that those entering the priesthood did so with full awareness of the dangers of error. For bishops, the oath underscored the gravity of their responsibility as successors of the apostles. For professors, it framed their intellectual work within the obedience of faith.

Controversy and Criticism

While many welcomed the Oath as a safeguard of orthodoxy, some later theologians criticized it as too rigid, claiming that it stifled legitimate inquiry. Yet Pius X’s intention was not to suppress study, but to prevent a distortion of study into skepticism. Theology flourishes only when rooted in the faith of the Church. By taking the Oath each September, Catholic scholars renewed the discipline of aligning their thought with divine revelation, not with the shifting currents of philosophy.

Decline and Abolition

The Oath remained in force for over fifty years. Only in 1967 did Pope Paul VI rescind it, replacing it with a new Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity. These newer forms affirm Catholic doctrine and obedience to the Magisterium but omit the explicit anti-modernist condemnations of 1910.

Yet the September practice left its mark on Catholic life. It stands as a reminder that the Church not only teaches truth but also guards it through concrete acts of fidelity.

Legacy and Meaning Today

Even though the Oath Against Modernism is no longer said each September, its spirit still speaks powerfully. The month once associated with its annual renewal invites Catholics to reflect on their own fidelity. Just as the Church’s ministers once recommitted themselves to guarding the faith at the threshold of a new year, so too every believer is called to renew his or her fidelity in the rhythms of life.

The Oath reminds us that the truths of faith are not ours to manipulate. Revelation is a gift entrusted to the Church. As St. Paul wrote, “Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Timothy 1:14).

Conclusion

The Oath Against Modernism, instituted by Pope St. Pius X in 1910, was a powerful defense against the errors of its time. Its annual renewal in September gave it a unique role in the Church’s rhythm, binding clergy and teachers to begin each academic and pastoral year with a solemn pledge of fidelity to divine revelation.

Though the Church no longer requires clerics to say this oath, its memory continues to teach: faith is not subject to the winds of fashion but anchored in the eternal truth of God. In September—when the Church still celebrates the Virgin Mary’s birth and the triumph of the Cross—we can recall that the guardians of the faith once renewed their solemn promise, year after year, to teach only what Christ entrusted to His Church.