Women priests website

Does the ‘oath of fidelity’ bind irrespective of its contents?

Are bishops, parish priests, theologians, etc. still bound by the ‘oath of fidelity’ if they come to realise that the arguments against ordaining women are invalid?

Catholics who are not academically trained may fear that bishops who have promised not to promote the ordination of women as a condition of their admission to the episcopacy, will not be able to change their position once they realise that the ban against women priests is based on faulty evidence.

Bishops, priests and theologians, however, know from their study of moral theology that a promise, even if made under oath, ceases to be valid if

substantial error affected their knowledge regarding the object of the promise, or
if an error affected the purpose of the promise (e.g. what is good for the Church), or
if the promise was made under fear, or
if the object of the promise has become impossible or harmful.

The promise ceases ab intrinseco, as Thomas Aquinas taught:

"Whatever would have been an impediment to the making of a promise if it had been present, also lifts the obligation from a promise that has been made."

Scriptum super IV libros Sententiarum dist. 38, q.1, sol. 1 ad 1; D. M. Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis, Freiburg 1936, vol. II, 'De Voto', pp. 326-348.

John Wijngaards

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Read the books that complement our website:

The Ordination of Women in the Catholic Church. Unmasking a Cuckoo's Egg Tradition

This book by John Wijngaards, published by Darton, Longman & Todd (UK), Continuum (USA), Media House (India), as well as in Italy, France, Holland and Japan, is a classic on the topic.

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Women Deacons in the Early Church. Historical Texts and Contemporary Debates

Another classic by John Wijngaards published by Canterbury Press (UK), Crossroad (USA), and Berne (Netherlands).

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