The Oath Against Modernism.
To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.
I . . . . firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:90), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold…
View original post 811 more words
Share this:
Posted on August 7, 2013, in Traditional Catholicism. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Mundabor's Blog 
“And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world.”
I always found this claim contradictory: Either God can be known by the light of reason – then why should I profess it as an act of faith, as reason is enough – or he cannot be known by the light of reason, but then proclaiming that he can be known by the light of reason is an impossible demand.
By her own definition, the church is only infallible in matters of morals and faith. What can be known by reasoning, however, is a purely scientific question. This item of the anti-modernist oath is therefore an unreasonable demand from the faithful.
I will give you my answer, other will certainly give you a most sophisticated one.
Faith is the path by which you arrive to a reasoned assent to the existence of God. Faith is a supernatural grace, without which the Truths of Christianity can never be fully assented to.
This is why many people who think themselves rational do not attain the knowledge those with faith have. Still, the duty of every man – even those who do not have faith – is to ask for the grace of faith, allowing them to progress with safety towards the certainty of the existence of God.
This is, I think, why the phrase you mention states “can”.
I would also add that the existence of one god – I mean, of a deity – can be reached with purely logical means, as the logical mind of the past very well knew. But this in itself is only the logical conclusion that there must be “a god”, rather than evidence of the Christian Truth.
You are, yourself, the best example of lack of faith applied to an amputated rationality.
Grace works so, that a rational man put in front of your doubt does not conclude that the Church poses “unreasonable demands” from the faithful, but rather starts to work on where to find the most apt sources to dispel his doubts.
Doubts which must be ultimately dispelled, than to do otherwise is to think that your logic is superior to the reasoning of the Church.
M