Why aren’t you a knight, Tim? I recommend it, even if you won’t be able to regular attend meetings, there will still be opportunities for participation.
I will answer you directly, since you asked. I has to do with swearing oaths.
The Church is the Christ’s authority on earth with regard to matters on faith and morals. No other authority exists on earth with regard to faith and morals except the Holy Catholic Church. The Catholic Church therefor, is the only body which may administer oaths on behalf of God. This authority was famously granted to Peter directly by the words of Our Lord himself.
***I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." *
(Matthew 16:19)
In this passage, Jesus rescinds the judicial and legislative authority granted by God to the priests of God’s old kingdom, and he transfers that authority to Peter who will lead Jesus’ new kingdom. Jesus removes authority to “Bind and loose” from “The chair of Moses” and transfers it to “The Chair of Peter.” See also
Isaiah 22:15-23.
I understand that everyone says that oaths sworn by the Knights of Columbus are OK, that there is nothing bad in them, that many priests are Knights, and deacons. I even know a Cistercian monk who is a Knight. But the Knights of Columbus are not an official organization of the Church, and I can never be sure of what those oaths contain because they are secret.
I understand that the Church has approved the Knights at many levels, and that many good men are members, and I take nothing away from that. That only gives me confidence that the Knights are a solid organization.
My question is simply this; does the KofC administering oaths on matters of faith and morals on behalf of God? Another way to put it is, do the oaths which the Knights of Columbus ask their members to swear contain things which the KofC do not have authority to ask their members to swear, things which pertain to faith and morals which only the Church has authority to ask it’s members to swear on God’s behalf?
I cannot know until the moment I am asked to swear that very oath, and then I have about one microsecond to decide, and respond positively or negatively. That’s a rash oath.
Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:33-37)
Our Lord warned against rash oaths in the sermon on the mount.
I know they are a good organization. I know they are good men. Everyone tells me that the oath is OK, but I have concerns, and those concerns have not been addressed. No one is able to answer my questions about whether the oaths pertain to matters of faith and morals, matters which only God’s church has athority to administer oaths on.
Discussions in private with Knights about my concerns have always been cordial, but in groups where other people are listening and here in public on CAF, such concerns are consistently met with a very defensive response, as if such concerns would somehow dissuade people from joining. That’s not really my intent. My concerns are genuine, but Knights don’t seem to like to disucss them in public, and so I don’t speak about them often.
It has nothing to do with individual Knights, or the organization, or what they do. It has to do with oaths and authority, and I want to be sure. I guess you could call me traditional in this regard.
-Tim-
Oh, that Mass… Well, I don’t… Umm… Not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s valid after all. I just preferrrrrr the Extraordinary Form.
Thanks! I love Father Z’s blog!