A Thesis on Obedience

[ReveredOwl 5639]

 

 

OBEDIRE OPORTET DEO MAGIS

OBEDIENCE TO GOD

3rd of Harren’s Folley, 1769

 

Dear faithful Canonists,

            All ordained members of the church throughout history have been required to swear vows of obedience to the High Pontiff and GOD.  In simple terms, a vow of obedience requires you to do as instructed by the Pontiff or by the divine no matter personal beliefs or wishes. I myself swore a vow of obedience to Pontian II when I rejoined the church after Daniel VI’s death and then subsequently swore a vow of obedience to Abbot Bram when he created the Friars of Bl. Wigbrecht. In a recent letter written to me by Pius of Sutica concerning my vows of obedience has questioned my motives, morals and my piety. This thesis is in response to his letter to me and to have my thoughts and opinions on the matter be written down to teach future generations that might look back on my theses for guidance in troubling times.

 

When a clergyman swears a vow of obedience to the Pontiff, they are expected and bound to do as instructed by the High Pontiff. This vow would compel a clergyman to commit deeds that would go against their own conscience, morals and sometimes scripture. So what happens when a clergyman is bound to, by Pontifical order, go against scripture, conscience or GOD’s will? For the answer to this question, we must look to the most holy scrolls for guidance.

 

“And I have also breathed life into your heart, and the hearts of your children. And I have given you life: I am your father, and the father of all things. And so I shall guide you in a theater of virtue, and the virtuous shall not live except by My Word.” (Virtue 1:5-7)

 

“For I have blessed you with My miracle of creation, and you shall draw nearer to My throne by your labors. 7 And you shall discover strength of heart as you work the forge and the plow.” (Virtue 4:6-7)

 

“And as I have created for you the struggles of the world, so too do I create the struggles of the spirit. And as I have created the struggles of the world and the spirit, so too do I bring their remedies.  For I have given you the pains of the world, and I have given you their cure. And you shall know the trials of this theater of virtue, and know that they shall strengthen you.” (Virtue 5:5-8)

 

“There can be no laxity in faith for any reason, not war nor peace, not wealth nor poverty. The Lord lasts through all adversities, for He is their source and their remedy—without Him, they are uncured. Verily brother, the Lord GOD is the eternal GOD, and he gives no exception to holiness. His word is the lasting word, and it is the only Virtue.” (Spirit 2:13-16)

 

The scriptures are very clear on this topic, the will of GOD supersedes all. The faithful will have their faith tested in pursuit of truth. When clergymen take an oath to the High Pontiff and GOD, there is a clear line drawn between the two. Naturally, the High Pontiff would be the embodiment of GOD’s will, chosen by him to lead the faithful, but as seen in history High Pontiffs can abuse their position and spread false-teachings and pervert GOD’s will. If a Pontiff disregards GOD’s will and permits sin to tear apart GOD’s holy institution, is a clergyman still bound by a vow of obedience to do as directed by the High Pontiff, I argue not. For surely GOD’s will supersedes that of the Pontiff. 

 

As it was established a council long ago, a High Pontiff is fallible, the only source of infallibility is through GOD and in turn, the four holy scrolls. One's obedience must then, naturally, derive from the scrolls. The Pontiff is bound by his vow of obedience to follow GOD’s will according to the scrolls just as every other canonist human is. When Darfey committed the atrocities and sins he wrought upon humanity, was it because of his obedience to the scrolls or that he succumbed to sin? It was that he succumbed to sin and the pull of Iblees, if a Pontiff themself violates their obedience to GOD’s infallibility then a clergyman should not be bound by oath to follow the orders or guidance of such a Pontiff. If one believes a Pontiff to be going against scripture and GOD’s will then one must obey the teachings of the scrolls for to go against scripture is to go against GOD himself. Naturally if one is following the teaching of the scrolls and by doing such, one's actions clashes with the actions of the Pontiff, then there is clearly a problem here for one of them were going against scripture. To silence GOD’s truth as written in the scrolls is what condemns your soul to eternal damnation.

 

Though one might argue, ‘how do you know that what you are doing is GOD’s will’ or ‘how do you know the Pontiff is going against GOD’s will’. Well the answer to that is easy, we gain guidance from the scrolls and they are interpreted by the reader. If there is a conflict between a Pontiff's orders and accepted Church Dogma or scriptures, one must always follow the infallible truth that is scripture (the word of GOD.) Is the High Pontiff GOD’s mouth-piece as many would have us believe, or is he, like everybody else, a fallible man following scripture?

 

GOD bless to all true Canonists.

@Pius
 

[rukio 8924]

Helene Stiboricz would offer a silent prayer after reading the thesis. 

 

”May GOD see us through these troubled times.” 

[Christ 939]

Christ +1’s

[VIROS 2915]

The High Pontiff reviews Friar Boniface’s latest work, filed by a scribe into a growing portfolio of its kin. He considers it carefully, striking out and circling passages as if grading an acolyte’s first thesis. He speaks to his nephew, who initially delivered the document “Boniface makes fair points, as usual: a vow of obedience does not bind one to obey sinful commands. But he forgets himself. What is the point of a vow of obedience, if he who swears the vow can ignore any command of his superior, any doctrine pronounced by the Church? What is the point of having a High Pontiff and Bishops to speak doctrine, if their proclamations are little more than suggestions? To disobey one’s superior is a matter of grave and serious importance: it implies that the superior is ordering something sinful or heretical. One cannot simply invoke their right of conscience to ignore an order, and continue on as normal. They must justify it, it must be decided in tribunal, and the superior must be corrected from their sinful stance. What the friar advocates for is not faith, it is anarchy.”

 

The Vicar of God exhales, gathering himself. With a few pleasantries, he dismisses his nephew, and stands warming himself by the fire, pondering the appropriate reaction. A little less than five years prior, the document’s author had stood before the High Pontiff and the Synod entire, where he was formally admonished. Cardinal Helena, Boniface’s closest associate on the council, was chosen to take him aside and deliver the news: on pain of defrocking, the friar would be forbidden from publishing theses that brought confusion among the faithful. James II considers the several open letters Boniface had issued since this admonition--was it an expression of mercy, to withhold the punishment for so long? Or perhaps it would be more merciful to free the friar of his vow of obedience, which he seemed so determined to violate? Truly, the office of Pontifex is a holy burden.