Robert Bellarmine, Dottrina Christiana [Catechisms], The Second Commandment
Shorter
Catechism (Dottrina Cristiana breve da impararsi a mente) written for students
in 1597, larger Catechism (Dichiarazione più copiosa della dottrina Cristiana)
written for teachers in 1598.
Shorter Catechism, The Second Commandment
Source: Robert
Bellarmine. A Shorte Catechisme. Trans: Georgius Mayr. Augsberg, 1614. Revised for Bellarmine Forum. Available @
II. Second
Commandment
Student:
Declare the second [Commandment].
Teacher: The Second commandment forbids blasphemies, which are most grievous sins; false or not necessary oaths; breaking of vows; and all other dishonor that is done to God with words.
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Longer Catechism, The Second Commandment
Source: Robert Bellarmine, “Doctrina Christiana: The Timeless Catechism of St. Robert Bellarmine”, p. 102-110. Trans.: Ryan Grant. Mediatrix Press, 2016
EXPLANATION OF
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
S. Let us proceed now to the Second Commandment. What is meant by "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"?
T. This Commandment treats on the honor and dishonoring of God that is done by words. It is commanded to honor Him and forbidden to dishonor Him. For that reason, this Commandment can be divided into four ways that God is honored by words and four that He is dishonored by them. Firstly, God is honored by words when we pronounce His name affected by charity, but He is dishonored when we take it in vain. Secondly, we honor Him by swearing oaths, and dishonor Him by perjury. Thirdly, we honor Him when taking vows and dishonor Him by violating them. Fourthly and lastly, we honor Him with invocation and praise but dishonor Him by blasphemy and cursing.
S. Explain the first part to me.
T. One use the name of God, the Blessed Virgin and the Saints by speaking simply and do so well or wickedly. For those who more intensely love God frequently remember God and speak about Him; they do this from great devotion and affection, just as it is done in the Epistles of St. Paul, wherein, as often as the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ is read, we know that St. Paul bore great devotion and affection in heart in which he divulged it in speech. On the other hand, there are others who, from a wicked custom, when they are either angry or joke rashly advance the name of God, or of some saint, and in fact nothing else comes into their mind. These certainly act wickedly because in a certain measure they tread the most Holy Name of God underfoot. As an example, even though I will not declare all things by an example, those who do such things are the same as if someone having an exceedingly precious garment should carelessly use it too much namely in every time and place.
S. Now explain the object of the second part, which treats on oaths.
T. To swear an oath is nothing other than to invoke God as a witness to the truth; to do this well three things must be present, obviously the truth, but also justice and judgment, in the same way that God Himself taught us through the mouth of Jeremiah. And just as by swearing an oath under due circumstances God is honored, so on the other hand, He is exceedingly dishonored if someone were to swear an oath without truth, justice or judgment. One who does this, signifies that God is either not conscious of his affairs or certainly makes him the patron of a lie or iniquity.
S. Tell me more in particular, what is it to swear with the truth?
T. For one to swear with the truth it is necessary that he assert nothing under oath other than what he knows for certain to be true; nor can anyone affirm with an oath something to be true which they know is false or that they certainly do not know is true. They do the same that promise something with an oath but do not think to carry it out.
S. What does it mean to swear with justice?
T. It is simply to promise under oath to do something which is just and right. And therefore, those who swear themselves to avenge injuries inflicted on themselves or to do something that displeases God gravely sin; nor must it stand or be thought that by such promises one obliges himself to these things in another manner, since no one is obliged to do evil, since the Divine Laws constrain us to not do nothing against them.
S. What does it mean to swear with judgment?
T. It is merely to swear with prudence and maturity by considering whether something is unsuitable to invoke God as a witness, unless it is for necessary affairs of great importance, and to do that with great fear and reverence. For this reason they sin who blurt out oaths in some trivial affair or in comedy and jokes. They also incur perjury who have a bad habit of frequently swearing, because it is one of the greatest sins that one can commit. For this reason, both Christ in the Gospel and St. James absolutely forbid us to swear without necessity. The saints assign this reason, that swearing an oath should be a remedy for the weakness of human trust, in as much as men may believe each other with great difficulty; for that reason it must be used like a medicine which is usually taken as rarely as possible.
S. Explain to me the third part of this Commandment, which is on Vows.
T. A vow is a promise made to God in some good matter and for the sake of the Divine Majesty. Here three things must be considered. The first is that a vow is a promise, for that reason it is not sufficient to ratify a vow for it to only have been proposed, much less desired, but it is necessary that an express promise be made by word or at least in heart. The second is that this vow is made to God, Whom vows most properly consider. Therefore, when a vow is made to the Blessed Virgin or to another saint, it must be understood that the vow was principally made to God, but to the honor of the Blessed Virgin or the saints, in whom God dwells in a peculiar and by far more excellent manner than in the rest of His creatures. This is why when a vow is made to some saint, it is nothing other than a promise made to God in memory of that saint which must be honored by some sacrifice honoring God Himself in the saint. The third is that a vow cannot he made about just anything, rather about some good and for the sake of God, such as virginity, voluntary poverty, and things of this sort. For that reason one who vows a sin, or some work that does not pertain to the worship of God, or even something good which might be an impediment to a greater good, insofar as he would not do something for the sake of the Divine Majesty thus dishonors God and offends against this Second Commandment. Just the same one would also gravely infringe upon this commandment if he were to make a vow that he does not fulfil as quickly as possible. Because God commands in Scripture that one who begins a vow should not only fulfil it but also do it without delay.
S. Explain the last part to me, which treats on the praise of God and also blasphemy.
T. In this last part of the Commandment, God commands us not to blaspheme His Holy Name, but rather to praise and bless it. And firstly, in as much as it attains to praise there is no difficulty, seeing that it is manifest that every good proceeds from God and all His works are full of wisdom, justice and mercy; it is reasonable in the first place that in all things, He should be praised and blessed. In as much as it considers blasphemy, you should know that it is nothing other than an injury inflicted upon God by words, either directly or against the saints, and there are six kinds of blasphemy. The first is when something is attributed to God that is not suited to Him; for example, that he has horns or similar inept things. Second, when something suited to God is denied to Him, such as power, wisdom, justice or any other of His attributes, so that if someone were to say that God cannot do this or that, or cannot see, or is not just. The third, is when something that is proper to God is attributed to some creature. Some men do this when they say the devil is prescient of future things or performs true miracles. The fourth, is when someone curses God, His Mother, or the other saints. The fifth, is when someone names some limb of Christ or the saints to inflict injury upon them, just as if they were ignominious things to them, even as these acts are to us. The sixth, is when something pertaining to Christ or the saints themselves is mocked; some do this when they swear by the beard of Christ or St. Peter or something like it, which are all assailed by the hatred of demons and the perversity of men.
S. I ask you to tell me how grave a sin is blasphemy?
T. It is so
grave that it is nearly the gravest of all. This can be gathered from the
punishment constituted for blasphemies. In the Old Testament, God commanded
blasphemers to be stoned on the spot by the whole people, and civil laws punish
blasphemers with death. St. Gregory relates about a five year-old boy that had
learned to blaspheme; he was not corrected by his father and expired in the lap
of his father, and his soul was visibly brought down to hell by demons that had
appeared. This is not read about any other sin. For that reason we must very
assiduously beware lest we so gravely offend the Divine Majesty. It is not
difficult to abstain from this sin, since no usefulness or utility is obtained
from it, as is the case with certain other sins. Rather, only damnation comes
from it. Although one must never sin no matter what advantage or delight one
could ultimately obtain from it.
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