The consecration oath of a Catholic bishop is as follows:
"I do solemnly swear on the Holy Evangelists, and "before Almighty God, to defend the domains of St. "Peter against every aggressor; to preserve, augment "and extend the rights, honors, and privileges of the "Lord Pope and his successors; to observe, and with all "my might to enforce his decrees, ordinances, reserva- "tions, provisions, and all dispositions whatsoever; "to persecute and combat, to the last extremity "heretics and schismatics, and all who will not pay "the sovereign Pope all the obedience which he shall "require."
The remainder of this oath is similar to the foregoing Jesuistical oath.
The priests of Maynooth, who form the vast majority of Catholic priests in this country, assume the following obligation to the church:
"I, A. B., do declare not to act or conduct any mat- "ter or thing prejudicial to her, in her sacred orders, "doctrines, tenets, or commands, without leave of its "supreme power, or its authority under her appoint- "ment; being so permitted, then to act, and further "her interests, more than my own earthly good and "earthly pleasures; as she and her head, His Holiness "and his successors, have, or ought to have, the supremacy "over all kings, princes, estates, or powers "whatsoever, either to deprive them of their crowns, "or governments, or to set up others in lieu thereof, "they dissenting from the mother church and her com- "mands."
It is said that by rescript of Pope Pius VII., in 1818, the clause relating to "heretics" in the bishop's oath, is omitted by the bishops subject to the British crown. It is also omitted in the following oath, published by the Nashville American Union, April 6, 1856:
"I, N.. elect of the church N., shall be from this "hour henceforward obedient to Blessed Peter the "Apostle, and to the holy Roman Catholic Church, and "to the most blessed father Pope N., and to his succes- "sors canonically chosen. I shall assist them to retain "and defend, against any man whatever, the Roman "Popedom, without prejudice to my rank; and shall "take care to preserve, defend and promote the rights, "honors, privileges, and authority of the holy Roman "Church, of the Pope, and his successors aforesaid. "With my whole strength I shall observe, and cause to "be observed by others, the rules of the Holy Fathers, "the decrees, ordinances, or dispositions and mandates "of the Apostolic See."