He handed over the circular. The priest looked at it and frowned.
“This is a more serious charge,” he said. “I can forgive a person for being honestly mistaken in his view of the relation of the Catholic Church to the state, but this oath must have been written by one or more persons actuated by a hatred of Catholicism and who knew that it must be false. It is not a case of honest ignorance.”
He continued reading, his eyebrows drawn together in a scowl and nodding his head from time to time. Finally he looked up.
“Mr. Hamilton, that charge is not new. It is surprising that it should bob up again, inasmuch as the real oath of the Knights of Columbus was made public several years ago in the course of an investigation into the matter by the Masonic bodies. It was also made public in the course of a contested election case. The false oath, this oath I have here, had been circulated to defeat a candidate who was a fourth degree knight. Inasmuch as the real oath has already been published by our own courts and by the Masons, who are hardly pro-Catholic, I should be violating no confidence in repeating it. It runs: I swear to support the constitution of the United States. I pledge myself as a Catholic citizen and Knight of Columbus to enlighten myself fully upon my duties as a citizen and to conscientiously perform such duties entirely in the interest of my country and regardless of all personal consequences. I pledge myself to do all in my power to preserve the integrity and purity of the ballot, and to promote reverence and respect for law and order. I promise to practise my religion openly and without ostentation and to so conduct myself in public affairs and in the exercise of public virtue as to reflect nothing but credit upon our Holy Church, to the end that she may flourish and our country prosper to the greater honor and glory of God.’”
Robert’s brain whirled. He felt himself growing angry. His fists involuntarily clenched and he bit his lips. Lies, lies, lies. It had been nothing but lies ever since he had joined the Tribe. Lies against the Negro, lies against the Catholic, lies against the Jew. When anything untruthful or mistaken or illogical had been pointed out, the leaders had always disclaimed responsibility. They had always disclaimed responsibility for violence, yet wherever the Tribe flourished the strongest violence and these damnable lies were most numerous.
“Show him the official Knights of Columbus ritual,” McCall was saying, and, although Robert protested that it was not necessary, Father Callahan procured the volume, opened it at the proper page and showed it to him.
“There’s some nonsense about the prediction of Abraham Lincoln that some day there would be a clash between Rome and this country, something about seeing a cloud coming from Rome which forebode war.”
“Please don’t——” began Robert.
“You must. Let him look through your complete works of Lincoln.”
In spite of his protests the ponderous volumes were pulled out of their shelves and laid on the table.