The link between Hong Kong’s oath saga and Henry VIII’s marital problems
Philip Dykes says the addition in 1534 of a promise of allegiance to a promissory oath has societies in knots today about its modern application
What is the link between Henry VIII’s marrying Anne Boleyn in 1533 to recent events that have convulsed the Hong Kong Legislative Council? The answer is the promissory oath, which all legislators must take to assume office.
It is well worth unpicking the thread that links Legco to Henry VIII’s marital problems because understanding the origin of loyalty oaths, and how they have developed over the past 500 years, throws light on the debate about some Legco members not being “sincere” in their oath-taking.
Hong Kong judge blasts localist radicals for oath-taking that bordered on contempt
A promissory oath is a statement of intention about future conduct that is binding on the conscience of the person because the maker invokes divine or religious sanctions in the event of non-performance. Although a person can affirm today, instead of swear, the invocation to conscience carries the same weight as an oath, and the sanctions for non-performance are identical.
Promissory oaths were common in the Classical period. They were used in private contracts and to seal treaties. They feature in the Old Testament and were carried over to the Christian era, even though Christ appeared to disapprove of them because they contemplated the possibility of God’s intervention through a unilateral act of solicitation by a mere mortal man.
In medieval times, a promissory oath was the basis of feudal relationships. A lord promised protection in return for a vassal’s promise of loyalty and service.