tra, De Voto et Voti Redemptione, cap. Per tuas)
the Bishop of Grenoble, who had accepted the episcopate after vowing
to enter religion, without having fulfilled his vow, is counseled
that if "he wish to heal his conscience he should renounce the
government of his see and pay his vows to the Most High."

Reply Obj. 2: As stated above (Q. 88, A. 3, ad 2), when we were
treating of vows, he who has bound himself by vow to enter a certain
religious order is bound to do what is in his power in order to be
received in that order; and if he intend to bind himself simply to
enter the religious life, if he be not admitted to one, he is bound
to go to another; whereas if he intend to bind himself only to one
particular order, he is bound only according to the measure of the
obligation to which he has engaged himself.

Reply Obj. 3: The vow to enter religion being perpetual is greater
than the vow of pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which is a temporal vow;
and as Alexander III says (Extra, De Voto et Voti Redemptione, cap.
Scripturae), "he who exchanges a temporary service for the perpetual
service of religion is in no way guilty of breaking his vow."

Moreover it may be reasonably stated that also by entrance into
religion a man obtains remission of all his sins. For if by giving
alms a man may forthwith satisfy for his sins, according to Dan.
4:24, "Redeem thou thy sins with alms," much more does it suffice to
satisfy for all his sins that a man devote himself wholly to the
divine service by entering religion, for this surpasses all manner of
satisfaction, even that of public penance, according to the Decretals
(XXXIII, qu. i, cap. Admonere) just as a holocaust exceeds a
sacrifice, as Gregory declares (Hom. xx in Ezech.). Hence we read in
the Lives of the Fathers (vi, 1) that by entering religion one
receives the same grace as by being baptized. And yet even if one
were not thereby absolved from all debt of punishment, nevertheless
the entrance into religion is more profitable than a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land, as regards the advancement in good, which is
preferable to absolution from punishment.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 189, Art. 4]

Whether He Who Has Vowed to Enter Religion Is Bound to Remain in
Religion in Perpetuity?

Objection 1: It would seem that he who has vowed to enter religion,
is bound in perpetuity to remain in religion. For it is better not to
enter religion than to leave after ente