Rowan Williams apologises to Freemasons

Telegraph (UK) ^ | 20/04/2003 | Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day

[nickcarraway]

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been forced to apologise to Britain's 330,000 Freemasons after he said that their beliefs were incompatible with Christianity and that he had rejected them from senior posts in his diocese.

Dr Williams has written to Robert Morrow, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, in an attempt to defuse the row prompted by comments he made last year. In his letter, the Archbishop apologises for the "distress" he caused and discloses that his own father was a member of the Craft.

Freemasons, many of whom are active members of the Church of England, reacted angrily to his disclosure that he "had real misgivings about the compatibility of Masonry and Christian profession" and by his admission that, as Bishop of Monmouth, he had blocked the appointment of Freemasons to senior appointments.

His comments about Freemasons were in a private letter leaked to the media shortly after Downing Street confirmed his appointment as head of the Church of England.

Subsequent attempts by his advisers to defuse the row only caused further offence. A spokesman said the Archbishop was worried about the ritual element of Freemasonry, which has been seen as "satanically inspired".

In his letter of apology, Dr Williams tries to distance himself from his own reported comments. He claims that his views were never meant to be public and were distorted by the media.

He wrote: "I have been sorry to learn of the distress of a considerable number of Freemasons . . . In replying to private correspondence, I had no intention of starting a public debate nor of questioning the good faith and generosity of individual Freemasons and I regret the tone and content of the media coverage."

He added: "The quoted statements about the 'satanic' character of the Masonic ceremonies and other matters did not come from me and do not represent my judgment. Since my late father was a member of the Craft for many years, I have had every opportunity of observing the probity of individual members."

Dr Williams does not, in his letter, deny that he has misgivings about the role of Freemasons within the Church.

He wrote: "Where anxieties exist, however, they are in relation not to Freemasonry but to Christian ministers subscribing to what could be and often is understood [or misunderstood] as a private system of profession and initiation, involving the taking of oaths of loyalty."

He ends his letter by stating that Freemasons' commitment to charity and the community is beyond question.

[Brian Allen]

<< It would be really nice if someone could get the straight dope on Freemasonry .... >>

Why not find a Mason on good standing -- and ask HIM?

That works every darn time!

[Brian Allen]

<< It would be really nice if someone could get the straight dope on Freemasonry .... >>

Why not find a Mason in good standing -- and ask HIM?

That works every darn time!

[Skooz]

He would probably be biased and say that the Catholic and Southern Baptist Churches don't know what they are talking about.........but I suspect (only suspect, mind you) they do.

[narses]

Are the Rites of the K of C secret?

[narses]

Why not find a Mason on good standing -- and ask HIM?

That's been tried here, with no success that I can see. Why do you think that is?

[Brian Allen]

Try Eastern Star. http://www.easternstar.org might be a place to begin.

[Antoninus]

One thing that is very obvious if one understands the Masonic symbolism is that there are NO obelisk memorials (think Washington Monument on a smaller scale :-) in Catholic-consecrated cemetaries. If you've never noticed this before, just take a look sometime and you'll observe that.

Uh, hate to tell you, but I just saw an obelisk in Holy Sephulcre Catholic cemetery in Philadelphia last weekend...

[Pharmboy]

Freemasonry was the basis of the formation of this country. READ YOUR HISTORY!

[sitetest]

Dear narses,

"Are the Rites of the K of C secret?"

Yes and no. There are places where the rites are published, but as a Knight, I may not reveal them.


sitetest

[Brian Allen]

<< Where do people get their notions?

Where indeed! >>

Not from any of my Bretheren, that's for sure!

HehHehHeh ....

[narses]

Secret and published are two different things. One of the Masons here claimed their Rites are not published for example. He also refused to reveal them (or at least failed to when asked). You refuse which sounds to me as if you have given your word not to reveal them. Does that make the K of C a "secret society"?

[Brian Allen]

<< Unlike our Catholic friends, Masons don't worship statues or icons of any sort.

ooh... you are going to catch looooooooooooots of flames for that one >>

That's OK.

He sounds to me like a Good Man and I am sure is one who can handle the trauma that Truth causes some of his friends.

Like catholics, say -- and other idol worshippers!

HehHehHeh ....

[Pharmboy]

General Washington faithfully went to Anglican Churches as often as he could; Martha Washington took communion, The General did not.

When did Masons get nasty with you? Why are you so troubled that private groups want to keep some things private and only shared by initiates?

[narses]

Read this thread for nasty. As for secrets, they can keep them. But if they claim they have no secrets and then avoid answering questions and instead attack, I can certainly draw conclusions from that behavior. Further, the key question is Christianity and Masonry. The self declared Masons here claim they are the same thing, that Masons base their beliefs on the Christian Bible. However, posted here is clear evidence that many Christian communions have disagreed with that belief and further that non-Christians can be Masons.

[narses]

Very interesting, thank you.

[votelife]

a man cannot serve two masters...

two belief systems would qualify.

[Pharmboy]

My understanding is that there are two rites in Freemasonry: the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. One (I think the York) you need be a Christian; the other, you only need believe in one God. Jews can be in one and not the other. So, you're half-right.

[narses]

You address, partly, one item from my post. I have no knowledge of the different forms of Masons, but there is clear evidence here that non-Christians may join. Now, are they a "secret society"?

[Pharmboy]

Jews can join...to be sure (I am a Jew and an uncle of mine was a 33rd degree Mason; his wife was an Eastern Star). Their secrecy is legendary; in the early 1800s in upstate NY, an ex-Mason was killed because he divulged secrets. That period represents the darkest time in Masonic history. It hung a black cloud over Masons for much of the 19th Century. Some would say that they have never truly recovered from that horror.

[Antoninus]

Of course, you know about this...

“In 1972 Pope Paul created [Annibale] Bugnini Titular Archbishop of Dioclentia. In 1975, however, the Archbishop left his briefcase behind in a conference room, where it was found and inspected by the Dominican Friar charged with restoring the room to order. In search only of the identity of the case's owner, the Dominican found, according to Piers Compton, documents whose "signatures and place of origin showed that they came from dignitaries of secret societies in Rome" (The Broken Cross, p. 61). The letters were addressed to "Brother Bugnini." […] Bugnini was appointed the Apostolic pro-Nuncio to Iran, and repeatedly denied that he had Freemasonic affiliations. When the Italian Register came to light in 1976, however, it showed his April 23, 1963 initiation date and number, and gave his code name as 'Buan.'” (Carey J. Winters)

Archbishop Bugnini was the architect of the "new" Mass...