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Sandra Miesel explains why Catholics can't be Masons
Insight Scoop ^ | September 17, 2009

Posted on 09/20/2009 10:37:51 AM PDT by NYer

From a September 2006 article featured on the Our Sunday Visitor website:

No pope has ever been a Mason. The Catholic Church has warily monitored Freemasonry from the time it penetrated Europe. In 1738, Pope Clement XII condemned the Craft for its dependence on mere natural virtue while ignoring Christ's unique role as Savior. He also denounced the rash oaths it demanded of members to protect trivial Lodge secrets.

Catholics who joined the Masons were excommunicated, with reconciliation reserved to the pope. This decree had little effect, however, because it wasn't published in every land, nor was it always taken seriously where it was published. Eight subsequent popes would have to repeat the message, most forcefully Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Humanum Genus (On Freemasonry).

Denouncing the Lodge as "a deceitful and crafty enemy," Pope Leo declared, "Let no man think that he may for any reason whatsoever join the Masonic sect, if he values his Catholic name and his eternal salvation as he ought to value them." The 1917 Code of Canon Law included these stern prohibitions.

After the Second Vatican Council, however, the long hostility between Lodge and Church seemed to be easing. A reinterpretation of the anti-Masonic canons in 1974 led some Catholics to think that only Masonic groups actively plotting against the Church were forbidden to them.

Even so, some Freemasons had actually been plotting against the Vatican through its bank. In 1981, two of the pope's top financial advisers - known all along as Masons - were unmasked as members of a secret Lodge called Propaganda Due that was plotting a fascist takeover of Italy. Both men later died mysteriously. The Vatican lost $240,000 with the collapse of its bank.

Changing views

Rome's softer view of Masonry was abruptly reversed in 1981 just before the financial scandal broke. Although the current Code of Canon Law issued in 1983 fails to mention the Craft by name, in the same year the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly reiterated the original ban:

"The Church's negative position on Masonic associations therefore remains unaltered since their principles have always been regarded as irreconcilable with the Church's doctrine."

Read the entire piece.

Sandra, by the way, has already finished reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol (I'm on page 30 and don't know if I have the strength to continue). I spoke to her yesterday shortly after she had reached the underwhelming conclusion of the novel, and she noted it was a sort of "love poem" to Masonry, with occasional swipes at Christianity. And today she wrote: "I finished THE LOST SYMBOL, which is a tad better than DA VINCI CODE despite being rah rah pro-Masonic propaganda.By no means is it a 'good' book, even for popcorn reading." She is working on a piece about the novel, the Masons, and other esoteric topics for Catholic World Report (so subscribe now!).

For a more detailed examination of the Masons, consider Christianity And American Freemasonry, by William J. Whalen:

What is it about Freemasonry that would cause churches to forbid or openly discourage seventy million Americans from membership? Why have eight popes condemned the Lodge? Why has the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Masonic order been strained for centuries? Christianity and American Freemasonry answers these and many other questions and describes why Christ ianity and Freemasonry are incompatible.

Today over two million American men belong to the Masonic order, the largest and oldest secret fraternal society. In earlier history the Freemasons boasted a prestigious membership, including fourteen American presidents and such founding fathers as Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, and Alexander Hamilton. This is the most complete reference book available on the subject. Chapters discuss the rituals and oaths, the Scottish and York rites, allied organizations such as the Shriners, and the historic antagonism of Christianity toward Masonry. It is thoroughly documented with facts from:

• the three most noted experts on Masonry in America
• Masonic ritual books, encyclopedias, and histories
• three former Masons, now active Catholics, who contributed firsthand knowledge of Masonic ritual and structure.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; davincicode; freemasonry; lostsymbol
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To: narses
Masonry universally defines itself as “a regular system of morality

What manual are you reading from? Masonry is a 'beautiful system of morality', not a regular one. There are regular lodges, but no regular system. Clear?

121 posted on 09/22/2009 1:02:25 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: narses
(especially one whose moral teachings are secret

Our moral teachings aren't secret in the least. Only the distinctive marks of legendary knowledge are secret, such as the distinctive signs, tokens and words. We do swear never to reveal these, but that's the extent of Masonic secrecy. The moral teachings are there to see, plainly written out in any number of manuals probably available from any Grand Lodge you care to refer to.

122 posted on 09/22/2009 1:05:18 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: livius
Freemasons are deists and also believe in having a small, select group of those “in the know” who get admitted to their “mysteries.”

This would be you speculating about something you could only know if you were a sworn Mason. In fact, everything anyone can reliably know about Masonry is known to every Master Mason (that would be, you know, all of them). So it's not select in the least. If some Masons are plotting the downfall of the Church, then they should be rooted out like you would root out deadwood from any organization of whatever degree of exclusivity. But no Mason of my acquaintance has the least interest in world domination. We'd like to get the Past Masters to show up to meeting once in a while. That seems a big enough challenge at the moment.

123 posted on 09/22/2009 1:10:10 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: x_plus_one
The universal brotherhood of the Masonic craft disallows the primacy and deity of Christ as the primary focus of mankind. Your priest needs to read up on what's what.

That is not correct. I cannot speak explicitly, but every Mason is instructed in the third degree lecture what is the correct understanding of the resurrection and Who is the basis for its value for human spiritual life now and in the next one. That is as clear as I can be but it should suffice to stop this endless allegation that Jesus is not mentioned nor considered God by Masons.

124 posted on 09/22/2009 1:15:50 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: ravenwolf

You don’t think he might have been pulling your chain?


125 posted on 09/22/2009 1:17:02 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: muawiyah

So, you make a point of not watching your friends’ backs?


126 posted on 09/22/2009 1:18:21 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: No Surrender No Retreat; ravenwolf

It’s not possible to vote Democrat and be a Christian. I thought that was settled law.


127 posted on 09/22/2009 1:22:43 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: editor-surveyor
Masonry holds that all paths lead to God.

Cite your Masonic authority for that statement. It is certainly not what any Mason of my acquaintance believes. You see, you conflate that we do not require our membership to be monodenominational with the idea that the path to God is marked out by one's religious belief. These are both true statements. The former means that I will hold only myself to my own understanding of salvation. The latter means that every one of us is held to the understanding of salvation we have affirmed. It still does not mean that Masons therefore believe any path to salvation will suffice. If it did, then I would convert to another faith tradition (it still wouldn't be Masonry that I would be converting to).

In terms of requiring belief in Deity, ask yourself how much you trust the word of an atheist. Under whose authority is that person making sworn statements, hmmm?

Besides, no matter how many times people post it in this thread, Freemasonry is a fellowship, not a religion. We have prayers but so does Congress (which, admittedly is not the best comparison these days). The fact of praying does not constitute a religion, and the profession of belief in Deity does not establish a faith. It only asserts that the individuals themselves are faithful to their faith traditions.

128 posted on 09/22/2009 1:24:46 PM PDT by BelegStrongbow (I'm still waiting for Dear Leader to say something that isn't a lie)
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To: livius

“However, in Europe, many Freemasons are Communists or Communist supporters, and they are all radically opposed to the Catholic Church. And they take their odd beliefs and rites very seriously and usually insist, for example, on being buried with Masonic rites and not from a church, if they happen to be members of one.”

That is strange since it is the Catholics in this country that have the communists (Ted Kennedy, John Kerry etc.)
I have not heard of any communist Masons here.


129 posted on 09/22/2009 1:43:02 PM PDT by antisocial (Texas SCV - Deo Vindice)
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To: muawiyah

I have to agree with you on that one.


130 posted on 09/22/2009 5:53:59 PM PDT by No Surrender No Retreat
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To: No Surrender No Retreat

wow...if you have nothing to say....say nothing...great arguement.. that certainy proves that you are right..sorry....pathetic


131 posted on 09/22/2009 8:02:07 PM PDT by terycarl (lurking, but interested and informed)
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To: Redleg Duke

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.


132 posted on 09/22/2009 8:28:40 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: terycarl

Dear terycal,
Please shut your piehole, for the good of the FR and the universe.


133 posted on 09/23/2009 10:39:54 AM PDT by No Surrender No Retreat
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Comment #134 Removed by Moderator

To: BelegStrongbow
For those interested in more than cute repostes, Wilson's turgid, whacked-out trilogy is a neither enlightening nor entertaining - a waste of time with little bearing on the topic.

For those who want to examine well-researched and documented materials to arrive at their own conclusions:

The God of Truth is stronger than snide quips. Educated Freepers can look at the facts and come to their own conclusions.
135 posted on 09/24/2009 2:17:15 AM PDT by UncleVanya
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To: No Surrender No Retreat

you need to talk less and listen more....pretty soon you will be as intelligent as I am..........well maybe not real soon, but someday..keep trying


136 posted on 09/24/2009 8:44:23 PM PDT by terycarl (lurking, but interested and informed)
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To: Chi-townChief

Now if Freemasonry is a secret order, how would the Church know that you’re a Mason?


Being a mason is not the secret, and the average mason doe,s not know any more about it than any one else, it is believed by many that the average masons are supporting something that they would not knowingly support.


137 posted on 09/27/2009 4:46:03 AM PDT by ravenwolf (Just a bit of the long list of proofs)
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To: DesertRhino

But it’s to be expected that the Catholic church, or any other, might not like the Masons. Masons are specifically dedicated to avoiding sectarian issues, and concentrating on improving relations between ALL men of faith. Even different faiths. The important thing to masons is that members acknowledge existence of God. This seems to be a good starting place for good men of all faiths to improve each other as men.


This just takes us back to where we were in the first place don,t it, any faith, all faiths, bringing the people who believe in the God of the bible together with the man made religions and even the religion of santan, seems to me the only purpose of that would be to destroy our belief in the one true god by mixing it with every thing else.


138 posted on 09/27/2009 5:10:18 AM PDT by ravenwolf (Just a bit of the long list of proofs)
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To: narses

Well, that was very good and made me understand a few things about my uncle who was a high degree mason, he was said to be a 32nd degree mason, so I guess he would have also been a 3rd degree mason, is that right?

He also seemed to worship Licifer, can you put some light on that?


139 posted on 09/27/2009 5:41:45 AM PDT by ravenwolf (Just a bit of the long list of proofs)
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To: No Surrender No Retreat

You seem like an alright person Ravenwolf, take care have a good evening.


Thanks for the comeback( No Surrender No Retreat. )

No i am not a very allright person, at least not in my view, I am not a member of anything, not even a church, because God and and his son are the only thing in this world that I do believe in. and the freedom that God gave me and you. I have nothing against the masons any more than I do any other club, I just have to do my own thing ( although I do not even like that word )

I want to be free to think for myself, I have lost all faith in the socalled masters of knowledge, the Dr. so and so and reverend so and so, the experts on the Bible and other subjects, what they mainly do is to tear it apart.


140 posted on 09/28/2009 6:25:05 AM PDT by ravenwolf (Just a bit of the long list of proofs)
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