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Catholic Word of the Day: SECRET SOCIETY, 02-06-10
CatholicReference.net ^ | 02-06-10 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

Posted on 02/06/2010 10:24:54 AM PST by Salvation

Featured Term (selected at random):

SECRET SOCIETY

An organization whose members may not disclose the purposes, practices, or activities of their society to civil or ecclesiastical authorities. Because their secrecy often works to the disadvantage of nonmembers, through questionable control, and also to the detriment of the Catholic faith, the Church has for centuries forbidden Catholics to belong to secret societies and has often imposed severe canonical penalties on those who disobey. Under certain restricted conditions Catholics may retain a limited association with such organizations. Forbidden secret societies often sponsor benevolent and charitable enterprises, but they are prohibited mainly because their naturalism is a danger to the true faith. Among the secret societies forbidden by Church law are the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, and the Freemasons.

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; masons
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To: Salvation

Thanks! I still read alot of the posts you send. And offer up some prayers when I see the requests.

Keep up the good work!


21 posted on 02/06/2010 7:58:06 PM PST by Cap'n Crunch (Rush Limbaugh, the Winston Churchill of our time)
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