Posted on 03/08/2012 6:58:13 AM PST by marshmallow
Catholic attorney John Salza once found himself inside a masonic hall, being asked to take off his wedding ring and crucifix as he swore an oath to be reborn as a Freemason.
Although he knew in his heart that something was wrong, he did not leave right away. Over several years, he advanced to the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite — a level that only a select group of masons are invited to.
While he was told that masonry was compatible with Catholicism, he eventually could not reconcile the two and left the masons. In 2008, Salza wrote a basic, short treatise, “Why Catholics Cannot Be Masons,” (TAN Publishing) that addressed the serious conflicts that lay between Catholicism and Freemasonry (including the Shriners).
In mid-September, Bishop Michael Sheridan interviewed Salza for his Catholic Radio Network weekly show, “Bishop Sheridan Presents,” and the show aired Oct. 1-7. Over the next 2-3 issues, we are running a transcript of the show.
— Bill Howard, Editor In Chief
Bishop Sheridan: Welcome to all in the Lord Jesus. On our program today we are going to be discussing the topic of Masonry, or the Masons, or sometimes called the Freemasons; an organization that we know is not associated with the Catholic Church but wanted to bring up on this program because it seems, at least in my experience in talking to other priests and bishops, that there are perhaps a good number of Catholic men who become involved with the Masons, very often in very good faith, thinking that they are in a fraternal organization that is not in any way at odds with the Catholic Church. Our guest today, I think, is going to lead us in a very different direction. We are joined by John Salza. Welcome John.
John Salza: Your Excellency, thank you.
(Excerpt) Read more at coloradocatholicherald.com ...
How about 33 degree Mason....and further.
How about 33 degree Mason....and further.
“For one person it may be their religion”
That’s one of my points. The Masons make is perfectly clear it is not a religion in any way. It is simply a means for religious men to cooperate in their lives with each other instead of waging wars and beating each other up over religion. Many religions might object, but the Masons can count nearly every religion in their membership.
They are community focused and do not pose a threat to any religion or religious beliefs. They go out of their way not to offend by not including or excluding anything offensive. They teach each other their religious views, practices and customs, and embrace each other’s respect. They can completely and totally disagree but in the name of cooperation, education, and productivity they set aside all differences and agree they are different but compatible as neighbors. I am not a Mason but I can completely and totally see their point of view. It is exactly as our founders knew this country needed to be; agnostic in our arguments but solid in our faiths. I can be a Baptist but be best friends with a Catholic or a Jew. Live and let live; hold each other accountable and be productive members of society.
For someone in my family, it was his religion. I should add this was an improvement in his case. :)
In my experience, it varies greatly.
I do appreciate your sentiments here, I think that is a very noble goal. And I’m not at all condemning of freemasons.
We are fortunate to have freedom of religion, each man can choose. I’m only advocating they know where their church stands - if they are serious about their church or any church.
If he were a member of my church, I would have a different conversation, but this is not the place for it.
thanks for your reply.
Do you know how to comprehend what you read?
Freemasonry is pluralistic with no absolute truths of God and morals beyond whatever you want to believe even if it’s completely evil. Belief in God can be belief that the devil is God in freemasonry-it does not matter nor is anything defined.
The higher degree a mason becomes his shallowness of thought grows and he deceives himself that he has achieved something special
Just read the diabolical Albert Pike and it becomes clear the guy was a psychotic monster. That alone should make you run from freemasonry.
Masonic rituals live on
First-Ever Masonic Inaugural Ball to be Held[In honor of President-elect, Barack Obama]
A Mormon Mason: New grand master is the first in a century who is LDS
Freemasons open a lodge at Buckingham Palace but the Queen isn't amused
Islam and Freemasonry
Masonry, Atheism and Catholicism
New Masons Drawn by Brotherhood, Not Myths
THE ANTI-CATHOLIC NATURE OF FREEMASONRY
Cuban Freemason Dr. Alfredo Manuel Pulido Lopez is being held prisoner in Cuba
Masonic rituals live on
Read¿ I’m a high school dropout so I wouldn’t expect to much from me or my comprehension.
I don’t know anyone you described.
You must have had quite a few emblems all over your car. LOL
I know fellows who it seems like they belong to every organization there is. Not for me. Can’t count how many times I’ve been asked to join this kilt organization or another. At this time I’m going to accept my invitation to Scottish Rite bit that’s about it for me.
Me too. 32nd degree in Detroit.
I was a member of group for awhile that was KofC and Freemason.
My Fransciscan padre helped me understand things...
There are more than 100 of such which contribute to our ministry alone. We kindly decline support from any local assembly that is joined with a denominational structure, and denominational structures would not entertain helping us.
Independent Baptist missionaries keep lists of, yes, literally THOUSANDS of independent, autonomous Bible-preaching churches around the country.
Not exactly true on the first part, but yes, the Scottish rite takes a rather onerous path, unless you do it over a three day weekend, missing significant parts of it.
I took the York rite degree by degree, though I stopped after Royal Arch Masonry, because I moved and never did pass on to Cryptic Masonry.
After I moved, I started discussions with my new parish priest, joined the KofC and eventually left Freemasonry.
Brick,stone or cement?
Thank God,dear brother. My past is really bad-only the Grace of God pulled me out of it and I fear never to return to the vomit
Evil hides itself in subtleness in pluralistic societies and organizations and is not blatant,it has patience to lead good people astray. I will pray for you to leave freemasonry
Thank you.
If I find it incompatible with being a Christian I will leave that day.
you wrote:
“Masons track their roots back much further than the eighteenth century!!!”
Nope. Masons simply invented a phony history. They had no history whatsoever before the sixteenth century. There is no known evidence anywhere in the world of Masonry existing before then. The Grand Lodge (early 18th century) is the real birth of modern Masonry.
You would seriously take this oath??????
The Scottish Rite Third-Degree Master Mason oath
This commits the oath-taker to commit murder, if necessary:
I do promise and swear upon the Holy Bible never to reveal where I have received this degree . . . and in failure of this I consent to have my body opened perpendicularly and to be exposed for eight hours in the open air, so that the venomous flies may eat my entrails, my head to be cut off and put on the highest pinnacle of the world, and I will always be ready to inflict the same punishment on those who shall disclose this degree and break this obligation. So may God help and maintain me. Amen.
I've read his "Dogma".....what utter trash!
BTW Nice seeing you call Masonary what it is. The fellows just starting out haven't a clue what's before them as the gravitate up the ladder....and are purposely occupies with trivial nonesense as a means of weeding them out as they go. Most never get to the 32 degree let alone further....
Very dark and senister at the top wrungs. But by then most haven't a clue how deep they've gone and generally takes an "awakening" to see this.
One man was asked to head an entire region which also included a visit to the initiation of young girls for Eastern Star. (He has three girls). When he saw what his daughters would be subjected to it shook him up in ways he never would have imagined....and to this day bears the scars of what he has seen within Masonary. But he did leave.
I suggest you go back to the newspapers of the day. Washington was a Mason to the end...and beyond.
“”BTW Nice seeing you call Masonary what it is””
Thanks, but my words are mild compared to what Pope Leo XIII wrote in 1890
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON
FREEMASONRY
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_18901015_dall%27alto-dell%27apostolico-seggio_en.html
Excerpts...
It is needless now to put the Masonic sects upon their trial. They are already judged; their ends, their means, their doctrines, and their action, are all known with indisputable certainty. Possessed by the spirit of Satan, whose instrument they are, they burn like him with a deadly and implacable hatred of Jesus Christ and of His work; and they endeavour by every means to overthrow and fetter it.
We will only say that, under present conditions, though a sad but real necessity, things could not be otherwise: the Masonic sect, with all its boast of a spirit of beneficence and philanthropy, can only exercise an evil influence - an influence which is evil because it attacks and endeavours to destroy the religion of Christ, the true benefactress of mankind.
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