Freemasons

[maxk]

So the Freemasons have been on my mind lately... Does anyone know anything on them? I've heard many different things on them; that they are one of the big enemies of the Church, that they worship the devil, and that the Knights of Columbus were initially formed to defend the Church against the Freemasons. Anyone got any facts or factual sites to check out? Thanks

[picchick]

Hmmmm interesting.....

[quote]Freemasonry's acknowledgement, without crossing the boundaries of religion, is that everything depends on the providence of God... Freemasons are required to profess and continue in a belief in a Supreme Being. Their ceremonies include prayers, which are not in any way a substitute for religion....A Freemason is thus basically encouraged to do his duty first to his God, and then to his family and those who dependent on him. He is to help his neighbors through charity and service.[/quote]

It also says that they have no theological doctrine. They are not allowed to talk about religion during meetings.

[url="http://users.1st.net/fischer/FREEMAS.HTM"]http://users.1st.net/fischer/FREEMAS.HTM[/url]

[Apotheoun]

Freemasonry is a form of religious indifferentism (i.e., the idea that all religions are ways of salvation), and also tends toward a form of Pelagianism (i.e., the heresy that holds that a man can save himself without the aid of God's grace), and as such Catholics are forbidden to belong to, or give support to, the Masons.

The following is the official declaration of the CDF on Freemasonry:


[b]CDF DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS[/b]

It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church’s decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.

This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance is due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.

Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. [i]The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion[/i].

It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 1981 pp. 240-241; English language edition of L’Osservatore Romano, 9 March 1981).

In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation.

Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.


Joseph Card. RATZINGER
Prefect

+ Fr. Jerome Hamer, O.P.
Titular Archbishop of Lorium
Secretary

Edited July 11, 2004 by Apotheoun

[Paladin D]

I heard that the Knights of Columbus and the Masons tried to combine at one point, is this true?

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

[quote]I heard that the Knights of Columbus and the Masons tried to combine at one point, is this true?[/quote]
Can't find anything on it, sorry. It sounds absurd though.

More info on freemasonry from the webmaster of Scripture-Catholic apologetics, a former freemason:
[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/freemasonfaq.html"]http://www.scripturecatholic.com/freemasonfaq.html[/url]
[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/three_degrees.html"]http://www.scripturecatholic.com/three_degrees.html[/url]

Prayer for freemasons:
[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/prayer_for_freemasons.html"]http://www.scripturecatholic.com/prayer_for_freemasons.html[/url]

His radio show on freemasonry:
[url="http://www.catholic.com/radio/calive.asp?date=5/1/2001"]http://www.catholic.com/radio/calive.asp?date=5/1/2001[/url]

And coming soon, he'll be writing a book on freemasonry. Hope this helps.

[maxk]

Thanks!

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Jul 10 2004, 09:43 PM'] I heard that the Knights of Columbus and the Masons tried to combine at one point, is this true? [/quote]
The masons have always been an anti-Catholic organization.

One of the things that the KofC was created for is to combat the anti-Catholicism spread by the Freemasons.



God Bless,
ironmonk

[maxk]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Jul 10 2004, 09:48 PM'] The masons have always been an anti-Catholic organization.

One of the things that the KofC was created for is to combat the anti-Catholicism spread by the Freemasons.



God Bless,
ironmonk [/quote]
Thanks! That's what I thought, I'm definitely joining the Knights!

[ironmonk]

[quote name='maxk' date='Jul 10 2004, 11:56 PM'] Thanks! That's what I thought, I'm definitely joining the Knights! [/quote]
There are some ignorant brothers in the Knights in regards to this issue. If you end up at a council that will not fix things, you can change councils.

The KofC does not allow members to be FM's... but there are some KofC councils that thinks that they do. I'm dealing with this at my council now. It's not the KofC that is at fault because of a few ignorant men at the council... I will defend the Church from attacks from the outside, and from those inside that go against her teaching.

To be a Knight one must be a practical Catholic.... that is believe everything the Church teaches and obey.

The Knights cannot go against Church teaching.

It is the largest Catholic men's org that I know of. I would like to be a member of Opus Dei, but that's a five hour drive.

God Bless,
ironmonk

[pionono]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Jul 10 2004, 09:48 PM'] The masons have always been an anti-Catholic organization.

One of the things that the KofC was created for is to combat the anti-Catholicism spread by the Freemasons.



God Bless,
ironmonk [/quote]
Exactly. That's part of why I joined. Third degree! The Knights are good. It's some of the local implementation that leaves something to be desired.

[phatcatholic]

from the reference section:

[b]Freemasonry[/b]
--[url="http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/09771a.htm"]Masonry[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=1367"]Declaration on Masonic Associations[/url]
--[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/freemasonfaq.html"]FAQ's on Freemasonry[/url]
--[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/three_degrees.html"]Rituals of Freemasonry[/url]
--[url="http://www.scripturecatholic.com/prayer_for_freemasons.html"]Prayer for the Conversion of Freemasons[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4889"]Dall'alto Dell'apostolico Seggio (On Freemasonry In Italy)[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=2969"]The Masonic Religion[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5135"]Clarification Concerning Status of Catholics Becoming Freemasons[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4151"]Freemasonry And Christianity: Are They Compatible?[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5285"]Letter of April 19, 1985 to U.S. Bishops Concerning Masonry[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4890"]Custodi Di Quella Fede (On Freemasonry)[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=1244"]Humanum Genus (On Freemasonry)[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4891"]Inimica Vis (On Freemasonry)[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=1243"]Catholics and the Freemason 'Religion'[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=1368"]The Pastoral Problem of Masonic Membership[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=2652"]Catholicism vs. Freemasonry: Irreconcilable Forever[/url]
--[url="http://cuf.org/nonmemb/mason.pdf"]Can Catholics Be Freemasons?[/url]
--[url="http://www.john654.org/masonsme.html"]The Attack on the Church by Freemasonry[/url]
--[url="http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0161.html"]What Are the Masons?[/url]
--[url="http://www.cin.org/users/james/questions/q059.htm"]Is Opus Dei a Branch of the Masonic Lodges?[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicapologetics.info/freemsns.htm"]The Freemasons: A Historical Perspective[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicapologetics.info/freemasonry.htm"]Freemasonry and the Anti-Christian Movement[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicapologetics.info/cathason.htm"]The Catholic Church and Freemasonry[/url]

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[pionono]

phatcatholic, nice resource!! God Bless!!

[ironmonk]

A little more for the sake of being able to educate others.

[b]The following "Q and A" is on page 32 of June, 1993 issue of "This Rock" magazine:[/b]

[b][Question?] What is the Catholic Church's official position on Freemasonry? Are Catholics free to become Freemasons? [/b]

[b][Answer][/b] Freemasonry is incompatible with the Catholic Faith. Freemasonry teaches a naturalistic religion that espouses indifferentism, the position that a person can be equally pleasing to God while remaining in any religion.

Masonry is a parallel religion to Christianity. The *New Catholic Encyclopedia* states, "Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion, and as such it becomes rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes temples and altars, prayers, a moral code, worship, vestments, feast days, the promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife, a hierarchy, and initiation and burial rites" (vol. 6, p. 137).

Masonry is also a secret society. Its initiates subscribe to secret blood oaths that are contrary to Christian morals. The prospective Mason swears that if he ever reveals the secrets of Masonry--secrets which are trivial and already well-known-he wills to be subject to self-mutilation or to gruesome execution. (Most Masons, admittedly, would never dream of carrying out these punishments on themselves or on an errant member).

[b]Historically, one of the Masonry's primary objectives has been the destruction of the Catholic Church; this is especially true of Freemasonry as it has existed in certain European countries.[/b] In the United States, Freemasonry is often little more than a social club, but it still espouses a naturalistic religion that contradicts orthodox Christianity. (Those interested in joining a men's club should consider the Knights of Columbus instead).

[b]The Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on Catholics who become Freemasons. The penalty of excommunication for joining the Masonic Lodge was explicit in the 1917 code of canon law (canon 2335) and it is implicit in the 1983 code (canon 1374). Because the revised code of canon law is not explicit on this point, some drew the mistaken conclusion that the Church's prohibition of Freemasonry had been dropped. As a result of this confusion, shortly before the 1983 code was promulgated, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement indicating that the penalty was still in force. This statement was dated November 26, 1983 and may be found in *Origins* 13/27 (Nov. 15, 1983), 450. [/b]

Here is the Declaration Catholic membership in the Masons, issued Nov. 26, 1983 by the Vatican's Doctrinal Congregation. An NC News translation of the declaration follows:

"The question has been raised whether the church's position on Masonic associations has been altered, especially since no explicit mention is made of them in the new Code of Canon Law, as there was in the old code. This sacred congregation is able to reply that the circumstances is to be attributed to a criterion adopted in drafting. This criterion was observed also in regard to other associations which were likewise passed over in silence, because they were included in broader catergories. 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 Hence joining them remains prohibited by the church. Catholic enrolled in Masonic associations are involved in serious sin and may not approach Holy Communion. Local ecclesiastical authorities do not have the faculty to pronounce a diminution of the above-mentioned judgement, in accordance with the intention of this congregation's declaration delivered Feb. 17, 1981 (cf. AAS 73 (1981) pp. 240-241). The supreme pontiff John Paul II approved this declaration, deliberated at an ordinary meeting of this declaration was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect, and Archbishop Jerome Hamer, OP, secretary.

Msgr. Richard Malone, director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committees on Doctrine and on Pastoral Research and Practices, commented on the Vatican's declaration on Catholic membership in the Masons. He explained that the new Code of Canon Law abolishes automatic excommunication of Catholics who become Masons, though there still is a canon, No. 1374, on conspiratorial societies. "Membership in the Masons was always discouraged, even in 1974, when it was stated that the excommunication only applied to truly anti-Catholic groups of Masons," he said. "The problem seems to be both the philosophy of the groups and the kind of secrecy." People get involved at lower levels without knowing exactly what is involved at higher levels. This may leave people who joined innocently "open to manipulation." But, said Malone, "one wonders if many Masonic groups in the United States are real Masonic groups since some make the case that a) there is not the degree of secrecy about rituals and philosophy, and b) there are no anti-Catholic directions given to the members." Malone said no law is retroactive. Commenting on the declarations's statement that Catholics who join the Masons are presumed to be in mortal sin, he said: "The authority to make a different judgement and to decide that the case is otherwise is explicitly reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This congregation has to examine whatever evidence is presented for a more lenient discipline."

Catholics may not in good conscience become members of any group whose teachings a/o activities are opposed to the teachings and well-being of the Church.



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God Bless,
ironmonk