Catholics and Masonic Cemeteries

[DMW3]

My family owns multiple plots in a Masonic cemetery in Virginia for future burial accommodations. I’m the only Catholic in my family. What are the rules/practices of Trad Catholics with regard to burial in a Masonic cemetery? It’s tough to find Catholic cemeteries down this way, in the South.

Thanks for you help.

In Christo et Maria

 

[Cruciferi]

As Masonry and Catholicism are incompatible, I for one would not want to be buried in such a place.

Every Diocese has at least one Catholic Cemetery. Contact your Parish and they can answer your specific questions.

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...nerals/overview-of-catholic-funeral-rites.cfm

 

[HomeschoolDad]

My family owns multiple plots in a Masonic cemetery in Virginia for future burial accommodations. I’m the only Catholic in my family. What are the rules/practices of Trad Catholics with regard to burial in a Masonic cemetery? It’s tough to find Catholic cemeteries down this way, in the South.

I’m not sure there are rules or practices specific to Masonic cemeteries.

Just guessing, I would say that if the burial plots are already purchased, cannot easily be sold, and it would be too difficult or troublesome to purchase new plots elsewhere (not to mention the upsetting of family sensibilities about “wanting everybody to be buried near each other”), the individual plots could be blessed by a priest, just as they would be in any other non-Catholic cemetery.

If I understand the Masons correctly, they would have no problems with Catholics being buried in their cemeteries — they are fine with Catholics per se, they just have the expectation that if a Catholic becomes a Mason, he will embrace their tenet of “emphasizing the beliefs that all good men have in common, keeping his own opinions to himself” (or words to that effect). Masons are not nearly as anti-Catholic (at least on an outward, public level, the side of Freemasonry that the world sees) as Catholics are anti-Masonic.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Masons are not nearly as anti-Catholic (at least on an outward, public level, the side of Freemasonry that the world sees)

Not so. Try reading Behind the Lodge Door by Paul Fisher. It’s out of print now but you could probably find it online. Also, John Salza (who used to be a Freemason) has written books upholding the traditional teaching of the Church re Freemasonry and exposes it.

The nice public persona hides a militantly anti-Catholic agenda.

Finally, I would NOT be buried in a Masonic cemetery. My late parents and I have a plot at the Catholic cemetery near our house.

Tomorrow will be 6 months since Mom is gone yet it feels like 6 years.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

Masons are not nearly as anti-Catholic (at least on an outward, public level, the side of Freemasonry that the world sees)

Not so. Try reading Behind the Lodge Door by Paul Fisher. It’s out of print now but you could probably find it online. Also, John Salza (who used to be a Freemason) has written books upholding the traditional teaching of the Church re Freemasonry and exposes it.

The nice public persona hides a militantly anti-Catholic agenda.

I was referring more to your average, run-of-the-mill, middle-class Masons who work for the Shriners, get together to socialize and enjoy adult beverages, and so on. They’re really pretty decent men. However, I have noticed that as they get to know you, and discover that you’re a practicing, believing Catholic, they manage to “slip in” comments to the effect of “any one religion is as good as any other — it is every man’s individual choice”, like they’re trying to hammer the point home that “regardless of what you Catholics think, you’re nothing special, and the sooner you realize that, the better”. I’ve picked up on that.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I would prefer green burial, no embalming, minimal everything, return to the earth as quickly as possible, but due to family sensibilities and finances, I had to agree to conventional American methods and a mausoleum crypt. (It was paid for out of family assets and cost me nothing, another factor in this.) I dislike the arrangement, however, to assert my preferences would have caused massive psychological distress for certain loved ones — one of my aunts was buried naturally, on the farm, wooden coffin, unembalmed, about 80 years ago, and to this day my mother talks about “how the ground sank down in time, and you know what that means”. (Yes, I know what that means — it’s called “nature”.)

I would even prefer to be buried in my own backyard, near my garden and patio, but you have to adhere to certain lot line restrictions (can’t be less than 25 feet from the adjacent property line) that are impossible due to the size of the lot, and besides, the HOA would have a fit. I doubt that the HOA covenants address such a thing, because even if there were no lot line restrictions, this is a neighborhood that caters to a generation where “things like that were just not done”. And it could hurt resale value — I would have no problem with a past owner having been buried naturally, I’d be happy to know that he enjoyed his home and didn’t ever have to leave it (in one sense), but that is not a typical American sentiment. Far from it.

 

[Genesis315]

Here are some canon laws that seem relevant:

Can. 1180 §1. If a parish has its own cemetery, the deceased members of the faithful must be buried in it unless the deceased or those competent to take care of the burial of the deceased have chosen another cemetery legitimately.§2. Everyone, however, is permitted to choose the cemetery of burial unless prohibited by law.

Can. 1240 §1 Where possible, the Church is to have its own cemeteries, or at least an area in public cemeteries which is duly blessed and reserved for the deceased faithful. §2 If, however, this is not possible, then individual graves are to be blessed in due form on each occasion.

From what I see on some diocese’s websites, basically we should be buried in a Catholic cemetery if possible. If not, and the other cemetery doesn’t have a blessed Catholic section (which they are encouraged to have in many places), then the individual grave should be blessed.

Burying the dead is a work of mercy. For people who cannot afford to be buried in a Catholic cemetery, I’m assuming there is some special dispensation for those who would need it. The canon law provision that a Catholic “must be buried” in the parish’s cemetery is an obligation on the Church if the person doesn’t choose otherwise.