Differences between Masons & K of C?

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J.R

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Speaking with a friend of mine who was about to become a Mason I asked him why he would want to join an organization that keeps so much about itself secret. Do they have something to hide (like being anti-Catholic, but I didn’t say that). He said it ia a harmless organization just like the Knights of Columbus. I quickly corrected him by telling him that what the Knights do is not secret unlike the Masons. Can anyone help me in defending the Knights and exposing the differences between these two organizations. Thank you and God Bless all here.
 
I ay be wrogn, but one of the blaring difference betweent he two (at least in my opinion)is that people can choose to join the Knights of Columbus, but people have to have some sort of special invitation. The secrecy thing is pretty big too, but you already mentioned that.

I remember as a child ebign invited to join the Order of the Rainbow for Grils, which is a group that children of Masons and Eastern Stars can belong too, but they can invite people who are children of non-Mason groups. Everything was suppose to be hush hush, but most of the dialogue focused on harmless prayers (much of which focused on scripture) and doing charity work.

My grandmother was always admanetly opposed to such groups, because she didn’t like the idea that secrecy in general meant that they were asking you theoretically to hide things from a confessor. The children’s group never did any sort of activity that would need to be confessed, and later became open to parents.

She also had a huge bone with them ebcuase she said sduring the Second World War, the company with which my grandfather served had a way of assigning more dangerous missions to non-Masons because the higher ups were Masons.
 
  1. Catholics are OFFICIALLY forbidden from becoming Masons under penality of excommunication from the Catholic church. Do a search on this board which provides the links for that position.
  2. Pope John-Paul II has called the Knights of Columbus the “strong right arm of the Catholic church” and the Supreme Knight has regular meetings with the Pope.
… That alone speaks a world of difference between the two organizations.
 
J.R.,

I think you are approaching your friend incorrectly. The Masons are not evil merely because they have secrets. The Catholic Church has secrets, the USAF has secrets. Organizations that keep secrets are not inherently evil.

Yet, there is a difference between an “organization with secrets,” and a “secret organization.” I think the Masons tend toward the latter.

The Masons are heretical not because it keeps secrets, but because they promote the heresy of indifferentism.

See also:
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Deism
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Masonry (Freemasonry)
and secret society
 
The only thing “secret” about the Knights is the degree ceremonies. The reason they’re kept secret is the same reason you wouldn’t want to reveal the plotline of a movie to a friend.

That said, there are only four degree ceremonies. All members go through the first ceremony (one evening), most members go through the second and third ceremonies (both in one day, but some do them on separate days). I don’t know how many do the fourth degree. All told we’re typically talking about 2-3 meetings whose contents are kept secret. Nothing in the ceremonies is contrary to Church teaching.

The other meetings, which are member only, are business meetings where the members plan charitable works.
 
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rlg94086:
… All members go through the first ceremony (one evening), most members go through the second and third ceremonies (both in one day, but some do them on separate days) … .
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This may differ by state / district but I had to wait at LEAST 30 days from the time of my first degree to my second degree, a minimum of six months from the time of my first degree to my thrid degree and a minimum of one year from the time of my first degree and my fourth degree.
 
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rlg94086:
The only thing “secret” about the Knights is the degree ceremonies. The reason they’re kept secret is the same reason you wouldn’t want to reveal the plotline of a movie to a friend.

That said, there are only four degree ceremonies. All members go through the first ceremony (one evening), most members go through the second and third ceremonies (both in one day, but some do them on separate days). I don’t know how many do the fourth degree. All told we’re typically talking about 2-3 meetings whose contents are kept secret. Nothing in the ceremonies is contrary to Church teaching.

The other meetings, which are member only, are business meetings where the members plan charitable works.
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The Legion of Mary has its secrecy too - should it be suppressed 🙂 ?​

I think the whole of the Catholic Mason-bashing is absurd - a hangover from the 18th century: after all, it can quite plausibly be suggested that confessors are as secretive as Masons: one of the standard Protestant objections to Confession was exactly that - that the secrecy of the confessional was anti-social, came between spouses, and so on. If the CC is less obnoxious than some think it is - maybe Masonry is less obnoxious than the CC thinks it is.

Or maybe the CC doesn’t like competition 🙂 ##
 
You are correct. The CC does not like competition. Your are either a Catholic and worship God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) or you are a Mason and worship the devil (based on information found on this board regarding Masons). You can’t do both for scripture tells us that we can not serve two masters.

The Knights of Columbus, on the other hand, pledge their full support and loyality to our Holy Father. I don’t see the Masons making such a statement.
 
Gottle of Geer said:
## The Legion of Mary has its secrecy too - should it be suppressed 🙂 ?

I think the whole of the Catholic Mason-bashing is absurd - a hangover from the 18th century: after all, it can quite plausibly be suggested that confessors are as secretive as Masons: one of the standard Protestant objections to Confession was exactly that - that the secrecy of the confessional was anti-social, came between spouses, and so on. If the CC is less obnoxious than some think it is - maybe Masonry is less obnoxious than the CC thinks it is.

Or maybe the CC doesn’t like competition 🙂 ##
Click to expand...

Peace Michael,

You quoted my post for your response. Where did I bash the Masons? Mine was an informational post regarding the reason for the very limited secrecy within the KofC. I know little or nothing about the Masons.

My understanding is that Catholics are not supposed to join the Masons, so I haven’t even considered it. If it is true that they have anti-Catholic leanings, it’s very unfortunate, because I know they do some very charitable work. My younger brother was born handicapped and received multiple, free operations at Shriner’s Hospital in San Francisco. He had a “camel herder” who took us to the Circus and the East-West Shrine games. (There were no demonic rituals at any of these. 🙂 )

I wouldn’t be surprised if the reason Fr. McGivney created the Knights was to give men a Catholic alternative to the Masons. Anyway, I love the work we do in KofC, and the fact that it is completely in line with the Church. To me, I would rather put my time and resources into the KofC.

God Bless,

Robert.
 
The Knights of Columbus was founded by Michael J. McGivney in order to help Catholic families who lost their “bread winner” (father/husband). At the time most Catholic men were not able to purchase Life insurance because they were Catholic. Father McGivney Saw the families stuggling to make it because women were not supposed to be working outside the home, and gathered the Men of the parish together to aid these families. (The start of the life Insurance)

The way you become a knight is simple. All you need are 2 things.

  1. *]Must be 18 years or older.
    *]Must be Practical Catholic Man.

    There are 4 Degrees in the Knights.

    1. *]First Degree is Charity.
      *]Secound Degree is Unity.
      *]Third Degree is Fraternity.
      *]Fourth Degree is Patriotism.

      The initiation ceremonies into each of these Degrees (the ceremonies themselves are also called “Degrees”) are the only facets of the Order which are not made known to non-members. The Reason for this is to create the Bond of the Knights (Fratenalism) and they also teach each Knight something in the process.

      The Knights of Columbus do Many things like The Catholic Information Service. The Catholic Information Service (CIS) is an evangelization program of the Knights of Columbus. Booklets on critical Catholic moral and doctrinal issues are published regularly and distributed widely. CIS publications faithfully adhere to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.

      Work for family issues, Help support Seminarians, Pay for some of the popes travel, Pay to help televise (radio and TV) the popes speeches and masses. The list goes on and on.

      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 a rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes temples and altars, prayers, a moral code, worship, vestments, feast days, the promise of reward and punishment in the afterlife, a hierarchy, and initiative and burial rites”

      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, never would dream of carrying out these punishments on themselves or on an errant member).

      Historically, one of 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. In the United States, Freemasonry is often little more than a social club, but it still espouses a naturalistic religion that contradicts orthodox Christianity.

      Hope this helps.

      There is much info on many good catholic sites, if you dont belive the Catholic sites look at the history channel or other non-biased history books/sites and they will say the same
 
Well said, NMKnight!!!🙂

kepha1

Financial Secretary

St. Patricks Council 11733
 
Excellent post NMKnight. As I had said, our group was also created as a Catholic alternative to the Masons and other secret societies:
The United States of the 19th century was an age of fraternal organizations. Some were strictly about brotherhood; “male bonding” in today’s terms. Others focused on providing financial benefits to members. Father McGivney studied them all and gathered various bylaws to select those elements most suited to his purposes: the protection and flourishing of Christian families and the care of the poor and deprived.

Some of the fraternal organizations of his day were strongly anti-Catholic and condemned by the Church. Some were “secret societies” requiring members to take oaths contrary to Catholic doctrine and practice. Yet a young father, eager to provide for his family, would be tempted to join the ranks of the Protestant establishment, abandon the practice of the faith and join one of these societies for the sake of a promotion, better pay and job security.
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God Bless,

Robert.
 
Good to see I have my brothers here. Also let us not forget to enocurage all of our Catholic bretheren to join the Fr. McGiveny Guild. Please visit fathermcgivney.org/index.cfm and see why this servant of charity protector of Christian family life and apostle to the young is worthy of Cannonization.
 
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