Freemasons

[dessert]

Was there a youth group by the name of demolay part of the masons? When I met my husband he said he had went to this group. Did they teach membership or initiation?

 

[FCEGM]

Was there a youth group by the name of demolay part of the masons? When I met my husband he said he had went to this group. Did they teach membership or initiation?

Yes, DeMolay is a part of the Masonic organization, as is Job’s Daughters. As a teenager I was asked if I would be interested in joining Job’s Daughters; since I was a Catholic, I politely declined.

 

[AELondon]

I think that we, as Catholics, are going to have to mobilize to education and inform people, especially our Catholic brethren, about the Church’s teaching on Freemasonry. I would bet that very few Catholics understand that belonging to the Masons is different than being a member of the Elks some other community/fraternal group.

This is especially important now that the Masons are in the midst of an agressive marketing campaign. I have heard radio ads and even seen a billboard along the highway recently. They all tout belonging to something special and becoming a better man.

 

[FCEGM]

I think that we, as Catholics, are going to have to mobilize to education and inform people, especially our Catholic brethren, about the Church’s teaching on Freemasonry. I would bet that very few Catholics understand that belonging to the Masons is different than being a member of the Elks some other community/fraternal group.

This is especially important now that the Masons are in the midst of an agressive marketing campaign. I have heard radio ads and even seen a billboard along the highway recently. They all tout belonging to something special and becoming a better man.

I haven’t yet heard or seen this new marketing campaign, but I agree that there is a need (just from the small sample here) for educating Catholics about Freemasonry.

 

[dessert]

Yes, DeMolay is a part of the Masonic organization, as is Job’s Daughters. As a teenager I was asked if I would be interested in joining Job’s Daughters; since I was a Catholic, I politely declined.

My husband was raised Methodist and he kind of like a girl so he went to the group to get to know her and yes I remember him calling her Job’s daughter group but then we married and I was wondering if he would still be considered part of the masons since he had studied under it for a while. this was about 40 years ago. We married but not in the cc. Do they have books that they keep track of things like the mormons and such ? dessert

 

[dessert]

The other reasons I am asking is I am a cradel catholic revert and seeing the facts of my dh history others have said I could have our priest bless our marriage now and kind of put it on the books and my dh heaart has been softening to my wishes some what and he even bouht himself a wedding ring for Christmas which he had to abndom the old years ago too small. All this woould hinge on his willing to let a priest pray over him for a blessing and mine wish to wnat to be yoked as he did get a ring now so I feel I do burt also will be if he is still a mason and if my priest will want him to deny the group. Even tho it is so far in the past. My priest is very traditional and I don’t want to keep any secrets from him or invalidate it and of course he wants to see my dh converted some day as I do but should I have our marriage blessed, maybe not yet?

Many in our church are praying for me and I put holy water on evrything , it works. I get everything blessed by father and my dh is softening to all this but I am going slowly with it and have not put the crucifix on the wall yet but father says to compromise and put it on the table or discuss this first. This is anew realm for me is discussing but I am learning as thru the forum because we certainly can’t throw things at each other on this forum. but I don’t do this. at least not anymore as you can tell from some of my posts can get judgy. I hate rejection so it is helpfull to see what others have been thru the same situation thanks dessert

 

[FCEGM]

My husband was raised Methodist and he kind of like a girl so he went to the group to get to know her and yes I remember him calling her Job’s daughter group but then we married and I was wondering if he would still be considered part of the masons since he had studied under it for a while. this was about 40 years ago. We married but not in the cc. Do they have books that they keep track of things like the mormons and such ? dessert

I’m sorry I can’t help you with your question, dessert. Perhaps someone with more knowledge about the inner workings of Freemasonry will be able to give you an answer. I suspect, though, that after 40 years of having no affiliation with DeMolay, your husband wouldn’t be considered a part of the Masonic organization.

I doubt that your pastor would have any concerns in this regard since it’s been so long ago that your husband had any sort of connection to the Masons.

 

[asquared]

AS Catholics it is our responsibility to inform the priest and he is to quietly tell the Catholic that is Freemason he is in grave sin and can not receive the Eucharist. AS stated by Canon Law. You are correct…God will judge the soul…but it is our responsibility as Catholics to bring the soul to salvation. And evangalize the truth.

well if you say you have already informed the pastor your obligation is over. you have judged this person as you state in OP, evangelization is not calling the heresy police on everybody who sits next to you in the pews.

 

[marci]

well if you say you have already informed the pastor your obligation is over. you have judged this person as you state in OP, evangelization is not calling the heresy police on everybody who sits next to you in the pews.

I am not judging if I say that membership in freemasonry is forbidden. The church says this herself, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Declaration on Masonic Associations, dated November 26, 1983. “Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconciliable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”

Would you rather that the OP say nothing? That he continue to watch a brother commit sacralige everytime he recieves communion, knowing the church’s teaching on this subject. The catholic mason may not know the teaching, how wonderful to be informed that he is doing something which separates him from God so that he can go to confession and remove himself from the masons.

I guess by your rational, we shouldn’t inform a nurse at planned parenthood that she is commiting mortal sin everytime she assists in an abortion, or that I shouldn’t tell my teenage daughter that she should stop having pre-marital sex because she is in a state of mortal sin. Maybe I shouldn’t tell a divorced and re-married catholic that they should not recieve communion unless their 1st marriage is annulled. Maybe the bishops, reciently in Baltimore, shouldn’t have made any statements about worthy reception of the Eurcharist. How dare anyone say that anything is a sin, or that anyone is behaving in a sinful manor.

I thank God for the judgements that my family and my church made about my behavior. Had it not been for their chastisments, I might not have desired for confession and reconciliation with the church.

 

[dsimo]

Julianna, the people who are posting negatively about the masons are only relaying church teaching about freemasonry and the sin that is attached to a catholic who is a member. A sin so grave, by the way, that one should not recieve the Eucharist while a member. This is not personal opinion this is the teaching of the church.

Two of the spiritual works of mercy are to counsel the doubtful and instruct the ignorant. One of the duties of a priest is to shepard his flock, to give them the spiritual guidance necessary for salvation. Instructing them on mortal sin and reception of the Eurcharist is definately within the realm of pastoral duty.

And as far as the faithful who worry about such things, they are not “tattletails” or “spies”. Anyone who truely loves their neighbor cares most of all about the condition of their souls. To love, truely love someone is to give them charity and the spiritual direction they need to find salvation.

One of the Charisms of the church is the power to express knowledge. The Catholic Encyclopedia says “This grace enables a preacher or teacher to impart knowledge of sacred truth with exactitude and clarity. St. Augustine stated that this charism pertains expecially to the explanation of morality and good works. The charism of knowledge is similar to the gift of the Holy Spirit that has the same name, because they both have to do with imparting a knowledge of sacred truth and Divine Revelation. The difference lies in the fact that the gift of knowledge benefits the person who have the gift, while the charism is for the instruction of others.”

If done in charity, it is the duty of all catholics to evagelize, this means to instruct those outside the church and to reinstruct those in the church who are in need of spiritual guidance.

Hi Marci

Well stated…I really didn’t think I would have a problem asking for advice on this website…I’m really surprised…All you say is true…the Masons are doing alot of harm to our church…and one must be aware of the oaths they take when they go into each degree of Freemasonry…not to say in there ritural they stomp on the Pope’s vestments I think it’s doing the 14th degree. I appreciate your strong faith…

Dominick

 

[Julianna]

True story… Diocese of Springfield
Baby boy born 1959 with a club foot. Family is Catholic both sides…everyone. The father is self employed, no health insurance. This child was treated at Shriners Hospital most of his life growing up. It was the Shriners that paid for his surgery and a place for his parents to stay while the child was in the hospital. I left MA in 1975. This boy was a teenager and was walking perfectly.

My question to all of you

Should the parents have NOT accepted assistance from the Shriners for their son because they are Catholic? Now remember, this is before the “hippy dippy” days as you call them of Vat II.

I don’t remember a Catholic hospital, jumping to the forefront to help this family.

This is a true story, as I have said. I am not being condescending or judgemental. I am asking a legitimate question.

If it was your child, what what you do?

 

[dsimo]

Priests have to be careful of crossing the Masons. I believe it was Fr. Corapi who told about a good priest who sought to enlighten his parishioners about Church teaching regarding membership in the Masons. In very short order, he had anonymous accusations of molestation lodged against him.

Masons are not just a collection of do-gooders.

Your comment above sounds like the same tactics the Devil uses…he plants doubt in our minds…prayer combats that doubt…and your given courage to stand up for Christ…we are not called to be Lukewarm with our faith…attend Mass…recite the Rosaries…confession every month…and you will see your enemies fall.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I am lost again ( what is new)

The act of charity is a good thing. We as Catholics give charity to non Catholics, so what is the difference in that regard? It is one thing to educate the Mason, or to inform the Mason, Priest, or Diocese. It is another to intervene in their life. It does not matter to me what a Mason does in his lodge. What he does in the Catholic Church is up to the Church not the Mason. The Church has ruled on this issue. God may entrust a child to you, you are to intervene in that life continually as needed at least until adulthood, is this Mason your child? We must promote charity it is part of our religion. We must be charitable to non Catholics it is part of our religion. In this case the OP needs to usher, if we have to have people who are publicly not in communion with the church perform the alms we have our own problems to fix. That is my answers hope it helps

 

[marci]

My question to all of you

Should the parents have NOT accepted assistance from the Shriners for their son because they are Catholic? Now remember, this is before the “hippy dippy” days as you call them of Vat II.

I don’t remember a Catholic hospital, jumping to the forefront to help this family.

This is a true story, as I have said. I am not being condescending or judgemental. I am asking a legitimate question.

If it was your child, what what you do?

Julianna, what does this have to do with instructing a fellow catholic about the church’s teaching on membership in the masons and refraining from reception of the Eucharist?

I suspect that there are a great many people who recieve and accept help from those that are not in union with the church. There are so-called catholic hospitals that provide contraception, does this mean one shouldn’t accept medical care from their emergency room if they were in a car crash?

Yes, the masons do alot of charity work, but that doesn’t change the fact that membership for catholics is forbidden by the church. If you don’t quite understand why the church teaches this, there are many places you can find information about the freemasons, may I suggest the following:

CCC 285, 2123-2126
Leo XIII, Humanum Genus

Others that I have not read, but are suggested readings on freemasonry in Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Catholic Doctrine:
Christianity and American Freemasonry, W. Whalen
Behind the Lodge Doors, P. Fisher
Freemasonry and the Vatican, L. de Poncins
Conspiracy Against God and Man, C. Kelly

 

[Julianna]

Julianna, what does this have to do with instructing a fellow catholic about the church’s teaching on membership in the masons and refraining from reception of the Eucharist?

I suspect that there are a great many people who recieve and accept help from those that are not in union with the church. There are so-called catholic hospitals that provide contraception, does this mean one shouldn’t accept medical care from their emergency room if they were in a car crash?

Yes, the masons do alot of charity work, but that doesn’t change the fact that membership for catholics is forbidden by the church. If you don’t quite understand why the church teaches this, there are many places you can find information about the freemasons, may I suggest the following:

CCC 285, 2123-2126
Leo XIII, Humanum Genus

Others that I have not read, but are suggested readings on freemasonry in Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Catholic Doctrine:
Christianity and American Freemasonry, W. Whalen
Behind the Lodge Doors, P. Fisher
Freemasonry and the Vatican, L. de Poncins
Conspiracy Against God and Man, C. Kelly

oh, ok, we can accept their charity, we just can’t join them and we can say on these forums that they are some wicked cult or something to that effect, and they initiate new members by stomping on the pope’s vestments and they are harmful for the church.

Hmmm…makes me wonder why any Catholic would accept charity from them.

 

[marci]

oh, ok, we can accept their charity, we just can’t join them and we can say on these forums that they are some wicked cult or something to that effect, and they initiate new members by stomping on the pope’s vestments and they are harmful for the church.

Hmmm…makes me wonder why any Catholic would accept charity from them.

Charity is charity, should I as a catholic not be charitable towards those who are not in union with the church. Should I not have charity for those who are not christians? No one is condeming the good works that individual masons do. The church has prohibited membership in the masons because they are as a group against the catholic church.

Leo XIII said: “Let us remember that Christianity and Freemasonry are essentially irreconciliable, so that enrollment in one means separation from the other” (Custodi Di Quella Fede) Again, Pope Leo XIII says, “As a convenient manner of concealment they assume the character of literary men and scholars associated for purposes of learning. They speak of their zeal for a more cultured refinement and of their love for the poor” (Humanum Genus, 9). It’s (Freemasonry) ultimate purpose forces itself into view–namely, the utter overthrow of that whole religious and political order of the world which the Christian teaching has produced, and the substitution of a new state of things in accordance with their ideas…drawn from mere ‘Naturalism’"(Humanum Genus, 10)

Again, I encourage you to read more about the freemasons and church teaching about membership in this organization.

 

[InTheWilderness]

Hum… I wasn’t aware of the current state of Church teaching on the Masons. I knew what it used to be, but I had thought things had changed. Very good to know.

I was actually in a Mason building a while back for a social function. Is there anything at all wrong with that? It seems around here the Masons are thought of us just another civic organization (though a somewhat odd one).

I wonder, how far does the prohibition on membership in the Masons go when dealing with groups that originated in or have ties to Masonic ideas? It seems there are a lot of organizations that are at least quasi-Masonic in terms of rituals and creeds and what not.

I happen to be a member of a group that was once thought of as being too similar to the Masons for Catholics, but today is thought of differently.

Oh, on the charity issue, we should all be willing to give charity to one another. It seems to me it would be uncharitable to refuse a child medical help based on its source. Now, if going to the Shriner hospital (most people don’t know the Shriners are Masons, in my experience) required giving approval to, or involvement in, Masonic belief or ritual, that would be different.

Catholics are to be in the world without being of it.

 

[thistle]

oh, ok, we can accept their charity, we just can’t join them and we can say on these forums that they are some wicked cult or something to that effect, and they initiate new members by stomping on the pope’s vestments and they are harmful for the church.

Hmmm…makes me wonder why any Catholic would accept charity from them.

Like most groups sponsored by Satan they appear to do some good and tell some truths in order to confuse and get people hooked.

Everyone should stay well clear of the Freemasons and any groups associated with them or like them.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Being charitable to a Mason or at a Mason function is not a sin, promoting a Mason function or the Mason organization is. Promoting Mason functions is encouraging people to turn away from Catholism and to alternative religion, and that is the problem.

Some history experts claim condemning a person is what the Bible refers to as taking the Lord’s name in vain. They say it implies or states the condemner has the authority of God.

 

[mommyof4]

Once a year, the Shriners underwrite a circus that comes to our city. This is the only circus that comes to our area, by the way. Is it wrong to let my children attend the Shrine Circus? Is that some way aiding and abetting the enemy?