So why can't Catholics be Freemasons?

[JD27076]

I am reading this book about Freemasons (The Lost Symbol. Author: Dan Brown) and it’s pretty cool…

I believe that Freemasonry started to destroy the Catholic Church, but I believe that they have changed that objective. Though I may be wrong.

I do not know every Mason teaching, but from that book all I know is that it is not a secretive organization, but rather an organization with secrets. The only creed is that you have to accept a higher power, and as a Catholic, I do. So their only creed does not go against our Nicaen Creed.

But with all of this, why exactly has the church prohibited Catholics from joining Mason lodges?

 

[Timothysis]

Freemasonry was rife with “progressive” thinking that went against the status quo. The revolutions in 1848 shook the foundation of monarchy in Europe and was an impetus for the Church to condemn freemasonry.

BTW, Dan Brown is hardly a worthy source for anything.

 

[odile53]

Masons deny the Divinity of Christ, putting Him on the same level as a prophet or other religious figure of different faiths, such as Buddha, Mohammed, et. al. The entire philosophy itself is deistic.

Here is a reference with both historical and relatively current events (1980’s, in case you’re wondering)

osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/1724/Why-Catholics-cant-be-Masons.aspx

And I’ll second the first response on this thread: Dan Brown is hardly an authority on either philosophy or religion. When I read “DaVinci Code,” it seemed the only accurate thing in the book was that the Louvre is indeed located in Paris. Basically, you read a novel.

 

[thistle]

I am reading this book about Freemasons (The Lost Symbol. Author: Dan Brown) and it’s pretty cool…

I believe that Freemasonry started to destroy the Catholic Church, but I believe that they have changed that objective. Though I may be wrong.

I do not know every Mason teaching, but from that book all I know is that it is not a secretive organization, but rather an organization with secrets. The only creed is that you have to accept a higher power, and as a Catholic, I do. So their only creed does not go against our Nicaen Creed.

But with all of this, why exactly has the church prohibited Catholics from joining Mason lodges?

Do a search. In these forums there are dozens of threads on this topic which will answer your questions.

If you want the Church documents on this:

HUMANUM GENUS

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON FREEMASONRY APRIL 20, 1884

papalencyclicals.net/Leo13/l13human.htm

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html

 

[1ke]

I am reading this book about Freemasons (The Lost Symbol. Author: Dan Brown) and it’s pretty cool…

I hope you will reconsider buying these books, and thereby enriching, this virulently anti-Catholic person.

I believe that Freemasonry started to destroy the Catholic Church, but I believe that they have changed that objective. Though I may be wrong.

I do not know every Mason teaching, but from that book all I know is that it is not a secretive organization, but rather an organization with secrets.

Dan Brown writes fiction books. “From that book” you cannot tell anything about masonry, catholicism, nor anything else.

But with all of this, why exactly has the church prohibited Catholics from joining Mason lodges?

Syncretism and Deism are heresies.

 

[Timothysis]

Masons deny the Divinity of Christ, putting Him on the same level as a prophet or other religious figure of different faiths, such as Buddha, Mohammed, et. al. The entire philosophy itself is deistic.

But this simply is not true. There are many masonic societies (here in the U,S.) that are fraternal in nature and have nothing to do with a person’s personal religious convictions. I worked with a man for years who was a mason and a baptist preacher, and I can assure you that he certainly didn’t deny the Divinity of Christ.

The Shriners run a network of hospitals that treat all children under the age of 18 regardless of race, creed, religion or ability to pay. That hardly sounds like the actions of a group who want to subvert the Church and push a deistic philosophy.

The reason for the Church’s hostility to freemasonry has more to do with its liberal political points of view in contrast to the conservative status quo of the (then) Church and state. Mozart and many of his contemporaries in the highly Catholic Austrian/Hapsburg Empire were freemasons. It wasn’t until the French Revolution shook the established order that freemasonry was particularly condemned.

 

[thistle]

But this simply is not true. There are many masonic societies (here in the U,S.) that are fraternal in nature and have nothing to do with a person’s personal religious convictions. I worked with a man for years who was a mason and a baptist preacher, and I can assure you that he certainly didn’t deny the Divinity of Christ.

The Shriners run a network of hospitals that treat all children under the age of 18 regardless of race, creed, religion or ability to pay. That hardly sounds like the actions of a group who want to subvert the Church and push a deistic philosophy.

The reason for the Church’s hostility to freemasonry has more to do with its liberal political points of view in contrast to the conservative status quo of the (then) Church and state. Mozart and many of his contemporaries in the highly Catholic Austrian/Hapsburg Empire were freemasons. It wasn’t until the French Revolution shook the established order that freemasonry was particularly condemned.

It doesn’t matter what you try to argue there are no exceptions when it comes to the Freemasons and there never will be. The Church has declared that Freemasonry and Catholicism are incompatible and that any Catholic who is a Freemason is in a state of mortal sin and may not receive Communion. Such a person dying unrepentant goes to Hell.

 

[Timothysis]

It doesn’t matter what you try to argue there are no exceptions when it comes to the Freemasons and there never will be. The Church has declared that Freemasonry and Catholicism are incompatible and that any Catholic who is a Freemason is in a state of mortal sin and may not receive Communion. Such a person dying unrepentant goes to Hell.

I did not say that there were exceptions. What I was referring to was the notion that masons deny the divinity of Christ or that masons work for the destruction of the Church.

 

[thistle]

I did not say that there were exceptions. What I was referring to was the notion that masons deny the divinity of Christ or that masons work for the destruction of the Church.

They do and they do!

 

[BettyBoop416]

They do and they do!

This is just silly.

 

[thistle]

This is just silly.

Obviously you are not a Catholic so why would you care?

 

[Timothysis]

They do and they do!

I can point to the example of a man who is a baptist preacher and a mason who doesn’t deny the divinity of Christ. I’m sure that he isn’t the only mason to feel this way so your allegation that “they do and they do” is factually incorrect.

 

[thistle]

I can point to the example of a man who is a baptist preacher and a mason who doesn’t deny the divinity of Christ. I’m sure that he isn’t the only mason to feel this way so your allegation that “they do and they do” is factually incorrect.

When I talk about Masons I do not mean every individual because most of them have been duped. I am talking about Freemasonry (as a group, insititution, society - whatever you want to call it) which is evil and does want the Catholic Church to fall. Their evil is hidden behind good things that are done, just like the drug cartels.
The Church condemns Freemasonry and all Catholics should be obedient to the Church and do likewise.

 

[Timothysis]

When I talk about Masons I do not mean every individual because most of them have been duped. I am talking about Freemasonry (as a group, insititution, society - whatever you want to call it) which is evil and does want the Catholic Church to fall. Their evil is hidden behind good things that are done, just like the drug cartels.
The Church condemns Freemasonry and all Catholics should be obedient to the Church and do likewise.

I have no love for freemasonry or conspiracy theories. I remember reading here a poster’s statement that 33 degree masons are satanists. Another poster responded that he was a freemason for nearly 20 years before becoming Catholic and never saw any such thing. The original posters response was akin to if you’re not in the hierarchy, then you’ll never know. So the premise is that someone who spent nearly 20 years interacting with these guys never even glimpsed that they were satanists, but someone who has never been a part of it knows it as a fact!

It is even more absurd when you consider that people like Chet Atkins (Mr. Guitar) and Paul Bigsby (designer and inventor who built the first commercially available solid body electric guitar) were masons. Bigsby was a 33 degree mason whose big kick was to play Santa Clause every year at the lodge handing out presents to the children. Mel Tillis, Gene Autry, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and even John Wayne were all masons. It is stretching the limits of imagination to think that these men were all duped and part of a grand conspiracy to destroy the Church.

 

[davidv]

I have no love for freemasonry or conspiracy theories. I remember reading here a poster’s statement that 33 degree masons are satanists. Another poster responded that he was a freemason for nearly 20 years before becoming Catholic and never saw any such thing. The original posters response was akin to if you’re not in the hierarchy, then you’ll never know. So the premise is that someone who spent nearly 20 years interacting with these guys never even glimpsed that they were satanists, but someone who has never been a part of it knows it as a fact!

It is even more absurd when you consider that people like Chet Atkins (Mr. Guitar) and Paul Bigsby (designer and inventor who built the first commercially available solid body electric guitar) were masons. Bigsby was a 33 degree mason whose big kick was to play Santa Clause every year at the lodge handing out presents to the children. Mel Tillis, Gene Autry, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and even John Wayne were all masons. It is stretching the limits of imagination to think that these men were all duped and part of a grand conspiracy to destroy the Church.

All this proves is that individuals’ behaviors and beliefs are invalid in judging the nature of the organizations they belong to.

 

[Timothysis]

All this proves is that individuals’ behaviors and beliefs are invalid in judging the nature of the organizations they belong to.

The same could be said about the Catholic Church.

The problem is that out of the thousands and thousands of masons the world over I have never seen an individual or representative group clamoring for the destruction of the Church. You wouldn’t believe how many lodges there are in even just mid-sized cities.

 

[BettyBoop416]

Obviously you are not a Catholic so why would you care?

Actually, I am Catholic. Why do I care? Because it is silly teachings like this that tends to discredit Church teaching in general.

It is stretching the limits of imagination to think that these men were all duped and part of a grand conspiracy to destroy the Church.

Agreed.

 

[thistle]

Actually, I am Catholic. Why do I care? Because it is silly teachings like this that tends to discredit Church teaching in general.

Agreed.

So you are a fallen Catholic because you refuse to accept the teachings of the Church established by Christ.

 

[Timothysis]

So you are a fallen Catholic because you refuse to accept the teachings of the Church established by Christ.

Oh for goodness sake…she didn’t say anything about refusing “the teachings of the Church established by Christ;” she, like I, do not accept the conspiratorial idea that freemasons are gathered in their dimly lit lodges plotting the destruction of the Catholic Church.

The Catechism prohibits the joining of *any * group or organization that seeks to harm the Church; it does not specifically mention that freemasons do such a thing nor has it been shown by anyone here. The statement that you linked from Cardinal Ratzinger does not even mention trying to destroy the Church.

 

[romedii]

I have no love for freemasonry or conspiracy theories. I remember reading here a poster’s statement that 33 degree masons are satanists. Another poster responded that he was a freemason for nearly 20 years before becoming Catholic and never saw any such thing. The original posters response was akin to if you’re not in the hierarchy, then you’ll never know. So the premise is that someone who spent nearly 20 years interacting with these guys never even glimpsed that they were satanists, but someone who has never been a part of it knows it as a fact!

As a mason for 24 years, 32°, Knight Templar, and Past Master, I have heard and read enough to convince me that the charges of Satanism within the upper echelons of the order may very well be accurate. Not enough to constitute proof, but too much to dismiss. Enough to resign from the fraternity and convert to Catholicism.