What is Freemasonry

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mrgunston

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Hi there,

I have some questions about Freemasonry. I have searched the internet however, there are so many different ideas on this and I could not find a solid Catholic response.
  1. What is Freemasonry?
  2. Why does the Catholic Church oppose Freemasonry?
  3. Is Freemasonry linked to the Illuminati?
  4. Do Freemasons involve with the Occult?
 
My impression is that nowadays Freemasonry is really just a social club.

It used to be an Initiatic school, to introduce people to esoteric/occult aspects of religion, which is why I suspect the Catholic Church didn’t look upon it too favorably.

However, nowadays, most Freemasons have no idea about the roots of Masonry, or the significance of any of their rituals. They still perform many of the rituals, but it’s basically dead.

So really it’s just an opportunity for socialization and business networking. Technically, the Catholic Church is still against it, but there’s not really much of a reason for them to be anymore.
 
mrgunston said:
Hi there,

I have some questions about Freemasonry. I have searched the internet however, there are so many different ideas on this and I could not find a solid Catholic response.
  1. What is Freemasonry?
  2. Why does the Catholic Church oppose Freemasonry?
  3. Is Freemasonry linked to the Illuminati?
  4. Do Freemasons involve with the Occult?
Click to expand...
Here is an interesting article from EWTN: “Eight Popes Have Condemned Masonry Since 1738”.

ewtn.com/library/NEWAGE/PACONDEM.TXT
 
mrgunston said:
Hi there,

I have some questions about Freemasonry. I have searched the internet however, there are so many different ideas on this and I could not find a solid Catholic response.
  1. What is Freemasonry?
  2. Why does the Catholic Church oppose Freemasonry?
  3. Is Freemasonry linked to the Illuminati?
  4. Do Freemasons involve with the Occult?
Click to expand...
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Freemasonry, under the following heads:
Code: 
I. Name and Definition;
II. Origin and Early History;
III. Fundamental Principles and Spirit;
IV. Propagation and Evolution;
V. Organization and Statistics;
VI. Inner Work;
VII. Outer Work;
VIII. Action of State and Church.
newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm
 
But really Masonry is dying out and at a rapid rate. They are dying off and get very few young recruits. At least in the U.S…

I think men see through the silly rituals. Some have said that Masonry is the Protestant way to get ritual in their plain=jane ritual free churches.

I am a convert and my step grampa was a Mason, he died over 40 years ago. His son my step-father was an Ulster bigot and he told weird tales about the Masons and the KofC. It was all nonsense.

I would not dream of becoming a Mason of course, but I doubt they are as bad as they were in by gone days.
 
White_Tree said:
My impression is that nowadays Freemasonry is really just a social club.

It used to be an Initiatic school, to introduce people to esoteric/occult aspects of religion, which is why I suspect the Catholic Church didn’t look upon it too favorably.

However, nowadays, most Freemasons have no idea about the roots of Masonry, or the significance of any of their rituals. They still perform many of the rituals, but it’s basically dead.

So really it’s just an opportunity for socialization and business networking. Technically, the Catholic Church is still against it, but there’s not really much of a reason for them to be anymore.
Click to expand...
From what I understand, Freemasonry has been consistently condemned by several popes, including John Paul II. I don’t think the Church will ever lift its condemnation of Freemasonry.
 
Well, I don’t know the Catholic response to freemasonry but I do know what was the opinion of Thomas Paine on Christianity and Freemasonry.

“The christian religion and Masonry have one and the same common origin: both are derived from the worship of the Sun. The difference between their origin is, that the christian religion is a parody on the worship of the Sun, in which they put a man whom they call Christ, in the place of the Sun, and pay him the same adoration which was originally paid to the Sun, as I have shown in the chapter on the origin of the Christian religion.”
 
Pleroma said:
Well, I don’t know the Catholic response to freemasonry but I do know what was the opinion of Thomas Paine on Christianity and Freemasonry.

“The christian religion and Masonry have one and the same common origin: both are derived from the worship of the Sun. The difference between their origin is, that the christian religion is a parody on the worship of the Sun, in which they put a man whom they call Christ, in the place of the Sun, and pay him the same adoration which was originally paid to the Sun, as I have shown in the chapter on the origin of the Christian religion.”
Click to expand...
Not surprising he would say something like that since he’s a child of the Enlightenment and a deist, not to mention an enthusiastic supporter of the horrible French Revolution.
 
FabiusMaximus said:
From what I understand, Freemasonry has been consistently condemned by several popes, including John Paul II. I don’t think the Church will ever lift its condemnation of Freemasonry.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I’m not trying to imply that the Church no longer condemns Freemasonry. Obviously, even modern popes have explicitly condemned it. I’m just saying there’s not really any purpose to that condemnation anymore. There used to be a good (or at least, understandable) reason. Freemasonry used to be a religion (or served the same purpose as one). It’s clearly not anymore.

Nowadays, condemning Freemasonry is like condemning Harry Potter. Yes, the Church views magic as dangerous, but Harry Potter is not real magic. It’s make believe. Fantasy. A child waving a stick saying Avada Kedavra is not going to kill anyone.

Similarly, performing dead-letter rituals with no connection to the higher planes is not going to accomplish any of the purposes of religion. The Masons used to be wizards. Now they are children playing with sticks. (with a few possible exceptions)
 
mrgunston said:
Hi there,

I have some questions about Freemasonry. I have searched the internet however, there are so many different ideas on this and I could not find a solid Catholic response.
  1. What is Freemasonry?
  2. Why does the Catholic Church oppose Freemasonry?
  3. Is Freemasonry linked to the Illuminati?
  4. Do Freemasons involve with the Occult?
Click to expand...
Good answers on here so far, however, as I am a Freemason, I will comment on these:
  1. Masons looks to take good men and make them better men. We are deeply involved in charity work and in the community. We only require a person believe in God and we leave it at that. However, most U.S. Masons are Christians.
  2. In the past, the magisterium and freemasonry have butted heads. In recent years, tensions have cooled. Catholics are still prevented from becoming freemasons, however, Masons allow Catholics to become members and there are many Catholic freemasons.
  3. No, this is conspiracy theory nonsense that is being promoted by people who have mental issues or are very guilable.
  4. No, freemasonry is not a religion and freemasons are strongly encouraged to attend church. Some people will tell you that freemasonry is a religion, however, since they are not members and don’t really know squat about masonry, except what they read on conspiracy websites, I would ignore it. Freemasons answered the LCMS (Lutherans) charge that we were a religion and defeated their arguments with relative ease. I will try to find this article.
 
seanman611 said:
Good answers on here so far, however, as I am a Freemason, I will comment on these:
  1. Masons looks to take good men and make them better men. We are deeply involved in charity work and in the community. We only require a person believe in God and we leave it at that. However, most U.S. Masons are Christians.
  2. In the past, the magisterium and freemasonry have butted heads. In recent years, tensions have cooled. Catholics are still prevented from becoming freemasons, however, Masons allow Catholics to become members and there are many Catholic freemasons.
  3. No, this is conspiracy theory nonsense that is being promoted by people who have mental issues or are very guilable.
  4. No, freemasonry is not a religion and freemasons are strongly encouraged to attend church. Some people will tell you that freemasonry is a religion, however, since they are not members and don’t really know squat about masonry, except what they read on conspiracy websites, I would ignore it. Freemasons answered the LCMS (Lutherans) charge that we were a religion and defeated their arguments with relative ease. I will try to find this article.
Click to expand...
The Catholic Church rejects all secret societies, not
just free masonry as an anti thesis of the Holy Spirit.
And Free Masons still are a secret society and belonging
to such and encouraging others to join is a serious sin.
 
marywarfield said:
The Catholic Church rejects all secret societies, not
just free masonry as an anti thesis of the Holy Spirit.
And Free Masons still are a secret society and belonging
to such and encouraging others to join is a serious sin.
Click to expand...
Just a note, that Free Masonry is not a secret society, their lodges and halls are clearly marked, they have bumper stickers, T-shirts and volunteer openly. They are often referred to as a society with secrets but so does any fraternity or sorority.
 
Miss_Felicity said:
Just a note, that Free Masonry is not a secret society, their lodges and halls are clearly marked, they have bumper stickers, T-shirts and volunteer openly. They are often referred to as a society with secrets but so does any fraternity or sorority.
Click to expand...
Indeed, not to mention that a person can perform a google search and in 5 minutes they can find out our “secrets.”

Also, we have open Lodge Nights, family nights, and spouse nights…guess we’re not very good at being a secret.
 
Miss_Felicity said:
Just a note, that Free Masonry is not a secret society, their lodges and halls are clearly marked, they have bumper stickers, T-shirts and volunteer openly. They are often referred to as a society with secrets but so does any fraternity or sorority.
Click to expand...
Free masonry is a secret society. Secret rituals, secret
symbols and very much like the Mormon church, the
farther one climbs in “degrees” the more secret the
ritual.
Please- free masons have been in certain parts of
my family, some high degree and some dabblers
for generations. It’s a secret society absolutely.
 
The problem with Masonry is not its secretness. Likewise, Masonry is still problematic for a Catholic if the lodge does not plot against the Church. Here’s a good explanation:

Some have tried to say that American Masonry is different from European Masonry, which has a history of plotting against the government and the Church. The basic problem with all Masonry, however, is that it is a society which fosters a religious- philosophical attitude of indifference to religious truth, even substituting its own naturalistic dogma and rituals for those of Christianity. Such indifference is incompatible with belief in the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation. We may not “play-act” in the lodge of the Great Architect on Thursday night, then worship “in spirit and in truth” on Sunday morning at the altar of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the unique Lord and Redeemer of the Universe, the Word-made-flesh who reveals the Father, and who together with the Father sends the Holy Spirit. The Creed and the Masonic oath are irreconcilable!
ewtn.com/expert/answers/freemasonry.htm
 
“Lucifer, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable, blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!” [Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, p. 321, 19th Degree of Grand Pontiff; Red Emphasis added]

What a revelation! From the first degree, the first Initiation, the Mason is urged mightily to “seek the Light”! The average Mason is continually saying that he is “seeking the Light”, and will spend his entire life “moving toward the Light.” Almost every person in Western Civilization will assume that this “Light” is the revelation of the God of the Bible; indeed, this statement is held up continuously to try to convince us that Masonry is Christian. Yet, here, Albert Pike is saying that Lucifer is the One who bears the Light of Freemasonry!

At the higher degrees of masonry it is shown that satan is the only thing they worship. Lower degrees are used to “get the person ready.” Read more here if you want: cuttingedge.org/free11.html
 
White_Tree said:
I’m just saying there’s not really any purpose to that condemnation anymore… The Masons used to be wizards. Now they are children playing with sticks. (with a few possible exceptions)
Click to expand...
This is very far from the truth, the reason has grown to stay far away from these people. We have to ask, who is in charge of setting up the one world order NWO so the anti-christ can enter into the world accepted. Free Masons and the Illuminati.

The NAFTA Agreement, as well as many other agreements, are solidifying North America as 1 of 10 world regions. Could these be the 10 horns of Revelation 17:12-4:
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Read more here if you want:
angelfire.com/la2/prophet1/towg.html
 
TheSaleBoat said:
“Lucifer, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable, blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!” [Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, p. 321, 19th Degree of Grand Pontiff; Red Emphasis added]
Click to expand...
This quote is taken completely out of context. To see the full context of that quote and an explanation of the quote, visit this site: albertpike.wordpress.com/albert-pike-lucifer/

It is important to do proper research before using information to prove a point. Pike believed that the light of Lucifer was a light of deception and that sublime faith aspires to God alone.
What a revelation! From the first degree, the first Initiation, the Mason is urged mightily to “seek the Light”! The average Mason is continually saying that he is “seeking the Light”, and will spend his entire life “moving toward the Light.” Almost every person in Western Civilization will assume that this “Light” is the revelation of the God of the Bible; indeed, this statement is held up continuously to try to convince us that Masonry is Christian. Yet, here, Albert Pike is saying that Lucifer is the One who bears the Light of Freemasonry!
Click to expand...
The “light” is the light of God and Albert Pike was an Anglican Christian. Again, see the above link to view the source in its full context. Also, Pike was only influential in the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite.
At the higher degrees of masonry it is shown that satan is the only thing they worship. Lower degrees are used to “get the person ready.” Read more here if you want: cuttingedge.org/free11.html
Click to expand...
We are not a religion and we don’t worship Satan. Also, there are no “higher degrees,” the third degree is the very highest. Other organizations that associate or fall under the umbrela of freemasonry do offer other degrees, however, they are not higher than the third. However, what would I know, I’m only a member of this group afterall. Maybe when I get “higher up”, they will reveal the Satan worship. :rolleyes:
 
Genesis315 said:
The problem with Masonry is not its secretness. Likewise, Masonry is still problematic for a Catholic if the lodge does not plot against the Church. Here’s a good explanation:

Some have tried to say that American Masonry is different from European Masonry, which has a history of plotting against the government and the Church. The basic problem with all Masonry, however, is that it is a society which fosters a religious- philosophical attitude of indifference to religious truth, even substituting its own naturalistic dogma and rituals for those of Christianity. Such indifference is incompatible with belief in the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation. We may not “play-act” in the lodge of the Great Architect on Thursday night, then worship “in spirit and in truth” on Sunday morning at the altar of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the unique Lord and Redeemer of the Universe, the Word-made-flesh who reveals the Father, and who together with the Father sends the Holy Spirit. The Creed and the Masonic oath are irreconcilable!
ewtn.com/expert/answers/freemasonry.htm
Click to expand...
How about the plot of the Catholic Church and the King of France to murder and disband the Knights Templar in order to seize their wealth? I see that there are some on here that have short memories or they wish to forgot certain parts of history.
 
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