What's the problem with Freemasonry?

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CutlerB said:
It’s interesting though that they themselves form a “church that tells you how to behave” by saying they know what is right and wrong.
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Masonry is not a church! We do have a simple prayer or two, and we do have an open bible, but there is absolutly no plan of salvation in Masonry.

Frankly, it’s a club for silly old men to have fun, and encourage each others moral development with their fellow man. We barely touch upon the relationship with god and man, and pretty much focus between man and man.

If that sound odd way to spend a Monday night… Well it is odd. Frankly, I think the only reason the masonic “rituals” are still supposed to be a secret is because they are so darn silly. They are very facinating from a historical context, but fundementally charming in thier old-time sillyness.

…

Now… For those that still think that Masonry is some sort of conspiricy, the take heart, it must be a pretty poorly run one. I live in a rather shoddy house for a criminal mastemind. Or maybe that’s just what I want you to think…
 
benjohnson said:
Thats encouraging… We have three members in our lodge that are Catholic (and quite fervent), so I’m happy for them that they can properly receive.
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The statement sounds contradictory. I wouldn’t think they could receive as the Codex Iuris Canonici has people automatically excommunicated, and obviously an excommunicated person cannot receive the Sacraments.
 
CutlerB said:
The statement sounds contradictory. I wouldn’t think they could receive as the Codex Iuris Canonici has people automatically excommunicated, and obviously an excommunicated person cannot receive the Sacraments.
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May be contradictory but my Cardinal specifically states in his policy letter that a member of the Masonic order is free to receive the sacraments. Its not an interpretation, its the actual wording.

I cannot argue the apparent conflict but I think the Cardinal has a better feel on his congregation and what is a threat to the work of the Church in this area. Tried attaching the scan of the document but it wont attach for some reason.
 
ess1113a said:
May be contradictory but my Cardinal specifically states in his policy letter that a member of the Masonic order is free to receive the sacraments. Its not an interpretation, its the actual wording.

I cannot argue the apparent conflict but I think the Cardinal has a better feel on his congregation and what is a threat to the work of the Church in this area. Tried attaching the scan of the document but it wont attach for some reason.
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I really am not into matters of Church law, but my feeling is that it supersedes anything that contradicts it?
 
thistle said:
Any Catholic who is a Freemason is in a state of mortal sin and if they die unrepentant they go to Hell.
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With all due respect brother thistle, they go to where God decides, not you.

Yes, we know all about Church doctrine, mortal sin and Hell, but remember that God will judge us with the same judement with which we judged others.

I’m not so quick to send others to Hell. That’s just me.

-Tim-
 
Church_Militant said:
Did anyone look up in the Ask an Apologist forum for this? I found the following.
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Great articles but leaves alot of questions.
If I was a Freemason, became Catholic, and then stopped attending meetings but maintained a membership would that be wrong?

What if I had a life membership and there were no provisions to end my membership?

Does the Church make the distinction between European Freemasons and US Freemasons? Same name and same organization structure but a vast world apart.
 
ess1113a said:
Great articles but leaves alot of questions.
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Actually it doesn’t.
If I was a Freemason, became Catholic, and then stopped attending meetings but maintained a membership would that be wrong?
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Yes. Why would one knowingly continue to support an organization that is an opponent of the Catholic faith?
What if I had a life membership and there were no provisions to end my membership?
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Then you disassociate yourself from them just as one would any sinful action. 🤷 What’s so hard about this? (Unless of course there are some secret aspects of Masonic membership that the general population are not aware of?)
Does the Church make the distinction between European Freemasons and US Freemasons? Same name and same organization structure but a vast world apart.
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No, it does not. Read what is there. It’s a definitive statement.
 
Not to argue too much - as a Mason, I encourage my Catholic friends to join the Knights of Columbus instead.

Masonry was understood to be a secret cult of pseudo-religious crackpots that would kill you if you told any of the secrets - and if that were the case, then the Catholic prohibition (and LC-MS prohibition) is more than reasonable.

But now that the ‘secrets’ are are only a Google search away, once can see that not only do we not kill each other to keep the secret, but the secret was never really a secret: for over the last 150 years, you could walk into the Library of Congress and read the full Masonic ritual.

Please keep in mind, I’m only talking about American and British lodges - the Oriental lodges of Europe do merit the prohibition in my opinion.

All that said, there really is sort of an easy out… Catholics should join the KOC. I
 
Church_Militant said:
Actually it doesn’t.Yes. Why would one knowingly continue to support an organization that is an opponent of the Catholic faith?.
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You continue to propagate a falsehood. Freemasonry is not anti-Catholic. Perhaps there have been times when it, or segments within it, were anti-Catholic, but today’s freemasonry is NOT anti-Catholic in any way.
 
Boatswain2PA said:
You continue to propagate a falsehood. Freemasonry is not anti-Catholic. Perhaps there have been times when it, or segments within it, were anti-Catholic, but today’s freemasonry is NOT anti-Catholic in any way.
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Then perhaps you should tell Rome. When they say it’s okay then Catholics can do what they will. In the meantime I’ll remain obedient to the Church.
 
Boatswain2PA said:
You continue to propagate a falsehood. Freemasonry is not anti-Catholic. Perhaps there have been times when it, or segments within it, were anti-Catholic, but today’s freemasonry is NOT anti-Catholic in any way.
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Frankly, I am a bit more inclined to follow the teachings of the Holy See in this matter rather than an anonymous Internet poster, but that’s just me.
 
Church_Militant said:
Then perhaps you should tell Rome. When they say it’s okay then Catholics can do what they will. In the meantime I’ll remain obedient to the Church.
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It is not up to me to tell Catholics wht they can do. Nor am I suggesting you be disobedient to the Church. However you ARE spreading misinformation by saying that freemasons are Anti-Catholic. Again, there is absolutely NOTHING in today’s freemasonry that is Anti-Catholic. Nothing. No matter how often you repeat an untrue statement, it will not become true.

The Catholic Church is, however, anti-freemasonry (except, apparently, in the Houston diocese).
Elizium23 said:
Frankly, I am a bit more inclined to follow the teachings of the Holy See in this matter rather than an anonymous Internet poster, but that’s just me.
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Good for you! But again, I am not suggesting you disobey the Holy See. I have not suggested any Catholic become a freemason. What I AM trying to do is correct mis-information spread by some on this board.
 
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