Will my husband go to hell because he is a mason?

[jeanannemarie]

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry. I have not been able to convince him that it is wrong, even after pointing out that the Lutheran Church, in which he was raised, is also against it. He attends Mass with me regularly and wears his Masonic ring, even though I have asked him not to wear it into the church. I have been ruminating on this today and decided to throw it out there for a discussion. Do you think he is Hell-bound?

 

[futurtheologian]

I really do not know how to answer this in any respect. I totally understand how the Catholic Church does not allow for followers to be freemasons, and i am not a fan of the Lodge anyway. I guess you can equate this to some degree (although not in entirety) to following a political group. I used to identify under a particular political ideology by name, for a variety of reasons, but now I try not to and I am ending affiliations since I feel like that is just worshiping a human group rather than God. Maybe it is a sin, maybe not, but i am very wary to put my name to any group/organization which holds a particular ideology outside of Catholicism/Christianity.

As far as hell, and I will not judge, do not make or ask him to give something for fear of going to hell but ask him to do it out of his love for God and his faith. sometimes such things take care of themselves after a long time of introspection. Pray and pray if anything. We are ALL sinners and we have to accept that.

 

[Rascalking]

We can never, ever judge the state of someone’s soul. We simply don’t know. If someone does tell you where your husband is going, then ask them if they can see the future and have other miraculous visions!

 

[GEddie]

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry. I have not been able to convince him that it is wrong, even after pointing out that the Lutheran Church, in which he was raised, is also against it. He attends Mass with me regularly and wears his Masonic ring, even though I have asked him not to wear it into the church. I have been ruminating on this today and decided to throw it out there for a discussion. Do you think he is Hell-bound?

As to Hellbound… nobody can know that. It’s reserved to God, and although being a Freemason is objectively a serious sin, repentance is always possible during life.

Since he’s not a Catholic, you are IMNAAHO unlikely to persuade him to leave the Lodge through Catholic teaching alone. Many Protestant churches also oppose the Freemasons; they have Biblical arguments for doing so. You should find out what they are for the next time this comes up with him.

God Bless and ICXC NIKA.

 

[Della]

From the “Quick Questions” section of New Advent:

What is the Catholic Church’s official position on Freemasonry? Are Catholics free to become Freemasons?

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” (vol. 6, p. 137).

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. (Those interested in joining a men’s club should consider the Knights of Columbus instead.)

The Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on Catholics who become Freemasons. The penalty of excommunication for joining the Masonic Lodge was explicit in the 1917 code of canon law (canon 2335), and it is implicit in the 1983 code (canon 1374).

Because the revised code of canon law is not explicit on this point, some drew the mistaken conclusion that the Church’s prohibition of Freemasonry had been dropped. As a result of this confusion, shortly before the 1983 code was promulgated, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement indicating that the penalty was still in force. This statement was dated November 26, 1983 and may be found in Origins 13/27 (Nov. 15, 1983), 450.

(Please forgive the length of the quote, but one has to scroll a long way down through other questions/answers to get to this material on the New Advent website.)

While Catholics cannot become Masons, and Freemasonry stands in opposition to Christian teaching, Protestants are not culpable for joining an organization if their own ecclesial body does not prohibit doing so. It seems you husband is probably more attached to the men in his group and the benefits being a Mason affords him. But, his soul is in not in danger of hell for being a part of a group he probably thinks of more as a social men’s group than as one that is in defiance of Christianity. If he ever decided to condemn basic Christian teaching, then I’d be concerned.

 

[jeanannemarie]

Thank you for your post, Della. After reading so much about Freemasonry, it has become quite alarming to me to have my husband involved in it. We have already had many discussions about it.

 

[rosary_kat]

At this point, I would be more concerned about his relationship with God.

Follow the example of St. Rita and pray, Pray, PRAY.

 

[scylla]

No, we can’t say your husband will go to hell, everyone is willed by God for Salvation and God has His ways of reaching people… God has His ways, we might not know them and it could take a lifetime, we can’t say anyone is going to Hell for sure.

Yet people do go to Hell and that is for being stubborn, rejecting God, putting themselves first, embracing evil, rejecting the Catholic Church, etc…

…yet we do not know what people have decided at the very end of their lives so we need to…

Be strong in the faith, pray, be an example, be holy, be faithful, fast and preach the faith, gently but with love. If you care for your husband, love him and be a holy, kind, loving example to him.

Be 100% faithful to Christ and His Church, you can be a Saint, we are all called to be Saints.
With God’s help you can be, never give up on your husband.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[joeantony]

Hi,
We never know. But we can always pray. Pray to St Monica, She is the one who prayed and prayed for St Augustin’s conversion.

God will hear our prayer.
Joe

 

[Zooey]

From the “Quick Questions” section of New Advent:

(Please forgive the length of the quote, but one has to scroll a long way down through other questions/answers to get to this material on the New Advent website.)

While Catholics cannot become Masons, and Freemasonry stands in opposition to Christian teaching, Protestants are not culpable for joining an organization if their own ecclesial body does not prohibit doing so. It seems you husband is probably more attached to the men in his group and the benefits being a Mason affords him. But, his soul is in not in danger of hell for being a part of a group he probably thinks of more as a social men’s group than as one that is in defiance of Christianity. If he ever decided to condemn basic Christian teaching, then I’d be concerned.

What Della said.
I know some very lovely Christian gentlemen who are Masons. They all are part of the same lodge, & I imagine that the others in the same group are the same; I can only speak for the ones I know personally.
Anyhow, I think Della has, as I said, the best answer.

PS: It is wonderful to hear a wife speak so lovingly of her husbands. Your prayers are certainly a blessing to him.

 

[saveusfromhell]

why not get a green scapular for him if your worried about him going to hell

 

[Patrick_Joshua]

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry. I have not been able to convince him that it is wrong, even after pointing out that the Lutheran Church, in which he was raised, is also against it. He attends Mass with me regularly and wears his Masonic ring, even though I have asked him not to wear it into the church. I have been ruminating on this today and decided to throw it out there for a discussion. Do you think he is Hell-bound?

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry.

He does not need to take the Church’s stand on Freemasonry seriously, but he could take your stand seriously. Afterall you are his wife.

wears his Masonic ring

What is the ring,does it represent anything or just that he his a member of Freemasonry?

have asked him not to wear it into the church.

He should take it off, out of respect for the Catholic church and you.

Do you think he is Hell-bound?

Only the Almighty knows.

 

[AngelRS]

We can’t say where anyone will go - where there is life there is still the chance to repent, turn to God and be forgiven.

Prayers for conversion are definitely needed - St Rita of Cascia prayed big time for her husband and sons and God answered. A good example for all of us. I’ll be praying for you, too. God bless you and keep you strong in your faith.

 

[tskrobacz]

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry. I have not been able to convince him that it is wrong, even after pointing out that the Lutheran Church, in which he was raised, is also against it. He attends Mass with me regularly and wears his Masonic ring, even though I have asked him not to wear it into the church. I have been ruminating on this today and decided to throw it out there for a discussion. Do you think he is Hell-bound?

It is in the very needing to know right vs wrong that you are creating judgement of your husband. Do not concern yourself with whether or not his “position” is approved by the church…instead, as Thomas Merton said, love him as his is at let go of the results:

Our job is to love without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy - that is NOT our business, and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is love and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy, if anything can - Thomas Merton

 

[Zooey]

What is the ring,does it represent anything or just that he his a member of Freemasonry?

A Masonic ring is just a ring. It has tthe compass and [whatsis I’ve :blush:forgotten] on it.
t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:McRDcQWkyC2-PM:http://www.annestegen.com/web_images/masonic_ring.jpg

 

[jeanannemarie]

As a married couple we are to lead each other to Heaven. It is all well and good to speak of love and acceptance and leave it to God, but isn’t it dangerous to dabble in things that the Church has decided are wrong? When do we stop overlooking everything and being politically correct? This guy isn’t my neighbor, friend, or distant cousin! He is my husband and I believe the marriage should be first after God. However, this Masonic thing has picked up steam against my will over the past few years. As the Masonic things are secret, it is hard to know what all the symbolism means, as for the ring for an example. To me it is insulting that he would wear the ring when he attends Mass with me each Sunday, after I have asked him not to. It is a little more than hurtful when he has never desired to wear a wedding ring in honor of our marriage! Yes, only God knows where each soul goes and how they will arrive there, but stubborness does not bode well in my opinion for arrival in Heaven. Guess you all are thinking, poor guy stuck with the likes of me, huh? I am thinking that all this overlooking of behaviours in our society is modernism working to take us from the true path the Church would have us on. Everything just becomes acceptable, end of discussion. As a protestant, my husband has even less understanding of these things. Maybe he gets a free out because of this? I don’t know… he is living in a very strong Catholic family. I do realize of course that his un Catholicness is my own consequence for marrying someone who is not Catholic. However, I was not Catholic either when we started out. As a former protestant, my own convictions have grown much since then. I guess he just doesn’t care to join me. So are we all safe then, just because we’re nice people with good intentions? I have been carried away with this post! Please forgive me.

 

[georgewithfaith]

As a married couple we are to lead each other to Heaven. It is all well and good to speak of love and acceptance and leave it to God, but isn’t it dangerous to dabble in things that the Church has decided are wrong? When do we stop overlooking everything and being politically correct? This guy isn’t my neighbor, friend, or distant cousin! He is my husband and I believe the marriage should be first after God. However, this Masonic thing has picked up steam against my will over the past few years. As the Masonic things are secret, it is hard to know what all the symbolism means, as for the ring for an example. To me it is insulting that he would wear the ring when he attends Mass with me each Sunday, after I have asked him not to. It is a little more than hurtful when he has never desired to wear a wedding ring in honor of our marriage! Yes, only God knows where each soul goes and how they will arrive there, but stubborness does not bode well in my opinion for arrival in Heaven. Guess you all are thinking, poor guy stuck with the likes of me, huh? I am thinking that all this overlooking of behaviours in our society is modernism working to take us from the true path the Church would have us on. Everything just becomes acceptable, end of discussion. As a protestant, my husband has even less understanding of these things. Maybe he gets a free out because of this? I don’t know… he is living in a very strong Catholic family. I do realize of course that his un Catholicness is my own consequence for marrying someone who is not Catholic. However, I was not Catholic either when we started out. As a former protestant, my own convictions have grown much since then. I guess he just doesn’t care to join me. So are we all safe then, just because we’re nice people with good intentions? I have been carried away with this post! Please forgive me.

Yes, you are correct to be worried about your husband and I am glad you posted about this looking for some advice. You made a choice to marry a non-Catholic and that cannot be undone without causing harm to your own salvation. Let us try to understand what is happening right now. You are carrying a heavy cross, you are suffering on two fronts because of your Husband’s willfulness to continue with freemasonry and that he is not a Catholic.

Read the letters of Pope Leo XIII regarding freemasonry. Go ahead and google it and research the matter. Practicing, freemasonry is a grave sin. They twist around the truth of God and it is like an organization built by Satan. See the following link for more information: newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm

Understand that this Holy Pope had a scary vision about the influence of Satan on our Church. Understand how this vision came true. But remember that in the end Jesus prevails and the Church wins. Take comfort in that and realize that the seeds even this day are being planted for a restoration of Jesus front and center in the Church.

Next, pray, and pray often. Pray your Holy Rosary every night. Next make sure you are attending Confession regularly. Fast, eat 1/2 a meal instead of a full meal. Make a daily holy hour. Make these reparations for your husband’s sinfulness.

Consider talking to a good priest for spiritual counseling. I cannot overstate the value of this practice. I advise you to find an FSSP priest, (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter). These priests are focused on the teachings of the Catholic faith. They offer the extraordinary form of the Mass. By the way, if you attend that Mass they would be aghast and stunned to see that horrible ring on your husband’s finger. Do not let him wear that at an EF Mass!

Finally, look to Saint Monica, mother of St. Augstine to guide you. St. Monica had a husband who was not Catholic and sinful. Her son St. Augstine lived a hedonistic lifestyle for years before finally changing his ways and ending up a Saint. This was thanks to his Mother’s prayers on his behalf.

 

[white_sheep]

Not so much from being a mason as a non-Catholic.

 

[Della]

As a married couple we are to lead each other to Heaven. It is all well and good to speak of love and acceptance and leave it to God, but isn’t it dangerous to dabble in things that the Church has decided are wrong? When do we stop overlooking everything and being politically correct? This guy isn’t my neighbor, friend, or distant cousin! He is my husband and I believe the marriage should be first after God. However, this Masonic thing has picked up steam against my will over the past few years. As the Masonic things are secret, it is hard to know what all the symbolism means, as for the ring for an example. To me it is insulting that he would wear the ring when he attends Mass with me each Sunday, after I have asked him not to. It is a little more than hurtful when he has never desired to wear a wedding ring in honor of our marriage! Yes, only God knows where each soul goes and how they will arrive there, but stubborness does not bode well in my opinion for arrival in Heaven. Guess you all are thinking, poor guy stuck with the likes of me, huh? I am thinking that all this overlooking of behaviours in our society is modernism working to take us from the true path the Church would have us on. Everything just becomes acceptable, end of discussion. As a protestant, my husband has even less understanding of these things. Maybe he gets a free out because of this? I don’t know… he is living in a very strong Catholic family. I do realize of course that his un Catholicness is my own consequence for marrying someone who is not Catholic. However, I was not Catholic either when we started out. As a former protestant, my own convictions have grown much since then. I guess he just doesn’t care to join me. So are we all safe then, just because we’re nice people with good intentions? I have been carried away with this post! Please forgive me.

You bring up a few things here. So, let’s sort them out. Firstly, your feelings. You are afraid for your husband and you seem to resent the idea that he may go to heaven in spite of the thing you think must keep him out. Your feelings are natural, but frankly not what is most important here. What is important is where he is, and why. You will never convince him by forcing him/guilting him into accepting Church teaching. He has to see it for himself. You must let go of your determination to make him do what you want him to do.

Secondly, saying that God will judge your husband is not at all the same thing as giving him a “free pass”. God judges fairly and justly. He judges according to what a person knows and how he responds to that knowledge. This knowledge must be complete and rejected with full knowledge. There’s such a thing as invincible ignorance that makes him less culpable. He wasn’t brought up a Catholic, he doesn’t understand why he needs to be a Catholic, nor why the Church is so opposed to freemasonry. You can help him by showing him what the Church teaches, but he must see that it is right and true for himself–you cannot make him do that.

Finally, your making an issue of this is only going to make him more and more resistant. It’s not your job to convince him–that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. We always become frustrated when we try to do what God alone can do. So, don’t do it. Pray for him and be a good example to him. He doesn’t think his ring is offensive, indeed, he probably thinks you are the insensitive one for insisting he not wear it. Unless and until he sees for himself that freemasonry is contrary to Christianity, he will not remove it to please anyone else, especially if he feels he is being forced to do so (a violation of his free will) or made to feel guilty (a violation of his honor/integrity). Stop pressuring him. Just love him as he is and leave the convicting of his heart to God. Pray and be ready to answer his questions. That is the way to help him, which is what you want, not just to make him do what you want him to do. Yes?

 

[Robert_Burns]

My husband is not Catholic and refuses to take seriously the Church’s stand on Freemasonry. I have not been able to convince him that it is wrong, even after pointing out that the Lutheran Church, in which he was raised, is also against it. He attends Mass with me regularly and wears his Masonic ring, even though I have asked him not to wear it into the church. I have been ruminating on this today and decided to throw it out there for a discussion. Do you think he is Hell-bound?

No one is “Hell bound” Anyone can repent. However is he doing that which the Church forbids? Yes. Just like there are lifelong Atheists and Anti Catholics who hate the Church for whatever reason - its a sad thing to behold , indeed. So - , since he is your husband - Pray for him and make sure he knows that you disapprove of his stance on free masonry. The truth about Free masonry is , as a Mason advances they are asked to do Anti Catholic acts. If your Husband ever asks you to obtain a Host - make certain you refuse. They desecrate the Host under some rites.

You dont want to be a party to Sacrelige.