Freemasons and the Catholic Catechism

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HELP!

Does anyone know if the Catechism addresses the Masonic Lodge? I can't find anything at all.

Thanks,

gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), April 25, 2003

Answers

Gail,

A Google Search found the following:

Q): What is the Catholic Church's official position on Freemasonry? Are Catholics free to become Freemasons? (A): In 1983, Canon 1374 clarified the misunderstandings that were presented with Vatican II. The Canon states that a person who joins an association that plots against the church is to be punished with an interdict (excommunication).

Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued a new declaration following this announcement of the new Code. The new Canon 1374 has the same essential import as the old Canon 2335, and the fact that the "Masonic sect" is no longer explicitly named is irrelevant;

The Church's negative judgment on Masonry remains unchanged, because the Masonic principles are irreconcilable with the Church's teaching ("earum principia semper iconciliabilia habita sunt cum Ecclesiae doctrina" )

Catholics who join the Masons are in the state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion and, No local ecclesiastical authority has competence to derogate from these judgments of the Sacred Congregation. ("Quaesitum est," AAS 76 (1984) 300. (From No. 553, pp. 482-87)

CLARIFICATION CONCERNING STATUS OF CATHOLICS BECOMING FREEMASONS Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

On 19, July 1974 this Congregation wrote to some of the Episcopal Conferences a private letter concerning the interpretation of canon 2335 of the Code of Canon Law which forbids Catholics, under the penalty of excommunication, to enroll in Masonic or other similar associations.

Since the said letter has become public and has given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations, this Congregation, without prejudice to the eventual norms of the new Code, issues the following confirmation and clarification:

the present canonical discipline remains in full force and has not been modified in any way; consequently, neither the excommunication nor the other penalties envisaged have been abrogated; what was said in the aforesaid letter as regards the interpretation to be given to the canon in question should be understood--as the Congregation intended-merely as a reminder of the general principles of interpretation of penal laws for the solution of the cases of individual persons which may be submitted to the judgment of ordinaries. It was not, however, the intention of the Congregation to permit Episcopal Conferences to issue public pronouncements by way of a judgment of a general character on the nature of Masonic associations, which would imply a derogation from the aforesaid norms. (Rome, from the Office of the S. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 17 February 1981.)

I hope this helps

God bless

Sara

-- Sara (sara_catholic_forum@yahoo.co.uk), April 25, 2003.


Hello, Gail.

I can't answer you on whether the new catechism addresses Freemasonry. I do know that the Church has always condemned it, as evidenced by the teaching of the Popes in this encyclical, and perhaps more strongly in this encyclical.

The good old Baltimore Catechism also addressed the subject.

I hope you find this information helpful.

-- jake (jake1REMOVE@pngusa.net), April 26, 2003.


Gail, Here is a very good link on Freemasonry. God Bless, http://www.john654.org/bishltr.html

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), April 26, 2003.

The communists took over in 1917, inspired by the philosophy of Karl Marx, a satanist. Marxism is an anti-Christ philosophy, which is what Our Lady came to warn us about, and because of our sins, communism has spread throughout the whole world. The concept of communism is atheistic materialism. Freemasonry proposes a world without Jesus Christ - naturalism. Communism proposes a world without God - atheism.

The Jews rejected Jesus Christ because He did not bring the liberation they were looking for. Jesus preached a spiritual Kingdom, a religion of love, a religion of forgiveness. The Jews were no longer open to a religion of love, forgiveness and compassion. Anyone who is against Christ is an anti-Christ. China, a communist state, is using its power to destroy the freedoms left in the world in order to initiate the reign of the anti-Christ.

The New World Order is about world control - to take away the freedoms we have, primarily the freedom to worship Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ. The United Nations, the World Court, the Peace movement, the Earth Charter (which will eventually replace the Ten Commandments and the natural law) wants to control the entire world - this is what Our Lady came to warn us about. Malichi Martin and others say that the smoke of Satan has entered the Church. Sister Lucia says we are under diabolical infestation of the Roman Catholic Church.

The third secret of Fatima basically refers to the internal destruction of the Church, the loss of Faith - the real crisis in the Church. The message of Fatima was not only to pray the rosary and wear the scapular, but to live a holy and virtuous life. How many people have we converted to Jesus Christ? How many days go by that we don't think of Jesus Christ? Do we live a life that brings others to Christ? The enemy is not just in Russia or China, but within us. Will we not do something everyday to combat that enemy? We should all be real living apostles. All of us are called to be apostles of Jesus Christ and to bring into this world the reign of Christ the King!

-- Ed Richards (loztra@yahoo.com), April 28, 2003.


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