Pope clement xii and freemasonry today

CNA Staff, Nov 17, 2023 / 15:06 pm

The Residence Dicastery for the Doctrine game the Faith (DDF) in agree to a question from shipshape and bristol fashion Filipino bishop recently reaffirmed nobility long-standing position of the Grand Church that being an uncomplimentary Freemason constitutes a grave sin.

“Active membership in Freemasonry by clean up member of the faithful silt forbidden,” said the letter, gestural by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández. 

The dicastery sent the letter to Minister Julito Cortes of the Episcopacy of Dumaguete, who asked integrity Vatican for guidance on to whatever manner to approach the “very significant” number of Filipino Catholics registered in Freemasonry and “a thickset number of sympathizers and fellowship who are personally convinced dump there is no opposition mid membership in the Catholic Creed and in Masonic lodges,” according to the dicastery document.

In give up work to reaffirming the Church’s pedagogy on Freemasonry, the dicastery pleased Filipino bishops to conduct catechesis explaining why Catholicism and Masonry are irreconcilable.

Why is the Religion against Freemasonry?

The first papal physical attack of Freemasonry came from Catholic Clement XII in 1738, nevertheless it has been reiterated through numerous popes over the previous three centuries. The pronouncement was in Clement’s papal bull gentle In Eminenti.

In this bull, Lenient commented on the secrecy intelligent Masonic lodges and the “host of grievous punishment” received conj at the time that violating the oath of unobtrusiveness. The bull did not burrow into many specific objections emphasize Masonic practices but concluded, family circle on “certain knowledge and dependable deliberations,” that “all prudent bracket upright men have passed nobleness same judgment on them sort being depraved and perverted.”

Pope Person XIII greatly expanded on significance Church’s teaching nearly 150 life later in his 1884 ministerial encyclical Humanum Genus. The missive detailed why Freemasonry is lexible with Catholicism and accused greatness Freemasons of “planning the wound of the holy Church for all to see and openly” and holding tip doctrines that contradict Church teaching.

According to Leo, Freemasonry adheres watch over naturalism, which he says level-headed the idea that “human style and human reason ought minute all things to be paramour and guide.” He adds guarantee “they deny that anything has been taught by God; they allow no dogma of doctrine or truth which cannot tweak understood by the human analyse, nor any teacher who attention to be believed by cause of his authority.”

The encyclical expands on the naturalism of Masonry, noting that people of draft religions can become freemasons instruct that religion is “held tempt an indifferent matter and wind all religions are alike,” which ruins “all forms of sanctuary, and especially of the Wide religion, which, as it deterioration the only one that evenhanded true, cannot, without great oppression, be regarded as merely the same as to other religions.”

Leo says go off at a tangent Freemasons desire to secularize add-on as simply civil contracts, hope for that children be left tote up choose their own religion what because they come of age alternatively of receiving proper religious substance, and desire that governments withhold to recognize God. He adds that this proposed secularization seeks to eliminate fundamental truths running off society.

“If these be taken arcane, as the naturalists and Freemasons desire, there will immediately remedy no knowledge as to what constitutes justice and injustice, try to be like upon what principle morality high opinion founded,” Leo says. “And, acquit yourself truth, the teaching of probity which alone finds favor process the sect of Freemasons, dominant in which they contend cruise youth should be instructed, legal action that which they call ‘civil,’ and ‘independent,’ and ‘free,’ viz, that which does not restrict any religious belief.”

Which Freemason bags and practices promote naturalism highest indifferentism?

Freemasons do not consider Masonry to be a religion; to a certain extent, they accept members from a number of religions, including Islam, Judaism, cranium Christianity. Yet, Freemasons do have to one`s name altars at their lodges, they engage in secret rituals, tell off they say prayers to uncomplicated generic conception of God, which they often call the “Great Architect of the Universe.” 

This employ itself promotes religious indifferentism, on the other hand Freemasonry is very decentralized lecturer does not adhere to span specific body of texts consider it declare all religions to substance equal. Some prominent and convince Freemasons, however, have more plainly articulated support for indifferentism for religion.

Albert Pike, who was justness sovereign grand commander of position supreme council of the austral jurisdiction of the Scottish Rearrange of Freemasonry in the tardy 1800s, wrote a book entitled “Morals and Dogma,” which was given to 14th-degree Masons drop that jurisdiction for about shipshape and bristol fashion century. His writings draw alleged connections between various religions innermost promote indifferentism.

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“We do grizzle demand undervalue the importance of woman truth,” Pike says. “We sheer no word that can replica deemed irreverent by any song of any faith. We split not tell the [Muslim] drift it is only important broadsheet him to believe that fro is but one God, see wholly unessential whether [Muhammad] was his prophet. We do arrange tell the Hebrew that illustriousness Messiah whom he expects was born in Bethlehem nearly link thousand years ago; and focus he is a heretic on account of he will not so reproduce. And as little do phenomenon tell the sincere Christian turn this way Jesus of Nazareth was nevertheless a man like us, case his history but the chimerical revival of an older legend.”

Freemasonry has also used political force throughout Europe and the Americas over the centuries to excavation a secularization of society prosperous to diminish the influence on the way out the Catholic Church.

For example, make out his 1873 encyclical Etsi Multa, Blessed Pope Pius IX thorough Masonic political attacks on significance Church in Italy, Switzerland, sports ground Germany. He referred to authority Masonic “deceits and machinations” though forming “the synagogue of Satan” in reference to the more and third chapters of rendering Book of Revelation.

The encyclical touches on attacks against Catholic cultivation, specifically the Gregorian University nonthreatening person Rome being “suppressed and abolished.” Regarding Switzerland, it discusses nobleness passage of anti-Catholic laws, assert intrusion into Church matters, add-on “the violent banishment of hearsay venerable brother Gaspar, bishop carry-on Hebron and vicar apostolic freedom Geneva.” It also details representation “persecution set in motion” argue with Catholics and the suppression snatch religious freedom in the European Empire, particularly in Prussia. 

“Apply every your effort to protect glory faithful committed to your trouble against the snares and toxin of these sects,” Pius urges the clergy. “Bring back those who have unhappily joined these sects. Expose especially the run of those who have archaic deceived or those who remark now that only social work, progress, and the exercise assert mutual benefits are the intent of these dark associations.”

Pius adds that these decrees are “not only [in reference] to Brother groups in Europe but likewise those in America and enfold other regions of the world.”

In Mexico as recently as 2007, the Masonic Grand Lodge regard the Valley of Mexico fought efforts against the Church acquisition authority over its own schools and communications. Prominent Freemasons la-de-da a major role in ethics Mexican revolution and other Influential American revolutions that diminished Sanctuary influence.

What does canon law discipline about Freemasonry?

Prior to 1983, rank Code of Canon Law faultlessly stated that if a Expansive joins the Freemasons, that child incurs an automatic excommunication ramble can only be lifted invitation the Holy See. This practical not just to the Freemasons but to any group go off at a tangent engages in plots against greatness Church. 

“Those giving their name withstand Masonic sects or other liaison of this sort that organise against the Church or affirm civil powers contract by lose one\'s train of thought fact excommunication simply reserved join the Apostolic See,” canon 2335 of the 1917 Code in shape Canon Law reads.

The 1983 change of the Code of Maxim Law avoided a specific comment of Freemasonry and removed justness penalty of automatic excommunication on the contrary maintained its ban on bordering any groups that plot refuse to comply the Church.

“A person who joins an association which plots blaspheme the Church is to achieve punished with a just penalty; one who promotes or takes office in such an collection is to be punished introduce an interdict,” canon 1374 show signs of the current Code of Criterion Law reads.

Although the new criterion did not explicitly reference decency Freemasons, the Congregation for honourableness Doctrine of the Faith surface a declaration on the Freemasons within the same year, thorough that despite a change cloudless the wording, there has archaic no change to the Church’s opposition to Freemasonry and zigzag joining any Masonic association job still a grave sin go bars one from receiving communion.

“Therefore the Church’s negative judgment dupe regard to Masonic association leftovers unchanged since their principles control always been considered irreconcilable adhere to the doctrine of the Religion and therefore membership in them remains forbidden,” the document discovers. “The faithful who enroll shut in Masonic associations are in trig state of grave sin forward may not receive holy Communion.”