I just saw on the History Channel that the Catholic church will ex-communicate you for being a Free Mason since they have always been enemies. Is this still true, or have things changed?
2006-10-19 02:42:51 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So, "Ambiguity," do you think George Washington was a psychopath too? What about Franklin Roosevelt? Do you even know anything about what Free Masons believe in?
2006-10-19 02:56:29 · update #1
This is for "billcompugeek":
Do you know why secret societies were formed in the first place? To keep the people in them from being pursecuted. They are not "bogus," but instead were/are necessary for the self-preservation of free thinking individuals.
2006-10-19 03:54:34 · update #2
One can be any religion as long as you believe in a Supreme Being and belong to the Freemasons (including American Co-Masonry - Freemasonry for women as well as men). Freemasonry in France even allowed (and may still allow) atheists to join. You will need to check with them on that point.
So Freemasonry has no conflict with a Catholic wishing to become a Freemason. Several churches, including sects of Islam and Christianity, have taken stands against Freemasonry in that we promote the Brotherhood of Mankind. We are not a religion and so we sit in Brotherhood with people of man different faiths. How this differs from the so-called Ecumenical Councils, I do not know.
For a short time there seemed to be a letter circulating saying that Catholics could join Freemasony in America. Then that letter was contradicted. I certainly cannot speak toward the present policy.
As has been pointed out earlier, membership rolls in our Order are kept secret because of past persecutions. Nazis sent Masons to death camps, so did "churchmen" in Portugal. In the United States it is not much of a secret who we are or what we are doing.
I do need to explain that American Co-Masonry is a tad more esoteric and may be viewed as "irregular" by some masculine-only Freemasons here solely because we admit women to all rights and privileges. Other than that, we adhere strictly to all landmarks and workings of the Ancient Craft.
A Master Mason
American Co-Masonry
Hiram Lodge (Santa Cruz, CA)
Amon Ra Lodge (Los Angeles, CA)
Sapientia Lodge of Research (Larkspur, CO)
Adamant Mark Lodge (Santa Cruz, CA)
2006-10-19 05:38:29 · answer #1 · answered by NeoArt 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The CORRECT answer to your question is this:
Freemasonry has no problem with Catholics joining. I know several members of my lodge who are practicing Catholics, and when new members join, he actual religious preference is not a concern. He only needs to believe in a higher power.
As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, it does not approve of its members joining Freemasonry. Ironically, they made their own Fraternity, the Knights of Columbus, that is loosely based on Freemasonry.
The Catholic Church and Freemasonry are not "enemies". The vatican simply claims that the practices of Freemasonry are not consistent with that of the Catholic Church. This is most likely due to historical reasons, but the Church and the Craft are not "enemies". While they CAN excommunicate you for being a member, it is highly unlikely that they will do so.
2006-10-19 03:57:20 · answer #2 · answered by maboot24 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As far as I am aware the groups are still mutually exclusive. Masons will not recruit practicing catholics, and catholics will give the boot to free masons (if they are foolish enough to claim membership in that group within earshot of their fellow catholics). But, not being a free mason, and not having had dealings with the catholic church in over a decade, I can not give you a certain answer.
2006-10-19 02:48:19 · answer #3 · answered by Murph 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Hmmm I watched something on the Free Masons on the History Channel and I don't see a problem with that. I always thought that was cool. Good luck.
2006-10-19 03:05:15 · answer #4 · answered by baddrose268 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes Free Masons definitely can be a Catholic, they have all types of religious people.... As a free mason, you can be a catholic... but I'm not sure how catholics feel about catholics also being a free mason....
2006-10-19 03:12:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
One cannot be a Catholic and a Mason.
The two are not compatible.
The same is true for other Christians, but most of them don't realize it.
2006-10-19 06:47:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you ask the Catholic church, then it is not. They have excommunicated (expelled from the church and condemned to hell) the masonry a long time ago.
2006-10-19 03:09:27 · answer #7 · answered by dream reality 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The official vatican stance is that Masonry and Catholicism are contradictory and cannot be reconciled.
It is an excommunicatable offense even to this day to be a Freemason.
2006-10-19 02:46:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Things have not changed. Freemasons are excommunicated.
2006-10-19 02:49:42 · answer #9 · answered by kingstubborn 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think free masons are psychopaths and shouldn't be allowed in anything.
2006-10-19 02:45:20 · answer #10 · answered by Reload 4 · 1⤊ 4⤋