Can Roman Catholics become Freemasons?

Answer 1

no we can't.

its like this. anyone can do anything they want. a good catholic in good standing cannot do those things if he'she is to remain in good standing: ie-become divorced, become a free mason, become a kennedy, etc...

Answer 2

In short yes.

There is nothing in Freemasonry that would prevent a Catholic from joining. The Pope however says a Catholic would be in "grave sin" and not able to receive "holy communion" if he were to join.

But a good chuck of that anymosity stems from a supposed association with the Knights Templar and the Pope excommunicating them. However 6 years ago the Chinon Parchment was discovered in the Vatican Archives - this is a 700 year old document that chronicles the "trials" of the Templars at the order of King Philip and Pope Clement. This document, a rough translation of which can be found at http://www.inrebus.com/chinon.php, completely exonerates the Knights Templar and the Vatican has a book coming out on the parchment. It will be interesting to see if this changes the Pope's position, and hence the Church's position, on Freemasonry or the Knights Templar.

to some other responses:

* neither are cults
* freemasons do not dislike Catholics
* neither are "superstitions"
* Cardinal Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict; very intersting, and especially so in light of the Chinon Parchment
* there is no "head" of freemasonry
* the Church has not changed at all in the last 700 years, particularly on this point; they are compatible in terms of beliefs because freemasonry is not a religion nor a system of beliefs
* not quite anyone can be a freemason
* wow, you know God's thoughts, likes and dislikes --- thanks for cluing the rest of us in. is there anything else God would like to tell us through you?
* you don't excommunicate yourself, the Church does it for you
* there are no secrets in or of freemasonry --- actually the Knights of Columbus were started as an alternative to freemasonry so that Catholics could be in that kind of an organization

Answer 3

I thought that anyone that believed in a higher power could become a freemason, at least that's what they told me, and I do know a few Roman Catholics that are freemasons.

Answer 4

Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is neither a religion nor a substitute for one. "There is no separate Masonic God", nor a separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry.[46][47]

Regular Freemasonry requires that its candidates believe in a Supreme Being, but the interpretation of the term is subject to the conscience of the candidate. This means that men from a wide range of faiths, including (but not limited to) Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism can and have become Masons.

Since the early 19th century, in the irregular Continental European tradition (meaning irregular to those Grand Lodges in amity with the United Grand Lodge of England), a very broad interpretation has been given to a (non-dogmatic) Supreme Being; in the tradition of Baruch Spinoza and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — or views of The Ultimate Cosmic Oneness — along with Western atheistic idealism and agnosticism.

Freemasonry in Scandinavia, known as the Swedish Rite, on the other hand, accepts only Christians.[6] Some of the appendant bodies (or portions thereof) in some jurisdictions also have religious requirements, but have no restrictions at the lodge level.

Answer 5

Traditionally the groups were incompatible. That has changed somewhat in the last 50 years, especially in America. In Europe it is still much more stringent. In Scotland and Ireland you wouldn't get much truck between the two.

Frankly, I can not see why a Catholic would become a Freemason. They are not compatible as far as beliefs are concerned.

I am just happy to be neither.

Answer 6

Anyone can be a Freemason, if they want to join. There is no requirement for a person to be of a specific religion.

Most of the founders of the United States were Freemasons, and Catholic.

Answer 7

No.

Freemasonry promotes indifferentism, the heretical (to Christians) belief that all religions are equally legitimate attempts to explain the truth about God but that this truth will never be explained. This is incompatible with Christian faith because Christians believe that God has definitively revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, and desires that all men come to the knowledge of this truth.

Freemasonry's teachings and practices also result in syncretism which is the blending of different religious beliefs into a unified whole. This shown in Masonry's religious rituals, which gather men of all faiths around a common altar, and place all religious writings along side the Bible on the Masonic altar.

The Lodge's practice of requiring its members to swear immoral oaths is also incompatible with Christianity. These oaths require a Christian to swear on the Holy Bible that he will uphold a code of moral conduct that prefers Masons to non-Masons, and to preserve secret passwords and handshakes. Such oaths are immoral because they are trivial and not necessary. These oaths are sworn under penalties of physical torture and death (e.g., having my throat cut across, and my tongue torn out by its roots). These penalties show a lack of respect for God.

For more information, see: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/freemasonfaq.html

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

I don't believe it's possible to be a practising member of both, as there are secrets of the masonic order that cannot be divulged to non-members, and the Catholic Church prohibits keeping secrets from your Priest. Most Catholics prefer to join another service club such as the Knights of Columbus instead.

Answer 9

I've known Roman Catholics who were Pro-Choice and Pro-Sex Education, I don't see why there would be any difference in defying the Church over those things and over joining the Masonic order.

Answer 10

They are all part of the same organization.
The freemasons were started by Jesuits to get the lost back into the fold by a different route. The head is jesuit.

Answer 11

Yes but they are not supposed to. I believe that the equivilent society for members of the Church of Rome in England is the Society of St George