(The following is taken from the booklet, "Why the Catholic Church says
'Investigate'", + Imprimatur Joseph E. Ritter, Archbishop of St. Louis, January
24, 1949):
Many non-Catholics, whether they be Masons or not, are honestly puzzled by
the attitude of the Catholic Church toward Freemasonry. They comment about it
along the following lines:
“I have lived among Masons all my life... some of the finest men I have
known have been Masons ... they conduct many charitable enterprises and are
moral, law-abiding citizens ... what has the Catholic Church got against
Masons?”
The answer can be briefly stated, Catholics have nothing against
individuals who are Masons, or against the good works carried on under Masonic
auspices. But no Catholic can subscribe to Masonic religious teachings or
practices, or take the Masonic oath ... much less promote by his dues and active
cooperation, official Masonry’s hostility to the Catholic Church.
It is not merely because it is a “secret society”, that Catholics cannot be
Masons. It is because of the particular kind of secret society that Masonry
happens to be.
Masonry has a distinctly religious character, a fact which may surprise
many American Masons who have joined the Lodge for business, social or political
reasons. They will be tempted to deny its religious character. The look upon
Masonry as a purely fraternal organization and do not consider it a religion.
Either they do not know the true constitution of their Lodge, or Masonic
authorities are violating the principles of Masonry, for they definitely
emphasize its religious character.
It may be fairly assumed that the Grand Lodge of the State of New York knew
what it was talking about when arguing its case against a certain Robert Kopp in
a trial before the Appellate division of the New York Supreme Court. Kopp had
been expelled from the fraternity and had appealed the action of his brethren to
the civil court. One of the strong points made by the Grand Lodge during the
trial was as follows: “The right to membership in the masonic fraternity is very
much like membership in the church. Each requires a candidate for admission to
subscribe to certain articles of religious belief as an essential
prerequisite for membership. Each requires a member to conduct himself
thereafter in accordance with certain religious principles. Each
requires its members to adhere to certain doctrines of belief and action...”
“The masonic fraternity may, therefore, be quite properly regarded as a
religious society, shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction to determine
matters of membership, should be deemed applicable to the masonic fraternity.”
Such a statement speaks for itself.
A brief description of the “articles of religious belief which are an
essential prerequisite to membership,” can be found in the writings of the Grand
Master, Albert Pike, generally admitted to be the best authority on Masonic
matters in America. “Masonry propagates no creed,” he wrote in ‘The Inner
Sanctuary,’ “except its own most simple and most sublime one taught by Nature
and Reason. There has never been a false religion in the world. The permanent
one universal revelation is written in visible Nature and explained by Reason
and is completed by the wise analogies of faith. There is one true religion, one
dogma, one legitimate belief.”
Whatever we may say about these principles, certainly no Catholic could
subscribe to them, for they flatly contradict his own religious belief. In fact,
it is difficult to see how any person who believes in the truth of Christianity
can subscribe to them. How can he believe that there is no such thing as a false
religion... that Christianity is merely one of many expressions of his universal
true religion and that religion is taught by Freemasonry? No doubt, most Masons
in America do not believe this, but nevertheless, it is the teaching of Masonry.
“Intellectual Science”
The fact that many Masons are unaware of the religious teachings of Masonry
is not surprising. Even Masonic authorities admit that the great majority of
Masons are in the dark. “The Masonry of the higher degrees,” says Pike, “teaches
the great truths of intellectual science; but to these, even as to the rudiments
of first principles, Blue Masonry is absolutely dumb.” And Oliver wrote:
“Brethren, high in rank and office, are often unacquainted with the elementary
principles of the science...” Masons “may be fifty years Masters of the Chair
and yet not learn the secret of the brotherhood...” In view of the fact that the
secrets of Masonry are unknown to the bulk of Masons, the oaths of secrecy taken
by Masons are unjustifiable from the Catholic point of view.
It is a serious thing for a person to take an oath without regard to
consequences, to oblige himself to actions of which he is ignorant and which may
be contrary to the dictates of his conscience. It is morally wrong for a person
to take such an oath. No Catholic could swear on the Bible, using the following
words, as recorded by Pike: “I pledge myself to obey without hesitation any
order, whatever it may be, of the regular Superiors in the Order.”
It may be true that many Masons do not look upon their obligations in this
light. But this does not make the oath itself any less wrong. Perhaps they would
violate their conscience because of their oath but, in so doing, they would not
be living up to the official principles of Freemasonry.
“Crush Catholicism”
There are many individual Masons who have nothing but good to say about the
Catholic Church and, if anything, they admire it. But they do so as our
fair-minded fellow citizens and not as Masons. And in so doing, they are not
reflecting the official attitude of Freemasonry which time and time again has
expressed its absolute opposition to the Catholic Church.
As late at 1913, the Grand Orient in France issued this statement: “The
aim of the Grand Orient is to crush Roman Catholicism in France first, and then
elsewhere.” When Masons had previously tried to disavow such excesses, the
American Albert Pike wrote: “... it is idle for you to protest. You are
Freemasons and you recognize them as Freemasons. You give them countenance,
encouragement and support, and you are jointly responsible with them and cannot
shirk that responsibility.” This is a clear statement of the oneness of
Freemasonry throughout the world.
Attacks on the Church
The hostile attitude of Freemasonry can be verified by a brief glance at
the leading Masonic publications in the United States and Canada. In some of
these, Masonic news itself is of minor importance compared with the detailed and
varied attacks made on every conceivable aspect of Catholicism.
These are solid reasons that should make the attitude of the Catholic
Church toward Freemasonry reasonable and logical to any thinking person. And it
is for such reasons that the Catholic Church has forbidden Catholics to be
members of the Masonic Order or any other organization that subscribes to like
principles.
Catholics are expected to exercise the same charity and goodwill toward
individual Masons that would be manifested toward any other person. Many Masons
do not, in practice, carry out the principles that make Freemasonry unacceptable
to Catholics. Freemasonry in many places engages in works of charity and
philanthropy which are warmly applauded by all Catholics. But even though
Catholicism and Freemasonry are irreconcilable, there is no reason why Catholics
and Masons should not be personally good neighbors, treating each other with
justice and charity.
"The
faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and
may not receive Holy Communion.... Consequently, neither the excommunication
nor the other penalties envisaged have been abrogated." -Cardinal Ratzinger,
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, November 26, 1983
"In the past We
have counseled through prophets, your Popes, to forbid all who have joined in
My Son's Church, forbid them to become part of freemasonry and the Masons. And
why? Because, My children, they are not of God, and if they are not of God,
they are the Antichrist. And why are they the Antichrist? Because they worship
false idols!
"In the commandments of Your God you will remember: 'I,' said the Lord, 'I
am your God; thou shalt not have strange gods before you.' And who are these
strange gods of masonry and witchcraft? Isis!
"My children, man has accepted gods of nature! Pagans you have become! You
reject your God the Father; you reject the Trinity; and you have dabbled and
burned your fingers in the unknown, the darkness of satanism." - Our Lady
of the Roses, November 1, 1977
Our Lady of the Roses Bayside messages
These messages came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica
Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.
Freemasonry is
not of God
"My children, recognize the faces of evil now loosed in the world. I bring you a
sad lesson in knowledge. In the past We have counseled through prophets, your
Popes, to forbid all who have joined in My Son's Church, forbid them to become
part of freemasonry and the Masons. And why? Because, My children, they are not
of God, and if they are not of God, they are the Antichrist. And why are they
the Antichrist? Because they worship false idols!" - Our Lady, November 1,
1977
A major law
"Speak, My child; speak now, as I have directed you. There is a major law in the
Faith of Jesus Christ that non shall enter into secret societies of the Masons.
The sons of satan* are rulers, known by the name of Freemasons." - St.
Michael, August 21, 1974
* "Indeed each of you
knows well the nature, zeal and intention of sects, whether called Masonic or
some other name.... [You] cannot doubt but that the present calamity must be
attributed to their deceits and machinations for the most part. For from these
the synagogue of satan is formed which draws up its forces, advances its
standards, and joins battle against the Church of Christ." - Pope Pius IX,
Etsi Multa, November 21, 1873
Freemasonry
- Synagogue of Satan
"Do not be misguided, O leaders of My Son's House, Church; do not accept the
fallacy that masonry is condoned by your God! It is for reason that all of your
pastors have condemned freemasonry as a synagogue of satan. Do not fall into the
error and the deceit of those who claim brotherhood and goodness, for what god
do they recognize in their naturalism? It is not God the Father in Heaven; it is
not My Son. It is a deity that will bring destruction to anyone who enters into
such a secret society.
"My child, I have given to you, in your possession, a book. Guard it well,
so that it will not be taken from you. You understand, My child, the very first
page read - and this is a secret society that many of your pastors condone - the
very first page reads; 'And Mozart, who was a Roman Catholic, when he weighed
the credits of Catholicism and freemasonry, he found that freemasonry was far
about Catholicism.' My child and My children, is that the writing that is
constructive for your Faith? Is this not an undermining of My Son's Church? 1968
this book was printed, and given into the hands of all members of the lodge." -
Our Lady, November 1, 1976
Catholicism: only true religion
"O My children, I will not go into a long discourse now with you about charity
and love for your neighbor, but you must understand: you cannot judge your
neighbor. You must pray for them. However, you cannot become weak and
permissive. You must stand forth as bearers of the light, carriers of the
truth. You have been given by your baptism entrance into the only true
religion upon earth, the Roman Catholic Church under My Son, Jesus. Though man
in his arrogance and pride has forgotten His role and His rule, you must carry
it forward. Retain the Faith and the truth in the hearts of mankind." - Our
Lady, September 7, 1978
Directives from Heaven
D13
- Secret Societies 
PDF
D186
-
Excommunication
PDF
What's wrong with the Masons?
Vatican
II
World
Monetary Crash
Deception
of the Century
Third
Secret Fabrication
The
Miraculous Story of Bayside
A
Pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Roses Shrine
Jacinta's
Third Secret vision: She saw Pope Paul VI