Today’s question about Masons is answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum University.
Q: Can a Catholic be a member of a Masonic lodge?
A: “No, says the Church.
“The principles of Masonics have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Catholic Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden.
“The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.
“The Vatican congregation above all stressed the incompatibility of some Masonic principles with Christianity.
“This incompatibility resides in some aspects of Masonic ritual, but more importantly in elements regarding the question of truth.
“In its effort to bring together people of different provenances, Masonry requires that its members adhere to a minimal belief in a supreme architect of the universe and leave aside all other pretensions of truth, even revealed truth.
“It is thus basically a relativistic doctrine, and no Catholic, nor indeed any convinced Christian, may ever adhere to a group that would require him, even as a mere intellectual exercise, to renounce the affirmation of such truths as Christ’s divinity and the Trinitarian nature of God.
“Of course, for many people active in Masonic lodges, the conversations and activities are more social in nature and rarely veer toward the realm of philosophical speculation.
“A true Christian, however, cannot ignore the fundamental principles behind an organization, no matter how innocuous its activities appear to be.”
What is Free Masonry and what do Free Masons believe?
Answer: Free Masonry, Eastern Star, and other similar “secret” organizations appear to be harmless fellowship gatherings. Many of them appear to promote belief in God.
However, upon closer examination, we find that the only belief requirement is not that one must believe in the True and Living God, but rather, that one must believe in the existence of a “Supreme Being” – which includes the “gods” of Islam, Hinduism, or any other world religion.
The anti-Biblical and anti-Christian beliefs and practices of this organization are partially hidden beneath an outward appearance of a supposed compatibility with the Christian faith.
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