Showing posts with label catholic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label catholic. Show all posts
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Catholic 'New Democrat' Freemason Member of Parliament Makes Masonic Handsignal, 'Crafts' Voluntary Euthanasia Program Under Pallative Care Euphemism
Masonic 'Recognition' Cut Sign @ 00:10 by Opposition House Leader Bro. 'Joe' Comartin
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Freemasonry & the U.S. Supreme Court
Paul Fisher author of Behind the Lodge Door provides some background on the subject for a video produced by a Knights of Columbus Chapter.
Continue to Parts 2 - 5 of Video
Continue to Parts 2 - 5 of Video
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Masonic lodge membership is gravely sinful, Vatican official says
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=49651
Rome, Mar. 5, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Catholics who become members of Masonic lodges are guilty of serious sin, a Vatican official has confirmed.
Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, told a Vatican Radio interviewer that membership in a Masonic lodge is not necessarily grounds for excommunication, but it is a grave matter.
Reacting to the story of Father Rosario Esposito, an Italian Paulist who recently announced his membership in a Masonic lodge, Bishop Girotti said that a 1983 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith remains in force today. That statement, signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said: “The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”
Rome, Mar. 5, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Catholics who become members of Masonic lodges are guilty of serious sin, a Vatican official has confirmed.
Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, told a Vatican Radio interviewer that membership in a Masonic lodge is not necessarily grounds for excommunication, but it is a grave matter.
Reacting to the story of Father Rosario Esposito, an Italian Paulist who recently announced his membership in a Masonic lodge, Bishop Girotti said that a 1983 statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith remains in force today. That statement, signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said: “The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”
Membership in the Masons, by Father Edward McNamara
ROME, 6 FEB. 2007 (ZENIT)
http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur161.htm
Membership in the Masons
Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: A member of the RCIA program was told by another member of the parish that if they were going to become Catholic they needed to terminate their involvement with the Masonic lodge before they could join. Is this still the case in the United States? — T.N., Howard City, Michigan
A: This question is more canonical than liturgical. The Church's position with respect to membership of Masonic lodges, even though canon law no longer explicitly mentions the Masons, has not substantially changed.
The new code states in Canon 1374: "A person who joins an association which plots against the Church is to be punished with a just penalty; however, a person who promotes or directs an association of this kind is to be punished with an interdict." An interdict is an ecclesiastical penalty that deprives the person of the right to celebrate or receive the sacraments but is less harsh than excommunication.
This text greatly simplified the former code which had specifically mentioned the Masons. This change led some Masons to think that the Church no longer banned Catholics from being Masons, since, among other things, in many countries membership at a lodge was merely social and had nothing to do with plotting against the Church.
In order to clarify the issue the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a declaration on Nov. 26, 1983, shortly before the present Code of Canon Law came into effect. This declaration, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, states:
"It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church's decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.
"This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance in due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.
"Therefore the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the 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.
"It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 1981 pp. 240-241; English language edition of L'Osservatore Romano, 9 March 1981).
"In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation."
The congregation's judgment, therefore, was not so much based on whether the Masons as such or any specific group of Masons effectively plot against the Church today. This does not deny that some Masonic groups have historically combated the Church nor that even today, in some countries or at certain levels, the lodge remains at the forefront of those who oppose the Church's freedom of action.
Rather, the Vatican congregation above all stressed the incompatibility of some Masonic principles with those of the Catholic Church.
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 Catholic, however, cannot ignore the fundamental principles behind an organization, no matter how innocuous its activities appear to be.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur161.htm
Membership in the Masons
Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: A member of the RCIA program was told by another member of the parish that if they were going to become Catholic they needed to terminate their involvement with the Masonic lodge before they could join. Is this still the case in the United States? — T.N., Howard City, Michigan
A: This question is more canonical than liturgical. The Church's position with respect to membership of Masonic lodges, even though canon law no longer explicitly mentions the Masons, has not substantially changed.
The new code states in Canon 1374: "A person who joins an association which plots against the Church is to be punished with a just penalty; however, a person who promotes or directs an association of this kind is to be punished with an interdict." An interdict is an ecclesiastical penalty that deprives the person of the right to celebrate or receive the sacraments but is less harsh than excommunication.
This text greatly simplified the former code which had specifically mentioned the Masons. This change led some Masons to think that the Church no longer banned Catholics from being Masons, since, among other things, in many countries membership at a lodge was merely social and had nothing to do with plotting against the Church.
In order to clarify the issue the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a declaration on Nov. 26, 1983, shortly before the present Code of Canon Law came into effect. This declaration, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, states:
"It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church's decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.
"This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance in due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.
"Therefore the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the 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.
"It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 1981 pp. 240-241; English language edition of L'Osservatore Romano, 9 March 1981).
"In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation."
The congregation's judgment, therefore, was not so much based on whether the Masons as such or any specific group of Masons effectively plot against the Church today. This does not deny that some Masonic groups have historically combated the Church nor that even today, in some countries or at certain levels, the lodge remains at the forefront of those who oppose the Church's freedom of action.
Rather, the Vatican congregation above all stressed the incompatibility of some Masonic principles with those of the Catholic Church.
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 Catholic, however, cannot ignore the fundamental principles behind an organization, no matter how innocuous its activities appear to be.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Letter from a soon to be ex-Freemason
God bless you and your work.
Sunday, April 27,
From: "M"
To: mason_stoppers@yahoo.com
I just want to say God Bless you.
I am a Freemason - soon to be an ex-Freemason.
I've been through the three degrees of the Blue Lodge. I've gone even further than that... I went through the Scottish Rite to obtain the 32° of Freemasonry. I was very proud of my membership in the fraternity in the short time I belonged, much to my current chagrin.
I have only been a member for a year. Before I joined, I was quite proud to be Catholic. Several years ago, I was even considering the priesthood before I left the Church for some time. I was quite bitter... not at the Church, but at myself, at my own sinfulness, and at my own pride. I joined Freemasonry knowing the Church's prohibition against the organization, and was familiar with your web page well before I was initiated into the first degree. I very much enjoyed being a Freemason. I made a lot of good friends and grew as a person due to my membership.
Yet, admittedly, something in my soul had been aching since that day I went through my very first initiation. I had certainly lapsed as a Catholic and had been deep in my sins well before I took that step, but something within masonry had been killing me spiritually and I certainly felt it.
Freemasonry is a subtle beast. The average person within its ranks has very little idea of the evil that lurks beneath its massive symbolism, but that evil is certainly there. Every aspect of masonry is cunningly designed to destroy men's souls by pulling them away from Christ. I was lucky - Christ Our Lord never allowed me to close my ears to individuals such as yourself whom spoke the truth of the organization. I am grateful for that beyond any words that I could possibly express.
Masonry, both directly and indirectly, is at the heart of all that is wrong with the world today. It breeds apathy to Christ and His Church. It is a doorway to evil spirits. When one goes through the degrees, one is divested of all metals, which especially includes holy sacramentals which might protect one from the demonic energies one comes into contact during the rituals. All prayer is directed to the "Grand Architect Of The Universe", whom assuredly is not the Christian God, for Christ is not to be acknowledged within the lodge as anything other than just a man. Christ is not mentioned lest the followers of other religions be offended, yet Masonic ritual refers explicitly to pagan gods whom ought to offend any faithful Christian. The nature of Masonry ought to be clear from this alone.
Freemasonry is the Luciferian religion shrouded in dark secrecy. Its subtleties are such that, unless one studies occult iconography apart from masonry, one cannot comprehend the totality of what is being taught. Freemasonry is the anti-Church and its spirit is most assuredly anti-Christ. Masons whom read this will certainly call me a bigot and accuse me of never being a Mason in the first place, but neither is true. It is not my fault that they never understood the essence of the "Craft" in the first place. I regret having a part in that "Craft" in the first place.
There is a far greater Brotherhood in the world than Masonry could ever hope to be. This is certainly a claim that most Masons would deny on its very face until I name it, after which they ought to be ashamed. The Brotherhood that is greater than Masonry is the Church of Jesus Christ, which no institution built by man or devil can possibly rival. Any Christian who requires a greater bond of fellowship than that which they gain through the grace of Christian baptism most certainly sells their Lord short, for He can bond men in a far greater manner through His Sacraments than any occult ritual could hope to do.
I am not expressing myself as fully as I wish I could, but it suffices to say that I regret having belonged to the Masonic Lodge despite any perceived good I might have gained through my membership. It profits us nothing to gain the world but to lose our souls.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email, God bless you, and keep up the good work.
In Christ,
--
M
Sunday, April 27,
From: "M"
To: mason_stoppers@yahoo.com
I just want to say God Bless you.
I am a Freemason - soon to be an ex-Freemason.
I've been through the three degrees of the Blue Lodge. I've gone even further than that... I went through the Scottish Rite to obtain the 32° of Freemasonry. I was very proud of my membership in the fraternity in the short time I belonged, much to my current chagrin.
I have only been a member for a year. Before I joined, I was quite proud to be Catholic. Several years ago, I was even considering the priesthood before I left the Church for some time. I was quite bitter... not at the Church, but at myself, at my own sinfulness, and at my own pride. I joined Freemasonry knowing the Church's prohibition against the organization, and was familiar with your web page well before I was initiated into the first degree. I very much enjoyed being a Freemason. I made a lot of good friends and grew as a person due to my membership.
Yet, admittedly, something in my soul had been aching since that day I went through my very first initiation. I had certainly lapsed as a Catholic and had been deep in my sins well before I took that step, but something within masonry had been killing me spiritually and I certainly felt it.
Freemasonry is a subtle beast. The average person within its ranks has very little idea of the evil that lurks beneath its massive symbolism, but that evil is certainly there. Every aspect of masonry is cunningly designed to destroy men's souls by pulling them away from Christ. I was lucky - Christ Our Lord never allowed me to close my ears to individuals such as yourself whom spoke the truth of the organization. I am grateful for that beyond any words that I could possibly express.
Masonry, both directly and indirectly, is at the heart of all that is wrong with the world today. It breeds apathy to Christ and His Church. It is a doorway to evil spirits. When one goes through the degrees, one is divested of all metals, which especially includes holy sacramentals which might protect one from the demonic energies one comes into contact during the rituals. All prayer is directed to the "Grand Architect Of The Universe", whom assuredly is not the Christian God, for Christ is not to be acknowledged within the lodge as anything other than just a man. Christ is not mentioned lest the followers of other religions be offended, yet Masonic ritual refers explicitly to pagan gods whom ought to offend any faithful Christian. The nature of Masonry ought to be clear from this alone.
Freemasonry is the Luciferian religion shrouded in dark secrecy. Its subtleties are such that, unless one studies occult iconography apart from masonry, one cannot comprehend the totality of what is being taught. Freemasonry is the anti-Church and its spirit is most assuredly anti-Christ. Masons whom read this will certainly call me a bigot and accuse me of never being a Mason in the first place, but neither is true. It is not my fault that they never understood the essence of the "Craft" in the first place. I regret having a part in that "Craft" in the first place.
There is a far greater Brotherhood in the world than Masonry could ever hope to be. This is certainly a claim that most Masons would deny on its very face until I name it, after which they ought to be ashamed. The Brotherhood that is greater than Masonry is the Church of Jesus Christ, which no institution built by man or devil can possibly rival. Any Christian who requires a greater bond of fellowship than that which they gain through the grace of Christian baptism most certainly sells their Lord short, for He can bond men in a far greater manner through His Sacraments than any occult ritual could hope to do.
I am not expressing myself as fully as I wish I could, but it suffices to say that I regret having belonged to the Masonic Lodge despite any perceived good I might have gained through my membership. It profits us nothing to gain the world but to lose our souls.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email, God bless you, and keep up the good work.
In Christ,
--
M
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