[Q] What is the Catholic Church’s official position on Freemasonry? Are Catholics free to become Freemasons?
[A] Freemasonry is incompatible with the Catholic Faith. Freemasonry teaches a naturalistic religion that espouses indifferentism, the position that a person can be equally pleasing to God while remaining in any religion.
Masonry is a parallel religion to Christianity. The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion, and as such it becomes rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes temples and altars, prayers, a moral code, worship, vestments, feast days, the promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife, a hierarchy, and initiation and burial rites” (vol. 6, p. 137).
Masonry is also a secret society. Its initiates subscribe to secret blood oaths that are contrary to Christian morals. The prospective Mason swears that if he ever reveals the secrets of Masonry–secrets which are trivial and already well-known-he wills to be subject to self-mutilation or to gruesome execution. (Most Masons, admittedly, would never dream of carrying out these punishments on themselves or on an errant member).
Historically, one of the Masonry’s primary objectives has been the destruction of the Catholic Church; this is especially true of Freemasonry, as it has existed in certain European countries. In the United States, Freemasonry is often little more than a social club, but it still espouses a naturalistic religion that contradicts orthodox Christianity. (Those interested in joining a men’s club should consider the Knights of Columbus instead).
The Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on Catholics who become Freemasons. The penalty of excommunication for joining the Masonic Lodge was explicit in the 1917 code of canon law (canon 2335) and it is implicit in the 1983 code (canon 1374). Because the revised code of canon law is not explicit on this point, some drew the mistaken conclusion that the Church’s prohibition of Freemasonry had been dropped. Because of this confusion, shortly before the 1983 code was promulgated, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement indicating that the penalty was still in force. This statement was dated November 26, 1983 and may be found in Origins 13/27 (Nov. 15, 1983), 450.
Here is the Declaration Catholic membership in the Masons, issued Nov. 26, 1983 by the Vatican’s Doctrinal Congregation. An NC News translation of the declaration follows:
“The question has been raised whether the church’s position on Masonic associations has been altered, especially since no explicit mention is made of them in the new Code of Canon Law, as there was in the old code. This sacred congregation is able to reply that the circumstances is to be attributed to a criterion adopted in drafting. This criterion was observed also in regard to other associations, which were likewise passed over in silence, because they were included in broader categories. The church’s negative position on Masonic associations therefore remains unaltered, since their principles have always been regarded as irreconcilable with the church’s doctrine. Hence joining them remains prohibited by the church. Catholic enrolled in Masonic associations are involved in serious sin and may not approach Holy Communion. Local ecclesiastical authorities do not have the faculty to pronounce a diminution of the above-mentioned judgment, in accordance with the intention of this congregation’s declaration delivered Feb. 17, 1981 (cf. AAS 73 (1981) pp. 240-241). The supreme pontiff John Paul II approved this declaration, deliberated at an ordinary meeting of this declaration was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect, and Archbishop Jerome Hamer, OP, secretary.
Msgr. Richard Malone, director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committees on Doctrine and on Pastoral Research and Practices, commented on the Vatican’s declaration on Catholic membership in the Masons. He explained that the new Code of Canon Law abolishes automatic excommunication of Catholics who become Masons, though there still is a canon, No. 1374, on conspiratorial societies. “Membership in the Masons was always discouraged, even in 1974, when it was stated that the excommunication only applied to truly anti-Catholic groups of Masons,” he said. “The problem seems to be both the philosophy of the groups and the kind of secrecy”. People get involved at lower levels without knowing exactly what is involved at higher levels. This may leave people who joined innocently “open to manipulation”. But, said Malone, “one wonders if many Masonic groups in the United States are real Masonic groups since some make the case that a) there is not the degree of secrecy about rituals and philosophy, and b) there are no anti-Catholic directions given to the members”. Malone said no law is retroactive. Commenting on the declaration’s statement that Catholics who join the Masons are presumed to be in mortal sin, he said, “The authority to make a different judgment and to decide that the case is otherwise is explicitly reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This congregation has to examine whatever evidence is presented for a more lenient discipline”.
Catholics may not in good conscience become members of any group whose teachings and other activities are opposed to the teachings and well-being of the Church.
Taken from “Q and A” is on page 32 of June, 1993 issue of “This Rock” magazine. Used with permission.