Posted by Frenchie
The Catholic Church forbids Catholics to join Freemasonry because it is considered incompatible with the Church Faith and Doctrine.
This is a pretty strong statement, but this is the reality for Catholics since the appearance of this sectarian philosophy back in the early 18th century.
This prohibition stems from free masonry philosophical and religious tenets, which the Catholic Church views as containing errors and being in conflict with Catholicism.
This is actually a fairly diplomatic position, since as some former grand masters have revealed, one of the main goals of freemasonry is the destruction of the Church.
Here are the reasons why the Church is unequivocal about free Masonry
1) Religious indifferentism: the Church teaches that Freemasonry promotes the idea that all religions are equally valid and that truth can be found in any faith, a concept called Religious Indifferentism. This conflicts with the Catholic belief that Jesus Christ is the one true path to salvation.
2) Rival Religion: According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Freemasonry displays the elements of a religion, including Temples, Altars, prayers, and rites and therefore becomes a rival to the Christian Faith.
3) Secrecy and oaths: freemasonry secret oaths, which can include threats of gruesome punishment for revealing its secrets, are seen as contrary to Christian Morals and public Christian Principles.
4) Conflicting Philosophy: Freemasonry emphasis on "enlightment" through reason and rationality is seen as a secular, naturalistic philosophy that is at odds with Catholic Teachings on Faith, Divine Revelation and Grace.
5) Anti-Catholic Sentiment: Historically, certain forms of Freemasonry have held Anti-Catholic views, and the Church has noted that some Masonic teachings and practices, such as viewing the Pope as an "impostor", are fundamentally opposed to Catholic doctrine.
Status of the Prohibition
The ban on Freemasonry has first been issued in 1738 and reaffirmed by numerous Popes since then.
1983 Code of Canon Law: The 1983 revision of the code of Canon Law removed specific mentions of Freemasonry, leading to some confusions about the ban's status.
Reaffirmation of the Ban: In the same year the Vatican issued a declaration clarifying that the prohibition remained in effect. The declaration stated that Catholics that joined Masonic Associations are in a state of grave sin and cannot received Holy Communion.
Continued Clarification: The Vatican has continued to reaffirm this position, most recently in a 2023 letter from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which explicitly stated that active membership is forbidden and those who join are in a state of grave sin.
As you see, it is very clear to all but the blind, the deaf and the stupid, that being a freemason is not possible for Catholics, and that any person who does this is in a State of Grave Sin.
The question, for the Catholic Church in Guam is therefore very relevant.
If one watches in passing the back bumpers of other cars in traffic, you will notice without too much difficulty a fairly sizeable number of Masonic symbols on said cars. I first noticed this when I first moved to Guam, and I was quite surprised to see so many Masonic signs. After consulting with several friends, I was told many people associated with Masons were hailing from the Philippines. But in observing closely, I also noticed in my parish, and in other parishes I visited occasionally that several CHamoru, some with strong clan affiliation, were obviously active in Lodges. Which leads us to this next picture.
Next: unravelling the web of lies.
