New Orleans Republican., 1875-09-09
The Roman Church and Masonry

The Roman Church and Masonry.
The London correspondent of the New
York Erening Post discusses very sensibly
the peculiar ideas of the Roman Catholic
Church as to Freemasonsory, and the pom
alties which it prescribes for membership in
the institution by one of the true faith"
Following is the essential pol ton of the
letter:
There is no more striking sipn of the
times than the zeal of the Roman Catholic
clergy in proselyting. Within the past few
years that body has entirely changed it &, at
ttude, being c0ntented formerly with mere
toleration, and showing no open desire to
gain converts and supremacy. Now, how
ever, the case is changed, and the Roman
Catholics are asserting themselves in a
variety of ways. 1t is curious that one of
the stumbling. blocks they meet with is
the existence Of Freemasonry. A convert,
who is also Freemason, had not only to
abjure Professionalism, but to reuOuDce
the craft AT one time Roman Catholics
might join lodge without mourning &C.
clesiastical censure, but that time has gone
by. A proof of the bitterness with which
the Church of Rome regards the order ia
furnished by book just published by a.
firm of Roman Catholic publishers here. 1t
is translation from the German. and is en-
titled 1.-THE Secret Warfare of Freemason-
ry Against Church and State" The work.
as whole, is farrago of nonsense. A long
introduction, evidently WRIT N by devout
Roman Catholic, is hardly less ridiculous
than the rest, but is noteworthy as testi-
mony to the class of. ideas current ON the
subject in the ranks Of the Roman Catholics.
What clearly annoys the writer is that the
Prince OF Wales should have accepted the
office OF grand master in succession to
the Marquis of Ripon, who had to resign
on joining the Church of Rome. 1t
appears, too, that converts, of whom the
Marquis of Ripun is doubtless one, ..haye
conscientiously asserted that there was
nothing in the principles of Freemasonry,
as made known to them, which, in their
Judgment, initiated against the system of
faith and morals imposed upon them BY
virtue of their new allegiance" The fair
conclusion from this would be that Free.
masonry is not so evil thing after all. A
conclusion SO simple, sensible and natural
is not that drawn by the writer, for he al
leges that these persons have been hood
winked, and that the real principles and
purposes OF the order have been carefully
concealed from them. As to the position Of
the Roman Catholics, he writes: mo Cath
olic can enroll himself in secret society
without incurring excOmBunication; and
no Freemason can be received into the fold
OF Christ unless be has previously made
up his mind to withdraw altogether from
such an association" All Christians are
warned against society which is alleged
to be the enemy of Christianity. Its leaders
are represented as saying: "Yet little,
and the time will have arrived for the reye.
lation and practical realization of our great
GnOstic secret, and we shall see with our
own eyes the erection of our altar to the
Unknown on the ruins OF an effste Chris
tiacity, while from out the sepulchres of
buried kings, of buried governments, of
buried civilization, shall arise the phmnix
of one undivided republic-one universal
brotherhood, with the apron. mallet tr-
angle and two mystic pillars established
forever as the worlds sole regaia." All
this would be very dreadful were 1t not so
ludicrOus. The introduction of the phpuix
alone suffices to show that the writer must
be joking for no sensible person can refer
seriously to that mythical fowl. Worse
things could occur than the establishment
of universal brotherhood. 1t may be,
however, that the case is not so bad as the
writer suppoaes.. Hence he says:
"Even should it appear thai Freemasonry
had been misrepresented. and. that the ac-
cusations brought against it are full of ex.
aggerations and perversiOns. of truth
(which, as we believe, the brethren will find
it difficult to prOve), the fact remains, no.
withstahding, that the Masonic oath, as we
have already stated, is in itself serious
violation of the natural law, which forbids
ub " oDulC0to LILO lToouuu VI Will III
favor of an unknown and ssls-constituted
authority, and to bind ourselves irrevoc-
ably to the propagation of tenets, or to the
blind execution OF orders, about which we
are in utter Ignorance at the time, and are.
therefore, unable to determine whether
they are consistent or not with our moral
obligations to ourselves, our nelghbOrs and
our God"
II it be true that there are IL ZOO, 900 of
Masons in the world then the number of
persons over whom the Pope can exercise
no control is considerable, and it ia easy to
believe that he should dread the antagonism
of such a multitude. 1t is certain that the
papal denunciations of Freemasonry have
had direct effect in adding to the numbers
Of the craft in this country. Books such as
this one will operate in like manner. Thus
the Churehlof Rome would appear to have
acted with less than its usual astuteness.
Since the Prince of Wales Joined the order
he has shown great liking for it, and may
be said to be an enthusiastic Mason. Most of
those who are in authority around him think
it their duty to join the order. The Rev.
Canon Duckworth, who succeeded the late
Charles Kingsley as canon of Westminster,
and who is to go to India as private chap.
lain to the Prince; was initiated into Free |
masonry few weeks ago at the Lodge of |
Antiquity. Canon Duckworth thought it |
as we'll to qualify himself for accompanying |
the Prince should he visit some Of the lodges |
in India. l may add that the Lodge of An. |
tiquity is one Of the oldest in the world,
and one of the most select of the English |
lodges. By common understanding the |
number of members is limited to thirty. |
Prince Leopold was recently, at his own |
special request. admitted among their num-
ber. Sir Christopher Wren was for many
years master of that lodge, and he pre-
sented to it several articles which are now
very curious and interesting relies.