The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-01-23
ncn-GatboIle Queries, and Hnswers Cberetp
(San Francisco Monitor.) J

What secret orders are forbidden by your church
why don't the church condemn all secret organi-
zations?
As early as 1875 Clement XII communicated
the FreemasoRs, and his example has been followed
by Benedict NV 1751), Plus VII (1S21), Leo XII
(1S26), Plus TX (1S69), and Leo XIII. Catholics,
therefore. who join this society contrary to the
known law of the church. are guilty of grievous SIM
and incur the extreme penalty of communication
or exclusion from membership. This deprires the
Mason Of the sacraments OF all share IN the public
prayers of the church, and finally of Christian bur
ial. The prohibition Of the church is enough for
the Catholic who recognizes her divine right to
mand, and knows that it is only exercised for the
common good of her children. She, the great ad-
vocate of charity in all centuries would undoubted-
ly not condemn any society of men for Its benevo-
lence or love cf the brethren or wantonly legisae
to deprive her children of the money and help they
might require in the hour of need. The reasons of
her condemnation of Masonry
J. Masonry is undoubtedly sect, with a code of
belief, ritual and ceremonies, standing for mere
naturalism IN religion and for morality founded
merely human motives. Frenquently the Ma
SONS of Europe have claimed Freemasonry the
religion of nature, and the Catholic church there
fore the supernatural religion of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, cannot allow her members TO join
1t. One cannot be a Mason and a Catholic at the
same time, any more than he could be both Meth
odist and Catholic. "The God Of Masonry is Ma
ture : There is need of privileged
agents making trade of their pretended medta
tion" (Revpe Maconnique, Sept 1880; and,
again: "Freemasonry is progress under every form,
in every branch of human activity. 1t teaches us
that there is only religion, true and there
fore natural religion, the worship of humanity.
God is only the product of a generous
but erroneous conception or humanity" (Jan. 1870,
p. 539).
3 1t is undoubtedly certain that the Masons
have been noted in Italy, France and other
tries for a marked hatred of the church, which, veil
ing itself under the name of love and liberty Glib
eralsm), helped in the spolation of the church In
1870, forced the clergy to enter the army, closed
many religious houses by excessive taxation approp
priated church revenues, favored civil marriage,
secularized education and in public print and
speech repeatedly pledged themselves, in Naples
in 1870, TO the prompt and radical abolition of
Cathohcity, land by every means to procure its ut
Ter destruction. You may say that the American
and English Masons are not of this type, and have
openly severed all connection with these athestical
continental Masons. / answer that if Albert Pixies
book, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Ac
cepted Scottish Rite Of Freemasonry" be authentic,
the esoteric doctrine of the higher degrees is es.
sentially antiChristian and immoral. &C. Coppens
s. j. "Is Freemasonry anti -Christian" Amer
Eel. Review, Dec 1S99). The church as a uni
versal society makes laws that have universal ap
plicaton. Nor is 1t at all certain that American
Masons refuse fellowship to the Masons of Latin
Europe and America.
8. 1t is also contrary morality to pledge ones
self to absolute secrecy from those who have right
TO demand revelation, especially when death is the
penalty attached to dsloyalty to that oath-the
with Freemasons.
4. Practically, Masonry in these United States, |
by putting all religions level fosters the |
spirit of indifferentism, which is only unbeef in |
disguise. and substitutes IN the mind of the ignor-
ant the lodge for the church. [ have heard scores
of Protestant Masons say, our missions to non |
Catholics MY lodge is church enough for me-" 'the
olH- nio.or / hali IN tha 10
fellow man., etc. have frequently too, heard their
Protestant church-going wives trace their hus- I
bands loss Of Christian faith to the lodge. Some
Protestant denominations have out strongly |
against secret societies (The National Association
Of Chicago but they lack that universal power to !
command which only divine authority like the |
Catholic church can exercise.
The condemnation (1S95) of the knights of |
Pythias. the Odd Fellows and the Sons of Temper
ance was based OH the conviction that these socie-
ties were doing harm to the faith of Catholics. /
Other secret societies have not been included in this
condemnation (''Freemasonry in Latin America,
Amer Cath. Quarterly. vol. xiii, p. S02; THE !
Laws of the Church and Secret Societies, vol p.
252)
Why are Catholics opposed TO the American system
Of public schools?
Because they make no provision for the religious
instruction of children, which Catholics consider
absolutely necessary.
1t is the direct duty Of the Catholic church, as
the divine. infalible teacher of the revelation of
Jesus Christ ("Teach We all nations" Matt. xviii
19), to safeguard the religious education of each
generation. With her it is vastly more
important to know well the doctrines of faith and
morals than 10 be able to work out a problem in
or to know the position of Cape Nome
upon the map. An infdel or an ndifferentist Prot
estant may not appreciate the value of religious
education entering into the daily life of a child but
any fair-minded man, no matter what his religious
convictions. must admit that Catholics holding
their doctrines infallible certaintes and not as
mere opinions, must consider their religion when
there is question Of the education of their chill
lren.
Although the divine commission of the Catholic
church to teach the world directly concerns reli-
rous truth she Is essentially bound to offset any
danger to faith and morals incident to the prose
cution of secular studies. She therefore, on prin-
eiple, demands when ever possible good Catholic
education for her children and must needs view
with disfavor the principle on which exclusively
secular education is based. The Catholic therefore
objects to the public school system
J.. Because he considers the separation of hui
nan learning from religion false principle The
otal ignoring dav by day, of the most vital element
in education-religion-is not Christian and must
ii many cases lead to bad results Its tendency is
10 foster the spirit of ndifferentism in matters of
eligon and lead the child to believe that Chris
DAINTY need not enter into its everyday life but Is