The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-07-10
AN ERRONEOUS IDEA is THE
ASSUMPTION THAT CATHOLIC
CHURCH FORBIDS MASONRY
(By WILL. ROBINSON


sketches, the past three years Tor the
Register Tribune, aud one hundred year,
before that Tor other papers, ! have
received letters from all parts " the
world on matters which ! have had the
temerity to discuss, and | was not sur
pri-ed that my batch Of stun On Ma
sonry should have brought forth com
Ueni from n distant point A letter
comes from shreveport, La, commen,
ing upon the article with such evident
understanding Of his subject from 4
Catholic standpoint that ! am moved "a
beg leave to print, as one Of the most
illuminstiye resumes Of the attitude
~ Catholicism toward Masonry ! have
ever read | do not propose 10 discuss
the quest ion with my Lousiana friend
aud | do not think that the Register
Tribune will permit a discussion VI Il
The letter Is simply given for infor
nation, aud II follows.
Ia the FIRST place your assumption
that the church forbids Masonry no,
because of It's teachings but because OF
the wickedhess Of some VI its ind,
yldual members, IL wholly erroneous
The Catholic church never forbids her
children to associate themselves with
any order ON this account unless the
membership II wicked ss a rule, and
-. Il .-s aI.... gA.s - A NN.
freely grant that the order teaches a
code Of ethics equal TO that expOundeed
by Seneca ~ Cicero, perhaps higher
that It's members AZ n whole a high
class ~ people that In the matter Of
practical charity II has done great work
ia the past aud will likely continue 10
do So IA the future; that every reason
able effort is made to Keep bad men out
Of its folds, all this We cOnceie We
grant that Masonz make good ne,ghbor-
and (in America at lrast) good
citizens In short sO far ~ personnel
Ut the order Is concerned there is
nothing 10 which We would object and
the occasional lapses Of indiV idual
members from grace aud rigut living
IL not held against the fraternity a-
aud tendencies that the Church De
nounces and from our point vi view
recolicrt) rightly %denounreS Masonry
First ~ all. Masonry sets itself uI
~ the teacher VI universal truth. foT
instance, Albert Pike. perhaps the great
est of Masonic authors, Ia his Morals
and Dogma page ldl) says, after lie
hying that Masonry il u religion, But
their pufIty the Cardinal teB"i~ Of the
Masonry teaches and has preserved IN
their purity the cardinal ienrts ~ the
old primitive faith. which undrtlie and
are the foundation - all religious
Al that ever cAisie,. have had n ba,i.
"f truth ani all have overland that
truth with error. The primitive truth,
taught by our Rrdr-meT were soOur.
.ut"fminpled with fiction than wh"u
taught 10 the first OF our ARE
let II not br supposed that Pike ws-
using n. argument 80 often put forth
by our separated br-theru that III,
church overland with error the truth,
entrusted tU her, aud the orthodox Pro
testautism was needed 10 recover said
truth aud restore II to the people Pix,
was not pleading for amy sort al
Christianity; he was coni.ndiLg thai
the old primitive faith was .drght mol
by any Que or by all Protestant dronmi
nations but by Free Masonry, aud
that all religions had more or less Oh
secured this truth. ny the way, my deaI
Tenderfoot, that IL not from youf own
u~n0rthodoX sttItude. You are fuuds
mentally II Masonic philosopher.
Nov II In not the question At issue
whether this attitude il right OF wrong
per se, but to drteiIaine whether II
~ right from n Catholic standpoint
DO you think that IL il right from such
y point ~ viewt The Catholic church
agrees that truth must be universal add
rOnsistant, but she says hat she ha.
been established by the Almighty 0od
lot the purpose Of teaching this truth
to all nations: that she has his prom
,se that the yates % hell shall not pr.
wan against her, that He il 10 he with
her 'nll days eve Ia the end Of the
world - teaching her all things n-ees
sSry tor the salvation Of the human
bv any one OF by all Protestant denomi
sorry is mistaken Ia its claim II Ma
sonry IN Iight then uhe must needs be
may believe all that teach aud at the
same time yOn may Join an order the
highest authorities VI which lay down
hs u cardinal pfeheiple that II IN th,
teacher and preserver Of primitive faith
and that all religions have n basis vi
truth oyerlaid with error, would be
the highest VI inconsistency, aud oul
worst enemies have not charged u.
with being Inconsistent ia drawing con
illusions from u premises To with
draw the ban, would be the most ineon
sistent thing the church could do. You
and I may both lie good fellows, per
sonally, but II W. both claim TO hold
complete titis In fee simple to Il certain
piece Of property, one OF the other must
be mistaken. Incidentally when he said
that Masonry was not Il religion and