The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-07-01

and incur the extreme penalty OF ex-
or exclusion from
writes Catholic priest.
This deprives the Mason of the sacra-
ments, of all share in the public pray
ers of the Church, and finally of Chris
tian burial. The prohibition of the
Church is enough for the Catholic |
who recognizes her divine right to
command and knows that it is only |
exercised for the common good of her
children.
The Church, the great advocate of
charity in all centuries, would I'M
.doubtedly not condemn any society
of men for it's benevolence or love of
the brethren, or wantonly legislate
to deprive her children of the money
and help they might require in the
hour of need. The reasons of her
condemnation OF Masonry are:
First. Masonry is undoubtedly a.
sect, with code Of belief, ritual and
ceremonies, standing for mere natu
ralism in religion and for morality
founded on merely human motives.
Frequently the Masons of Europe have
claimed Freemasonry as the religion
of nature, and the Catholic Church,
therefore, as the supernatural reli-
gion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
cannot allow her members to join it.
One cannot be Mason and Cath
Ole at the same time, any more than
he could be both Methodist and Cath
| Ollie "The God of Masonry is Ma
ture. There is no need of
privileged agents making a trade Of
their pretended mediation" tRevue
Maconnique, Sept. 1880; and again:
| 'Freemasonry is progress under every
form, in every branch of human ac-
| tivity. 1t teaches us that there is only
one religion, one true and therefore
natural religion, the worship of hui
mainly God is only the prod
uct of generous but erroneous con-
ception of humanity" (Jan. 1870, p.
| $500.
Second 1t is undoubtedly certain
| that the Masons have been noted in
Italy, France and other countries for
marked hatred of the Church, which,
| yelling itself under the name and love
of liberty Qiberalism), helped in the
forced the clergy to enter the army,
| closed many religious houses by ex-
cessive taxation, appropriated Church
revenues, favored civil marriage, secu
larized education, and in public print
and speech repeatedly pledged them
selves, as in Naples in 1870, ito the
prompt and radical abolition of Catho-
licity, and by every means to procure
| it's utter destruction
You may say that the American and
English Masons are not of this type,
and have openly severed all connection
with these atheistical continental Ma
sons. I answer that if Albert Pixies
book. Morals and Dogma of the An
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry,' be authentic, the es-
oteric doctrine of the higher degrees
is essentially anti Christian and inn
| moral. &C. Coppens, S. j., 'Is Free
masonry Anti Christian?" Am. Eccl.
/
a universal society, makes laws that
have universal applications. Nor is
| it at all certain that American Ma
sons refuse fellowship to the Masons
of Latin Europe and America.
Third. 1t is also contrary to moral
/ ity to pledge ones self to absolute Sc
crecy from those who have a right@to
demand a revelation, especially when
death is the penalty attached to dis
loyalty to that oath-the case with
| Freemasons
Fourth Practically, Masonry in
these United States, by putting all
religions on level, fosters the spirit
Of indifferentism, which is only I'M
belief in disguise, and substitutes in
the mind of the ignorant the lodge
for the church. I have heard scores
of Protestant Masons say, on our mis-
sions to Catholics, 'My lodge is
church enough for me; the only re-
1 ligion l believe in is the doing good
to my fellow-man," etc. l have fire.
quently, too, heard their Protestant
church-going wives trace their hus-
bands loss of Christian faith to the
lodge. Some Protestant denomina-
tions have come out strongly against
secret societies (The National Asso-
citation of Chicago), but they lack that
universal power to command which
only divine authority like the Cath
olic Church can exercise.