Talk:Declaration Concerning Status of Catholics Becoming Freemasons

message: Please expand... what was Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) trying to clarify, and what did he say? Blueboar 00:56, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Untitled

message: From , here is the actual content of the letter:
CLARIFICATION CONCERNING STATUS OF CATHOLICS BECOMING FREEMASONS
Issued by the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, February 17, 1981.
On 19 July 1974 this Congregation wrote to some Episcopal Conferences a private letter concerning the interpretation of can 2335 of the Code of Canon Law which forbids Catholics, under the penalty of excommunication, to enroll in Masonic or other similar associations.
Since the said letter has become public and has given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations, this Congregation, without prejudice to the eventual norms of the new Code, issues the following confirmation and clarification:
1) the present canonical discipline remains in full force and has not been modified in any way;
2) consequently, neither the excommunication nor the other penalties envisaged have been abrogated; 
3) what was said in the aforesaid letter as regards the interpretation to be given to the canon in question should be understood-as the Congregation intended-mere]y as a reminder of the general principles of interpretation of penal laws for the solution of the cases of individual persons which may be submitted to the judgment of ordinaries. 1t was not, however, the intention of the Congregation to permit Episcopal Conferences to issue public pronouncements by way of a judgment of a general character on the nature of Masonic associations, which would imply a derogation from the aforesaid norms.
Rome, from the Office of the S. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 17 February 1981.
The same link also mentions the clarification given AFTER the 1983 Code of Canon Law was promulgated - basically it was a repeat of the above letter, with an addition explaining why Freemasonry was not mentioned explicitly in the Canon.  In his 1996 letter, Cardinal Bernard Law of the USCCCB referenced the 1983 letter :
The most recent statement was given by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Nov. 26, 1983. In part it declared, "The church's negative position on Masonic associations therefore remains unaltered since their principles have always been regarded as irreconcilable with the church's doctrine." The document added that "Catholics enrolled in Masonic associations are involved in serious sin and may not approach holy communion." DonaNobisPacem 19:13, 27 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Content of letter 

message: All this seems to be is a summary of a link.  Wouldn't it be better to put it back in the main article and just put the link tere, or is there a WP policy regarding separate articles for papal encyclicals and letters? MSJapan 04:37, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: For those trying to reconcile Freemasonry and Catholicism I think this is a crucial document.  It is also the most recent document that has come from the Vatican on the issue of Freemasonry.  Admittedly, the lead up to and the fallout from this do need work. JASpencer 19:20, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Article-worthy? 

message: I found 
: The Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons was a 1981 letter from then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger reiterating the Church's prohibition on Catholics becoming Freemasons. The letter was followed in 1983 by Quaesitum est.
but i am replacing the portion in which i have increased the character size, with
: ... a February 1981 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
and closing the 'graf with
: ... Quaesitum est, issued by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who had become the Congregation's prefect in November 1981.
As to the change, i take it to be simply the result of confusion by an editor, since i can find no evidence for JCR's Feb '81 role except in info clearly copied from our articles, and in fact unlikely in light of info in sources we have cited.  As to the wording, i have added more detail that i would have thot necessary otherwise, bcz of the need (and, if you like, WP's responsibility!) to contradict as clearly as possible the mistaken account that we have been propagating.  I am undertaking similar changes in the following articles:
: Joseph Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (lead secn)
: Catholicism and Freemasonry#Ratzinger's_reply
But note that in the case of Quaesitum est, which has it right already, i am not at this point adding the further details in that accurate article. --Jerzy•t 04:21, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Issuer error