Christian Anti-Masonry

[MASON]

Christian Anti-Masonry


Although sections of other faiths cite objections, in general, it is Christianity and Freemasonry that has had the highest profile relationship, with various Christian denominations banning or discouraging members from being Freemasons.

While regular Masonry has always tended as much to rationalism as it does to mysticism, the very existence of the possibility of hermetic interpretations within Freemasonry has led Anti-Masonic activists to selectively quote works such as Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry to try to show Freemasonry as naturalistic, a ritualized form of Deism or even worse defamations.

However, those Grand Lodges in amity with UGLE explicitly adhere to the principle that "Freemasonry is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion. There is no separate 'Masonic god', and there is no separate proper name for a deity in Freemasonry." Freemasonry is non-dogmatic and constitutionally governed. As for Pike, his opinions are his own personal (and now somewhat outdated[citation needed]) interpretations. Most tellingly, Pike himself admits that his book is more culled from other sources than his original work. Most importantly, Pike is but one commentator amongst many, and no one voice has ever spoken for the whole of Freemasonry.

In the irregular Continental European tradition, a very broad interpretation is given, allowing Deist and naturalistic views in the tradition of Spinoza and Freemason Goethe, or views of The Ultimate or Cosmic Oneness, along with Western atheistic idealism and agnosticism.

A number of Papal pronouncements have been issued against Freemasonry. The first was Pope Clement XII's In Eminenti, April 28, 1738; the last was Pope Leo XIII's Ab Apostolici, October 15, 1890. In 1983, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005) as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued Quaesitum est. This states that "...the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful, who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion."

For its part, Freemasonry welcomes Roman Catholics as members. The negative reaction of "Grand Orient" Continental European Freemasonry—to what was perceived as Catholicism's theocratic and authoritarian political influence[citation needed]—has in countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal historically tended towards anticlericalism, secularism and at times even total Anti-Catholicism.Interestingly, in 2005 the Regular Grand Lodge of Italy (RGLI), in amity with UGLEannounced that it had installed a Roman Catholic Priest as its Chaplain. (This office requires that the holder is a Freemason, but not necessarily be in Holy Orders).