But where is the accompaniment?
DICASTERIUM PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI
Audience sheet with the Holy Father
November 13, 2023
Recently, Monsignor Julito Cortes, Bishop of Dumaguete, after having illustrated with concern the situation of his Diocese, due to the continuous increase of faithful members of Freemasonry, asked for suggestions to adequately deal with this reality from a pastoral point of view, also taking into account of the doctrinal implications relating to the aforementioned phenomenon.
Membership in Freemasonry is very significant in the Philippines and concerns not only those who are formally registered in the Masonic lodges, but, more generally, a large number of sympathizers and associates, who are personally convinced that there is no opposition between the belonging to the Catholic Church and that to the Masonic lodges.
To appropriately address this problem, it was decided to respond by involving the Philippine Episcopal Conference itself, notifying that it would be necessary to implement a coordinated strategy between the individual Bishops that includes two approaches:
On a doctrinal level, it must be remembered that active membership in Freemasonry by a faithful is prohibited, due to the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry (cf. the Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of 1983 and the same Guidelines guide published by the Episcopal Conference in 2003); therefore, those who formally and consciously are members of Masonic lodges and have embraced Masonic principles fall under the provisions present in the aforementioned Declaration. These measures also apply to any ecclesiastics registered with Freemasonry.
On a pastoral level, the Dicastery proposes to the Philippine Bishops to carry out a popular catechesis in all parishes, regarding the reasons for the irreconcilability between the Catholic faith and Freemasonry.
Finally, the Philippine Bishops are invited to evaluate the opportunity of their possible public pronouncement on the matter.
November 13, 2023
7 comments:
The Masons (Freemasons) in my American memory were simply a men’s civic group with almost no real religious implications. There were men who were both Catholic and Masons and i do not recall any controversy. Although I do recall my father being recruited by the Masons and he dismissed it, but without drama. Perhaps it is different in other parts of the world. I do understand the issue with Freemasonry in Europe, especially Italy, where political intrigues are much more intense than in the USA.
Father McDonald, if you are interested, here are the parts missing from your post. However, the body of the DDF note is complete in your post.
DICASTERIUM PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI
NOTE FOR THE AUDIENCE WITH THE HOLY FATHER
13 November 2023
Ex Audientia die 13.11.2023
Franciscus
Víctor Card. Fernández
===============
Pax.
Mark Thomas
RCG:
There are several reasons why the Church must oppose Freemasonry and prohibit its members from joining.
1) It is a secret society, which Catholics are prohibited from joining. (That's why I am uncomfortable with the Knights of Columbus--it's sort of a Catholic Lodge, with secret ceremonies--no thanks.)
2) Here I will quote liberally from an article by Ed Condon in the Catholic Herald:
"What Clement XII described in his original denunciation was not a revolutionary republican society but a group spreading and enforcing religious indifferentism: the belief that all religions (and none) are of equal worth, and that in Masonry all are united in service to a higher, unifying understanding of virtue. Catholics, as members, would be asked to put their membership of the lodge above their membership of the Church. The strict prohibition, in other words, was not for political purposes but for the care of souls."
3) Freemasons were also the promoters of several ideologies that fomented revolutions, particularly the French Revolution and its Reign of Terror. Again, Condon writes:
"However, the anti-clerical and anti-Catholic horrors of the Revolution can be traced back to the secularist mentality described in the various papal bulls outlawing the Masonic lodges. Masonic societies were condemned not because they set out to threaten civil or Church authorities but because such a threat was the inevitable consequence of their existence and growth. Revolution was the symptom, not the disease."
The materialistic Communist philosophy can trace its roots to Freemasonry. The anti-clerical struggle between Mexico's government and the Cristeros was a fight between Masonic and Catholic ideals.
4) Finally, there is the problem of the Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita. This 18th century document was a Masonic game plan to gradually infiltrate the Church over several generations until they could get a pope with the Masonic mindset.
Of course, keeping up appearances, the current pope is paying his lip service to the Church's opposition to freemasonry, just as he pays similar lip service to legal abortion and other public horrors.
Now, if only we can get him to stop pushing the IDEAS of Freemasonry.
Pope Francis: Additional references to Masonry:
PASTORAL VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO TURIN. ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Sunday, 21 June 2015
"On this earth...at the end of the 19th century there were the worst conditions for young people’s development: freemasonry was in full swing, not even the Church could do anything, there were priest haters, there were also Satanists..."
==================================
Edward Pentin. National Catholic Register. January 8, 2017
VATICAN CITY — It has also revealed allegations of ambitions of the Knights’ German association to extend its influence within the ancient chivalric order, a papal wish to rid the order of Freemasonry...
American Cardinal Raymond Burke is the order’s cardinal patron...The Pope also made it clear to Cardinal Burke that he wanted Freemasonry “cleaned out” from the order, and he demanded appropriate action.
==================
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Jerome, I don’t contest the specifics in Freemasonry that are incompatible, but that they sem to have lost their meaning to many Americans. In a practical matter, I would never take an oath, no matter how trivial, contrary to the Faith. Perhaps that was my father’s position and he just never felt tempted or pressured to join. We would get invitations to attend services at various Protestant churches, ostensibly out of ecumenical comradery, but was plainly an attempt to proselytize.
As far as the Knights of Columbus goes, they recently did away with all secret oaths and promises for the same reasons you describe. I never understood them that way, but as a promise at discretion to my brother knights if they requested help in personal matters.
Most Masons I have known are wholly unaware - I've asked a couple directly - of any specifically theological,ethical, or political "teaching" of their organization. Their experience has been belonging to a fraternal society that from time to time does good works in the community.
Was listening to Anthony Stine and I can't believe I didn't realize this up front--this is just a Vatican distraction to take the heat off from their horrid decision to sack Bishop Strickland.
With Saturday coming, don't be surprised if something else outrageous is done, hoping the media will take less notice.
Post a Comment