Replies

In the organizations that I have been part of, the focus seemed very different.

The Masonic focus was very inward - much emphasis placed on the secrecy and on the performance of the rites. The degrees and even the lodge opening and closing ceremonies had a tremendous emphasis. The welfare of the members was certainly of great importance. But there wasn't as much external focus as there is in the Knights.

Certainly the Shriners' Hospitals are a wonderful gift to humanity, but I never got the concern for the public, for the community, for individuals outside the Masonic world.

The Councils that I have been in (and headed) spend the majority of their time and business meetings in discussing, planning and carrying out good works both within the parish and without.

Now, nobody in the Masonic world ever approached me or showed me or implied that it or they was anti Catholic - a lot of them were actually fairly religious - normally a center or left Protestant denomination and I met a lot of very good and decent people. I don't want to be attacking them or implying that there is a great anti Catholic conspiracy to bring down the Vatican that is being perpetrated by these good folks. I've just never put it all together before.

I suppose I ought to spend some more time on the Vatican.va website.

Oh, and I've been Sir Knight for about 5 years now... :)

Certainly the Shriners' Hospitals are a wonderful gift to humanity, but I never got the concern for the public, for the community, for individuals outside the Masonic world.

Shriner's burn centers and orthopaedic centers are open to all.........

Dear MarkBsnr,

Thanks for the info.

Indeed, the focus of any active Council will mostly be outward. I've always marveled at the way that the Order has shaped the activities at the Council level through the entire Surge for Service structure.

"I don't want to be attacking them or implying that there is a great anti Catholic conspiracy to bring down the Vatican that is being perpetrated by these good folks."

That's a good thing, I think. Although I'm interested in your experiences, and the differences that you perceive, I know good folks, too, who are Masons, and have no desire to trash all these good folks.

However, historically, it is true that Europeans Lodges have been anti-Catholic, and it's also true that some Masonic organizations in the United States have at times engaged in anti-Catholic action. See, "Blaine Amendments" and related topics.

The question is whether that adds up to a world-wide conspiracy against the Catholic Church. Maybe. But not proved.

I think that part of the problem is how we Catholics see things. When we see an organization or a human institution, we think "hierarchical," we think "head guy at top," we think in terms of authoritative magisterium.

But as I've gotten to know a little bit about Masonry, I've decided that there really isn't much of an authoritative magisterium to Masonry (I may be wrong on this, it's just my impression). I've known Masons who just laugh at the mention of Pike. They no more accept him as an authoritative Masonic source than they accept the pope as one.

This was at first a little bewildering to me as a Catholic.

However, as I researched, I found that unlike, for instance, the Knights of Columbus, there really isn't all that much discipline about what's done or said in the name of Freemasonry. So, you describe praying to the Great Architect of the Universe, others describe praying to a more explicitly-Christian God.

I've seen the degree ceremonials of different rites, and found that even within the same rite, there are often significant differences between ceremonials of the various degrees from one source to another.

Thus, although I think it's wrong for Catholics to become or remain Masons, and I think it's right to say that at many times and places, Masonic organizations acted against Catholics and the Catholic Church, I can't ascribe to these folks a secret world-wide conspiracy.

"Oh, and I've been Sir Knight for about 5 years now... :)"

Congratulations, Worthy Sir!

sitetest

Masons AND Shriners have been donating VERY expensive and much needed medical equipment ( such as iron lungs, when polio was rampant ) to nonMasonic and nonShriner hospitals for more than 100 years, in America.