Ethan Walker
Freemasonry, or the Masons, has long been a subject of controversy within the Catholic Church, with the two institutions seen as fundamentally incompatible. Since 1738, the Catholic Church has prohibited its members from joining Masonic organizations, with those who do facing excommunication. This ban was reiterated by Pope John Paul II in 1983. The conflict between Catholicism and Freemasonry stems from their differing views on religion and morality. Freemasonry, with its temples, altars, worship services, and promise of an afterlife, resembles a religion itself, and one that some see as a substitute for Christianity. While the Masons' God is referred to as the Great Architect of the Universe, they also view the cross as a symbol of nature and eternal life, devoid of Christ's sacrifice. Masonic principles are seen as irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine, and the Masons' historical secrecy and influence have only added to the Catholic Church's suspicions. Orthodox Christian churches have also opposed Freemasonry, with some claiming that it involves the worship of Satan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholics forbidden to join the Masons | Since the decree "In Eminenti" in 1738 by Pope Clement XII |
| Ban on Catholics joining the Masons reiterated in 1983 | Pope John Paul II approved the ban |
| Orthodox and Protestant churches also ban membership in the Masons | N/A |
| Freemasonry is a religion | It has temples, altars, worship services, vestments, feast days, initiation and burial rites, and promises of eternal reward and punishment |
| Freemasonry borrows from the history and traditions of cultic groups | Druids, Mithars, Egyptian priesthood, Rosicrucians |
| Freemasonry is a substitute for Christian belief | N/A |
| Freemasonry involves the worship of Satan | N/A |
| Masonic use of Biblical imagery denies the revelation of Christianity | N/A |
| Masonic principles and rituals are irreconcilable with Catholic doctrines | N/A |
| Catholics associated with Masonry were excommunicated under the 1917 Code of Canon Law | N/A |
| Freemasonry opposes Catholicism | It treats all religions as equal |
| Freemasonry has undoubtedly evil roots | N/A |
| Freemasonry was banned in the Russian Empire in 1822 | Tsar Alexander I deepened his commitment to the Orthodox faith |
| Freemasonry was rampant among Orthodox immigrants in the United States | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Freemasonry is a religion
Freemasonry, or the Masons, is officially called a "religion" by some of its members. Freemasonry has temples, altars, a moral code, worship services, vestments, feast days, a hierarchy of leadership, initiation and burial rites, and promises of eternal reward and punishment. The group's rituals are inimical to Catholicism. During the initiation rite, the candidate expresses a desire to seek "light," and he is assured he will receive the light of spiritual instruction that he could not receive in another Church. Since 1738, the Catholic Church has prohibited Catholics from joining Masonic organizations, and other secret societies, under pain of excommunication.
The Catholic Church has denounced philosophical ideas and moral conceptions in Freemasonry that are considered opposed to Catholic doctrine. For instance, the Church has stated that the Masonic God is a deistic God, which is incompatible with Christian faith and practice. The Masonic use of Biblical imagery has also been seen as a denial of the revelation of Christianity. The Church has also taken issue with the fact that Freemasonry treats all religions as equal, including Satanism and Christianity.
Freemasonry's roots can be traced back to the decline of cathedral building in the aftermath of the Protestant movement. The guilds of masons began accepting non-masons as members to bolster their dwindling membership. Eventually, the non-masons outnumbered the masons, and the guilds became places for the discussion of ethics and morality while retaining the secret signs, symbols and gestures of the original guild. Four such guilds merged in 1717 in London, England, to form the Grand Lodge of Freemasons.
In 1736, the Inquisition investigated a Masonic lodge in Florence, Italy, which it condemned in June 1737. In 1738, Pope Clement XII issued a decree, "In Eminenti," forbidding Catholics from joining the Masons. Since then, at least eleven popes have made pronouncements about the incompatibility of Catholic doctrines and Freemasonry. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII published an entire encyclical condemning Freemasonry, titled "Humanum Genus." The most recent official Holy See documents about the "incompatibility of Freemasonry with the Catholic faith" were issued in 1985, and in November 2023 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In addition to the Catholic Church, several Orthodox Christian Churches also ban membership in the Masons, claiming that Freemasonry involves the worship of Satan. In 1822, Tsar Alexander I banned Freemasonry in the Russian Empire, coinciding with a deepening of his commitment to the Orthodox faith.
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Masonic principles are irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine
Since the decree "In Eminenti" of Pope Clement XII in 1738, Catholics have been forbidden to join the Freemasons, and until 1983, they did so under pain of excommunication. The Orthodox Church and several Protestant churches also ban membership in the Freemasons.
The Catholic Church considers Masonic principles irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine. The Church has denounced philosophical ideas and moral conceptions in Freemasonry as opposed to Catholic doctrine. Freemasonry is seen as a kind of religion, with temples, altars, a moral code, worship services, vestments, feast days, a hierarchy of leadership, initiation and burial rites, and promises of eternal reward and punishment. Freemasonry has been criticized as being a substitute for Christian belief, displaying all the elements of a religion. The Masonic God is a deistic God, found at the top of the ladder of Masonic wisdom, and Masonry is opposed to the concept of supernatural truth.
The rituals of Freemasonry are also inimical to Catholicism. During the initiation rite, the candidate expresses a desire to seek "light," and he is assured he will receive the light of spiritual instruction that he could not receive in another Church. He will also gain eternal rest in the "celestial lodge" if he lives and dies according to Masonic principles. The Masonic use of Biblical imagery is seen as denying the revelation of Christianity.
Freemasonry also treats all religions as equal, including Satanism and Christianity, which obviously conflicts with Catholic faith. Certain types of Freemasonry, most notably the Swedish Rite, are said to be connected to Esoteric Christianity, which holds that Orthodox Christian doctrine is for the duller masses and that "real" Christianity is for the enlightened.
In addition, Freemasonry involves secrecy, oaths, indifferentism, anti-Catholic sentiment, and immorality. It has been accused of duplicating Manichean and Gnostic heresies, and its followers are subject to no authority. Freemasonry has been called a counter-church, and it denies the divinity of Christ.
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Catholics forbidden to join Masons
Catholics have been forbidden to join the Freemasons since the decree "In Eminenti" of Pope Clement XII in 1738. Under the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Catholics associated with Masonry were automatically excommunicated and deprived of marriage in the Catholic Church, among other penalties. The Catholic Church views Freemasonry as a kind of religion unto itself, with temples, altars, a moral code, worship services, vestments, feast days, a hierarchy of leadership, initiation and burial rites, and promises of eternal reward and punishment. Freemasonry borrows from the history and traditions of cultic groups such as Druids, Mithars, Egyptian priesthood, and Rosicrucians.
The Catholic Church has denounced philosophical ideas and moral conceptions in Freemasonry as opposed to Catholic doctrine. Freemasonry is seen as leading to a rationalistic naturalism and a separation of church and state, which the Catholic Church interprets as an attack on its place in public life. The Masonic use of Biblical imagery has also been criticised as denying the revelation of Christianity.
Freemasonry has been accused of displaying all the elements of a religion, including altars, prayers, worship, and the promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife, thus becoming a rival to Catholicism. It treats all religions as equal, including Satanism and Christianity, which is incompatible with Catholic faith. Freemasonry also involves non-Christians, and so the use of the name of Jesus is forbidden within the lodge.
The ban on Catholics joining the Freemasons was reiterated in 1983 by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which stated that "faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". Most recently, in November 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirmed the Church's position.
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Masons' rituals inimical to Catholicism
The Catholic Church has long held that the principles and rituals of Freemasonry are irreconcilable with Catholic doctrines. Since 1738, the Church has prohibited Catholics from joining Masonic organizations, with members facing excommunication until 1983.
The Masonic God, referred to as the "Supreme Architect" or "Great Architect of the Universe", is a deistic God, found at the top of the ladder of Masonic wisdom. This deistic view is at odds with Catholic teachings. Freemasonry also involves taking oaths, a religious act that the Catholic Church believes should only be done with God as a witness, or for serious reasons required by the Church or state.
The rituals of Freemasonry are also seen as inimical to Catholicism. During initiation, the candidate expresses a desire to seek "light", and is assured they will receive spiritual instruction that will lead to eternal rest in the "celestial lodge" if they live and die according to Masonic principles. The use of the name of Jesus is forbidden within the lodge, as Masonry involves non-Christians.
The Masonic use of Biblical imagery has been interpreted by the Catholic Church as a denial of the revelation of Christianity. The cross, for example, is seen as a symbol of nature and eternal life, devoid of Christ's sacrifice for sin. Freemasonry also includes temples, altars, worship services, vestments, feast days, and initiation and burial rites, all of which are elements of a religion.
The German Bishops' Conference (DBK) in 1980 concluded that "it is impossible to belong to the Catholic Church and to Freemasonry at the same time." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 1985 affirmed this, stating that Masonic rituals embody a naturalistic religion incompatible with Christian faith and practice.
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Orthodox Christians claim Masons worship Satan
Orthodox Christians claim that Freemasonry involves the worship of Satan, or Lucifer. This claim is often supported by quoting, misquoting, or quoting out of context various individuals, both Masonic and non-Masonic, but not Masonic ritual itself. For example, in his book Morals and Dogma, Masonic authority Albert Pike states that Masonry is identical to the "ancient mysteries," and the ancient mystery religions involved sacred worship rites of pagan gods. Pike is frequently quoted by Christian Anti-Masons, often with the quotation taken out of context.
Another example is a passage from Manly Palmer Hall's book Rosicrucian and Masonic Origins, which refers to a "First Conjuration Addressed to Emperor Lucifer." This passage is also taken out of context, as Hall wrote the book long before he became a Mason, and the passage is part of a larger philosophical discussion which can be read to imply that the improper use of "energies" can make the Mason a tool of Satan.
Freemasonry has been criticized as being a substitute for Christian belief and a rival to Catholicism, displaying all the elements of a religion, including altars, prayers, worship, vestments, feast days, a hierarchy of leadership, initiation and burial rites, and promises of reward or punishment in the afterlife. The Catholic Church has prohibited its members from being Freemasons since 1738, under threat of excommunication. Other Protestant denominations that discourage their congregants from joining Masonic lodges include the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Church of the Nazarene, the Salvation Army, Mennonites, the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, and many others.
Freemasonry involves the use of Biblical imagery, such as the cross, which is seen as a symbol of nature and eternal life, devoid of Christ's sacrifice for sin. During the initiation rite, the candidate expresses a desire to seek "light," and he is assured he will receive the light of spiritual instruction that he could not receive in another Church. Freemasons use varied forms of address for the Supreme Being, such as Great Architect of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U.), Grand Geometer, or simply "The Architect," to make clear that the reference is generic and not specific to any one religion.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Orthodox Catholics are opposed to the Masons. Since the decree "In Eminenti" of Pope Clement XII in 1738, Catholics have been forbidden to join the Masons, and until 1983, they would be excommunicated. The Orthodox and several Protestant churches also ban membership for their members.
The Catholic Church believes that Masonic principles and rituals are irreconcilable with Catholic doctrines. The Church has denounced philosophical ideas and moral conceptions in Freemasonry that are considered opposed to Catholic doctrine. Freemasonry is seen as a substitute for Christian belief, displaying all the elements of a religion, including altars, prayers, worship, and the promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife.
Masons hold that God, "the Great Architect," founded Freemasonry, and that it has patrons including Adam, the Patriarchs, and Jesus, who is listed as "the Grand Master" of the Christian Church. They credit themselves with the building of Noah's ark, the Tower of Babel, the pyramids, and Solomon's Temple. Freemasonry borrows from the traditions of cultic groups such as Druids, Mithars, and the Egyptian priesthood.
