Catholicism vs. Freemasonry
FRVA
Research Paper The Roman Catholic Church has prohibited its believers from forming part of Freemasonry since “In Eminenti Apostulatus” a Papal ban implemented in 1738 (Bishop, Clement, “In Eminenti”, Rome City, 1738, www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/antimasonry.html, web). Under the reign of Pope Clement XII, the Roman Catholic Church started what would turn into the strongest opposition that the oldest secret society of human history would have to face. Freemasonry attracted the Church’s attention due to its secret nature and growing influence among powerful groups around Europe. It was the peak of an era in which the Church was universal and in all of its glory, capable of controlling the lives of peasants, nobles, lords and even kings. The Catholic Church as any other superpower during history; manipulated the strings of the upper classes between Europe to secure its position at the top of food the chain. Consequently, Freemasonry was nearly abolished in 1738 by theocratic governments such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, which tried to extinguish the society. A great part of the Church’s campaign was based on disgracing and staining Freemasonry alleging irreconcilable political and religious differences. However, as it will be further demonstrated Freemasonry and Catholicism are not incompatible institutions. The Original institution of Freemasonry or Free Stone Masonry (Freemasons is the contracted form of the original name) is acknowledged among non-members to be one of the most mysterious secrets carefully hidden from the outside world. In London, approximately 1212 AD, the earliest official report of the word “Free Stone” was written in Latin as “Sculptores Liberorum” which means “Sculptors of Freestone” (Prescott, Andrew, “The Earliest Use of the Word Freemason”, Scotland, Grand Lodge, 2004, web article). The origin of Freemasonry in Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh at 1440 AD is considered highly controversial among modern members of the society. Lastly,
Research Paper The Roman Catholic Church has prohibited its believers from forming part of Freemasonry since “In Eminenti Apostulatus” a Papal ban implemented in 1738 (Bishop, Clement, “In Eminenti”, Rome City, 1738, www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/antimasonry.html, web). Under the reign of Pope Clement XII, the Roman Catholic Church started what would turn into the strongest opposition that the oldest secret society of human history would have to face. Freemasonry attracted the Church’s attention due to its secret nature and growing influence among powerful groups around Europe. It was the peak of an era in which the Church was universal and in all of its glory, capable of controlling the lives of peasants, nobles, lords and even kings. The Catholic Church as any other superpower during history; manipulated the strings of the upper classes between Europe to secure its position at the top of food the chain. Consequently, Freemasonry was nearly abolished in 1738 by theocratic governments such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, which tried to extinguish the society. A great part of the Church’s campaign was based on disgracing and staining Freemasonry alleging irreconcilable political and religious differences. However, as it will be further demonstrated Freemasonry and Catholicism are not incompatible institutions. The Original institution of Freemasonry or Free Stone Masonry (Freemasons is the contracted form of the original name) is acknowledged among non-members to be one of the most mysterious secrets carefully hidden from the outside world. In London, approximately 1212 AD, the earliest official report of the word “Free Stone” was written in Latin as “Sculptores Liberorum” which means “Sculptors of Freestone” (Prescott, Andrew, “The Earliest Use of the Word Freemason”, Scotland, Grand Lodge, 2004, web article). The origin of Freemasonry in Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh at 1440 AD is considered highly controversial among modern members of the society. Lastly,
Cited: Bishop, Clement, “In Eminenti”, Rome City, 1738, www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/antimasonry.html, Web Cahill, Edward, “Freemasonry and the Anti-Christian movement”, Dublin City, M. H. Gill and Son, 1930, Text Ridley, Jasper, “The Freemason a history of the worlds most powerful secret society”, New York City, Arcade Publishing, 2011, Text Lodge #254, “mission statement”, www.reddinglodge.org/mission.html, Web Article Prescott, Andrew, “The Earliest Use of the Word Freemason”, Scotland, Grand Lodge, 2004, Web Article Whalen, William Joseph, “Christianity and American Freemasonry”, Milwaukee city, Bruce Pub, 1958, Text Wilmhurst, Waller Leslie, “the meaning of masonry”, Jersey City, The Gramercy Books, 1927, Text