Free Masons

[palinurus]

For the record, as an additional point, unless it changed recently, one cannot legitimately be a member of the Knights of Columbus and be a member of the Masons. Not because there was a rule against joint membership, per se, but, the Knights reasoned, because you must be a Catholic to be a Knight, and you can't be Mason and be a Catholic. The Knights took their lead from a document that Pope Benedict wrote while he was Cardinal Ratzinger and Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was related to the reasons stated above by Whiskey and others.

Again, not sure if there's been a recent change, but I'm sure this was formerly the Knights' position, and it was based on the Ratzinger document.

For whatever it's worth.....

 

[Irish YJ]

For the record, as an additional point, unless it changed recently, one cannot legitimately be a member of the Knights of Columbus and be a member of the Masons. Not because there was a rule against joint membership, per se, but, the Knights reasoned, because you must be a Catholic to be a Knight, and you can't be Mason and be a Catholic. The Knights took their lead from a document that Pope Benedict wrote while he was Cardinal Ratzinger and Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was related to the reasons stated above by Whiskey and others.

Again, not sure if there's been a recent change, but I'm sure this was formerly the Knights' position, and it was based on the Ratzinger document.

For whatever it's worth.....

Didn't the Catholics create the KofC to combat membership in the Masons.

 

[palinurus]

Didn't the Catholics create the KofC to combat membership in the Masons.

Yes, in part; but I think the stated purpose was more broad, i.e., to create a mutual aid society for the poor immigrants who couldn't afford regular insurance premiums or otherwise couldn't get policies. A parish priest in New Haven started the Knights in the last part of the 19th century with a couple dozen guys or so (they were mostly or all Irish immigrants or first generation IAs) and they'd pay in a nominal amount each pay period or so, and if someone died, their widows and kids were covered. I think I recall reading that a lot of big insurance companies weren't particularly interested in insuring these guys in any event, since a lot of them had pretty dangerous jobs and weren't very good risks.

 

[woolybug25]

Masons are Gnostics. Gnosticism is a major heresy that any orthodox Christian is bound to condemn, including Greek Orthodox. Most of this recent article in The Catholic Herald on why Catholics can't be Freemasons should apply to Greek Orthodox as well.

oh u cut me deep...

I haven’t read the links as I type this, so maybe they change my mind, but in all seriousness I really don’t think it bothers me. I’m not as strict as some folks with my beliefs with the Greek Orthodox Church’s principles. As I’m sure is the case with folks in every religion. Ultimately I really don’t see them as much different than say... a strong rotary group. But with more of an emphasis on allegiance to your fellow members. Which appeals to me honestly. As I try my best to make an impact on my community and do more good than I take away. I don’t see anything in their mission that opposes that.

But I will read the links, my friend. As I always do.

 

[Irish YJ]

oh u cut me deep...

I haven’t read the links as I type this, so maybe they change my mind, but in all seriousness I really don’t think it bothers me. I’m not as strict as some folks with my beliefs with the Greek Orthodox Church’s principles. As I’m sure is the case with folks in every religion. Ultimately I really don’t see them as much different than say... a strong rotary group. But with more of an emphasis on allegiance to your fellow members. Which appeals to me honestly. As I try my best to make an impact on my community and do more good than I take away. I don’t see anything in their mission that opposes that.

But I will read the links, my friend. As I always do.

They do an awful lot of good. It's pretty clear the Catholic Church has went back and forth on the topic so not sure the whole Gnostic and Naturalism thing is deal breaker IMO.