Vatican eases ban on freemasons

Title

Language

English

Year

1968

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

VATICAN CITY, March 12 (UPI) - The Vatican has virtually scrapped an old church law excom municating Catholics who join the order of Freemasons, Vatican sources said Monday. The sources said Catholics now are free to join the Masons in the United States, Britain and most other countries of the world. But the European grand orient lodge form of Masonry, established primarily in Italy and France, is still considered anti-Catholic or atheistic, they said. Freemasonry, which dates back t<> medieval times, describes itself as a nonpolitical, nonsectarian movement dedicated to the ideal of universal brotherhood. 5-Million There are more than live million Masons in the world, most o[ them in English-speaking lands. The United States alone accounts fot nearly lour million members. Pope Clement XII condemned the order in 1738 as atheistic and anti Catholic. and his action has been af firmed by seven other Popes in 16 dilferent pronouncements, Fhe Eastern Orthodox Church and some Protestant bodies also have op posed Freemasonry. But a move to re-evaluate the Ca tholic Church’s position on Freema sonry began during the second Vati can Ecumenical Council which ended in 1965. Unofficial Vatican sources said there had been no official revocation of the excommunication law but the Va tican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has let it be known Catholics joining Free Masons or ders are no longer automatically ex communicated.” •■'Fhe church’s new attitude has been in effect for more than a year,” they said. The church’s code of Canon Law. drawn up in 1918 and presently be ing reformed, provided for automa tic excommunication of Catholics "who enroll in the Masonic sect or in secret societies conspiring against the church or the legitimate author ities.” Vatican sources said this wording would be changed to modify the church position on Masonry when the new code of Canon Law is com pletcd. A WILMARTH. . . muniiv about us. how differences can be forged into unity, when the broth erhood of man is valued more than the individuality of man. Let us engage ourselves in positive action to discover more similarities, instead of reviving old differences. Let us not let good ideas remain dormant but translate them into good deeds through action. Let us be a dynamic force for good rather than passively ignore the evil that* is rampant about us. Let us join hands together, giving birth this day to a new direction de dicated to extending the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God throughout this land of ours, and in time throughout the world. Let today be the beginning of the Order of Knights-Masons dedicated to the accomplishment of these things which we as Knights and Masons hold dearest to our hearts. APRIL, 1968

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