Article: 7746 of alt.freemasonry
Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.moneng.mei.com!news.ecn.bgu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.uoregon.edu!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.sprintlink.net!news.texas.net!usenet
From: rwperry@texas.net (Ronald W. Perry)
Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry
Subject: Re: Catholics and Freemasonry
Date: 26 Aug 1995 12:20:30 GMT
Organization: Texas Networking, Inc.
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <41n3ie$iep@empire.texas.net>
References: <41comn$e9@empire.texas.net> <41f2ri$896@panix.com> <41fd35$pba@ddi2.digital.net> <41flu0$lqg@insosf1.netins.net>
Reply-To: rwperry@texas.net
NNTP-Posting-Host: dnet004.sat.texas.net
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.93.14

In article <41flu0$lqg@insosf1.netins.net>, mwoainc@netins.net says...
>
>I too, would like more information on this subject. I recently became a 
Catholic (after being 
>raised to a Master Mason AND serving as Master of my lodge). I brought 
this subject to my 
>priest's attention before I was confirmed and he gave no indication that 
I was doing anything 
>wrong. He even encouraged me to continue my Masonic activities. 
Coincidentally, our church and 
>lodge hall share the same parking lot. Please send me more information.


Eight different popes in 17 different pronouncements, and at least six 
different local councils, condemned Freemasonry.  The first condemnation 
was made by Dlement XII in 1738. Eastern Orthodox and many Protestant 
bodies have also opposed the order.  In the U.S. there was some easing of 
the ban against Masonic membership by Catholics in view of a leter 
written in 1974 by Cardinal Franjo Seper, prefect of the Congregation of 
the Doctrine of the Faith.  The letter was interpreted to mean that 
Catholics might join Masonic lodges which were not anti-Catholic.  This 
was called erroneous in a declaration issued by the Doctrinal 
Congregation Feb. 1981.  The prohigition against Masonic membership was 
restated in a declaration issued by the Doctrinal Congregation Nov. 26, 
1983.

Source: _1994 Catholic Almanac_

The Nov. 26 declaration is the declaration I posted.