Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons
Encyclopedia
The Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons was a February 1981 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
under Cardinal Seper reiterating the Church's prohibition on Catholics becoming Freemasons.
The Clarification's purpose was to clear up confusion stemming from an earlier interpretation of Canon law
. The confusion arose from a private letter written in 1974 to the US Bishops which was interpreted by some within the Church and within Freemasonry as permitting Catholics to join Masonic lodges so long as the lodge did not directly plot against the church. The letter had become public and had "given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations."
The Clarification stated that the traditional prohibitions and penalties on Catholics becoming Freemasons still applied. The document specifically mentioned excommunication as a penalty. It also indicated that Bishops Conferences should not be making pronouncements about the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from the existing norms.
The Clarification letter was followed in 1983 by the Declaration on Masonic Associations, issued by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who succeeded Seper to become the Congregation's prefect in November 1981.
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
under Cardinal Seper reiterating the Church's prohibition on Catholics becoming Freemasons.
The Clarification's purpose was to clear up confusion stemming from an earlier interpretation of Canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
. The confusion arose from a private letter written in 1974 to the US Bishops which was interpreted by some within the Church and within Freemasonry as permitting Catholics to join Masonic lodges so long as the lodge did not directly plot against the church. The letter had become public and had "given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations."
The Clarification stated that the traditional prohibitions and penalties on Catholics becoming Freemasons still applied. The document specifically mentioned excommunication as a penalty. It also indicated that Bishops Conferences should not be making pronouncements about the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from the existing norms.
The Clarification letter was followed in 1983 by the Declaration on Masonic Associations, issued by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who succeeded Seper to become the Congregation's prefect in November 1981.
Sources
- Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons, 17 February 1981 at www.ewtn.com
- Clarification, in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, in Latin, see pp.240-241. at www.vatican.va (with apparent scanning errors)
External links
- Declaration on Masonic Associations at www.vatican.va