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Why Can’t Catholics Be Freemasons?

05-24-2020From the desk of Fr. Villa

Catholics are forbidden to become Freemasons under pain of mortal sin. This is something many Catholics are surprised to hear. They view the Masons as a harmless fraternal group like the Elks, Lions, Knights of Columbus, and if you are a fan of the Jackie Gleason comedy show, the Honeymooners, the Raccoons.  The Knights of Columbus was  intended to provide an alternative for Catholics to membership in a Masonic lodge a membership forbidden by the Church. The classic teaching on why Catholics can’t be Freemasons is Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Humanum Genus, which can be accessed here.

Recently Serge Abad Gallardo, a former senior official of the French government and venerable master of the Freemasons, reveals Freemasonry’s anti-Christian spiritual and ideological roots and its influence. You can read his remarks here. Another classic work on the problems with Freemasonry is William Whalen’s Christianity and American Freemasonry Ignatius Press.

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