Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons

Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons

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."[1]

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.[1]

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.

References

  1. ^ a b Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons at EWTN.com. Retrieved 2011-10-16.

Sources

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Clarification — On Wikipedia, the use of Template:Clarify results in the inline tag [clarification needed] Clarification or clarify may refer to: Clarification (journalism) Clarification (cooking), purification of broths Clarification, preparation of clarified… …   Wikipedia

  • Catholicism and Freemasonry — The Roman Catholic Church has long been an outspoken critic of Freemasonry, and has continually prohibited members from being Freemasons since In Eminenti Specula in 1739. Since the early 1700s, the Vatican has issued several papal bulls… …   Wikipedia

  • Declaration on Masonic Associations — The Declaration on Masonic Associations is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith re iterating the prohibition of Catholics from joining Masonic organizations. Its Latin title is Declaratio de associationibus massonici.… …   Wikipedia

  • Rosario Francesco Esposito — (25 September 1921 23 November 2007) [ [http://www.paulus.net/pdf/defunti/2007/Esposito eng.pdf Obituary notice] (PDF)] was an Italian Paulist priest.He gained notoriety when he announced that he had joined Freemasonry. He dismissed the Church… …   Wikipedia

  • Custodi di quella fede — ((On Freemasonry) was a Papal Encyclical promulgated by Leo XIII in 1892 and was addressed to the Italian people.[1] It accompanied the encyclical Inimica vis that was addressed to the Italian bishops. It asked Catholics to work against… …   Wikipedia

  • Mirari Vos — On Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism is the first encyclical of Pope Gregory XVI and was issued in 1832. Addressed To All Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops of the Catholic World , it is general in scope. It is principally a… …   Wikipedia

  • Officio Sanctissimo — (On The Church in Bavaria) was an Papal Encyclical published by Pope Leo XIII in 1887. It recalled the continuous history of Catholicism in Bavaria [1] and praised the populations resistance to the Kulturkampf.[2] It also condemned… …   Wikipedia

  • Roman Catholicism — the faith, practice, and system of government of the Roman Catholic Church. [1815 25] * * * Largest single Christian denomination in the world, with some one billion members, or about 18% of the world s population. The Roman Catholic church has… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”