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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (162490)	3/29/2006 3:21:48 PM
From: kumar	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793927

Masonry has a requirement that a prospective member, have belief in the existance of a Supreme Being.

To: KLP who wrote (162490)	3/29/2006 4:46:07 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793927

Says quite a bit about the different groups. Does it? You mean, the Catholic Church should let Catholics join the Masons because Masons will let Catholics join their group? Sort of equal opportunity? The Catholic Church believes that Freemasonry is an alternative religion and an anti-Catholic organization. And it turns out, I was wrong, Catholics who join the Masons are still excommunicated. So said former Cardinal Ratzinger, Defender of the Faith, who, you will recall, is now Pope Benedict XVI. CLARIFICATION CONCERNING STATUS OF CATHOLICS BECOMING FREEMASONS Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith On 19 July 1974 this Congregation wrote to some Episcopal Conferences a private letter concerning the interpretation of can 2335 of the Code of Canon Law which forbids Catholics, under the penalty of excommunication, to enroll in Masonic or other similar associations. Since the said letter has become public and has given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations, this Congregation, without prejudice to the eventual norms of the new Code, issues the following confirmation and clarification: 1) the present canonical discipline remains in full force and has not been modified in any way; 2) consequently, neither the excommunication nor the other penalties envisaged have been abrogated; 3) what was said in the aforesaid letter as regards the interpretation to be given to the canon in question should be understood—as the Congregation intended—merely as a reminder of the general principles of interpretation of penal laws for the solution of the cases of individual persons which may be submitted to the judgment of ordinaries. It was not, however, the intention of the Congregation to permit Episcopal Conferences to issue public pronouncements by way of a judgment of a general character on the nature of Masonic associations, which would imply a derogation from the aforesaid norms. Rome, from the Office of the S. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 17 February 1981. ewtn.com