VOICE OF AMERICA
On February 22, 2000, President's Day, Voice of America aired a nine-minute program on Freemasons. This program was the result of an interview, by Adam Phillips of Voice of America, with several members of the Masonic Information Center Steering Committee. The program covered such topics as Famous Masons, Anti-Masonry, the meaning of our Ritual, and Masonic Philosophy. Broadcast first in English, the program was also aired in several foreign languages.
RIGHT-WING POPULISM IN AMERICA
An important new book by Chip Berlet and Matthew Lyons. Right-Wing Populism in America traces the history of right-wing extremism and specifically deals with Anti-Masonry and the linking of Freemasonry with Jewish conspiracy theories to "take over the world." This important book is available in major bookstores ISBN #1-57230-568-1.
ST. JOHN'S LODGE BIBLE
The Bible on which George Washington took his oath of office at the First Inauguration is still in the possession of St. John's Lodge #1, New York City. Use of the Bible for the inauguration of President George W. Bush was requested and the Bible was present, although not used because of inclement weather. There was a great deal of media coverage of the Bible, and the MIC was involved with interviews by the Washington Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
MAY CATHOLICS BECOME FREEMASONS?
David Patterson, Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Bureau of Los Angeles, wrote a letter to Cardinal Mahoney of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles inquiring as to the current position of the church concerning Masonic Membership. The reply on behalf of the Cardinal is reprinted (with permission) on page 2 of this issue of FOCUS.
Thank you for your inquiry of September 11, 2000 directed to Cardinal Mahoney, on whose behalf I am replying. The question is "whether a practicing Catholic may join a Masonic Lodge." Unfortunately, the matter is too complex for a straightforward "yes" or "no" answer. But at least for Catholics in the United States, I believe the answer is probably yes. Permit me to explain this qualified response. Your letter states that a member's "allegiance to one God is all we require." To the extent that this is an accurate statement of the organization's beliefs and teachings, and that its activities are humanitarian and charitable in nature, there is no reason to prevent a practicing Catholic from joining. Past history, of course, has muddied the waters because earlier church law (prior to November 27, 1983) specifically named Masonic groups as a forbidden society (canon 2335, 1917 Code). The dialogues between Catholic and Masonic representatives in the years since the Second Vatican Council were generally very positive and yet did not resolve questions or concerns raised in certain parts of the world. As a result, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome issued a statement one day before the new Code of Canon Law took effect (November 26, 1983), in which it held that since Masonic principles were still contrary to the teachings of the Church, Catholics would commit a grave sin in belonging to Masonic associations and so could not receive Holy Communion. Because this declaration has not been superseded by any further official statements, the question keeps recurring about its interpretation and application. There is no agreement among the experts in church law who have considered the matter. Consequently one can only judge the individual circumstances in light of the principles that clearly do apply. These principles are set forth in canons 1374 and 1364 of the 1983 Code, which forbid a Catholic from joining "an association which plots against the Church" and impose penalties for heresy under certain conditions. If "a particular Masonic lodge truly promoted heretical teaching or conspired against the interests of the Church" (Ronny E. Jenkins, "The Evolution of the Church's Prohibition Against Catholic Membership in Freemasonry," The Jurist, 56 (1996), pg 735,) then a Catholic would be bound to avoid membership. The reason, then, I answer 'probably yes' is because I am unaware of any ideology or practice by the local lodges that challenges or subverts the doctrine and interests of the Catholic Church. In the previous paragraph, I have cited the article which best presents the current state of the question. The 1974 newspaper clipping that you enclosed with your letter probably refers to a letter written by Cardinal Seper, then in charge of the same doctrinal congregation mentioned above, which was addressed to certain bishops. In this letter one can see the movement at that time from a blanket prohibition to the application of a case-by-case judgment whether a group did in fact conspire against the Church. The history of the development of the Church's current law suggests that this case-by-case approach is what canon 1374 on forbidden associations intends. Please forgive this lengthy reply, but a shorter one would not do justice to those inquirers who are aware that the matter is still controversial. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn more about it myself, and I close by asking God's blessing on your well-known endeavors to relieve human suffering and assist the needy. Rev. Thomas C. Anslow, C.M., J.C.L. Judicial Vicar
GREAT PREACHERS WHO WERE MASONS
At least three of the 20 greatest preachers of the 20th Century were Masons. The list was created by The Preaching, a magazine for preachers, and the editors based their criteria on a preacher's influence on church and society and on their fellow preachers.
The following Masons were on the list.
o George W. Truett (1867-1944) pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas and president of the Southern Baptist Convention and Baptist World Alliance. (Member Dallas Lodge #760, Dallas, TX)
o Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), pastor of Marble Collegiate Reformed Church, New York City, editor of Guidepost magazine, and author of such books as The Power of Positive Thinking. (Member Midwood Lodge #1062, Brooklyn, NY)
o Peter C. Marshall (1902-1949), a Presbyterian pastor of churches in Georgia and Washington, DC, chaplain of the U.S. Senate, and author of such books as Mr. Jones, Meet the Master. His biography is entitled A Man Called Peter. (Member Old Monkland St. James Lodge #177, Coatbridge, Scotland, and honorary member of Temple Noyes Lodge #32, Washington, DC)
(Source: Beacon, Summer 2000, Vol. 7, Issue 3 published by the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the Ohio Masonic Home)
T. V. PROGRAMS WITH MASONIC INTEREST
History Channel
On Sept. 20, 2000 the History Channel presented a show titled Histories Lost and Found which included a segment on the St. John's Lodge Bible on which George Washington took his oath of office.
The entire program is available for purchase by calling 1-888-423-1212 and ordering Histories Lost and Found, Episode #29. Cost is $19.95 plus s/h.
ABC News
The program mentioned in the Sept, 2000 Focus about Volunteerism is still under production at ABC News. No air date has been set.
FACT SHEETS
In the March 1999 issue of FOCUS, the MIC called attention to several Fact Sheets that have been prepared concerning various aspects of Freemasonry. In this issue we are highlighting the Fact Sheet The Organization of Freemasonry.
The Fact Sheets cover such topics as Freemasonry and Brotherhood; The History of Freemasonry; Freemasonry and Secrecy; and Freemasonry and Religion. Copies may be obtained by writing to the Masonic Information Center, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or faxing your request to 301-608-3457.
The Organization of Freemasonry - Click here to view.