Catholic Vatican banning all Catholics from becoming Freemasons is now confirmed.

[Glaurung]

I think any religion that is so uncomfortable about itself as to oppose and discourage its members to try other things has some real confidence issues on its own plate.

The Church has the right to forbid its members from joining Freemasonry because Freemasonry is incompatible with the Catholic faith. Christianity is not a religious philosophy to mix and match as you see fit. It is a truth claim about God and what he has revealed to man. It has non-negotiable standards. You either accept that or you do not.

Of course, the Church cannot actually stop anyone form joining a lodge. But by that same token the Church has no obligation to hold such persons in good standing.

 

[Stevicus]

Read the article I posted in post #6.
A Bishop joins the inauguration of a Freemasonic house or whatever they are called.

Well, since the sixties the Vatican's stance has always been ambiguous.
And believe me... Romans don't let anyone dupe them. I have asked certain people "is the Vatican completely devoid of lodges?".
Those people didn't answer me.

They pleaded the fifth...LOL

In America, a lot of Catholics could not join organizations like the Masons, so they formed the Knights of Columbus. I guess they're kind of like the Masons, although I've never belonged to either group: Knights of Columbus - Wikipedia

 

[Twilight Hue]

Bravo.
One should join a church or a religion, only if they that is compatible with their own principles.
That must never be something contrived and unwillingly.

It should be a red flag whenever a religion is so weak and possessive itself, that it regards other religions and practices as a threat, and cannot stand up on its own In face of other axillary practices and beliefs that people sometimes use and incorporate to supplement their primary religion with.

 

[Estro Felino]

In America, a lot of Catholics could not join organizations like the Masons, so they formed the Knights of Columbus. I guess they're kind of like the Masons, although I've never belonged to either group: Knights of Columbus - Wikipedia

Interesting.
I didn't know such thing existed.
Nevertheless, if it a religious associations that help non-Catholics too, well, I think it's good.
The context of discrimination against Italians and Catholics is not present any more (or at least I hope).

But that's not even comparable to Freemasonry, because goals in Freemasonry are about economics and politics. That is, how to influence economics and politics through non-transparent and secret procedures.

 

[Twilight Hue]

In America, a lot of Catholics could not join organizations like the Masons, so they formed the Knights of Columbus. I guess they're kind of like the Masons, although I've never belonged to either group: Knights of Columbus - Wikipedia

When I was younger I used to erroneously think the Knights of Columbus were a branch of the KKK because of the designation of "Knights " was being used.

 

[Estro Felino]

It should be a red flag whenever a religion is so weak and possessive itself, that it regards other religions and practices as a threat, and cannot stand up on its own In face of other axillary practices and beliefs that people sometimes use and incorporate to supplement their primary religion with.

When I was a kid and attended Catechism classes, that is Sunday School, I was taught that God demands that we hide nothing from Him.
There is no distinction between public and private before God.
God is interested both in the public and the private life of people. And He is omniscient.


Incompatibility is present in any aspect of our secular lives.
Catholicism is made up of choices: choice between evil and good, so there is no such a thing as "supplementing Christ's teaching".

 

[Twilight Hue]

When I was a kid and attended Catechism classes, that is Sunday School, I was taught that God demands that we hide nothing from Him.
There is no distinction between public and private before God.
God is interested both in the public and the private life of people. And He is omniscient.


Incompatibility is present in any aspect of our secular lives.
Catholicism is made up of choices: choice between evil and good, so there is no such a thing as "supplementing Christ's teaching".

That still never stopped Catholics and Christians from holding and seeking out dual religions to scratch their spiritual (and other) itches that their primary religion cannot accomplish.

There were instances where both Catholic monks and Buddhist monks meditated together. ;0)

 

[SalixIncendium]

Christianity is not a religious philosophy to mix and match as you see fit.

Yet so many do exactly that.

 

[RestlessSoul]

I thought the Freemasons already banned Catholics from joining.

Both the Vatican and Freemasonry have been the object of numerous conspiracy theories. A rift such as this, without any obvious reason or rational explanation, will only serve to fuel such theories even more.

If only there was a way of tying in the Knights Templar

 

[Estro Felino]

That still never stopped Catholics and Christians from holding and seeking out dual religions to scratch their spiritual (and other) itches that their primary religion cannot accomplish.

An example?

There were instances where both Catholic monks and Buddhist monks meditated together. ;0)

That doesn't mean that the Catholic becomes Buddhist or that the Buddhist becomes Catholic.
We are speaking of incompatibility. You cannot be Catholic and Buddhist at the same time.

 

[Estro Felino]

Yet so many do exactly that.

An example?
I need an example to understand.

 

[RestlessSoul]

In America, a lot of Catholics could not join organizations like the Masons, so they formed the Knights of Columbus. I guess they're kind of like the Masons, although I've never belonged to either group: Knights of Columbus - Wikipedia

Sounds like a Catholic Ku Klux Klan

 

[Twilight Hue]

An example?


That doesn't mean that the Catholic becomes Buddhist or that the Buddhist becomes Catholic.
We are speaking of incompatibility. You cannot be Catholic and Buddhist at the same time.

Multiple religious belonging - Wikipedia

You will find many examples, particularly in Asia.

The latter depends on the level of compatibility. I found the Meditation sessions to be perfectly compatible along the lines of similarities where Catholics are indeed Buddhist and Buddhists are indeed Catholics if only for awhile, and limited in duration.

Some call it double belonging and it's quite beautiful in its own way.

Buddhist and Catholic, priests and theologians practice 'double belonging'

(RNS) — ‘Religions need each other to understand themselves,’ said one Buddhist-Catholic practitioner.

religionnews.com

 

[SalixIncendium]

An example?
I need an example to understand.

I was raised in a family of Cafeteria Catholics. They pick and choose what part of the dogma they want to adhere to and what is not all that important. Examples would be eating meat on Fridays during Lent or not attending Mass when they'd rather do something else.

 

[Estro Felino]

I was raised in a family of Cafeteria Catholics. They pick and choose what part of the dogma they want to adhere to and what is not all that important. Examples would be eating meat on Fridays during Lent or not attending Mass when they'd rather do something else.

In Catholicism not all sins are equal.
I mean...joining a lodge that defrauds your neighbors is not the same as eating meat on Friday. Or during Lent.

There are sins that lead people to Hell. And other sins that lead you to Purgatory.

 

[Estro Felino]

Multiple religious belonging - Wikipedia

You will find many examples, particularly in Asia.

The latter depends on the level of compatibility. I found the Meditation sessions to be perfectly compatible along the lines of similarities where Catholics are indeed Buddhist and Buddhists are indeed Catholics if only for awhile, and limited in duration.

Some call it double belonging and it's quite beautiful in its own way.

Buddhist and Catholic, priests and theologians practice 'double belonging'

(RNS) — ‘Religions need each other to understand themselves,’ said one Buddhist-Catholic practitioner.

religionnews.com

The fact that some people do it doesn't mean that it's endorsed by the Vatican.

By the way.... the Vatican has forbidden bishops and priests from celebrating the funerals of mafia bosses.
It's also forbidden to give them the Eucharist.
So, as you can see, it's not everything about Freemasonry.

 

[Stevicus]

Sounds like a Catholic Ku Klux Klan

I hadn't thought of it that way. I always associated them with the standard fraternal organizations which seemed to have chapters in every town: Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club, Masonic Lodges, Kiwanis, Moose Lodge, the Optimists Club, the Elks Club, the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes, etc. While they may have been conduits for the infamous "good old boy networks" we've often heard of, the general public perception has been that they're far more benign, innocuous (and even almost silly) than the KKK.

 

[SalixIncendium]

In Catholicism not all sins are equal.
I mean...joining a lodge that defrauds your neighbors is not the same as eating meat on Friday. Or during Lent.

There are sins that lead people to Hell. And other sins that lead you to Purgatory.

So in your opinion, being a Mason would be a mortal sin?

 

[Twilight Hue]

The fact that some people do it doesn't mean that it's endorsed by the Vatican.

By the way.... the Vatican has forbidden bishops and priests to celebrate the funerals of mafia bosses.
It's also forbidden to give them the Eucharist.
So, as you can see, it's not everything about Freemasonry.

That reminds me of 2015.

Italian Catholic Church scrambles to explain role in lavish Mafia boss funeral

Italy reacted with disgust last week to the lavish funeral procession held for alleged Mafia boss Vittorio Casamonica, including a gilded horse-drawn carriage procession.

www.ncronline.org

I'm sure they still do it.

 

[Twilight Hue]

If only there was a way of tying in the Knights Templar

I always regarded the Knights Templar as being Freemason-ish.