Masonic Curiosities Archives -

FREEMASONS IN THE CHURCH

Religion, the Church and Freemasonry are not constantly at odds. Pope Pius IX [1], for example, was a Freemason born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti in the profane world. He was elevated to Pontiff on 16 June 1846 and had hardly been in that post three months when, to the huge regret of his masonic Brethren, he issued an encyclical against the Order. So much for Brotherly love!

Half a century later Angelo Roncalli and Giovanni Montini, better known respectively as Pope John XXIII (or the Good Pope) and Pope Paul VI, were also raised into the Great Mysteries of Freemasonry.

Both prelates saw themselves as enlightened heads of State and launched significant reforms of the Church, aimed at bringing it up with times. The changes introduced by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council are even based on the Masonic principles and postulates. The Council addressed the relationship between the Catholic Church and the contemporary world. The Council was formally opened under the pontificate of John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and was closed by Paul VI on 8 December 1965. The reforms, however, were regarded by many as heresies.

We do not know why Giovanni Pacelli/Pope Pius XII always denied the Cardinalate to Giovanni Montini. But on 24 November, 1958 Angelo Roncalli, twenty days after being installed on the throne of Peter as Pope John XXIII, wasted no time and made his brother of the Order a Cardinal at last, alongside twenty-three other prelates.

THE INITIATION OF A FRENCH LADY

During the reign of terror, in the early stage of the French revolution, many women’s passion reached the height of fanaticism; and fanaticism prevailed, either real or simulated, among all who were not impatient to flee the scene of such dreadful passion.

It did not shock, therefore, that the mischief had spread even to female Masonic Lodges, known as Lodges of Adoption.

On one occasion, a female candidate for initiation, while undergoing examination, was instructed to stare down at what awaited her if she hesitated in her task: a void imitating a terrifying abyss emerged underneath her, with a double row of iron spikes exposed.

The lady, instead of retreating in horror at the sight, in a visible state of extremism and disorder of mind, exclaimed: “I can confront all !” and lunged forward. But “Providence” instantly touched the secret spring, and the candidate fell, not on the spikes, but on a green soft bed simulating a patch of grass. She lost consciousness, but her friends quickly revived her. When the scene changed, the lovely notes of choral music reanimated the lady, and the ceremony’s (…)

BREAKING A MASONIC OATH

In Freemasonry the individual who presents himself at the door of a Masonic Lodge “properly prepared and humbly soliciting to be admitted to the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry” is called the “Initiate”. What leads him there, is an act of faith. He comes because in life he has a feeling of incompleteness and because he finds that pursuing ephemeral pleasures does not satisfies his soul.

Every Initiate in every Mystery must pledge secrecy for what will be communicated to him during the ceremony. Such constraint has been imposed on him since time immemorial and evidence exists that this was customary also in the days of the Guilds and of the operative medieval stone masons.

The solemn promise of the modern Initiate, however, is not on a par with the oath of the ancient craftsmen.

According to Bernard Jones [1] “the oath is a solemn appeal to God in support of the truth of a declaration made and in witness that a promise will be kept”; note the words “an appeal to God”. An oath is also neither objectionable nor can it be open to criticism, unless the oath itself is immoral. What an Initiate swears on the Volume of the Sacred Law nowadays is instead an Obligation, which is described as a binding agreement made under pain of a sanction if it is unilaterally broken. Essentially, ritual revisions through time have eroded and eventually removed the authority and intensity initially present in the oath and turned it into a mere promise. For that reason it is felt necessary to give the obligation a mantle of solemnity by asking the Initiate to recite the ritual words in a manner similar to giving testimony in a Court of Law and seal his promise by kissing the VSL.

Both oaths and obligations bind society together and stop it from falling into disorder, confusion, anarchy ; they also insure that justice keeps being administered. All authority custodians, legislators, civil servants and State officials are bound by their oath of office and so too are the politicians, even though the latter regularly commit perjury with a despairing indifference. The Romans punished this sin by tearing the sinner’s tongue out by the roots.

The Masonic Square and Compass on the Bible

Continue reading BREAKING A MASONIC OATH