November 2004

Dear Brother Knights,

The month of November is a special time given by the Church to remember the witness of the saints and to pray for the dead. As believers, we set our sights on heaven, but acknowledge that many, maybe most of us, will have to pass through purgatory. It has been said that heaven is a sign of God’s generosity, giving us what we could never merit or deserve; hell is a sign of God’s justice, a testimony to the extent of God’s respect for human freedom, even when abused, and to the punishment due to sin; and purgatory is a sign of God’s mercy, offering healing to those with little faith and perfecting us in the fire of God’s love. Next to the Mass, the rosary is one of the most beneficial prayers for the poor souls in Purgatory. Following are brief meditations on the new Luminous Mysteries promulgated by Pope John Paul II.

Fraternally yours,
Father Joseph Jenkins

THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

Baptism of the Lord

John the Baptist washes Christ in waters made holy by the one baptized. The testimony of John is that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and Savior. The voice of the Father announces that this is his beloved Son upon whom his favor rests. A dove descends upon Jesus and it will be by the power of the Holy Spirit that he will work his miracles and proclaim the truth. While Jesus’ baptism is revelatory, our baptism is transformative. Washed clean of sin, we are born again as members of the Church and made inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.

Wedding Feast at Cana

Mary’s role as a powerful intercessor is made abundantly clear when she calls upon her son, simply acknowledging that they have run out of wine at the banquet. Jesus’ first public sign and miracle is the changing of water into wine. At the end of his public ministry he will transform wine into his saving blood. Jesus prizes marriage so highly that the kingdom of heaven is compared to a marriage banquet between Christ and his bride, the Church. At a time when marriage is being challenged and compromised, our Lord stresses its importance in the divine plan for the joy of couples and for the sanctity of life.

Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

Jesus went from place to place, preaching the Gospel, feeding the multitudes, healing the sick, forgiving sins, and liberating people from bondage to the devil. We read in the Gospel of Mark, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel.” This work is now the mission of the Church. We pass on the faith to our children and share it with others. Our ministers teach the truths that Jesus gave us and the sacraments continue his ministry of reconciliation, healing and nourishment. The Church is the “breaking-in” of the kingdom into our world.

Transfiguration of Our Lord

Moses led his people out of Egyptian slavery. Jesus frees us from the bondage to sin. Elijah the prophet foretold of a Messiah and the restoration of God’s people. Jesus is the Savior who establishes a New Zion, the Church that participates in the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem. The transfiguration also gives us a glimpse of the coming resurrection. We can be transformed by grace and made brand new in the Lord. Faith in Jesus will always mean obedience as subjects of his kingdom. The voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

Institution of the Eucharist

Jesus, being God come down from heaven, had the power to save us. Jesus, being born into the human family, could offer his life as an oblation of propitiation for his brothers and sisters. The Mass gives us the Last Supper but also a re-presentation, although in an unbloody way, of the sacrifice of Calvary. Every ordained man participates in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. The apostles at the Lord’s Supper were given all the benefits of baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and first Holy Communion. As pilgrims on our way to the kingdom, the Eucharist grants rations from that promised shore. Jesus feeds us with his own living body and blood—with himself—body, soul and divinity. We are not abandoned, not orphaned.

Catholics Prohibited from Being Masons

Here is the current Church legislation on Freemasonry (the Masonic Lodge):

Declaration on Masonic Associations
Quaesitum est (English Translation)
The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
November 26, 1983

It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church's decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous code.

This sacred congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance is due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories. Therefore, the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and, therefore, membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful, who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion. It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the declaration of this sacred congregation issued Feb. 17,1981.

In an audience granted to the undersigned cardinal prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this sacred congregation.

Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Nov. 26, 1983.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
Prefect Father Jerome Hamer, O.P. Titular Archbishop of Lorium

NOTE: Masonic Lodges particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries were often strongly anti-Catholic, particularly in Catholic countries where on several occasions they were involved in the assassination of Catholic leaders, and the Church then prohibited Catholics from being members. The danger has become less (or the Church has gained new enemies not connected with Freemasonry) so the continuing prohibition is not well known. This is particularly true in the United States where the Masons, though [historically] unfriendly to the Church, are usually not violently hostile, and they may not even know the history of their organization's hostility to the Church. The Church of England (Anglican or Episcopal) and the Southern Baptist Convention also forbid their members to join the freemasons. If a Catholic man wants to join a fraternal society, he should consider the Knights of Columbus that has the full support and confidence of the Church. The K of C was founded to provide for widows through insurance and to draw Catholic men away from secret societies like the Masons. Only the ceremonials of the K of C are secret. Masonic rituals have a definite religious dimension that conflict with Catholic teaching, particularly regarding the nature of God and redemption in Jesus Christ. There can be no dual membership in the Knights of Columbus and in the Masonic Lodge because formal involvement with the Masons prevents one from being a "practical" Catholic. Such a Catholic would be asked not to receive Holy Communion and, if he is obstinate in remaining a freemason, face expulsion from the Knights of Columbus. This is universal CHURCH LAW, and as the declaration states, no bishop or priest has the authority to make a contrary determination.

Although forbidden to Catholics, it needs to be acknowledged that the Masons in the United States are often patriotic citizens of our country who support their membership and do much good for the community, particularly in acts of charity. We love them and seek to work with them in the betterment of society and to foster mutual respect. However, given the canonical rule and religious differences, Catholics cannot be Masons and remain in good standing in their faith. It is sometimes argued, particularly in the U.S., that the Masonic prayers are generic and not offensive. But the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Ratzinger has found otherwise. Catholic theology and doctrine is quite specified and even has sharp differences with Protestant teachings. Freemasonary is viewed, not so much as a fraternity, but in this light by Catholics, as a religion. It has been remarked that the Church tends to see dialogue with them as a form of ecumenism; however, nothing Catholic is compromised and no Catholic may join their Order.

Ten Reasons Catholics Cannot Be Masons

Catholics & the Freemason Religion

May Catholics Be Masons?

Can Catholics Be Freemasons?