MANILA, Philipines – The Vatican said on Wednesday, November 15, that Catholics are still banned from joining organizations that subscribe to Freemasonry, a controversial set of beliefs condemned by the Catholic Church for centuries. 

The Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), was responding to a question from Bishop Julito Cortes of Dumaguete, Philippines. Cortes had asked the DDF for suggestions on dealing with “the continuous rise in the number of faithful enrolled in Freemasonry” in his diocese, which he explained “with concern.”

“On the doctrinal level, it should be remembered that active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is forbidden because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry,” said a document signed by DDF prefect Cardinal Victor Fernandez and approved by Pope Francis in an audience on Wednesday.

The DDF cited the 1983 “Declaration on Masonic Associations” by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was the former name of the DDF, and the 2003 guidelines by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) regarding Freemasonry. 

The 1983 Vatican declaration – signed by the Vatican’s doctrinal chief at that time, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 – covers “those who are formally and knowingly enrolled in Masonic Lodges and have embraced Masonic principles.” These guidelines likewise apply to priests enrolled in Freemasonry.

The 1983 document states that Catholics “in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”

Vatican: Freemasonry ‘significant in Philippines’

The DDF added on Wednesday, “On the pastoral level, the Dicastery proposed that the Philippine bishops conduct catechesis accessible to the people and in all parishes regarding the reasons for the irreconcilability between the Catholic faith and Freemasonry.”

The DDF also suggested that Filipino bishops consider “whether they should make a public pronouncement on the matter.”

“Membership in Freemasonry is very significant in the Philippines; it involves not only those who are formally enrolled in Masonic lodges but, more generally, a large number of sympathizers and associates who are personally convinced that there is no opposition between membership in the Catholic Church and in Masonic lodges,” the DDF noted.

Masonic lodges are normally male-only societies, associated with arcane symbols and rituals. They have also sometimes been linked to conspiracy theories alleging undue influence on world affairs.

According to the United Grand Lodge of England, modern Freemasonry “is one of the oldest social and charitable organizations in the world,” rooted in the traditions of medieval stonemasons.

The group estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

The Catholic Church has long viewed Freemasonry with hostility, ever since Pope Clement XII issued the papal bull In eminenti apostolatus specula, which condemned the society, in 1738.

In the Philippines, there exists “The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines.”

The organization states on its website: “Masonry is not a religion nor a secret society. It teaches man to practice charity and benevolence, to protect chastity, to respect the ties of blood and friendship, to adopt the principles and revere the ordinances of religion, to assist the feeble, guide the blind, raise up the downtrodden, shelter the orphan, guard the altar, support the government, inculcate morality, promote learning, love man, fear God, implore his mercy, and hope for happiness. “

Past Masonic grandmasters in the Philippines include former president Manuel Luis Quezon (1918), former legislator Teodoro M. Kalaw Sr. (1928), former chief justices Jose Abad Santos (1938) and Reynato Puno (1984), former police chiefs Hermogenes Edbane Jr. (2005), Avelino Razon Jr. (2010), and Alan La Madrid Purisima (2014), and former defense chief Voltaire Gazmin (2016). – with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com