(Ebook) Freemasonry and the Christian Faith by Fr. Ashley Beck ISBN B074KDZSMR

(Ebook) Freemasonry and the Christian Faith by Fr. Ashley Beck ISBN B074KDZSMR

Some years ago I was approached by a man who had been invited tobecome a Freemason. He wanted to know whether as a Catholic he waspermitted to do so. I had not been a priest for very long and was not sure ofthe answer, although I found it out quickly; this booklet is an attempt togive a clear answer to the question and to explain some of the reasons forthat answer.The answer was, and is, a very firm ‘no’: Catholics are not permittedto be Freemasons. This booklet looks at what Freemasonry is and atCatholic teaching about it. We will also look at the place of Freemasonrywithin contemporary British society and how this relates to Catholicteaching about society. Although the primary focus is the position ofRoman Catholics, we will also look briefly at the present relationshipbetween Freemasonry and other churches.The Catholic Church teaches that adherence to Freemasonry isincompatible with being a faithful Christian. For many people, includingsome members of other churches, this claim is painful and offensive, and itis very hard for an examination of this kind not to be seen simply as anattack; but I do hope that those who feel this will find this examination atleast a balanced look at the evidence. Many Christian attacks onFreemasonry are irrational, unbalanced and superstitious; sometimes it iseasier to attack some aspects of Freemasonry rather than others. Moreoverwe need to be aware that at times attacks on Freemasonry by Catholics, andothers, have been linked to anti-Semitism.Many Catholics, including the present writer, have good friends andfamily members who are Masons and it is not the purpose of this booklet toimpugn the individual moral character of the majority of Masons. Rather, itis an examination of the system of Freemasonry: what it claims to believe,and how it operates.