May Catholics Become Freemasons?

From the Mar, 2001 issue (Vol. 8, Issue 1) of the Masonic Information Center FOCUS Newsletter, which
is a communication of the Masonic Service Association of N.A

David Patterson, Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service Bureau of Los Angeles, wrote a letter to Cardinal Mahoney of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles inquiring as to the current position of the church concerning Masonic Membership. The reply on behalf of the Cardinal is reprinted (with permission) on page 2 of this issue of FOCUS.

Thank you for your inquiry of September 11, 2000 directed to Cardinal Mahoney, on whose behalf I am replying. The question is “whether a practicing Catholic may join a Masonic Lodge.”

Unfortunately, the matter is too complex for a straightforward “yes” or “no” answer. But at least for Catholics in the United States, I believe the answer is probably yes. Permit me to explain this qualified response.

Your letter states that a member’s “allegiance to one God is all we require”. To the extent that this is an accurate statement of the organization’s beliefs and teachings, and that its activities are humanitarian and charitable in nature, there is no reason to prevent a practicing Catholic from joining.

Past history, of course, has muddied the waters because earlier church law (prior to November 27, 1983) specifically named Masonic groups as a forbidden society (canon 2335, 1917 Code). The dialogues between Catholic and Masonic representatives in the years since the Second Vatican Council were generally very positive and yet did not resolve questions or concerns raised in certain parts of the world. As a result, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome issued a statement one day before the new Code of Canon Law took effect (November 26, 1983), in which it held that since Masonic principles were still contrary to the teachings of the Church, Catholics would commit a grave sin in belonging to Masonic associations and so could not receive Holy Communion.

Because this declaration has not been superseded by any further official statements, the question keeps recurring about its interpretation and application. There is no agreement among the experts in church law who have considered the matter. Consequently one can only judge the individual circumstances in light of the principles that clearly do apply. These principles are set forth in canons 1374 and 1364 of the 1983 Code, which forbid a Catholic from joining “an association which plots against the Church” and impose penalties for heresy under certain conditions. If “a particular Masonic lodge truly promoted heretical teaching or conspired against the interests of the Church” (Ronny E. Jenkins, “The Evolution of the Church’s Prohibition Against Catholic Membership in Freemasonry,” The Jurist, 56 (1996), pg 735,) then a Catholic would be bound to avoid membership.

The reason, then, I answer ‘probably yes’ is because I am unaware of any ideology or practice by the local lodges that challenges or subverts the doctrine and interests of the Catholic Church. In the previous paragraph, I have cited the article which best presents the current state of the question. The 1974 newspaper clipping that you enclosed with your letter probably refers to a letter written by Cardinal Seper, then in charge of the same doctrinal congregation mentioned above, which was addressed to certain bishops. In this letter one can see the movement at that time from a blanket prohibition to the application of a case-by-case judgment whether a group did in fact conspire against the Church. The history of the development of the Church’s current law suggests that this case-by-case approach is what canon 1374 on forbidden associations intends.

Please forgive this lengthy reply, but a shorter one would not do justice to those inquirers who are aware that the matter is still controversial. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn more about it myself, and I close by asking God’s blessing on your well-known endeavors to relieve human suffering and assist the needy.

Rev. Thomas C. Anslow, C.M., J.C.L. Judicial Vicar

Okay, let’s break away from the opinions of the academics and cut to the chase. Yes, a Catholic man can become a Freemason. Tehre is nothing within the Masonic Fraternity that states that he cannot be a member. It matters not that the Catholic Church has a long standing edict prohibiting its followers from being Freemasons, not because of heresy, there are other issues of which are cited by the Church, such as oaths of secrecy that includes the Church on the no-tell list.

Personal opinion … a man has got to decide what matters more to him. His belief and faith in the Catholic Church, or being a member of a Franternity that has long lost what it actually stands for. No, Freemasonry is not heresy, it’s not a religion, or so they claim. But you pledged your soul to the doctrine of the Church and now you’re showing them, and others, that you will only conform to those aspects of your religious doctrine that are not inconvient for you. In my opinion, you need to make up your minds. Are you Catholic? Or are you just paying lip service to being Catholic?

Undertstand that the Catholics are not alone in their prohibition regarding Freemasonry and Masonic Membership. The Lutheran Church prohibits its members from joining the Fraternity.

Multiple Christian denominations prohibit or strongly discourage membership in Freemasonry. The core conflicts usually center on the Masonic requirement to take blood oaths, the use of a generic or “Grand Architect” deity rather than explicitly Christian trinitarian language, and the history of secrecy.

The following major Christian traditions and denominations restrict or explicitly forbid membership for their followers:

1. Roman Catholic Church

The Ban: The Vatican has formally prohibited Catholics from joining Freemasonry since 1738.
Current Status: In November 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (with Pope Francis’s approval) reaffirmed this outright ban, stating that membership constitutes “grave sin” and renders the faithful ineligible to receive Holy Communion.
Reasoning: The Church views Masonic principles and doctrine as “irreconcilable” with Catholic faith due to naturalistic, rationalist, and relativistic philosophies within the lodge.

2. Eastern Orthodox Church

The Ban: The Orthodox Church of Greece officially declared Freemasonry an act of apostasy in 1933.
Current Status: This position is generally affirmed across the broader Eastern Orthodox communion. Members cannot partake of the Eucharist until they repent of their association.
Reasoning: The Orthodox critique centers on Freemasonry being a secretive organization that teaches a mystery religion and promotes rationalism at the expense of Orthodox theology.

3. Confessional Lutheran and Reformed Bodies

The Ban: Several conservative Protestant denominations, most notably the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, strictly forbid their members from joining Masonic lodges.
Reformed Stances: Groups such as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in America have adopted reports officially opposing and condemning Freemasonry.
Reasoning: These churches object to the religious ceremonies performed in the lodge, arguing that they equate non-Christian deities with the God of the Bible, promote a works-based salvation, and require improper oaths.

4. Evangelical and Holiness Traditions

The Ban: Many evangelical and Holiness-aligned denominations formally discourage or forbid membership. Examples include the Assemblies of God, the Church of the Nazarene, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and the United Brethren Church.
Reasoning: The objections largely revolve around the incompatibility of taking secret oaths, the syncretic nature of Masonic prayers, and a longstanding aversion to “secret societies”.

Traditions with No Official Prohibition

In contrast, denominations like the United Methodist Church, the Anglican/Episcopal communion, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) generally leave the decision up to the individual member’s conscience, though some regional divisions have voiced criticisms. Mainstream regular Freemasonry, for its part, stresses that it requires a belief in a Supreme Being but is not a religion and does not interfere with a man’s religious duties.