Freemasonry

02-08-2026Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A.

I listen to The Patrick Madrid Show on Relevant Radio several times a week. Every so often, a person calls in with questions about Freemasonry and its compatibility, or incompatibility, rather, with the Catholic Church. Because it continues to come up, it has been on my mind for a while to research and provide some catechesis on Freemasonry.

The Freemasons are considered the oldest fraternal organization in the world. Freemasonry emerged in the early 18th century as a society of “Free and Accepted Masons,” evolving from medieval stonemasons’ guilds into a fraternity emphasizing moral improvement through symbolic rituals, degrees of initiation, and mutual aid. It spread rapidly across Europe and the Americas, forming various lodges within countries. Some of America’s founding fathers and early leaders were Freemasons, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Andrew Jackson.

At its core, Freemasonry presents itself as a brotherhood, unaffiliated with any specific religion, that fosters virtue and charity through ceremonies drawn from biblical and architectural symbols, like the Temple of Solomon. Their belief system promotes naturalism, reducing religion to human reason and excluding supernatural revelation. There is a belief in a generic Supreme Being who is referred to as the “Great Architect,” but there is no adherence to a specific creed. Essentially, Freemasons seek truth by way of their human reason and use that knowledge to grow in virtue and make the world around them a better place.

Because Freemasonry does not adhere to a specific creed and its members seek to grow in virtue, there is a school of thought that one can be a member of any religion and still be a Freemason. All one would have to do is insert their understanding of God into the Freemasons’ idea of a Supreme Being, and there will be no conflict, as the goals will remain the same. This way of thinking about the compatibility of religion and Freemasonry existed long ago, as we see in the examples of some of our Christian founding fathers, but unfortunately persists today, as there are still Catholics who believe they can be Freemasons without conflict. The Catholic Church says otherwise, which we will unpack now.

The Catholic Church has taught consistently that Freemasonry is incompatible with the Christian faith due to its foundational principles of naturalism, religious indifferentism, relativism, and secretive rituals, which undermine the supernatural character of Revelation, the uniqueness of Christ, and full communion with the Church. Beginning in the 18th century, Pope Clement XII issued a Papal Bull condemning Freemasonry, entitled In eminenti (1738). In the bull, the pope condemns Masonic societies as depraved and suspect of heresy. He notes the groups unite men of diverse religions under oaths of secrecy on the Bible, creating threats to their souls. With a consequence of automatic excommunication, he then forbids Freemasonry, stating:

“[N]one, under any pretext or for any reason, shall dare or presume to enter, propagate or support these aforesaid societies…or to receive them in their houses or dwellings or to hide them, be enrolled among them, joined to them, be present with them, give power or permission for them to meet elsewhere, to help them in any way, to give them in any way advice, encouragement or support either openly or in secret, directly or indirectly, on their own or through others; nor are they to urge others or tell them, incite or persuade them to be enrolled in such societies or to be counted among their number, or to be present or to assist them in any way…”

Then, as Freemasonry continued to grow, Pope Benedict XIV confirmed the Church’s position that no Catholic is to be affiliated with any Masonic organization in the Apostolic Constitution Providas Romanorum (1751).

Later, Pope Leo XIII would affirm the Church’s position on Freemasonry, but he would provide a much deeper theological explanation. Leo was a pope greatly concerned with social and civic issues, having already issued encyclicals on the dangers of socialism, the importance of marriage, and the origins of civil power. Because of this background, tackling the issue of Freemasonry fit naturally into the fabric of his papacy. On April 20, 1884, Pope Leo XII issued Humanum Genus: On Freemasonry, in which he condemned Freemasonry as a grave threat to the Church and society. Drawing on St. Augustine’s “two cities,” Leo framed humanity’s fundamental division into the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. The two kingdoms directly oppose one another — one serves God wholly through the Church for salvation; the other serves Satan, defying eternal law with self-centered goals. Naturalism, a foundational principle of Freemasonry, rejects divine law. Naturalism exalts human reason as “mistress,” rejecting divine duties, dogmas, and Church authority as the sole revealer of truths necessary for salvation. Another of Freemasonry’s principles, secrecy, is at odds with the Church.

Generally speaking, Freemasonry and its affiliates form secret societies, hiding “mysteries” such as leaders’ names and plans through oaths of silence, grades, and dire penalties. While some members might masquerade as philanthropic scholars aiding the poor, their demand that candidates be “strictly obedient to their leaders and masters with the utmost submission and fidelity,” would, according to Pope Leo XII, then “bind men like slaves” who could then be used to commit arbitrary acts with impunity. Rather than promoting freedom, this actually enslaves men and keeps them from justice and moral uprightness, producing bad fruit and trading true Christian order for naturalistic foundations. Leo does note that not all practitioners of Freemasonry intend harm, but the principles of the sect, in and of themselves, are harmful.

Further, Freemasons seek a separation between Church and State, which means rejecting any “wholesome influence” of the Catholic religion on civil law. They promote indifferentism, holding all religions as equal. Catholic Freemasons are not required to explicitly reject Catholic doctrine, which is a way of deceiving the “simple-minded and heedless” into becoming members. Their naturalistic belief system seeks to chip away at God’s existence, his Providence, and the soul’s immortality, leading to moral collapse. Denying original sin, they ignore the disorder of human passions, which facilitates vice. Morality becomes “civil” and religion-free, proven by rising depravity where Freemasonry has taken hold. Freemasonry deceives civic leaders with flattery and the people with false liberty, blaming the Church for problems. Rather than being envious of civil power, the Church prefers it acts in service to God, promoting true charity and justice.

Pope Leo XIII concludes his encyclical by ratifying all prior decrees that no Catholic may become a Freemason under pain of grave sin. He then delivers a call to action by declaring that bishops must reveal the truth of Freemasonry through sermons and letters. They must also teach the precepts of the Catholic faith, promote holiness among the clergy, and foster piety among the laity. He also suggests reviving the Third Order of St. Francis to invite all to imitate Jesus Christ and grow in Christian virtue, “drawing the minds of men to liberty, fraternity, and equality of right; not such as the Freemasons absurdly imagine, but such as Jesus Christ obtained for the human race and St. Francis aspired to.” Finally, Leo says to, above all, unite in prayer, invoking Mary, Michael, Joseph, Peter, and Paul against this “fatal plague.”

After Pope Leo’s encyclical, the Church continued to reinforce her position on Freemasonry. Popes Pius VII and Pius IX and the 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canon 2335) upheld the prohibitions. In 1983, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger declared on behalf of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that “The Church’s negative position… remains unaltered,” as masonic principles are “irreconcilable with the Church’s doctrine.” Finally, as recently as 2023, the Dicastery stated, “Active membership in Freemasonry... is forbidden because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry,” and declares membership a grave sin barring Catholics from Holy Communion.

As the evidence shows, the Church has consistently maintained a strong stance regarding Catholics participating in Freemasonry, but unfortunately, the allure of fraternity and philanthropy still makes it attractive to some. Due to its secretive nature, some masonic groups are disguised as philanthropic groups or charities that do seemingly good works, so it is possible that some Catholics may be unknowingly promoting Freemasonry through financial donations. For this reason, it is important to research any charity to which you give money. Ultimately, the naturalistic system on which Freemasonry is founded is entirely irreconcilable with the Catholic faith, and we ought to reject such societies and build true brotherhood in the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.