I have the distinct pleasure to announce that our Governor, the Honorable George E. Pataki, has accepted my offer to join our fraternity and become a Master Mason.
On the cover of the next issue of the EMPIRE STATE MASON will feature him accepting my invitation at our meeting on June 6, 2002. Pictured also will be Brother Kurt Ott, Convention Chairman and Brother William Hetzler, both members of Schiller Lodge in the 9th Manhattan District. Brother William Hetzler is also the Assistant to the Governor for German Affairs and it was through his effort that the meeting was arranged and the Governor agreed to be a member of our beloved fraternity.
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From an article by Catholic Answers.
The Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on Catholics who become Freemasons. The penalty of excommunication for joining the Masonic Lodge was explicit in the 1917 code of canon law (canon 2335), and it is implicit in the 1983 code (canon 1374).
Because the revised code of canon law is not explicit on this point, some drew the mistaken conclusion that the Church’s prohibition of Freemasonry had been dropped. As a result of this confusion, shortly before the 1983 code was promulgated, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement indicating that the penalty was still in force. This statement was dated November 26, 1983 and may be found in Origins 13/27 (Nov. 15, 1983), 450.
6 comments
Interesting. I didn’t know he was Catholic. Maybe he doesn’t either.
It is amazing how few Catholics realize that Masons belong to an anti-catholic cult.
Mr. Luse, oh gosh, after 911 you shoould have heard my family :”Oh that Pataki is very faithful he was in Church. And he’s part Italian too…” Gag, gag…”Katholik” is the term I prefer…
‘Course, considering there’s a latiae sentiae (sp?) excommunication for those who aid and abet abortions, you’d think that he (and others!) could already be thought of as excommunicated. Ah, well…
As a member of the Masonic Order myself, I find the idea that many, like Alicia share, that Masons are an “Anti-Catholic Cult” both amusing and sad. The only requirements for a man to become a Masons, is that they be at least 21 years of age, and believe in God. At no time, does the issue of a man’s personal church affiliation ever come into play on them joining the Fraternity. There are tens of thousands of Catholic men that are Masons, and I have never heard of the Catholic Faith being something that the Freemasons are against. If I thought for one second, that Masonry held negative views regarding *any* religion, I would have never joined, or remain a member. Quit listening to those idiots who have nothing better to do that pass judgment regarding something they know absolutely nothing about. It truly is amazing that what some consider as a “evil cult” gives so much of itself to the community, and If you have ever been to a Shriner hospital, or your child had received care there, then thank the first Mason you see, for Shriners are Masons who have excelled throught the optional degrees, and the Shriners fund the building and maintaining of the Shriners Hospitals. Contrary to popular belief, we are not a “secret society”, but rather a fraternity with “secrets” that are part of the initation of a man into our fraternity. These “secrets” are mainly traditional, and impress upon the man to keep his word, both among Masons, and also the the brotherhood of man, to which we all belong. All Fraternities have some sort of “secret” in it’s initiation process, and we are no different. We impress upon men to be upright before the world, and hold fast to thier morals, and neglect no one in their generosity, for we are all members of the human race, and always must present ourselves as moral beings before God and man. If you want to know more about the Masons, there is a virtual wealth of information on the internet, both pro and con. The best place I can direct anyone to that would like to know more is http://www.masonicinfo.com . They exhibit Masonry as what is truly is, and counters those who ane anti-Masonic, with common sense responses, and shows that it all really is much ado about nothing.
tonight i was speaking with my grandmother about the knights of colombus. then i asked her if the shriners were a similar group. she is of a strong catholic background and tells me that they’re anti-catholic. but then she said soon after that it could be some big misunderstanding, so i was curious. is there a definite way to clarify this once and for all? both organizations seem to do good things. but even still, we really dont know what happens behind closed doors, and I think it’s the privacy of the groups that isn’t being respected. So what if either group has secrets?