What’s in your closet? (or who?)
Masons!
I found an interesting interview on Zenit with a Spanish priest’s investigation into Masonry. (I’ll link to it and post a snippet or two after a few quick anecdotes of my own.)
Certainly, the Masonic influence upon society and politics since the French Revolution must be realized as certain by many knowledgeable Catholics, so I don’t really want to deal with all of that here. Of course Masons are the bane of conspiracy theorists throughout the world, sede-vacantists, SSPX-ers, as well as neo-Nazis and white supremacists. (Although, you rarely hear that liberals call people Masons - kidding.)
The cult effect.
Locally, there is a rather charismatic priest who genuinely believes most of the ills in society and the Church are due to the international Masonic conspiracy. A good deal of his followers seem to agree. Within those ranks are one or two who claim there are Masons even in the local Church.
One fellow, a PI (private investigator) now retired, suggested that even at one of the most conservative local Catholic parishes, Masons were stalking the sanctuary. Alas - I quit my job before I could get details. Intriguing huh? Of course, people have accused Marcel Lefebvre of being a Mason as well, so it slices both ways. (Although everyone knows Anibale Bugnini was a Mason.) I think the nuns who taught me were Masons too, because we used to get tickets for the Shrine Circus. No wonder Sr. Vivian was such a…
Years ago I stopped in Chicago with a friend, on our way home after we drove to see JPII in Detroit. My friend wanted to visit a weeping statue of Our Lady. It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. An old Felician sister was there selling books and religious articles, spouting off about the infamous Cardinal Bernardin. “He was a Mason!” she said, insisting he was in cahoots with the grand International Conspiracy of Masonic Jewish Bankers. She was a nasty little woman indeed. (Although I like the word cahoots.)
This is really a serious post despite the labels.
(I just don’t want to come off as a conspiracy theorist.)
Anyway, that’s all I have today on the subject, but here are a couple snips from the article with a link to read the entire thing. Enjoy!
New Age connection.
Q: Does Masonry substitute itself for religion?
Father Guerra: Masonry, in line with one of its products, the New Age, prefers to use the term “spirituality,” which has a more subjective resonance than the term “religion.”
Some Masons say that they are Christians and deny that Masonry is a religion. They should rather recognize that they belong to two religions: the Catholic one and the Masonic one.
But in fact, at least for many, above all for the Masons who are agnostics and deists, Masonry is a substitute for religion. Indeed, Masonry is called a “religion” and sometimes “the religion” in Masonic writings and those of Masons.
They are everywhere.
Q: Is the famous Masonic conspiracy a myth?
Father Guerra: It is necessary to distinguish between Masonry and the Masons. Masonry, as such, does not aspire to power or at least to having it serve its own principles and interests.
Nevertheless, Masons are in fact present in every international organization in which decisions are made and in the multinational corporations that have an influence on economic and political power.
It is logical to think that they try to pass on their ideological principles — relativism, atheism, gnosticism — wherever they are and to irradiate them beyond their own context. - Zenit
“You can’t handle the truth!” - Jack Nicholson
So what if all of these Protestant converts coming into the Church - well some of them - are really Masons? Or the Trads - yes the Trads - what if they…Or Fr. Richard McBrien- yeah, he has to be. (Look for that little Fez thing they wear.)
