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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
in 1867, published in New York by Maynard, Merrill
& Co.:
“Hail! Masonry Divine,
Glory of Ages shine;
Long may’st thou reign!
Where’er thy Lodges stand,
May they have great command
And always grace the land;
Thou art Divine.’’
I would refer you to page 268 of Dr. Mackey s
“Symbolism of Freemasonry” for his view of “Masonic
Worship,’’ in which the “labor” of the Lodge consists.
While Dr. Mackey is perhaps the most eminent au
thority on the American or York Rite of Masonry,
Dr. Albert Pike is admittedly the most eminent in
respect to the Scottish Rite, and from his book,
“Morals and Dogma,’’ prepared for the Supreme Coun
cil of the Thirty-third Degree for the Southern Juris
diction of the United States, and published by its au
thority by the Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply
Company, 34 Park Row, N. Y., Charleston, A. M.,
5641, I quote you the following (page 161):
“Masonry teaches, and has preserved in their purity,
the cardinal tenets of the old primitive faith which
underlie and are the foundation of all religions. All
that have ever existed, have had a basis of truth; and
all have overlaid that truth with errors. The primi
tive truths taught by the Redeemer were sooner cor
rupted, and intermingled and alloyed with fictions than
when taught to the first of our race. Masonry is
the universal morality which is suited to the inhabi
tants of every clime, to the man of every creed.”
From all of which, it must be very clear that the
Catholic Church, bespeaking for herself divine origin
and infallible and divine guidance in every truth per
taining to faith and morals, could not consistently
admit of her children belonging to your society. There
are other objections that the Church urges, which,
however, are not such as go to the essential nature
of Masonry and need not be entered into here.
It may be interesting also for you to know that so
long as Freemasonry was an operative society, that is,
so long as it was made up of persons who followed
the occupation of masons, the Church protected it,
blessed it, and its members were mainly engaged in
building her cathedrals, monasteries and the struc
tures that sprang up around them. It was only when
Masonry became speculative, that is, it began to teach
philosophy, religion and all that pertains to “in
effable truth,” as it so repeatedly reminds the candi
date on his entrance to the various degrees it was
only then that the Church placed Masonry under the
ban.
The Forbidden Orders.
In other words, the Church did not forbid Masonry
to her children as a fraternal society, but as a re
ligion, and there are any number of fraternal socie
ties which do not mix religion with their ritual to
which her children belong today. In fact, only five
of the three hundred or so distinct fraternal societies
in this country are forbidden to Catholics. They are
the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Good
Templars, Sons of Temperance. The Masons were
put under ban in 1738, which was only a few years
after the first Lodge of Masonry (speculative) was es
tablished. The Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Good
Templars were put under the ban in 1 894, for about
that time they, too, changed their constitution so as
to provide a religious service in their ceremonies,
while the Sons of Temperance, banned in 1 899, has
been a religious society since its very beginning.
I hope this information in regard to the attitude
of the Church will persuade you that she is neither
unreasonable nor intolerant in forbidding her children
to be members of your society. She goes no far
ther than that, although some of her members may
at times leave the impression that she does, but the
following adopted by the Knights of Columbus in its
convention of August, 1916, will show you the atti
tude of the Catholic body:
“In regard to societies forbidden to Catholics: Some
seem to think that the Church does not regard the
members of these organizations as good persons and
that Catholics are taught to shun them. This is a
very great error and it excites resentment. There is
no reason for such an error; for while an indorse
ment of these societies as such is clearly incompatible
with our faith, the same as would be any indorse
ment of a religion not our own, nevertheless, Cath
olics may associate with their members, trade among
them, vote for them, work for them, assist them and
be asssited by them, as freely and as fully as any
other persons.”
“Catholics as a body thoroughly understand this
matter, as their relations to their fellow citizens all
over the country clearly show, and any action of
a few implying the contrary is usually traceable to
some selfish design and is not in accord with the true
Catholic spirit or teaching.”
And now if there is anything more in connection
that you would like to know, I am,
Very Truly Yours to Command.
SISTER MARY’S FUNERAL.
The funeral of Sister Mary Cyril, who died early
Saturday morning at St. Mary’s Home was held yes
terday morning from the chapel at 3 o’clock. The
remains of this much beloved Sister of Mercy lay
in the chapel and all during the day hen many friends
were present to pay a tribute to her memory.
In the death of Sister Cyril the community of the
Sisters of Mercy has lost one who was ever devoted
to duty, and St. Mary’s Home has lost a member of
that particular community whose place it will be hard
to fill. For thirty years Sister Cyril has been with
this institution. She had watched with pride its growth
and improvement. As a young girl she was there as
a postulant and novice and was professed in the
chapel of St. Vincent, returning to St. Mary’s Home
to take up her duties in caring for and loving the girls
who came to be cared for.—From the Savannah Press.
During May Mr. Joseph Haverty, second son of
Vice-President J. J. Haverty, was married to Miss
Idelle McKennon, of Dumas, Ark.