JOINING FREEMASONRY, STILL FORBIDDEN TO CATHOLICS
Emphasis is placed on prohibiting Catholics from joining Freemasonry. This is from the response of Cardinal Victor Fernandéz, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on November 13, 2023 to the approval of Pope Francis.
This was the statement of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith at the request of Monsignor Julito Cortes, Bishop of Dumaguete, after it expressed concern over the growing number of believers from their Diocese participating in Freemasonry. He asked for a suggestion on how it can be addressed from a pastoral perspective without neglecting its possible implications for the doctrine of the church. The Dicastery clarified that the membership of a Catholic is prohibited due to the difference between the teachings of the Church and Freemasonry (cf. the Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1983, and the guidelines issued by the Episcopal Conference in 2003 ).
Therefore, formal and conscious members of Masonic lodges are subject to the provisions of the guidelines mentioned above. One of the proposed actions is the practice of catechism in the Parishes about the difference between the Catholic faith and freemasonry. The Bishops of the Philippines were also encouraged to issue a statement on this matter.
