Fr. Tom Santa and Liguorian Magazine say Catholics Can be Masons

from Laurence Gonzaga <[email protected]
date Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 2:10 AM
subject Liguorian Magazine- Catholics can be Masons
Dear Mr. Salza,
Attached is a copy of a response by a Redemptorist priest published in the Liguorian Magazine to the
question of whether or not a Catholic can be a mason. I thought this may be of interest to you. It was
brought up at one of our Officer Meetings at the Knights of Columbus. I believe we will be sending it up
to higher authorities. Our policy still stands with regard to membership. Thank you for the work that you
do.
Out of curiosity, are you currently a K of C?
-Laurence Gonzaga
President
Una Voce, San Bernardino
Webmaster and Media Director
Bellarmine Theological Forum / Catholic Apologetics International
www.catholicintl.com
Catechist and Apologist
www.xanga.com/pacislander4life
from
John Salza <[email protected]>
Laurence Gonzaga <[email protected]>,
to
"[email protected]" <[email protected]>
date
Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 10:58 AM
subject
RE: Liguorian Magazine- Catholics can be Masons
Dear Laurence:
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have also sent this email to Fr. Tom Santa.
Fr. Santa's assessment of the Church's position on Freemasonry is incorrect. It shows a lack of understanding of
both the teachings of the Church and the Lodge.
Twelve (12) popes have collectively issued twenty-three (23) condemnations of Freemasonry on the grounds that
Freemasonry's teachings are incompatible with Catholic faith and morals. Freemasonry is a religion of naturalism
which denies the divinely revealed truths of the Catholic Faith. Freemasonry teaches its members that they may
attain eternal life by practicing the principles of Freemasonry, without any need to believe in Jesus Christ.
Freemasonry believes that the gods of all religions can be found under the Masonic god which they call the "Great
Architect of the Universe." Freemasonry teaches that man can make himself fit for eternal life by his own natural
efforts without grace. Freemasonry treats all religious writings as equivalent expressions of the will of God.
Freemasonry requires its members to swear blood covenant oaths with self-curses invoking the penalties of
mutilation and death. Freemasonry's most sublime doctrine is its belief in the resurrection of the body, which it
exemplifies in a death-burial-and-resurrection rite called the Hiramic Legend. In short, Freemasonry is an antiChristian, counterfeit religion which has been authored by the father of lies. This is why the popes have called
Freemasonry "the synagogue of Satan" and the "implacable enemy of Christ and His Church." Hence, Fr. Santa's
conclusion that Masonic lodges "are certainly not places that subvert or challenge the doctrine and interests of the
Catholic Church" is completely erroneous, not to mention scandalous and dangerous.
The Church's condemnations of Freemasonry are part of the Church's ordinary and universal Magisterium and are
binding on the souls of all Catholics. This means that they are infallible, and any Catholic who refuses to submit to
them sins against the Faith and severs his communion with the Church. As the Church's latest condemnation states
(issued in 1983 under Pope John Paul II, an authored by then Cardinal Ratzinger), Catholics who enroll in Masonic
associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion. "Catholic" Masons who receive
Communion knowing the position of the Church commit a mortal sin of sacrilege.
I go into all of these issues in great detail in my book Why Catholics Cannot Be Masons (TAN Books) which was
released this year and has received the Imprimatur of Bishop Thomas Doran. It is the only book addressing the
Catholic Church's position on Freemasonry which has an Imprimatur. I also refer you to my other book on
Freemasonry called Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge (Our Sunday Visitor). These
are the two leading books on the question of Catholic membership in Freemasonry. I am a former 32nd degree
Freemason, and hence I know what I am talking about.
If Fr. Santa agrees to write a retraction to his article, I will send him a complimentary copy of my book.
Regarding the Knights of Columbus, I took the three degrees but am no longer active because my council was
dominated by Masons. In fact, the Knights of Columbus tried to thwart the publication of my latest book on
Freemasonry, which tells me that Masons have infiltrated the Knights at the highest levels of the organization.
Thanks again, Laurence, for bringing this to my attention. May God bless you.
John Salza
from Laurence Gonzaga <[email protected]>
to
John Salza <[email protected]>
date
Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 1:47 PM
subject
2009_February_Liguorian-Freemasonry
Hi John,
The Liguorian refuses to recant their confused position on the Masons. Please refer to attached copy given
to me by our FS of the K of C. No mention of your letter which you wrote in response to their first article
to Fr. Santa was made. Also, a PGK of our Council, now in Arizona called me to get permission to
publish my article on your book in their council bulletin. I called him and recommended your two books
to him.
I would recommend making mention of this in future programs on EWTN... maybe it will get some
people to re-think their subscription to Liguorian. Although I am sure they do other good things with the
magazine.
AMDG.
Laurence