Nov 28, 2023·edited Nov 28, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
So much strife and horror has been brought into the world in the name of one religion or another.
The Catholic Church was just as or even worse than others, wielding their power of excommunication over all the lands they surveyed. to get what they wanted. Very few stood up to the Pope and his edicts. But the Churches power started to wane once Martin Luther posted his complaints and Protestantism was born. It eroded further when King Henry VIII declared the Church of England was no longer under Papal rule.
Today, while the Church enjoys a huge following, as you mentioned MW, most are not strict adherents to the faith, nor do they fear excommunication for doing so. The Church's laws are an ala carte fare these days.
I agree, the Church has done a great deal of evil over the past 2000 years. And it didn't really stop until the Church lost its temporal power.
Without a doubt, tremendous evil was done to the indigenous people of Mexico, in the name of the Church. Hence why the Church is extremely proscribed here, despite the devotion of so many.
Ultimately, you hit the nail on the head. Many Catholics, the vast majority, cafeteria Catholics.
Very good article. Reading your thoughts reminded me of my grandmother. She was also a Catholic, but she disagreed with the teachings of the Catholic Church on several points.
I was raised Catholic, served as an altar boy, and received an excellent jesuit education. I left the church while Mass was still conducted in Latin, and the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, and the Hays Code established what books and movies were approved for Catholic audiences respectively. I couldn't remain a Catholic without sacrificing my freedom to explore what Charles Van Doren called, "The history of knowledge."
"‘Free’ is the most vital part of Freemasonry. It means freedom of thought and expression, freedom of spiritual and religious ideals, freedom from oppression, freedom from ignorance, superstition, vice and bigotry, freedom to acquire and possess property, to go and come at pleasure, and to rise or fall according to will of ability.: – H. W. Coil
Thank you for sharing this. I appreciate the sincerity and thoughtfulness of your post. I, too, was raised Roman Catholic. Not to get too sectarian, but it might interest you to know that there is a great deal on the continuum between culturally Catholic and Roman Catholic. I am both an ordained Independent Catholic priest and the chaplain of Ashland Masonic Lodge No. 23 in Ashland, Oregon. I was master in 2007. There are millions of Catholics around the world (apostolic succession; traditional sacraments; honoring the saints, including Mary, etc.) who are not in communion with Rome and are, therefore, not obligated to follow the administrative or dogmatic dictates of the pope or magisterium. Many Independent Catholic churches support Freemasons as members and happily give them Communion. That includes my own ministry, the Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience and the larger church that ordained me, the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch. Again, I really appreciate your posts. Keep up the good work, brother.
I was aware that there are different forms of the Church that are in Communion with Rome (A friend is Byzantine Orthodox) but use different practices. Priests in his Church for example can be married.
I was also aware, but without any real knowledge of independent priests, outside of Communion with Rome. But, you are the first such that I've ever encountered.
It is great that our Masons have a choice, at least in some areas.
I wasn't overly keen on writing this post, but as so many Freemasons are Catholic, I rather felt it my responsibility to put my thoughts down as one of the same.
You're in a place where I love to vacation, spent our honeymoon in PV and at our tenth anniversary, renewed our wedding vows in that church. Great people and wonderful place.
That is awesome! The baptism was the only sacrament I witnessed in that particular Church. My Brother was married in the well known Church in downtown Vallarta, and Melinda and I had our second wedding ceremony on my mother's rooftop deck. (Our first ceremony, and day or two prior was at Centralia Lodge, performed by Masons.
Someday I hope to have the opportunity to meet up with you down here!
Read this recently:
Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people trying to be important.
That’s the top down bit.
The bottom up bit is my conclusion after my previous career meeting people from around the world:
Most people are mostly good most of the time.
I agree, most people are good. That's been my experience anyway. But the bad, certainly can cause a great deal of consternation.
So much strife and horror has been brought into the world in the name of one religion or another.
The Catholic Church was just as or even worse than others, wielding their power of excommunication over all the lands they surveyed. to get what they wanted. Very few stood up to the Pope and his edicts. But the Churches power started to wane once Martin Luther posted his complaints and Protestantism was born. It eroded further when King Henry VIII declared the Church of England was no longer under Papal rule.
Today, while the Church enjoys a huge following, as you mentioned MW, most are not strict adherents to the faith, nor do they fear excommunication for doing so. The Church's laws are an ala carte fare these days.
I agree, the Church has done a great deal of evil over the past 2000 years. And it didn't really stop until the Church lost its temporal power.
Without a doubt, tremendous evil was done to the indigenous people of Mexico, in the name of the Church. Hence why the Church is extremely proscribed here, despite the devotion of so many.
Ultimately, you hit the nail on the head. Many Catholics, the vast majority, cafeteria Catholics.
Very good article. Reading your thoughts reminded me of my grandmother. She was also a Catholic, but she disagreed with the teachings of the Catholic Church on several points.
Thank you Brother. I'm pleased that it made some sense to you.
I was raised Catholic, served as an altar boy, and received an excellent jesuit education. I left the church while Mass was still conducted in Latin, and the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, and the Hays Code established what books and movies were approved for Catholic audiences respectively. I couldn't remain a Catholic without sacrificing my freedom to explore what Charles Van Doren called, "The history of knowledge."
"‘Free’ is the most vital part of Freemasonry. It means freedom of thought and expression, freedom of spiritual and religious ideals, freedom from oppression, freedom from ignorance, superstition, vice and bigotry, freedom to acquire and possess property, to go and come at pleasure, and to rise or fall according to will of ability.: – H. W. Coil
Thank you Brother. I too feel that my Catholic education was top notch, and I hope that those who come after me have the same opportunity.
But that said, I too have the same issues as you with the Dogma, so am content to remain a cultural Catholic, not a religious Catholic.
Thank you for sharing this. I appreciate the sincerity and thoughtfulness of your post. I, too, was raised Roman Catholic. Not to get too sectarian, but it might interest you to know that there is a great deal on the continuum between culturally Catholic and Roman Catholic. I am both an ordained Independent Catholic priest and the chaplain of Ashland Masonic Lodge No. 23 in Ashland, Oregon. I was master in 2007. There are millions of Catholics around the world (apostolic succession; traditional sacraments; honoring the saints, including Mary, etc.) who are not in communion with Rome and are, therefore, not obligated to follow the administrative or dogmatic dictates of the pope or magisterium. Many Independent Catholic churches support Freemasons as members and happily give them Communion. That includes my own ministry, the Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience and the larger church that ordained me, the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch. Again, I really appreciate your posts. Keep up the good work, brother.
Thank you Brother, I appreciate your kind words.
I was aware that there are different forms of the Church that are in Communion with Rome (A friend is Byzantine Orthodox) but use different practices. Priests in his Church for example can be married.
I was also aware, but without any real knowledge of independent priests, outside of Communion with Rome. But, you are the first such that I've ever encountered.
It is great that our Masons have a choice, at least in some areas.
I wasn't overly keen on writing this post, but as so many Freemasons are Catholic, I rather felt it my responsibility to put my thoughts down as one of the same.
You're in a place where I love to vacation, spent our honeymoon in PV and at our tenth anniversary, renewed our wedding vows in that church. Great people and wonderful place.
That is awesome! The baptism was the only sacrament I witnessed in that particular Church. My Brother was married in the well known Church in downtown Vallarta, and Melinda and I had our second wedding ceremony on my mother's rooftop deck. (Our first ceremony, and day or two prior was at Centralia Lodge, performed by Masons.
Someday I hope to have the opportunity to meet up with you down here!