Religious Tolerance.

One of the most fundamental elements of Freemasonry is the stated belief and practice of religious tolerance. For this reason discussion of religious issues is forbidden at lodge meetings such that it does not impinge on the ‘harmony’ of the lodge.

However one of the themes of this article has been an apparent attack upon Christianity, and Catholicism in particular.

Below are listed some selected and acknowledged quotations by past prominent members of Freemasonry which clearly indicate the level of religious tolerance. The quotations are rather dated. However, they reflect a time when religious awareness by the general public was more prevalent than it is today. Hence they are reflective of a period when religious tolerance would have been especially appropriate. I have put the meaning of the words I had to look up in the dictionary in square brackets for ease of reading.

President of the Grand Orient sept 1902:-

‘ The triumph of the Galilean has lasted twenty centuries. But now he dies in his turn. The mysterious voice, announcing (to Julian the apostate) the death of Pan, today announces the death of the impostor God who promised an era of justice and peace to those who believe in him. The illusion has lasted a long time. The mendacious [lying] God is now disappearing in his turn; he passes away to join in the dust of ages the divinities of India, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, who saw so many creatures prostrate before their altars. Brother Masons, we rejoice to state that we are not without our share in this overthrow of the false prohets. The Romish Church, founded on the Galilean myth, began to decay rapidly from the very day on which the Masonic Association was established.’

Albert Pike as Grand Commander of the Mother Supreme Council of the World wrote in a letter aimed at uniting Italian Masonry against the Vatican:-

‘ The papacy has been for a thousand years the torturer and curse of Humanity, the most shameless imposture [ fraud, deception], in its pretence of spiritual power of all ages. With robes wet and reeking with the blood of half a million human beings, with the grateful odour of roasted human flesh always in its nostrils, it is exulting over the prospect of renewed dominion. It has sent all over the world its anathemas [anything greatly hated] against Constitutional government and the right of men to freedom of thought or conscience.’

Masse in his capacity as official orator of the Grand Orient 1903:-

‘ I said in the assembly of 1898 that it is the supreme duty of Freemasonry to interfere more and more in political and profane [ secular, not sacred] struggles’.

‘We need vigilance and above all mutual confidence, if we are to accomplish our work, as yet unfinished. This work you know…the anti-clerical [of or relating to the clergy] combat, is going on.’

Extract from Masonic publication the ‘Voice’

The article begins ‘There is nothing in the Catholic Religion which is adverse to Masonry’ and it goes on

‘Bigotry and zeal, the assumptions of the priestcraft, with all its countless inventions to magnify and impress the world are ever the mainsprings of strife, hatred and revenge, which defame and banish religion and its inseparable virtues, and work unspeakable mischief, wherever mankind are found upon the earth. Popery and priestcraft are so allied, that they may be called the same; the truth being, that the former is nothing more nor less than a special case of the latter, being a particular form of viscious principle, which itself is but the offspring of the conceit of self-sufficiency and the lust of dominion. Nothing which can be named is more repugnant to the spirit of masonry, nothing to be more guarded against, and this has been always well understood by all skilful masters, and it must in truth be said, that such is the wisdom of the lessons, ie of Masonic instruction in lodges etc.’

Past Grand Deacon J.C. Parkinson a prominent English mason:-

‘The two systems of Romanism and Freemasonry are not only incompatible, but they are radically opposed to each other’

Freemasons Chronicle:

‘We wont make a man a Freemason, until we know that he isn’t a Catholic.’

Rivista:-

‘The formula of the Grand Architect, which is reproached to Freemasonry as ambiguous and absurd, is the most large minded and righteous affirmation of the immense principle of existence and may represent as well the revolutionary God of Mazinni as the Satan of Giosue Carducci in his celebrated hymn to Satan; God as the fountain of love not of hatred; Satan, as the genius of good, not of the bad.’

Giosue Carducci, Masonic Poet, First two verses from Hymn to Satan.

The use of upper case has been left as shown in the source from which it is taken.

 ‘  To thee of ALL BEING

  The FIRST CAUSE immense

  Of matter and spirit,

  Of reason and sense

  Whilst in the full goblet

  Shall sparkle the wine,

  So bright the pupil

  The souls of men shine,

  Whilst earth still is smiling,

  And the sun smiles above,

  And men are exchanging

  Their sweet words of love,

  Thrills mystic of Hymen

  Through high mountains course,

  And broad plains are heaving

  With life's FERTILE FORCE,

  On thee in verse daring,

  From tight rein released,

  On thee I call, Satan,

  The King of the feast.

  Away aspersorium,

  With priest who would bind!

  Priest, NOT at thy bidding

  Gets Satan behind.

  Behold, RUST IS EATING

  The edge of the blade

  In the hand of GREAT MICHAEL

  The faithful displayed.

  The DISPLUMED Archangel

  Descends to the void,

  The thunderbolt's frozen

  Jehovah employed.

  Faint pallid meteors,

  Wan stars void of light,

  Like rain down from heaven

  Fall angels in flight.