The  Miter and the Trowel

by William G. Madison, MPS


Author's Preface

I am not a Catholic. I haue been a Freema-
son for nearly fortyyeaN. During that time I
have repeatedly been asked the same two ques-
tions:

 "Why are the Masons anti-
Catholic? "

 "Why is the Catholic Church anti-
Masonic? "

The answer to the first is that "Mod-
ern regular Masons are not anti-
Catholic; they will accept any man of
good character who believes and puts
his trust in a Supreme Being. " This an-
swer is usually received with skepticism
by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Even some Freemasons, I am sorry to
say, are skeptical. ("Regular" Free-
masons are those having their member-
ship in a Lodge under the jurisdiction of
a generally recognized Grand Lodge.)

The answer to the second question is
simply that the Church found itself in
direct opposition to most of the goals of
the Enlightenment, and Freemasonry
(and the Carbonari, a secret political
society in Italy during the 18'h century;
now probably extinct) was the only
identifiable body whose goals generally
supported those of the Enlightenment.
Thus, by association, the Church was
opposed to Freemasonry.

Condemnation of Freemasonry held
one additional advantage; it was safe.
Traditionally the Craft refuses to defend
itself against scurrilous attack. There-
fore it is always a safe target. [This con-
tinues to this day. Witness recent attacks by
some extremist religious elements in the United
States.[

The Church's condemnation was
spearheaded by a series of 21 bulls pub-
lished between 1738 and 1902. In them,
the Church condemned Freemasonry
for:

 Supporting public education

 Supporting separation of Church
and State

 Supporting equality of all men, in-
cluding clergy, under the law

 Complete religious tolerance

 Advocating or condoning over-
throw of Church and State.

 Having sacrilegious and obscene
practices as part of its ritual

 Practicing Satanism

This list is, in effect, a condemnation
of the entire Enlightenment, the first
four points being linchpins of the move-
ment. The Craft is certainly "guilty"
on these four counts.

The last two, vis-a-vis Freemasonry,
have been fabricated from whole cloth,
any possible connection between the
Craft and the outlawed Knights Tem-
plar notwithstanding.

The fifth point, advocating or condon-
ing overthrow of Church and State,
may possibly have some basis if one
makes the error of equating the Italian
Masonry of the period with the entire
Masonic Fraternity. From their found-
ing, the Latin Grand Lodges, if not ex-
plicitly anticlerical, were strongly (at
times, militantly) political. Thus it is
quite possible that there may have been
some basis in fact for the charge.

Unfortunately, the disparity between
the Latin version of Freemasonry and
that practised by the Teutonic and the
English speaking Grand Lodges
completely escaped the notice of the
Church. Thus, for nearly 200 years we
have had two world-wide organizations,
both of which are striving for the better-
ment of mankind, locked in an antago-
nistic relationship. I am reminded of the
opening lines of Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet.


Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay. our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands un-
clean.


I am neither a professional historian
nor a profound scholar. I have been
able to deduce tentative answers to the
questions of how and why this antago-
nism was allowed to flourish and to per-
sist for so many years. In presenting my
deductions for public scrutiny, my hope
is that any resulting discussion may
facilitate mutual understanding and
possibly reconciliation. That some day
these two great institutions may reach a
modus vlvendi.

             Preface

Freemasonry defines itself as:

"A system of morality, veiled in alle-
gory and illustrated by symbols"

While this definition is universally
true, it must be realized that there is no
single entity known as "Freemasonry. "
Freemasonry is made up of men
("speculative" Masons) who assemble
in "Lodges."

[The word "Lodge" Masonically car-
ries two meanings;

(a) a group of Masons organized to
work, and

(b) the location in which such a group
meets.]

Lodges since 1717, in turn, have been
organized into autonomous Grand
Lodges. The Grand Lodges practice
Masonry, each in its own way, but all
according to certain fundamental prin-
ciples. The chief among these for all
regular Grand Lodges is a belief in
"The brotherhood of man under the
Fatherhood of God. "

Further description of the fundamen-
tal principles of the Craft may be found
in a non-secret portion of the ritual of
the second (Fellow Craft) degree of
Freemasonry. It begins with a recogni-
tion that there exist two kinds of Ma-
sonry; operative and speculative, and
typically continues (the exact wording
depending upon the specific Grand
Lodge):

"By Operative Masonry we allude to
a proper application of the useful rules
of architecture, whence a structure will
derive figure, strength, and beauty, and
from which will result a due proportion
and just correspondence in all its parts.
It furnishes us with dwellings and con-
venient shelters from the vicissitudes
and inclemencies of the seasons; and
while it displays the effects of human
wisdom, as well in the choice as in the
arrangement of the sundry materials of
which an edifice is composed, it demon-
strates that a fund of science and in-
dustry is implanted in man, for the best,
most salutary and beneficent purposes.

"By Speculative Masonry we learn
to subdue the passions, act upon the
square, keep a tongue of good report,
maintain secrecy, and practice charity.
It is so far interwoven with religion as to
lay us under obligations to pay that
rational homage to Deity which at once
constitutes our duty and our happiness.
It leads the contemplative to view with
reverence and admiration the glorious
works of creation, and inspires him with
the most exalted ideas of the perfection
of the Divine Creator.

" Our ancient Brethren wrought in
Operative as well as Speculative Ma-
sonry. They worked six days before re-
ceiving their wages. They did no work
on the seventh, for

in six days God created the heavens and the
earth, and rested on the seventh.

"The seventh day, therefore, our an-
cient Brethren consecrated as a day of
rest from their labors, thereby enjoying
frequent opportunities to contemplate
the glorious works cf creation, and to
adore their great Creator. "

Since shortly after the formation of the
Grand Lodge of England (the first Ma-
sonic Grand Lodge to be formed - in
1717) and the subsequent formation of
the Grand Lodges of France and Italy,
the Roman Catholic Church and the
Masonic Fraternity have been at odds.
The Church, looking at global Masonry
from the vantage of Rome and therefore
seeing primarily Italian and French
Masonry, has looked on Freemasonry
as a repository of anticlericalism and
political activism, and of supporting (or
at least condoning) conspiracies against
Church and State.

The Church's condemnation of
rationalism, religious tolerance ("in-
differentism" in the terminology of the
Church), cancellation of special legal
status for the clergy, and the neutraliza-
tion of Church influence in government
placed all Freemasons (regardless of
Grand Lodge affiliation) in direct and
immediate conflict with the Vatican.

All Grand Lodge Freemasonry of the
18th century, but most especially that of
the Latin countries, was a child of the
Enlightenment. Latin (i.e., Italian,
French, Portuguese and Spanish)
Freemasonry saw the Church, espe-
cially as embodied in Clement XII and
Leo XIII, as a source of obstructionism.
The Church saw Freemasonry, which
advances a consistant, well defined
moral and ethical system, as a potential
rival for the hearts and minds of men.

The Church failed completely to rec-
ognize the fragmented nature of
Freemasonry. Thus it could not see that
many of the views of Masonry which it
found offensive were, in fact, unique to
Latin Masonry. In many instances,
more specifically to Italian or French
Masonry.

Thus, in condemning all Freemasonry
for the actions of a few Grand Lodges,
the Church precipitated a needless con-
flict. Latin Masonry, in its refusal to at-
tempt to lead rather than force change,
thereby made itself, and thus all Ma-
sonry, a party to the conflict.

English/Irish/American Masonry did
not recognize that there actually was
any problem.

In the beginning ...

The Masonic and Secular Worlds

The beginnings of Freemasonry are,
quite literally, lost in time. The earliest
known references place the Craft's
origins prior to A.D. 932, some time
during the reign of King Athelstan.

The earliest unequivocal reference to
Freemasonry, the "Regius Poem," out-
lines much of the conduct of the Craft at
the time of its writing. It has been relia-
bly dated at 1309 (coincidentally very
close to the time of the suppression of
the Order of the Temple). The language
used in the poem suggests that the Craft
had already been in existence for an in-
definite (but long) period of time prior
to the 14th century. The language also
gives a strong hint of the relationship
which the Craft had with the Church at
that time. In particular, it invokes the
Virgin Mary, refers to the Trinity, and
gives instructions for observing Mass. I
At that time, and up until approximately
1600, the Craft was exclusively Catholic.

Though tradition holds that Masonry
traces its genesis back to the craft guilds
of the European cathedral-building pe-
riod, this is almost certainly a fiction.
Current historical research indicates,
rather, a confluence of traditions result-
ing in that which we now recognize as
"Freemasonry." The most prominent of
these were the European "Craft
Lodges" (as opposed to the guilds) of
Stone Masons, the Knights Templar
(following their suppression in 1307),
and, much later, the Jacobite sup-
porters of "The Young Pretender" -
Bonnie Prince Charlie.

By the time of the suppression of the
Templars, Robert the Bruce had al-
ready been excommunicated. Thus, the
Papal ban on the Templars would have
had no effect in the lands controlled by
Bruce. Celtic Scotland was a made-to-
order haven for the proscribed Tem-
plars.

As might be supposed, during this en-
tire period the Craft was strongly
Catholic. This position softened some-
what, however, following the Protestant
Reformation. Masonry required its
members to adhere and support the
"religion of the country in which they
were living and working." It was still
strongly Christian --"aggressively"
Christain has been one description--but
no longer exclusively Catholic. This
orientation persisted until about 1600
A.D., at which time a new view came to
be held; a view which required only a
belief in a Supreme Being, leaving the
name of this Being and the manner of
worship solely to the conscience of the
individual. 2 This, the present view, was later
formalized (1723) in the so-called Old
Charges, one of the foundation stones upon
which modern Freemasonry rests. The first of
the Old Charges reads (with the spelling mod-
ernized):

"A Mason is obliged by his
tenure to obey the moral law; and
if he rightly understands the art
he will never be a stupid athiest,
nor an irreligious libertine. But
though in ancient times Masons
were charged in every country to
be of the religion of that country
or nation, whatever it was, yet 'tis
now thought more expedient only
to oblige them to that religion in
which all men agree, leaving their
particular opinions to themselves;
that is, to be good men and true,
or men of honor and honesty, by
whatever denominations or per-
suasions they may be distin-
guished; whereby Masonry be-
comes the center of union and the
means of conciliating true friend-
ship among persons that must
have remained at a perpetual dis-
tance. "

Now move to the year of our Lord
1680 and the burgeoning of the Age of
Enlightenment. The decades ahead will
see an explosion of original political and
social thought. Locke, Hume, Newton,
Spinoza, Voltaire and others will chal-
lenge conventional wisdom in the areas
of philosophy, government, and re-
ligion. More and more the idea of
rationalism (human reason is the only
possible guide to wisdom) will be dis-
cussed and accepted. With it, anticleri-
calism will become a force to be reck-
oned with in Rome. As direct results of
these ideas (in no particular order):

Newton has extended Galileo's find-
ings about the properties of falling bo-
dies, until they now reach the limits of
the universe. The universe has become
mechanistic.

The ideas of original sin and the neces-
sity of Divine redemption have been
summarily rejected by some Enlighten-
ment philosophers, to be replaced by
the idea that the human condition can
be improved through the effort of in-
dividuals; human nature, and hence
society, is infinitely perfectible.

Voltaire advances the idea of equal
rights under the law, and completely re-
jects the concept of any absolute author-
ity He is a firm anticlericalist, con-
sidering the Church to be among
greatest oppressors of mankind because
of its absolutism; its insistence that it
has the only truth and its demand for
complete obedience.

Montesquieu promotes the idea of a
government based on separation of
powers into legislative, executive, and
judicial branches with checks and bal-
ances.

John Locke publishes his Second Treatise
on Civil Government, rejecting the idea of
Divinely inspired or sanctioned govern-
ment.3 In his view government is a human
compact of convenience, invented to encourage
individual liberty and rights. Second Treatise
thus provides the theoreticalfoundation for the
American and French revolutions as well as
for the Italian War of Un fication.

The list goes on ....

A few years later - February 1717 - is a
landmark for Freemasonry. The Grand
Lodge of England is formed by the four
Lodges existing in London. Anthony
Sayre is elected Grand Master during a
general meeting held on the next feast
day of St. John the Baptist. These
events mark the beginning of the mod-
ern Masonic fraternity.

Six years later, 1723, sees the formali-
zation of the foundations of Freema-
sonry; the Old Charges mentioned above
are published. This event finalizes the
movement of the Craft from its earlier
status of an exclusively Catholic body to
its present character as a common meet-
ing ground for all who believe in a Su-
preme Being, however they wish to
worship. It also completes the transition
from Masonry's Operative beginnings
to its present Speculative workings.

A short twenty-six years after the for-
mation of the English Grand Lodge, in
1733, Charles Sackville, Duke of Dor-
set, establishes a Masonic Lodge at
Florence, Italy. He apparently did this
completely on his own initiative, for no
trace of any warrent empowering him
to do so has ever been found. The for-
tunes of the Craft are shaky at first,
until Sackville initiates the Grand Duke
of Tuscany into the Order. The prestige
of the Grand Duke greatly improves the
prospects and growth of the Craft in
Italy. From this first beginning, Italian
Masonry is outspokenly political.

By 1735, Lodges have been estab-
lished in Milan, Verona, Padua, and
Venice, comprising with Florence the
major population centers in northern
Italy. In addition, there is a Lodge in
Naples, to the south.

By 1737 the membership of the Lodge
at Florence includes among its mem-
bers the best of local society; men of
liberal education, learning and culture;
poets and painters; priests and politici-
ans. The unconventional views and the
wealth of some of the members has al-
ready attracted the attention of the
Inquisition. In June of that year, at a
conference of Cardinals held in Rome
under the chairmanship of the Chief In-
quisitor of Florence, the first bull to
condemn Freemasonry, "In eminenti,"
is drafted, ...

The Church's World

It is the year of our Lord 1737. A con-
ference of Princes of the Roman
Catholic Church is being held in Rome,
under the chairmanship of the Chief In-
quisitor of Florence.

For over one thousand years, the In-
quisition has been de facto autonomous
many times. During these periods, it
was not even answerable to the Pope
except as a formality. In these periods of
Inquisitorial autonomy, the leading role
taken by the Chief Inquisitor at this
meeting would not have been remarka-
ble. But this was the mid-eighteenth
century, not the mid-thirteenth!

The Inquisition could trace its origins
back to the fifth century. Originally set
up to discover and punish heresy, its
power began to decline in the sixteenth
century, generally coincident with the
rise of the Reformation. By the eigh-
teenth century it could usually be ig-
nored with impunity. The rise of natu-
ralism, rationalism and anticlericalism
which characterize the eighteenth cen-
tury carries with it a loss of much of the
power of both the Church and the Holy
Office. An absolute power, regardless of
its origin, could no longer command a
strong hold on the lives of the people of
post-Renaissance Europe.

With the loss of power, the general
populace has no incentive to discover
and report on real or suspected heresy.
The decreased number of trials being
performed naturally causes a sharp de-
cline in revenue.4 Divided between the
Church and the State, these revenues were his-
torically the primary source of funds for In-
quisitorial salaries. Thus there is a strong mo-
tivation to find new opportunities for Inquisi-
torial predations.

Since we are examining events in
which the Chief Inquisitor of Florence
took a leading part, we should be ex-
amining the contemporary records of
the Florentine Inquisition. Unfor-
tunately these records have, for the
most part, been lost.5 Using other nearby
Inquisitions as models, however, some tenta-
tive conclusions may be drawn. These models
graphically reflect a diminution of power and
influence, 6 as measured by the number of trials
being conducted The reduction in number of
trials correlates directly with the rise in natu-
aralism, rationalism and anticlericalism
which.characterize the Age of Enlightment in
Europe.

These records show, for example, that
the Venetian Inquisition fell from a high
average of 35 trials per year during
1586-1630 to an average of only 3 per
year during 1721-1794. Similarly, the
Neapolitan Inquisition fell from a high
average of 35 per year during 1591-
1620 to 5 per year during 1701-1740.7

The War Of The Worlds

With this background it is under-
standable that ambitious men would be
alert for opportunities to re-capture
their earlier power, influence, and
wealth. The drafting of "In eminenti"
is not only understandable but perhaps
even inevitable. Unfortunately for the
Church, its effect was the antithesis of
that desired.

At the time of Clement XII and "In
eminenti" many of the European, espe-
cially the Latin Lodges and Grand
Lodges were Jacobite. However, the
Craft was growing in influence very
quickly, while the influence of the
Church was declining. Thus it would be
natural for the Church to forbid its ad-
herents to join the Craft.

While there was limited compliance
from among the Jacobite faction, the
bull was ignored elsewhere. Thus the
departure of the Jacobite faction
created a power vacuum within the con-
tinental Grand Lodges of the Craft.
This vacuum came to be filled by,
among others, the Templar influence.
The Templars were quite naturally anti-
clerical. Thus the bull had much the
opposite effect to that desired. Instead
of weakening the Craft and its in-
fluence, and slowing its growth, the ef-
fect of "In eminenti" was to purge the
Craft of the Catholic elements which
might have moderated the anticlerical-
ism. The strengthening of the anticleri-
cal element carried with it a stiffening of
the political element.8

What basis did "In eminenti" set
forth as the basis for the condemna-
tion?9 Specfically, Freemasonry was con-
demned because:

1. it is formed by "men of any Religion
or sect, satisfied with the appearance of
natural probity" [emphasis mine]

2. [the members] have pledged "by a
strict and unbreakable bond which ob-
liges them, both by an oath upon the
Holy Bible and by a host of grievous
punishment to an inviolable silence about
all that they do in secret together" [empha-
sis mine]

3. "... they do not hold by either civil
or canonical sanctions; . . . '

4. there are " ... other just and rea-
sonable motives known to Us; ... "

The first point, tolerance of alterna-
tive religions, has been given the name
"religious indifferentism" by the
Church. Religious indifferentism must
be condemned by the Church, since the
Church believes that it holds to the only
Truth and therefore may tolerate no con-
trary opinion.

The second point, requirement for
secrecy regarding portions of the cere-
monials, must be condemned by the
Church, since it believes that it must act
as the intercessor (and the only inter-
cessor) for the forgiveness of sins follow-
ing confession and repentance. There-
fore there can be no subject barred to
the confessional.

As to the third point, Freemasonry
does not even permit political or re-
ligious discussion to take place within
its walls.l The Fraternity's goal is to
sharpen its MembeN' awareness and senses,
that they might work to eliminate tyranny and
injustice as individuak. But it does not and
never has taken any institutional position on
these matters.

The last point, quoting the King of
Siam from the musical The King and I,
"is a puzzlement".

By this time in its history, the Church
had long held to a doctrine of exclusiv-
ity. It alone was granted the wisdom
and knowledge to interpret God's will
for the faithful. Centuries of persecu-
tion under the Roman Empire had
welded the faithful into a coherent band
possessing near unanimity of religious
thought. The trauma wrought by the
Reformation and the subsequent
Counter Reformation had further hard-
ened this position.

The Church, thus oriented in its
thought and belief, could not be ex-
pected to understand or be sympathetic
to an organization which accepted men
of any religious stripe into its ranks.ll
Masonry guaranteed to its membership
complete freedom of religious thought. Mas-
onry absolutely requires that any candidate for
membership believe and put his trust in a Su-
preme Being. But it has traditionally refused
to ask anything more about an individual's
religious beliefs.

An additional impetus can be found
for the condemnation. Some of the fugi-
tive Templars are known to have been
instrumental in the victory of Robert
the Bruce at Bannockburn. The partici-
pation of the fugitives appears to have
been generally recognized at the time.

Now recognize that Robinson was cor-
rect in his conclusion that there was a
strong Templar influence in the early
development of Freemasonry. 12 [The
Order of the Temple (Order of the Poor
Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon;
Knights Templar), was an order of warrior
monks prominent during the Crusades.~

At the time of their arrest and sup-
pression in 1307, the Templars were un-
doubtedly the richest organization in
the known world. By simply calling a
small portion of their outstanding loans
they could have bankrupted France, put
the Church into serious financial diffi-
culty, and upset the financial stability of
much of the rest of Europe. On their
suppression almost none of their vast
known treasure was discovered and
confiscated. One theory is that it was
carried off by the Templar fleet, which is
known to have put to sea several days
before the mass arrest and was never
seen again. (In addition to Bruce's Scot-
land, there was no vigorous suppression
of the Templars throughout much of
Europe,13 with many rulers dragging their
feet or openly defying both the Pope and the
King of France.

Now since the Freemasons were a
party to the concealment of the Tem-
plars, they were automatically guilty of
heresy. They might also have access to
at least some of the lost Templar
treasure. Now there is, in addition to
the political motive, both a religious
and an economic motive for suppres-
sion.

The interregnum

Regardless of what set of motives one
ascribes to the generation of "In emi-
nenti"; whether it was an Inquisitorial
document imposed on an infirm Pope,
or was a Papal document; its effect was
directly the opposite of that desired by
the Church. Thus, it is not especially
surprising that no further strong Papal
denunciations occurred for many years.
The Church had placed itself in opposi-
tion to the Craft. The manner in which
it was done fostered a virulent anticleri-
calism within Italian and French Ma-
sonry. The Church must now learn to
recognize and deal with the chimera it
has helped to create.

Thus, after a rather luke-warm con-
firmation of " In eminenti" with the
publication of "Providas" by Benedict
XIV in 1751, nothing of significance is
heard of an anti-Masonic nature until
seventy years later.

In 1821 "Ecclesiam aJesu Christo" is
published by Pius VII. But "Eccle-
siam" is not primarily directed against
the Freemasons. Rather, it places the
''Carbonari''l5 (an Italian secret political
society) under the same penalties as the            italic
Freemasons.

Another five years with only minor ac-
tivity. "Quo graviora mala" (1826 by
Leo XII) mentions Freemasonry, al-
though it, like "Ecclesiam", is again
primarily directed against the Car-'
bonari. It accuses both of being societies
with "oathbinding secrecy and conspir-
acies against Church and State. "

Another four years. "Litteris altero"
(1830, Pius VIII) condemns Masonic
influence in education. The specific
point at issue seems to be that the "Ma-
sonic influence " advocates removing
explicit and mandatory clerical control
from the educational process.

Ten years later, in 1840, the Italian
war of unification begins. Sardinia
sends troops to assist in driving the
Hapsburgs out of Tuscany. While this
specific adventure failed, it reflects the
rise of strong nationalistic sentiments in
Italy. These sentiments are inextricably
linked to the feelings of rationalism and
anticlericalism mentioned above.
Events in Italy are quickly coming to a
head. "Qui pluribus", published in
1846 by Pius IX,I6 even though making no
explicit mention of Freemasonry, providcs an
outline of the roots of the coming clash.

Fifteen years after "Qui pluribus"
(1861), Italy (with the exception of the
Papal States) has been unified through
the efforts of the combined Italian ar-
mies under the leadership of the Freema-
son Giuseppi Garabaldi. He has been
stopped from conquering the Papal
States and bringing them into the unified
Italy only because they fall under the
protection of France and Napoleon
III. 17 In the eyes of the Church, the fact that
Garabaldi was a Freemason must have been the
final element in the proof that Freemasonry was
inexorably in opposition to the Church.

Four years later, in 1865, Pius IX pub-
lished " Multiplices inter", which, in
addition to condemning Masonry once
again, reproves secular governments for
not uprooting and suppressing it. 18

Shortly after this, in 1870, an event
occurs which is equally important to the
Church and to Freemasonry. Specifi-
cally, the Franco-Prussian War breaks
out, forcing Napoleon to withdraw his
protection of the Papal States. With the
door thus left open, the Italian army
under Garabaldi enters Rome. The
Church is stripped of the last of its tem-
poral domains and authority. Again, the
villian is the Freemason Garabaldi.
Again, the question of whether
Garabaldi is an Italian who is also a
Freemason, or whether he is a Freema-
son who happens to be Italian, is never
asked. Again, there is a failure to distin-
guish between Latin Freemasonry and
that practised elsewhere.

One year following the City's capitu-
lation (1871), Rome is declared the
capital of a united Italy under Victor
Emmanual II. With this declaration,
the Papacy enters a voluntary exile in-
side the Vatican from which it will not
emerge until the signing of the Lateran
Treaty in 1929. By this time, Mus-
solini's Fascist party is in control of the
Italian Government.

In 1878 Leo XIII is elected to succeed
Pius IX who has died after a reign of
approximately 34 years. Leo's election
marks the end of the "interregnum",
and the beginning of full scale attacts
by the Church on the Craft.

TO BE CONTINUED
 IN THE
OCTOBER ISSUE

This article is published in two install-
ments. The second half further il-
lustrates the fundamental differences
the present aims and purposes of both
organizations. The New Crusades, A
New Dawn?, the end of the story, and
footnotes will be presented in the next
issue.

