Freemasonry: its origin, spread, history, and activities

By The Southern Cross
June 39, 1933 Anno Domini

Freemasonry, which is a worldwide secret society, professes to be philanthropic, to strive for a higher moral life for its members, and to direct humanity towards enlightenment, progress, liberty, and truth; whereas, its real object is to substitute the principles of Naturalism and the worship of man, for all things supernatural, and the worship of God. Hence, its progress consists of:—(1) Banishment of religion from all government offices, courts of justice, and all public functions; (2) denial of the Sacramental character of marriage, making it purely secular, to be entered and dissolved at will; (3) complete freedom to every religion, except Catholicism; (4) the universal adoption of State education, in which the very name of God is excluded, and instead is substituted a modern kind of idolatry, which may be rightly called “flag-worship”; (5) full liberty of the press to undermine morality, purity, obedience, and religion; (6) full liberty of the cinema to attack the very foundation of Christian society.

Freemasonry originated in England; the year of its birth is 1717. Its founders were two Protestant ministers, James Anderson, of Scotland, and John Disaguliers, a Frenchman. Mussolini and Hitler have now banned Masonry from Italy and Germany and broken up the lodges. 

At the present day there are 5,500,000 Freemasons all over the world. In the U.S.A., there are 3,000,000; in England, 400,000; and in Ireland 50,000. Therefore, there are only 300,00 Continental Masons. Masonry claims to be the originator of the French Revolution in 1789, as well as the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. Masonry brought about the fall of the Papal States in 1870, the anti-Clericalism of 1900, and the massacre of the Armenians. They boast that they are the chief authors of the present Mexican and Spanish attack on the Catholic Church, as well as being implicated in every revolution for the past 200 years. Jewish masons are said to be at the back of Communism today in Russia. The central object all along is to abolish Christianity and instead establish a godless Jewish-Freemason regime on earth.

Masonry seems to be under the control of great financial Jewish magnates. These latter control the money market, the Press (either through their large advertisements, often covering entire pages, or through the principal press agencies, which are under the sole control of Jews, i.e., Reuters, Wolffs, Havas, and the J.T.A (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). Herein lies the secret of how the Press, all over the world, is unanimous in its misleading news about the Catholic Church, almost daily, as well as in its universal attacks on it at certain fixed times. Hence, Catholics are well aware now that anything they see in the Press about the Church is almost sure to be false, or at least grotesquely distorted. All this is worked according to the plan of campaign issued from a central governing body.

It must be remembered, however, that the vast majority of Masons know nothing of the real aim and objects of their secret organisation, and take no part in them. For them, Masonry is only, at most, a philanthropic society. The rank and file , therefore, do no more than pay fees and attend what, to them, seems no more than innocent meetings.

There are really three kinds of Masons. The worst type are the Blue Masons, composed of apprentices, companions, and masters, and divided up into different degrees. Those degrees are governed by secret committees actually unknown to the very members themselves of the lodges. The next kind is called “Imperfect Freemasonry”. This is comprised of societies under the guidance and direction of Masonry—e.g., the Theosophical Association, Loyal Order of Buffaloes, etc. The last class is what is known as “White Masonry—e.g., the Rotary International, Friends of Israel, Esperanto Association, etc.—the real of each being to spread indifferentism in religion, false internationalism, etc., and thus prepare the ground for the Jewish-Freemason godless kingdom of man on earth, as opposed to the Kingdom of God. Masonry, therefore, has a twofold character—one open and manifest to act as a kind of blind, and the other secret and hidden, where the real harm is done by the chosen few.

If Masonry is innocent, why the terrible oath of secrecy, with its unspeakable threats? Why is the oath taken at every step in the different degrees? The oath taken in the First Degree is as follows: “I, in the presence of the Great Architect of the Universe … do hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely swear that I will always hide, conceal, and never reveal any part or parts, any point or points, of the secrets or mysteries of or belonging to Free and Accepted Masonry, which may heretofore have been known by, shall now, or may at any future time be communicated to me,” etc. “…These several points I solemnly swear to observe under no less penalty than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the root, and my body buried in the sands of the sea…or the more efficient punishment of being branded as a wilful perjured individual, void of all moral worth. So help me God,” etc.

No Catholic, under pain of excommunication, can be a Mason (vide New Canon Law, Canon 2335). Masonry was first condemned by Clement XII in 1738. Since then, nine different Popes have condemned it. Pius IX called it the “Synagogue of Satan”. Pope Clement’s words are: “We ordain stringently and in virtue of holy obedience, that (Catholics) shall not be enrolled…affiliated…take part in their proceedings, assist them, or afford them in any way, council, aid, or favor, publicly or privately, directly or indirectly…under pain of excommunication incurred by the very act…. Absolution not obtained except through Ourselves and Our Successors.” Leo XIII endorsed the condemnation in his Encyclical Letter, “Humanum Genus”, of April 20, 1884.