The Taxil hoax was an 1890s hoax of exposure by Léo Taxil , intended to mock not only Freemasonry but also the Catholic Church 's opposition to it.
132-554: Taxil, the author of an anti-papal tract, pretended to convert to Catholicism (circa 1884) and wrote several volumes, purportedly in the service to his new faith. These included the adventures of one Dr. Bataille, a surgeon serving in the French merchant navy who has infiltrated the Freemasons and observes their evil rituals as they occur all over the world. Buddhists, Hindus, and Spiritualists join with Freemasons in conspiring against
264-411: A president , who is assisted by two counselors and a high council . The stake is made up of several individual congregations, which are called " wards " or "branches." Wards are led by a bishop and his counselors and branches by a president and his counselors. Local leaders serve in their positions until released by their supervising authorities. Generally, all worthy males age 12 and above receive
396-736: A Jewish-Masonic plot. The Freemasons were accused of conspiring with Jews and Anglo-American nations to encourage France into a war with Germany. The preserved records of the RSHA —i.e., Reichssicherheitshauptamt or the Office of the High Command of Security Service, which pursued the racial objectives of the SS through the Race and Resettlement Office—document the persecution of Freemasons. The number of Freemasons from Nazi occupied countries who were killed
528-771: A bishop and Father for priests, deacons and monks, although there are variations between the various Orthodox Churches. For instance, in Churches associated with the Greek tradition, while the Ecumenical Patriarch is addressed as "Your All-Holiness", all other Patriarchs (and archbishops/metropolitans who oversee autocephalous Churches) are addressed as "Your Beatitude". Orthodox priests, deacons, and subdeacons must be either married or celibate (preferably monastic) prior to ordination, but may not marry after ordination. Re marriage of clergy following divorce or widowhood
660-647: A canon or archdeacon is a priest on retirement and does not hold any additional honorifics. For the forms of address for Anglican clergy, see Forms of address in the United Kingdom . The Baptist tradition only recognizes two ordained positions in the church as being the elders (pastors) and deacons as outlined in the third chapter of I Timothy in the Bible. Ordained clergy in the Catholic Church are either deacons, priests, or bishops belonging to
792-772: A case-by-case basis for married clergymen of other churches or communities who become Catholics, but consecration of already married men as bishops is excluded in both the Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches (see personal ordinariate ). Clerical marriage is not allowed and therefore, if those for whom in some particular Church celibacy is optional (such as permanent deacons in the Latin Church) wish to marry, they must do so before ordination. Eastern Catholic Churches while allowing married men to be ordained, do not allow clerical marriage after ordination: their parish priests are often married, but must marry before being ordained to
924-745: A common set of rules (called the Vinaya ). According to scriptural records, these celibate monks and nuns in the time of the Buddha lived an austere life of meditation, living as wandering beggars for nine months out of the year and remaining in retreat during the rainy season (although such a unified condition of Pre-sectarian Buddhism is questioned by some scholars). However, as Buddhism spread geographically over time – encountering different cultures, responding to new social, political, and physical environments – this single form of Buddhist monasticism diversified. The interaction between Buddhism and Tibetan Bon led to
1056-473: A conspiracy of the Fraternity and World Jewry of seeking to create a World Republic . In 1937 Joseph Goebbels inaugurated an "Anti-Masonic Exposition" to display objects seized by the state. The Ministry of Defence forbade officers from becoming Freemasons, with officers who remained as Masons being sidelined. During the war, Freemasonry was banned by edict in all countries that were either allied with
1188-814: A critical role in spreading these conspiracy theories . Rida was the leading pan-Islamic activist of that age, a significant intellectual influence on Hassan al-Banna , the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood . In his articles, Rida maintained that the Jews stood behind the Young Turk revolution in the Ottoman Empire in 1908 and had also orchestrated the French Revolution of 1789 and the 1905 rebellion in Russia . Rida also believed that
1320-543: A major schism among Buddhist monastics in about the 4th century BCE, creating the Early Buddhist Schools . While female monastic ( bhikkhuni ) lineages existed in most Buddhist countries at one time, the Theravada lineages of Southeast Asia died out during the 14th-15th Century AD. As there is some debate about whether the bhikkhuni lineage (in the more expansive Vinaya forms) was transmitted to Tibet,
1452-562: A number of titles. Bishops may have the title of archbishop , metropolitan , and patriarch , all of which are considered honorifics . Among the Orthodox, all bishops are considered equal, though an individual may have a place of higher or lower honor, and each has his place within the order of precedence . Priests (also called presbyters ) may (or may not) have the title of archpriest , protopresbyter (also called "protopriest", or "protopope"), hieromonk (a monk who has been ordained to
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#17327810222211584-530: A press conference at which, he claimed, he would introduce Diana Vaughan to the press. At the conference instead he announced that his revelations about the Freemasons were fictitious. He thanked the Catholic clergy for their assistance in giving publicity to his wild claims. Taxil's confession was printed, in its entirety, in the Parisian newspaper Le Frondeur , on April 25, 1897, titled: Twelve Years Under
1716-629: A priest, an education is required of two years of philosophy and four of theology , including study of dogmatic and moral theology, the Holy Scriptures, and canon law have to be studied within a seminary or an ecclesiastical faculty at a university. Clerical celibacy is a requirement for almost all clergy in the predominant Latin Church, with the exception of deacons who do not intend to become priests. Exceptions are sometimes admitted for ordination to transitional diaconate and priesthood on
1848-575: A religious institute and live in the world at large, rather than a religious institute ( saeculum ). The Holy See supports the activity of its clergy by the Congregation for the Clergy ( [1] ), a dicastery of Roman curia . Canon Law indicates (canon 207) that "[b]y divine institution, there are among the Christian faithful in the Church sacred ministers who in law are also called clerics;
1980-612: A separate service for the blessing of a cantor . Ordination of a bishop, priest, deacon or subdeacon must be conferred during the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist)—though in some churches it is permitted to ordain up through deacon during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts —and no more than a single individual can be ordained to the same rank in any one service. Numerous members of the lower clergy may be ordained at
2112-466: A single thin robe sufficed; etc. This adaptation of form and roles of Buddhist monastic practice continued after the transmission to Japan. For example, monks took on administrative functions for the Emperor in particular secular communities (registering births, marriages, deaths), thereby creating Buddhist 'priests'. Again, in response to various historic attempts to suppress Buddhism (most recently during
2244-478: A tight leash" as they were considered a subversive element in Cuban society and allegedly providing safe haven for dissidents. Fascists treated Freemasonry as a potential source of opposition. Masonic writers state that the language used by the totalitarian regimes is similar to that used by other modern critics of Freemasonry. In 1826, William Morgan disappeared from the small town of Batavia, New York . He
2376-536: A uniquely Tibetan Buddhism , within which various sects, based upon certain teacher-student lineages arose. Similarly, the interaction between Indian Buddhist monks (particularly of the Southern Madhyamika School) and Chinese Confucian and Taoist monks from c200-c900AD produced the distinctive Ch'an Buddhism. Ch'an, like the Tibetan style, further diversified into various sects based upon
2508-528: A variety of Buddhist traditions from around the world. In some cases they are forest dwelling monks of the Theravada tradition and in other cases they are married clergy of a Japanese Zen lineage and may work a secular job in addition to their role in the Buddhist community. There is also a growing realization that traditional training in ritual and meditation as well as philosophy may not be sufficient to meet
2640-622: A warrant from an established Grand Lodge. In addition, according to some sources, King Hussein of Jordan was a Freemason himself. One of the first highly vocal Christian critics of freemasonry was Charles Finney . In his book The Character, Claims, and Practical Workings of Freemasonry , Finney not only ridiculed the masons, he also explained why he viewed leaving the society as an essential act three years after he entered seminary. A number of Protestant and Eastern Orthodox denominations discourage their congregants from joining Masonic lodges, but this practice differs in intensity according to
2772-525: Is all in keeping with Eastern Orthodox concepts of clergy, which still include those who have not yet received, or do not plan to receive, the diaconate. A priesthood is a body of priests , shamans , or oracles who have special religious authority or function. The term priest is derived from the Greek presbyter (πρεσβύτερος, presbýteros , elder or senior), but is often used in the sense of sacerdos in particular, i.e., for clergy performing ritual within
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#17327810222212904-558: Is already covertly in control of world politics. The earliest document which accused Freemasonry of being involved in a conspiracy was Enthüllungen des Systems der Weltbürger-Politik ("Disclosure of the System of Cosmopolitan Politics"), published in 1786. The book claimed that Freemasons and Jesuits were plotting to foment a world revolution. During the 19th Century, this theory was repeated by many Christian counter-revolutionaries, who accused Freemasons of being behind every attack on
3036-483: Is at war not with China but with Freemasonry ( Tiandihui ), represented by General Chiang Kai-shek , the successor of his master, the Freemason Sun Yat-sen ." According to Simon Sarlin, and Dan Rouyer, intense denunciation of Freemasonry because of its supposed grip on society and government, became standard doctrine within counter-revolutionary thought and action in the 19th century. A major event
3168-839: Is derived). "Clerk", which used to mean one ordained to the ministry, also derives from clericus . In the Middle Ages, reading and writing were almost exclusively the domain of the priestly class, and this is the reason for the close relationship of these words. Within Christianity , especially in Eastern Christianity and formerly in Western Roman Catholicism , the term cleric refers to any individual who has been ordained, including deacons , priests , and bishops . In Latin Catholicism ,
3300-567: Is forbidden. Married clergy are considered as best-suited to staff parishes, as a priest with a family is thought better qualified to counsel his flock. It has been common practice in the Russian tradition for unmarried, non-monastic clergy to occupy academic posts. In the Methodist churches , candidates for ordination are "licensed" to the ministry for a period of time (typically one to three years) prior to being ordained. This period typically
3432-675: Is from the Ecclesiastical Greek Klerikos (κληρικός), meaning appertaining to an inheritance, in reference to the fact that the Levitical priests of the Old Testament had no inheritance except the Lord. "Clergy" is from two Old French words, clergié and clergie , which refer to those with learning and derive from Medieval Latin clericatus , from Late Latin clericus (the same word from which "cleric"
3564-490: Is governed instead by a system of lay priesthood leaders. Locally, unpaid and part-time priesthood holders lead the church; the worldwide church is supervised by full-time general authorities , some of whom receive modest living allowances. No formal theological training is required for any position. The church believes that all of its leaders are called by revelation and the laying on of hands by one who holds authority. The church also believes that Jesus Christ stands at
3696-407: Is looked after by one or more priests, although one priest may be responsible for several parishes. New clergy are first ordained as deacons. Those seeking to become priests are usually ordained to the priesthood around a year later. Since the 1960s some Anglican churches have reinstituted the permanent diaconate, in addition to the transitional diaconate, as a ministry focused on bridges the church and
3828-417: Is no homogeneous anti-Masonic movement. Anti-Masonry consists of radically differing criticisms from frequently incompatible political institutions and organized religions that oppose each other , and are hostile to Freemasonry in some form. The earliest known anti-Masonic document was a leaflet which was printed in 1698 by a Presbyterian minister who was named Winter. It reads: TO ALL GODLY PEOPLE, In
3960-538: Is not accurately known, but it is estimated that between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons were murdered under the Nazi regime. The Government of the United Kingdom established Holocaust Memorial Day to recognise all groups who were targets of the Nazi regime, and counter Holocaust denial . Freemasons are listed as being among those who were targeted. It is claimed that the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera ordered
4092-647: Is not typically used in the LDS Church, it would most appropriately apply to local bishops and stake presidents. Merely holding an office in the priesthood does not imply authority over other church members or agency to act on behalf of the entire church. From a religious standpoint there is only one order of clergy in the Lutheran church, namely the office of pastor . This is stated in the Augsburg Confession , article 14. Some Lutheran churches, like
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4224-412: Is spent performing the duties of ministry under the guidance, supervision, and evaluation of a more senior, ordained minister. In some denominations, however, licensure is a permanent, rather than a transitional state for ministers assigned to certain specialized ministries, such as music ministry or youth ministry. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has no dedicated clergy, and
4356-424: Is that of the diaconate. In addition to these three orders of clerics, some Eastern Catholic , or "Uniate", Churches have what are called "minor clerics". Members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life are clerics only if they have received Holy Orders. Thus, unordained monks, friars , nuns , and religious brothers and sisters are not part of the clergy. The Code of Canon Law and
4488-668: Is then transmitted to the masses of society by the press. In 1933 Hermann Göring , the Reichstag President and one of the key figures in the process of Gleichschaltung (" synchronization "), stated "in National Socialist Germany, there is no place for Freemasonry". The Enabling Act ( Ermächtigungsgesetz in German ) was passed by Germany's parliament (the Reichstag) on March 23, 1933. Using
4620-521: The British Mandate , Iraq used to have several Masonic lodges. This all changed with the 14 July Revolution in 1958, however, with the abolition of the Hashemite monarchy and Iraq's declaration as a republic . The licenses permitting lodges to meet were rescinded, and later, laws were introduced banning any further meetings. This position was later reinforced under Saddam Hussein . In 1980,
4752-475: The Grand Orient of France . By the middle of the 19th century, Freemasonry and its semi-secret organizational structures were able to establish lodges predominantly among those populations living in the Ottoman Empire and its provinces ( Egypt , Lebanon , Syria , Cyprus , and Macedonia ). This began about 15 years after the declaration of 1839 Reform Edicts and Freemasonry became successful in
4884-526: The Meiji Era ), the practice of celibacy was relaxed and Japanese monks allowed to marry. This form was then transmitted to Korea , during later Japanese occupation, where celibate and non-celibate monks today exist in the same sects. (Similar patterns can also be observed in Tibet during various historic periods multiple forms of monasticism have co-existed such as " ngagpa " lamas, and times at which celibacy
5016-640: The Second International meetings, Grigory Zinoviev demanded to purge it of masons. Freemasonry did not exist not even in the other socialist states. Post-war revivals of Freemasonry in Czechoslovakia and Hungary were suppressed in 1950. Benito Mussolini decreed in 1924 that every member of his Fascist Party who was a Mason must abandon either one or the other organization, and in 1925, he dissolved Freemasonry in Italy, claiming that it
5148-855: The dictatorship of the proletariat in Hungary and Masonic lodges were closed. After the fall of the dictatorship of the proletariat, leaders of the counter-revolution such as Miklós Horthy blamed the Hungarian freemasons for their First World War defeat and for the revolution. Masonry was outlawed by a decree in 1920. This marked the start of raids by army officers on Masonic lodges along with theft, and sometimes destruction, of Masonic libraries, records, archives, paraphernalia, and works of art. Several Masonic buildings were seized and used for anti-Masonic exhibitions. The masonic documents were archived, preserved and may still be used for research. In post-war Hungary, lodges were re-established, but after five years,
5280-484: The episcopate ), which according to Roman Catholic doctrine is "the fullness of Holy Orders". Since 1972 the minor orders and the subdiaconate have been replaced by lay ministries and clerical tonsure no longer takes place, except in some Traditionalist Catholic groups, and the clerical state is acquired, even in those groups, by Holy Orders. In the Latin Church the initial level of the three ranks of Holy Orders
5412-513: The pope . In Islam , a religious leader is often known formally or informally as an imam , caliph , qadi , mufti , mullah , muezzin , and ulema . In the Jewish tradition , a religious leader is often a rabbi (teacher) or hazzan (cantor). The word cleric comes from the ecclesiastical Latin Clericus , for those belonging to the priestly class. In turn, the source of the Latin word
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5544-521: The priesthood . Youth age 12 to 18 are ordained to the Aaronic priesthood as deacons , teachers , or priests , which authorizes them to perform certain ordinances and sacraments. Adult males are ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood , as elders , seventies, high priests , or patriarchs in that priesthood, which is concerned with spiritual leadership of the church. Although the term "clergy"
5676-558: The tonsure was a prerequisite for receiving any of the minor orders or major orders before the tonsure, minor orders , and the subdiaconate were abolished following the Second Vatican Council . Now, the clerical state is tied to reception of the diaconate. Minor Orders are still given in the Eastern Catholic Churches , and those who receive those orders are 'minor clerics.' The use of
5808-474: The 1930s and 40s, pressuring the government to expel Freemasons from the armed forces. Patriotic Citizens of Viitasaari wanted to purge Jews and Freemasons from the country and spread anti-Masonic booklets in the prints of tens of thousands. Patriotic People's Movement MP Paavo Susitaival was a prominent opponent of freemasonry and claimed freemasons were responsible for ritual murders. The Soviet Union definitively outlawed Freemasonry in 1922. At one of
5940-783: The Act, on January 8, 1934, the German Ministry of the Interior ordered the disbandment of Freemasonry, and confiscation of the property of all Lodges; stating that those who had been members of Lodges when Hitler came to power, in January 1933, were prohibited from holding office in the Nazi party or its paramilitary arms, and were ineligible for appointment in public service. Consistently considered an ideological foe of Nazism in their world perception ( Weltauffassung ), special sections of
6072-749: The American Freemason Albert Pike and created by the Italian liberal patriot and author Giuseppe Mazzini . Arthur Edward Waite , debunking the existence of the group in Devil-Worship in France, or The Question of Lucifer , ch. II: "The Mask of Masonry" (London, 1896), reports according to "the works of Domenico Margiotta and Dr Bataille" that "[t]he Order of Palladium founded in Paris 20 May 1737 or Sovereign Council of Wisdom"
6204-632: The Banner of the Church, The Prank Of Palladism. Miss Diana Vaughan–The Devil At The Freemasons. A Conference held by M. Léo Taxil, at the Hall of the Geographic Society in Paris . The hoax material is still cited to this day. The Chick Publications tract, The Curse of Baphomet , and Randy Noblitt's book on satanic ritual abuse , Cult and Ritual Abuse , both cite Taxil's fictitious claims. Ten months before his death on March 31, 1907, Taxil
6336-596: The Catholic church, and Bataille uncovers an even more secret order within the Masons called the Palladists, who take their orders directly from demons. As Dr. Bataille's tale unfolds, he introduces Diana Vaughan, a former high priestess of Palladism who has converted to Catholicism and is in grave danger of assassination from vengeful Freemasons. In 1897, Taxil called a press conference at which he promised to produce Vaughan. Instead he announced that his revelations about
6468-631: The Citie of London. Having thought it needful to warn you of the Mischiefs and Evils practiced in the Sight of God by those called Freed Masons, I say take Care lest their Ceremonies and secret Swearings take hold of you; and be wary that none cause you to err from Godliness. For this devilish Sect of Men are Meeters in secret which swear against all without ther Following. They are the Anti Christ which
6600-461: The Civil Governor. Few towns escaped the carnage as Freemasons in Lugo , Zamora, Cadiz and Granada were brutally rounded up and shot, and in Seville , the entire membership of several lodges were butchered. The slightest suspicion of being a mason was often enough to earn a place in a firing squad, and the blood-letting was so fierce that, reportedly, some masons were even hurled into working engines of steam trains. By 16 December 1937, according to
6732-574: The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches prescribe that every cleric must be enrolled or " incardinated " in a diocese or its equivalent (an apostolic vicariate , territorial abbey , personal prelature , etc.) or in a religious institute , society of apostolic life or secular institute . The need for this requirement arose because of the trouble caused from the earliest years of the Church by unattached or vagrant clergy subject to no ecclesiastical authority and often causing scandal wherever they went. Current canon law prescribes that to be ordained
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#17327810222216864-451: The Freemasons were made up, and thanked the Catholic clergy for helping to publicize his stories. Nine years later he told an American magazine that he at first thought readers would recognize his tales as "amusement pure and simple"—too outlandish to be true—but when he realized they believed them and that there was "lots of money" to be made in publishing them, he continued to perpetrate the hoax. Despite this debunking, belief in Vaughan and
6996-505: The Freemasons. After this encyclical, Taxil underwent a public, feigned conversion to Roman Catholicism and announced his intention of repairing the damage he had done to the true faith. The first book produced by Taxil after his conversion was a four-volume history of Freemasonry, which contained fictitious eyewitness verifications of their participation in Satanism . With a collaborator who published as "Dr. Karl Hacks", Taxil wrote another book called Le Diable au XIXe siècle ( The Devil in
7128-524: The God of Darkness and Evil. While this quotation was published by Abel Clarin de la Rive in his Woman and Child in Universal Freemasonry , it does not appear in Taxil's writings proper, though it is sourced in a footnote to Diana Vaughan, Taxil's creation. Clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions . Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of
7260-546: The Iraqi legal and penal code was changed, making it a felony to "promote or acclaim Zionist principles, including freemasonry, or who associate [themselves] with Zionist organizations." Also, Freemasonry was banned in Egypt in 1964 by the order of President Nasser and in 1965 the Ba'athist government of Syria banned all lodges. However, a few countries such as Turkey and Morocco have allowed establishment of Grand Lodges while in countries such as Malaysia and Lebanon , there are District Grand Lodges operating under
7392-466: The Jews were planning to take over Al-Aqsa Mosque and expel the Muslim and Christian inhabitants of the Holy Land . Rida’s mix of European conspiratorial thought and political Islam left a lasting mark. Influenced by Rida, the Muslim Brotherhood holds to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in which freemasonry is seen as a form of Jewish subversion. In article 28 of its Charter, Hamas states that Freemasonry, Rotary , and other similar groups "work in
7524-482: The Law for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism. After Franco's decree outlawing masonry, Franco's supporters were given two months to resign from any lodge they might be a member. Many masons chose to go into exile instead, including prominent monarchists who had whole-heartedly supported the Nationalist rebellion in 1936. The common components in Spanish Masonry seems to have been upper or middle class conservative liberalism and strong anti-clericism. The Law for
7656-407: The Magisterium considers to be of divine institution. In the Catholic Church, only men are permitted to be clerics. In the Latin Church before 1972, tonsure admitted someone to the clerical state, after which he could receive the four minor orders ( ostiary , lectorate , order of exorcists, order of acolytes) and then the major orders ( subdiaconate , diaconate , presbyterate , and finally
7788-427: The Moderns, the Earl of Moira that a special exempting clause was inserted into this legislation in favour of societies "held under the Denomination of Lodges of Freemasons" provided that they had been "usually held before the Act" and their names, places and times of meeting and the names of the members were annually registered with the local Clerk to the Justices of the Peace. This continued on until 1967 when this Act
7920-549: The Nazis or under Nazi control, including Norway and France . Anti-Masonic exhibitions were held in many occupied countries. Field-Marshal Friedrich Paulus was denounced as a "High-grade Freemason" when he surrendered to the Soviet Union in 1943. In 1943, the Propaganda Abteilung, a delegation of Nazi Germany's propaganda ministry within occupied France , commissioned the propaganda film Forces occultes . The film virulently denounces Freemasonry, parliamentarianism and Jews as part of Vichy's drive against them and seeks to prove
8052-443: The Nineteenth Century ), which introduced a new character, Diana Vaughan, a supposed descendant of the Rosicrucian alchemist Thomas Vaughan . The book contained many tales about her encounters with incarnate demons , one of whom, a devil snake, was supposed to have written prophecies on her back with its tail, and another who played the piano while in the shape of a crocodile. Diana was supposedly involved in Satanic Freemasonry but
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#17327810222218184-516: The Ottoman Empire under the reigns of sultans Abdulmejid (1839–1861), Abdulaziz (1861–1876) and Abdul Hamid II (1876–1909). During the 19th century, numerous prominent Muslim scholars, thinkers, and politicians, such as 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri (1808–1883), Jamal al-Din Afghani (1839–1897), and Riza Tevfik (1869–1949) were active in Freemasonry. Other notable scholars, intellectuals, and politicians who became Freemasons included Sa'd Zaghlul , Ya'qib Sannu' , Adib Ishaq , Tawfiq Pasha , and
8316-468: The Palladists did not entirely die and the Palladists appeared in a 1943 noir film The Seventh Victim . Léo Taxil was the pen name of Marie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès, who had been accused earlier of libel regarding a book he wrote called The Secret Loves of Pope Pius IX . On April 20, 1884, Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical , Humanum genus , that said that the human race was: separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of which
8448-444: The Repression of Freemasonry and Communism was not abrogated until 1963. References to a "Judeo-Masonic plot" are a standard component of Francoist speeches and propaganda and reveal the intense and paranoid obsession of the dictator with masonry. Franco produced at least 49 pseudonymous anti-masonic magazine articles and an anti-masonic book during his lifetime. According to Franco: It was the Unlawful Societies Act of 1799 that saw
8580-450: The Security Service ( SD ) and later the Reich Security Main Office ( RSHA ) were established to deal with Freemasonry. Masonic concentration camp inmates were graded as political prisoners, and wore an inverted (point down) red triangle . On August 8, 1935, as Führer and Chancellor , Adolf Hitler announced in the Nazi Party newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter , the final dissolution of all Masonic Lodges in Germany. The article accused
8712-491: The United Colonies (America), in 1776, would have been subject to expulsion and every Lodge to a forfeiture of its warrant by the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland, under whose jurisdiction they were at the time". Freemasonry charges its members that: "In the state you are to be a quiet and peaceful subject, true to your government and just to your country; You are not to countenence disloyalty or rebellion, but patiently submit to legal authority and conform with cheerfulness to
8844-412: The United States, Pure Land priests of the Japanese diaspora serve a role very similar to Protestant ministers of the Christian tradition. Meanwhile, reclusive Theravada forest monks in Thailand live a life devoted to meditation and the practice of austerities in small communities in rural Thailand- a very different life from even their city-dwelling counterparts, who may be involved primarily in teaching,
8976-481: The abolition of Freemasonry in Spain. In September 1928, one of the two Grand Lodges in Spain was closed and approximately two-hundred masons, most notably the Grand Master of the Grand Orient, were imprisoned for allegedly plotting against the government. Following the military coup of 1936 , many Freemasons trapped in areas under Nationalist control were arrested and summarily killed in the White Terror , along with members of left wing parties and trade unionists. It
9108-401: The absolute can only exist as two gods; darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive.... Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy, and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay,
9240-434: The annual masonic assembly held in Madrid, all masons that had not escaped from the areas under nationalist control had been murdered. After the victory of dictator General Francisco Franco , Freemasonry was officially outlawed in Spain on 2 March 1940. Being a mason was automatically punishable by a minimum jail term of 12 years. Masons of the 18º and above were deemed guilty of "Aggravated Circumstances", and usually faced
9372-518: The beliefs of the denomination. Some denominations simply express mild concern about Freemasonry because they do not believe that it is compatible with the teachings of Christianity while, at the other extreme, other denominations openly accuse the fraternity of worshipping Satan , by quoting the writings of Leo Taxil and Abel Clarin de la Rive . Since 1738, the Roman Catholic Church has prohibited its members from joining Masonic organizations, citing political as well as religious reasons. Until 1983,
9504-541: The brethren of the 32nd, 31st and 30th degrees: The masonic Religion should be, by all of us initiates of the higher degrees, maintained in the Purity of the Luciferian doctrine. If Lucifer were not God, would Adonay and his priests calumniate him? Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for
9636-655: The consecration of women as bishops, only five have ordained any. Celebration of the Eucharist is reserved for priests and bishops. National Anglican churches are presided over by one or more primates or metropolitans (archbishops or presiding bishops). The senior archbishop of the Anglican Communion is the Archbishop of Canterbury , who acts as leader of the Church of England and 'first among equals' of
9768-528: The death penalty. According to Francoists, the Republican Regime which Franco overthrew had a strong Masonic presence. In reality Spanish Masons were present in all sectors of politics and the armed forces. At least four of the Generals who supported Franco's rebellion were Masons, although many lodges contained fervent but generally conservative Republicans. Freemasonry was formally outlawed in
9900-569: The diaconate, the presbyterate, or the episcopate, respectively. Among bishops, some are metropolitans , archbishops , or patriarchs . The pope is the bishop of Rome , the supreme and universal hierarch of the Church, and his authorization is now required for the ordination of all Roman Catholic bishops. With rare exceptions, cardinals are bishops, although it was not always so; formerly, some cardinals were people who had received clerical tonsure , but not Holy Orders . Secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to
10032-640: The early 20th century, the Syrian - Egyptian Islamic theologian Mūhammād Rashīd Ridâ (1865–1935) played the crucial role in leading the opposition to Freemasonry across the Muslim world. Through his popular pan-Islamic journal Al-Manār , Rida spread anti-Semitic and anti-Masonic ideas which would directly influence the Muslim Brotherhood and subsequent radical Islamic and Islamist movements, such as Hamas (see Hamas Charter ). The Egyptian newspaper Al-Manār , belonging to Muhammad Rashid Rida , played
10164-564: The episcopacy. Although not a formal or canonical prerequisite, at present bishops are often required to have earned a university degree, typically but not necessarily in theology . Usual titles are Your Holiness for a patriarch (with Your All-Holiness reserved for the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople ), Your Beatitude for an archbishop/metropolitan overseeing an autocephalous Church , Your Eminence for an archbishop/metropolitan generally, Master or Your Grace for
10296-587: The first statute "for the more effectual suppression of societies established for seditious and treasonable purposes"; once enacted it affected all societies whose members were required to take an oath not authorised by law, shall be deemed "unlawful combinations." It was as a result of the intervention of the Grand Master of the Antients, The 4th Duke of Atholl , and the Acting Grand Master of
10428-488: The government described them as "meeting places of the enemies of the people's democratic republic, of capitalistic elements, and of the adherents of Western imperialism". They were banned again in 1950. Freemasons were consistently considered an ideological foe of Nazism in their world perception ( Weltauffassung ). The Nazis claimed that high-degree Masons were willing members of the Jewish conspiracy and that Freemasonry
10560-543: The government of the country in which you live." Freemasonry was persecuted in all the communist countries. However, Freemasonry in Cuba continued to exist following the Cuban Revolution , and according to Cuban folklore , Fidel Castro is said to have "developed a soft spot for the Masons when they gave him refuge in a Masonic Lodge" in the 1950s. However, when in power, Castro was also said to have "kept them on
10692-465: The great names which had gone before them." Though few states passed laws directed at Freemasonry by name, laws regulating and restricting it were passed and many cases dealing with Freemasonry were seen in the courts. Antimasonic legislation was passed in Vermont in 1833, including a provision by which the giving and willing taking of an unnecessary oath was made a crime. (Pub. Stat., sec. 5917), and
10824-549: The head of the church and leads the church through revelation given to the President of the Church , the First Presidency , and Twelve Apostles , all of whom are recognized as prophets, seers, and revelators and have lifetime tenure. Below these men in the hierarchy are quorums of seventy , which are assigned geographically over the areas of the church. Locally, the church is divided into stakes ; each stake has
10956-497: The highest orders of Freemasonry. Adherents worshipped Lucifer and interacted with demons. In 1891 Léo Taxil (Gabriel Jogand-Pagès) and Adolphe Ricoux claimed to have discovered a Palladian Society. An 1892 French book Le Diable au XIXe siècle (The Devil in the 19th Century", 1892), written by "Dr. Bataille" (actually Jogand-Pagès himself) alleged that Palladists were Satanists based in Charleston, South Carolina , headed by
11088-547: The influential Islamic jurist and theologian Muhammad 'Abduh . Many contemporary Islamic anti-Masonic arguments are closely tied to both antisemitism and anti-Zionism , though other reasons for the Muslim anti-Masonry have been formulated, such as linking Freemasonry to conspiracy theories and Islamic eschatology , in particular to the eschatological figure of the Dajjal (the Islamic Antichrist). During
11220-508: The interest of Zionism and according to its instructions...." On July 15, 1978, the Islamic Jurisdictional College—one of the most influential entities that interpret Sharia , or Islamic law—issued an opinion that deemed Freemasonry to be "dangerous" and "clandestine". Many countries with a significant Muslim population do not allow Masonic establishments within their jurisdictions. After World War II , while under
11352-492: The introduction of the latter in the Muslim world in the 18th century. After the condemnation of Freemasonry by Pope Clement XII in 1738, Sultan Mahmud I followed suit outlawing the organization and since that time Freemasonry was equated with atheism in the Ottoman Empire and the broader Islamic world. The Islamic anti-Masonic opposition in the Muslim world has been reinforced by the anti-clerical and atheistic slant of
11484-464: The joke and give me credit for originating a new line of humor. But my readers wouldn't have it so; they accepted my fables as gospel truth, and the more I lied for the purpose of showing that I lied, the more convinced became they that I was a paragon of veracity. "Then it dawned upon me that there was lots of money in being a Munchausen of the right kind, and for twelve years I gave it to them hot and strong, but never too hot. When inditing such slush as
11616-530: The latter are commonly or exclusively occupied by clerics. A Roman Catholic cardinal, for instance, is almost without exception a cleric, but a cardinal is not a type of cleric. An archbishop is not a distinct type of cleric, but is simply a bishop who occupies a particular position with special authority. Conversely, a youth minister at a parish may or may not be a cleric. Different churches have different systems of clergy, though churches with similar polity have similar systems. In Anglicanism , clergy consist of
11748-495: The leading bishop. But the Roman Catholic view of the papacy is considered antichristian. Anti-Masonry Anti-Masonry (alternatively called anti-Freemasonry ) is "avowed opposition to Freemasonry ", which has led to multiple forms of religious discrimination , violent persecution , and suppression in some countries as well as in various organized religions (primarily Abrahamic religions ). However, there
11880-435: The most daring affront on human credulity I had so far risked. But my hearers never turned a hair. 'Hear ye, the doctor has seen Nautulius,' they said with admiring glances. Of course no one had a clear idea of who Nautilus was, I didn't myself, but they assumed that he was a devil. "Ah, the jolly evenings I spent with my fellow authors hatching out new plots, new, unheard of perversions of truth and logic, each trying to outdo
12012-1059: The needs and expectations of American lay people. Some communities have begun exploring the need for training in counseling skills as well. Along these lines, at least two fully accredited Master of Divinity programs are currently available: one at Naropa University in Boulder, CO and one at the University of the West in Rosemead, CA. Titles for Buddhist clergy include: In Theravada: In Mahayana: In Vajrayana: In general, Christian clergy are ordained ; that is, they are set apart for specific ministry in religious rites. Others who have definite roles in worship but who are not ordained (e.g. laypeople acting as acolytes ) are generally not considered clergy, even though they may require some sort of official approval to exercise these ministries. Types of clerics are distinguished from offices, even when
12144-477: The oath. He declared, "Masonry ought forever to be abolished. It is wrong – essentially wrong – a seed of evil which can never produce any good," although he extended "the most liberal of tolerance" to Masons who joined the fraternity before the murder of William Morgan, saying that they were taken by surprise and that they took the Oaths "without reflecting upon what they imported, or sheltering their consciences under
12276-442: The one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ... The other is the kingdom of Satan... At this period, however, the partisans of evil seems to be combining together, and to be struggling with united vehemence, led on or assisted by that strongly organized and widespread association called
12408-406: The orders of deacons , priests (presbyters), and bishops in ascending order of seniority. Canon , archdeacon , archbishop and the like are specific positions within these orders. Bishops are typically overseers, presiding over a diocese composed of many parishes , with an archbishop presiding over a province in most, which is a group of dioceses. A parish (generally a single church)
12540-519: The other in organized mystification. I thought I would kill myself laughing at some of the things proposed, but everything went; there is no limit to human stupidity". A series of paragraphs about Lucifer are frequently associated with the Taxil hoax. They read: That which we must say to the world is that we worship a god, but it is the god that one adores without superstition. To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to
12672-528: The other members of the Christian faithful are called lay persons". This distinction of a separate ministry was formed in the early times of Christianity; one early source reflecting this distinction, with the three ranks or orders of bishop , priest and deacon , is the writings of Saint Ignatius of Antioch . Holy Orders is one of the Seven Sacraments , enumerated at the Council of Trent , that
12804-541: The party had disbanded everywhere except Pennsylvania . William A. Palmer of Vermont and Joseph Ritner of Pennsylvania were both elected governor of their respective states on anti-Masonic platforms. John Quincy Adams , President of the United States during the Morgan Affair , objected to the oath of secrecy, particularly with regard to the keeping of undefined secrets and to the penalties for breaking
12936-429: The penalty for Catholics who joined the fraternity was excommunication . Since that time, the punishment has been an interdict , barring the offender from receiving Holy Communion . Even though the canonical penalty was changed in 1983, the prohibition on membership has not been changed. There have long been conspiracy theories concerning Freemasonry in which the organization is either bent on world domination or it
13068-525: The police and judiciary in England are asked to voluntarily admit to being Freemasons. However, all first time successful judiciary candidates had to "declare their freemasonry status" before appointment until 2009, when – following a successful challenge in the European Court by Italian Freemasons – Jack Straw accepted that the policy was "disproportionate" and revoked it. Conversely, new members of
13200-576: The police are not required to declare their status. In 2004, Rhodri Morgan , the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly , said that he blocked Gerard Elias' appointment to counsel general because of links to hunting and Freemasonry, although it was claimed by non-Labour politicians that the real reason was in order to have a Labour supporter, Malcolm Bishop, in the role. Islamic criticism and opposition to Freemasonry has existed since
13332-497: The police or judiciary to declare their membership publicly to the government amid accusations of Freemasons performing acts of mutual advancement and favour-swapping. This movement was initially led by Jack Straw , Home Secretary from 1997 until 2001. In 1999, the Welsh Assembly became the only body in the United Kingdom to place a legal requirement on membership declaration for Freemasons. Currently, existing members of
13464-427: The present situation today. Similar motives actuate some of the "muck rakes" of today, as indicated in the following confession: "The public made me what I am; the arch-liar of the period," confessed Taxil, "for when I first commenced to write against the Masons my object was amusement pure and simple. The crimes I laid at their door were so grotesque, so impossible, so widely exaggerated, I thought everybody would see
13596-461: The priesthood) archimandrite (a senior hieromonk) and hegumen (abbot). Deacons may have the title of hierodeacon (a monk who has been ordained to the deaconate), archdeacon or protodeacon . The lower clergy are not ordained through cheirotonia (laying on of hands) but through a blessing known as cheirothesia (setting-aside). These clerical ranks are subdeacon , reader and altar server (also known as taper-bearer ). Some churches have
13728-434: The priesthood. Eastern Catholic Churches require celibacy only for bishops. Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Eastern Orthodox Church has three ranks of holy orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. These are
13860-422: The primates of all Anglican churches. Being a deacon, priest or bishop is considered a function of the person and not a job. When priests retire they are still priests even if they no longer have any active ministry. However, they only hold the basic rank after retirement. Thus a retired archbishop can only be considered a bishop (though it is possible to refer to "Bishop John Smith, the former Archbishop of York"),
13992-466: The ranks of the archimandrites, and are required to be celibate; however, a non-monastic priest may be ordained to the episcopate if he no longer lives with his wife (following Canon XII of the Quinisext Council of Trullo ) In contemporary usage such a non-monastic priest is usually tonsured to the monastic state, and then elevated to archimandrite, at some point prior to his consecration to
14124-730: The same offices identified in the New Testament and found in the Early Church , as testified by the writings of the Holy Fathers . Each of these ranks is ordained through the Sacred Mystery (sacrament) of the laying on of hands (called cheirotonia ) by bishops. Priests and deacons are ordained by their own diocesan bishop , while bishops are consecrated through the laying on of hands of at least three other bishops. Within each of these three ranks there are found
14256-679: The same service, and their blessing usually takes place during the Little Hours prior to Liturgy, or may take place as a separate service. The blessing of readers and taper-bearers is usually combined into a single service. Subdeacons are ordained during the Little Hours, but the ceremonies surrounding his blessing continue through the Divine Liturgy, specifically during the Great Entrance . Bishops are usually drawn from
14388-480: The sphere of the sacred or numinous communicating with the gods on behalf of the community. Buddhist clergy are often collectively referred to as the Sangha , and consist of various orders of male and female monks (originally called bhikshus and bhikshunis respectively). This diversity of monastic orders and styles was originally one community founded by Gautama Buddha during the 5th century BC living under
14520-402: The state churches of Scandinavia, refer to this office as priest . However, for practical and historical reasons, Lutheran churches tend to have different roles of pastors or priests, and a clear hierarchy. Some pastors are functioning as deacons or provosts, others as parish priests and yet some as bishops and even archbishops . Lutherans have no principal aversion against having a pope as
14652-520: The state of New York enacted a Benevolent Orders Law to regulate such organizations. In 1938, a Japanese representative to the Welt-Dienst / World-Service congress hosted by Ulrich Fleischhauer stated, on behalf of Japan , that " Judeo-Masonry is forcing the Chinese to turn China into a spearhead for an attack on Japan, and thereby forcing Japan to defend itself against this threat. Japan
14784-476: The status and future of female Buddhist clergy in this tradition is sometimes disputed by strict adherents to the Theravadan style. Some Mahayana sects, notably in the United States (such as San Francisco Zen Center ) are working to reconstruct the female branches of what they consider a common, interwoven lineage. The diversity of Buddhist traditions makes it difficult to generalize about Buddhist clergy. In
14916-458: The story of the devil snake who wrote prophecies on Diana's back with the end of his tail, I sometimes said to myself: 'Hold on, you are going too far,' but I didn't. My readers even took kindly to the yarn of the devil who, in order to marry a Mason, transformed himself into a crocodile, and, despite the masquerade, played the piano wonderfully well. "One day when lecturing at Lille, I told my audience that I had just had an apparition of Nautilus,
15048-543: The study of scripture, and the administration of the nationally organized (and government sponsored) Sangha. In the Zen traditions of China, Korea and Japan, manual labor is an important part of religious discipline; meanwhile, in the Theravada tradition, prohibitions against monks working as laborers and farmers continue to be generally observed. Currently in North America, there are both celibate and non-celibate clergy in
15180-472: The terms used for individual clergy are clergyman , clergywoman , clergyperson , churchman , cleric , ecclesiastic , and vicegerent while clerk in holy orders has a long history but is rarely used. In Christianity , the specific names and roles of the clergy vary by denomination and there is a wide range of formal and informal clergy positions, including deacons , elders , priests , bishops , preachers , pastors , presbyters , ministers , and
15312-489: The transmission style of certain teachers (one of the most well known being the 'rapid enlightenment' style of Linji Yixuan ), as well as in response to particular political developments such as the An Lushan Rebellion and the Buddhist persecutions of Emperor Wuzong . In these ways, manual labour was introduced to a practice where monks originally survived on alms; layers of garments were added where originally
15444-587: The word cleric is also appropriate for Eastern Orthodox minor clergy who are tonsured in order not to trivialize orders such as those of Reader in the Eastern Church , or for those who are tonsured yet have no minor or major orders. It is in this sense that the word entered the Arabic language, most commonly in Lebanon from the French, as kleriki (or, alternatively, cleriki ) meaning " seminarian ." This
15576-579: The world, especially ministry to those on the margins of society. For a short period of history before the ordination of women as deacons, priests and bishops began within Anglicanism, women could be deaconesses . Although they were usually considered having a ministry distinct from deacons they often had similar ministerial responsibilities. In Anglicanism all clergy are permitted to marry. In most national churches women may become deacons or priests, but while fifteen out of 38 national churches allow for
15708-577: Was The International Anti-Masonic Congress that took place in Trento, Italy in 1896. It was sponsored by Pope Leo XIII and the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Francis-Joseph , a Catholic. The Congress assembled 1,500 delegates and 300 journalists, as well as prominent Catholic bishops. Thousands of telegrams testified to support from the right worldwide. It created a permanent body, the "Universal Anti-Masonic Union." The goal
15840-506: Was a "Masonic diabolic order" . Dr. Bataille asserted that women would supposedly be initiated as "Companions of Penelope". According to Dr. Bataille, the society had two orders, "Adelph" and "Companion of Ulysses"; however, the society was broken up by French law enforcement a few years after its founding. A supposed Diana Vaughan published Confessions of an Ex-Palladist in 1895. On April 19, 1897, in Société de Géographie , Léo Taxil called
15972-607: Was a political organization. One of the most prominent Fascists, General Capello , who had also been Deputy Grand Master of the Grande Oriente, Italy's leading Grand Lodge , gave up his membership in the Fascist Party rather than in Masonry. He later took part in a failed attempt to murder Mussolini and was sentenced to 30 years in jail, though he was released after 9 years of prison. In 1919, Béla Kun proclaimed
16104-561: Was alleged to be kidnapped by Freemasons and murdered after threatening to expose Freemasonry's "secrets" by publishing its rituals. Morgan's disappearance sparked a series of protests and suspicion against Freemasonry, which eventually spread to the political realm. Under the leadership of anti-Masonic Thurlow Weed , an Anti-Jacksonist movement became (since Jackson was a Mason) the Anti-Masonic Party . This political Party ran presidential candidates in 1828 and 1832, but by 1835
16236-840: Was burnt, the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands was confiscated and transformed into the headquarters of the Falange, and another was shelled by artillery. In Salamanca thirty members of one lodge were shot, including a priest. Similar atrocities occurred across the country: fifteen masons were shot in Logrono , seventeen in Ceuta , thirty-three in Algeciras , and thirty in Valladolid , among them
16368-399: Was far more ambiguous. The old Catholic Encyclopedia alleges that Masonic disapproval of treachery is not on moral grounds but on the grounds of inconvenience to other Masons. It also argues that the adage "Loyalty to freedom overrides all other considerations" justifies treason, and quotes Albert Mackey , who said "... if treason or rebellion were masonic crimes, almost every mason in
16500-525: Was one of the causes of Germany's defeat in World War ;I . In Mein Kampf , Adolf Hitler wrote that "Freemasonry has succumbed to the Jews and has become an excellent instrument to fight for their aims and to use their strings to pull the upper strata of society into their designs". He continued, "The general pacifistic paralysis of the national instinct of self-preservation begun by Freemasonry"
16632-670: Was quoted in the American National Magazine as giving his true reasons behind the hoax. Members of the Masonic orders understand the false exposure heaped upon that organization in anti-Mason wars. The Catholic church and many other religious orders have been the victims of these half-written and oftentimes venomous attacks. The confession of Taxil, the French Free-thinker, who first exposed Catholics and then Masons, makes interesting reading bearing on
16764-520: Was redeemed when one day she professed admiration for Joan of Arc , at whose name the demons were put to flight. As Diana Vaughan, Taxil published a book called Eucharistic Novena , a collection of prayers which were praised by the Pope. In the Taxil hoax, Palladists were members of an alleged Theistic Satanist cult within Freemasonry . According to Taxil, Palladism was a religion practiced within
16896-678: Was relaxed). As these varied styles of Buddhist monasticism are transmitted to Western cultures, still more new forms are being created. In general, the Mahayana schools of Buddhism tend to be more culturally adaptive and innovative with forms, while Theravada schools (the form generally practiced in Thailand , Burma , Cambodia , and Sri Lanka ) tend to take a much more conservative view of monastic life, and continue to observe precepts that forbid monks from touching women or working in certain secular roles. This broad difference in approach led to
17028-808: Was repealed by a section of the Criminal Justice Act which meant that the annual returns of all the Lodges to the authorities ceased. In the United Kingdom, anti-Masonic sentiment grew following the publication of Martin Short's 1989 book, Inside the Brotherhood (Further Secrets of the Freemasons) . The allegations made by Short led several members of the British Government, since 1997, to propose laws requiring Freemasons who join
17160-697: Was reported that Masons were tortured, garroted , shot, and murdered by organized death squads in every town in Spain. At this time one of the most rabid opponents of Freemasonry, Father Juan Tusquets Terrats , began to work for the Nationalists with the task of exposing masons. One of his close associates was Franco's personal chaplain, and over the next two years, these two men assembled a huge index of 80,000 suspected masons, even though there were little more than 5,000 masons in Spain. The lodge building in Cordoba
17292-928: Was to come leading Men from Fear of God. For how should Men meet in secret Places and with secret Signs taking Care that none observed them to do the Work of GOD; are not these the Ways of Evil-doers? Knowing how that God observeth privilly them that sit in Darkness they shall be smitten and the Secrets of their Hearts layed bare. Mingle not among this corrupt People lest you be found so at the World's Conflagration. Freemasonry has been alleged to hold its members back from fully committing themselves to their nation. Critics claim that compared to Operative Masonry 's clear denunciations of treachery, Speculative Masonry (Freemasonry after 1723)
17424-564: Was to create a powerful centre for all anti-Masonic groups, strengthening their resolve and capabilities to battle the Freemasons nation by nation. In practice the Union was too conspicuously Papal, and poorly organized. It proved ineffective in its grandiose expectations but its creation was a measure of bitter anger and frustration among the Catholic enemies of Freemasonry. The far-right groups exercised considerable political power in Finland in
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