Church and Freemasons: A historical misunderstanding finally clarified!

In a recent interview with the Croatian magazine Express, the Austrian priest and theologian Michael Heinrich Weninger expressed that not all Freemasons should be regarded as opponents of the Catholic Church. In the 18th and 19th centuries there were numerous church representatives, including priests and bishops, who belonged to the Freemasons. Weninger emphasizes that there are various large Masonic grand lodges in Italy, some of which are ready to dialogue, while others are opposed to church. This suggests that both the church and the Freemasons have committed differentiation errors in the past. Although the Catholic Church continues to adhere to the incompatibility of the principles of Freemasonry, there is a certain recognition of the diversity within this community, as Weninger explains. Nevertheless, the historical image of Freemasonry remains as a threat to the church, which, according to Weninger, urgently needs to clear up misunderstandings, such as

An important step towards dialogue took place in 1970 with the Lichtenau explanation, which was taken during a conference in Lichtenau, Upper Austria. This agreement between Freemasons from Germany, Austria and Switzerland and the Catholic Church formulated a respectful approach to the relationship between these two groups. The explanation makes it clear that Freemasons do not represent any religion and thus stand up for freedom of faith and conscience. Although the document was signed by church representatives, it has not received any church authorization to date. Interestingly, it is the goal of the Freemasons that the church leaves its negative judgment about them, which could create the basics for further dialogues between both sides. The historical connection, which was established by the second Vatican Council and its call to freedom of religion, offers a framework that is still relevant today to continue the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Freemasonry, such as