Church and Freemasons: A historical misunderstanding finally cleared up!

In a recent interview with the Croatian magazine Express, Austrian priest and theologian Michael Heinrich Weninger said that not all Freemasons should be viewed as opponents of the Catholic Church. In the 18th and 19th centuries there were numerous church representatives, including priests and bishops, who belonged to Masonic lodges. Weninger emphasizes that there are various Masonic Grand Lodges in Italy, some of which are open to dialogue, while others are in opposition to the Church. This suggests that both the Church and Freemasons have made differentiation errors in the past. Although the Catholic Church continues to maintain its incompatibility with the principles of Freemasonry, there is a certain recognition of the diversity within this community, as Weninger explains. Nevertheless, the historical image of Freemasonry as a threat to the Church remains, which, according to Weninger, urgently needs to be clarified in order to clear up misunderstandings Kathpress reported.

A significant step towards dialogue took place in 1970 with the Lichtenau Declaration, which was created 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 declaration makes it clear that Freemasons do not represent any religion and therefore advocate freedom of belief and conscience. Although the document was co-signed by church representatives, it has not received church authorization to date. Interestingly, the Freemasons' goal is for the Church to move past its negative judgment of them, which could lay the groundwork for further dialogue between the two sides. The historical context established by the Second Vatican Council and its call for religious freedom provides a framework that is still relevant today to continue the dialogue between the Catholic Church and Freemasonry Wikipedia highlights.