Taking a breather from promoting communism and condemning global warming, the Pope has turned his attention to another pressing matter
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Freemasonry has been prohibited for Catholics since 1738, when Pope Clement XII called the secret society 'depraved and perverted'
Next up, birth control, I suppose.
Freemasonry, the world's largest secret society with millions of members scattered across almost every country in the world, established its first Grand Lodge in England in 1717.
The society swears oaths of secrecy, fellowship and fraternity among members and has accumulated a vast catalog of rituals, ceremonial attire and secret signals between masons. These aesthetic affectations often use Christian imagery despite being used for non-Christian rituals.
One of those secret signals is a sign for “a Mason in distress”. Great-grandfather John Caldwell, who served as a volunteer in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment* for the entire war, 1861-1865, told the story of how he was once captured and held in a field with a few hundred other soldiers. He somehow figured out that one of his captors was a fellow Freemason, and quietly sidling up to him, gave the secret distress signal. The guard signalled back, looked both ways, then jerked his thumb back over his shoulder to the abutting forest. Off scampered Caldwell, and he went on to a very successful, prosperous career with the Westinghouse brothers and, more importantly, bore a daughter, who married a Fountain, who was ultimately responsible for the Fountain boys’ reign of terror on Gilliam Lane. (Sadly, he never passed on the secret signal, so we’re on our own out there.)
So a fig to the Pope, says I, and, no doubt, so say George Washington, John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin, Freemasons all.
*Wikipedia has an impressive list of the battles the Regiment was in:
61st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer InfantryActiveSeptember 7, 1861 – June 28, 1865 Country United States of America AllegianceUnion Branch Infantry
Engagements
Siege of Yorktown
Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Seven Pines
Seven Days Battles
Battle of Gaines's Mill
Battle of White Oak Swamp
Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Chantilly
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Gettysburg
Bristoe Campaign
Mine Run Campaign
Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of North Anna
Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
Battle of Cold Harbor
Siege of Petersburg
Battle of Fort Stevens
Third Battle of Winchester
Battle of Fisher's Hill
Battle of Cedar Creek
Appomattox Campaign
Third Battle of Petersburg
Battle of Appomattox Court House
