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Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge
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222 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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March 19, 2013
From a Catholic perspective: A few years ago, I was on an internet forum discussing my Catholic faith with others and the topic of Freemasonry came up. I knew that Catholics were forbidden to be involved in Freemasonry but I was not sure exactly why. I understood that we were not to take secret oaths, yet beyond that I knew nothing about Freemasonry. As always when engaging in apologetics, I was drawn to look more deeply into the matter. Read what our Pope Benedict XVI stated in the following declaration, as Cardinal Ratzinger, on behalf of Pope John Paul II in 1983:
It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church's decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.
This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance is due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.
Therefore the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.
It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 [1981] pp. 240-241).
In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation.
Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.
JOSEPH Card. RATZINGER
Prefect
+ Fr. JEROME HAMER, O.P.
Titular Archbishop of Lorium
Secretary
It is clear even to the bleary-eyed that you cannot be a Catholic in a state of grace and a Mason.
The book Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge by John Salza helps one to more clearly understand Freemasonry, and the related 'brotherhood' of the 'Shriners'. The book is at times very disjointed and I found myself wishing the author had simply used bullet points to dispense much of the information. However, the method of compilation does not take away from the importance of the vast amount of information about the Masons and Shriners shared. Mr. Salza draws from Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and proves beyond any question that Freemasonry is totally contrary to the beliefs of Christianity.
In the book, the author (Catholic and former Mason himself) shares the rituals involved in Freemasonry. It becomes clear how alluring it may be to men who do not understand fully the gravity of Freemasonry when contrasted with Christianity. Full of symbols, unfamiliar words and names, brotherhood, secretive rituals and oaths - Freemasonry is certainly has been a tempting lure for millions of men for hundreds of years.
Some highlights of the book include:
Did you know???
Freemasonry views all gods as equal to Christ and the Lodge views all religious writings as equal to the Bible.
It doesn't matter to the Mason that the Bible affirms the divinity of Christ while the Koran denies His divinity. Both books are said to express the 'will of God'.
Christian Masons are asked to place Christ alongside -- not above -- other gods. (Mt 6:24; 1st Commandment)
Freemasons refer to God as GAOTU, or Great Architect of the Universe among other titles. In group prayer, Christ is omitted yet the Church teaches that "there is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ. Whether our prayer is communal or personal, vocal or interior, it has access to the Father only if we pray 'in the name' of Jesus" (CCC 2664)
Masons are required to make secret signs of self-mutilation with their arms and hands. These signs evoke the penalties for breaking the Masonic oaths. If a man is physically or psychologically unable to make such signs, he is not allowed to be a Freemason.
Most of the leaders of the Ku Klux Klan were Freemasons.
Catholic candidates to Freemasonry are told that they are no longer forbidden to become a Freemason. They are also told that many Cardinals and even the Swiss Guard are Masons.
The new Mason is told that he must die to his former life and be reborn into the new life of the Lodge. He is told this while blindfolded, wearing only his underwear and with a sharp implement being pressed into his bare chest.
The apprentice Mason takes grisly oaths, promising that he will have his throat cut and tongue torn out should he share any secrets. Read Matthew 5:34 and following verses about taking oaths.
'Shriners', is a separate order where 32nd degree Masons who wish to join take their oaths with their hand placed upon a Koran. The real name of 'Shriners' is AAONMS or the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. (NOT IN THE BOOK: The money from the circus doesn't all make it to the Shriner hospital, by the way. In "2006, the organization's total unrestricted net assets (minus the portion that consists of land, building and equipment) were $7,504,675,000, or 11 times the charity's total 2007 budgeted expenses of $655,000,000." Source - Better Business Bureau)
I suggest that any Christian, and most especially all Catholic Christians, read the book. You will be arming yourself with great apologetic material should someone ever tell you that you can be Catholic -- a Christian -- AND a Freemason. I say, "Sure, just like you can be Catholic and Pro-Choice - NOT!"
Consider the following: in John:6, Christ tells us "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." A Catholic who is unable to receive communion has no life in him or her.
It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church's decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.
This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance is due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.
Therefore the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.
It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 [1981] pp. 240-241).
In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation.
Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.
JOSEPH Card. RATZINGER
Prefect
+ Fr. JEROME HAMER, O.P.
Titular Archbishop of Lorium
Secretary
It is clear even to the bleary-eyed that you cannot be a Catholic in a state of grace and a Mason.
The book Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge by John Salza helps one to more clearly understand Freemasonry, and the related 'brotherhood' of the 'Shriners'. The book is at times very disjointed and I found myself wishing the author had simply used bullet points to dispense much of the information. However, the method of compilation does not take away from the importance of the vast amount of information about the Masons and Shriners shared. Mr. Salza draws from Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and proves beyond any question that Freemasonry is totally contrary to the beliefs of Christianity.
In the book, the author (Catholic and former Mason himself) shares the rituals involved in Freemasonry. It becomes clear how alluring it may be to men who do not understand fully the gravity of Freemasonry when contrasted with Christianity. Full of symbols, unfamiliar words and names, brotherhood, secretive rituals and oaths - Freemasonry is certainly has been a tempting lure for millions of men for hundreds of years.
Some highlights of the book include:
Did you know???
Freemasonry views all gods as equal to Christ and the Lodge views all religious writings as equal to the Bible.
It doesn't matter to the Mason that the Bible affirms the divinity of Christ while the Koran denies His divinity. Both books are said to express the 'will of God'.
Christian Masons are asked to place Christ alongside -- not above -- other gods. (Mt 6:24; 1st Commandment)
Freemasons refer to God as GAOTU, or Great Architect of the Universe among other titles. In group prayer, Christ is omitted yet the Church teaches that "there is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ. Whether our prayer is communal or personal, vocal or interior, it has access to the Father only if we pray 'in the name' of Jesus" (CCC 2664)
Masons are required to make secret signs of self-mutilation with their arms and hands. These signs evoke the penalties for breaking the Masonic oaths. If a man is physically or psychologically unable to make such signs, he is not allowed to be a Freemason.
Most of the leaders of the Ku Klux Klan were Freemasons.
Catholic candidates to Freemasonry are told that they are no longer forbidden to become a Freemason. They are also told that many Cardinals and even the Swiss Guard are Masons.
The new Mason is told that he must die to his former life and be reborn into the new life of the Lodge. He is told this while blindfolded, wearing only his underwear and with a sharp implement being pressed into his bare chest.
The apprentice Mason takes grisly oaths, promising that he will have his throat cut and tongue torn out should he share any secrets. Read Matthew 5:34 and following verses about taking oaths.
'Shriners', is a separate order where 32nd degree Masons who wish to join take their oaths with their hand placed upon a Koran. The real name of 'Shriners' is AAONMS or the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. (NOT IN THE BOOK: The money from the circus doesn't all make it to the Shriner hospital, by the way. In "2006, the organization's total unrestricted net assets (minus the portion that consists of land, building and equipment) were $7,504,675,000, or 11 times the charity's total 2007 budgeted expenses of $655,000,000." Source - Better Business Bureau)
I suggest that any Christian, and most especially all Catholic Christians, read the book. You will be arming yourself with great apologetic material should someone ever tell you that you can be Catholic -- a Christian -- AND a Freemason. I say, "Sure, just like you can be Catholic and Pro-Choice - NOT!"
Consider the following: in John:6, Christ tells us "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." A Catholic who is unable to receive communion has no life in him or her.
August 6, 2009
Okay, I'm nosey, I'll admit it. Tell me that something is a secret, and I want to know it, even if I really don't care about it. That was kind of my attitude when I saw Masonry Unmasked offered by The Catholic Company's Review Program. The fraternity handbook was now made public, and I wanted to read it, even though I figured that the secrets would be little more than secret handshakes or symbols, passwords or other foolishness designed to make some insiders and the rest of the world, outsiders. To that extent, I was not disappointed in the book. The author, a Catholic who used to be a Mason, told us about their initiation rituals, handshakes, oaths and passwords. However, that's not really the main focus of this book.
John Salza's main thesis is that no Christian, especially no Catholic Christian, should be a Mason. His reason? According to him (and the book is extensively footnoted), Masonry isn't just a social club, it is a religion, a religion that is not compatible with Christianity. Salza takes a look at the beliefs of Masonry as expressed in their rituals and writings and compares them to Catholicism (and again he footnotes his sources regarding Masonry and quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church) and concludes that Masonry sees all world religions as equal, denies the need for Christ and teaches that Masons earn their salvation totally by their own efforts. Further, he points out that initiates are not given the tenets of Masonry prior to the initiation ceremony so that they are able to review and reflect upon them; rather those beliefs are revealed at the ceremony, while the initiate is in a vulnerable situation, and he is asked to swear an oath to accept the beliefs and keep the secrets.
In addressing the topic of why many Christians are Masons, Salza points out that many join for the fellowship, social and business opportunities. The only ceremonies they observe and the few in which they participate; hence they have only a rudimentary idea of the beliefs of the lodge, which I'd sum up as "American civil religion", namely believe in God (as you understand Him) and do good and let me do the same. Though they swore an oath by God, they don't really consider the ramifications.
While some of the review of Masonic beliefs and Salza's comparisons of them to Catholicism got a little tedious, this was an interesting book about a group that plays an important part in many American communities (and it was kind of fun learning about their "secret" handshakes).
John Salza's main thesis is that no Christian, especially no Catholic Christian, should be a Mason. His reason? According to him (and the book is extensively footnoted), Masonry isn't just a social club, it is a religion, a religion that is not compatible with Christianity. Salza takes a look at the beliefs of Masonry as expressed in their rituals and writings and compares them to Catholicism (and again he footnotes his sources regarding Masonry and quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church) and concludes that Masonry sees all world religions as equal, denies the need for Christ and teaches that Masons earn their salvation totally by their own efforts. Further, he points out that initiates are not given the tenets of Masonry prior to the initiation ceremony so that they are able to review and reflect upon them; rather those beliefs are revealed at the ceremony, while the initiate is in a vulnerable situation, and he is asked to swear an oath to accept the beliefs and keep the secrets.
In addressing the topic of why many Christians are Masons, Salza points out that many join for the fellowship, social and business opportunities. The only ceremonies they observe and the few in which they participate; hence they have only a rudimentary idea of the beliefs of the lodge, which I'd sum up as "American civil religion", namely believe in God (as you understand Him) and do good and let me do the same. Though they swore an oath by God, they don't really consider the ramifications.
While some of the review of Masonic beliefs and Salza's comparisons of them to Catholicism got a little tedious, this was an interesting book about a group that plays an important part in many American communities (and it was kind of fun learning about their "secret" handshakes).
January 25, 2010
Wow was this an eye opener. Having a 33rd degree Mason tell all is pretty amazing. The author is an atty so he's very concise, but he does have a good flair for writing. I could not put it down.
September 3, 2024
John Salza's legal background significantly influences his approach to examining the philosophical disparities between Freemasonry and strict interpretations of Canon law. This methodological choice forms the crux of my primary disagreement with his work.
Salza appears to overlook the fact that Freemasonry, as practiced in the United States, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon-derived branches globally, has historically maintained a neutral stance towards the Church. The conflict he emphasizes can be traced back to 18th century France and Germany, where anti-clerical sentiments, riding on the wave of the French Revolution, influenced certain branches of Freemasonry to challenge the Church's role in government and education.
However, Salza's absolutist stance and reliance on papal infallibility lead him to prioritize centuries-old encyclicals over contemporary context. His legal background is evident in his tendency to employ fundamentalist arguments rooted in 18th-century Vatican regulations. This approach results in a perspective that appears heavily weighted towards canon law at the expense of a more nuanced understanding of faith.
It's worth noting that the same papal bulls and encyclicals Salza references also criticized proponents of democratic governance, viewing them as threats to established power structures. This historical context is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
While certain religious groups may find Freemasonry incompatible with their faith, it's important to recognize that millions of men worldwide, including religious leaders from various faiths, have been Freemasons for three centuries without experiencing conflicts with their religious duties. Freemasonry, at its core, is a fraternal organization that promotes tolerance and encourages active participation in one's chosen faith community.
One of Freemasonry's key principles is respect for members' privacy regarding their personal faith, prohibiting proselytization within the lodge. This stance may be challenging for those who believe in constant religious witnessing.
Regarding Salza's Masonic credentials, it's important to note that his position as a local lodge officer, while respectable, is not uncommon or particularly high-ranking within the broader Masonic structure.
In conclusion, while Salza's work provides one perspective on the relationship between Freemasonry and Catholicism, it would benefit from a more balanced approach that considers historical context, contemporary practices, and the diverse experiences of Freemasons worldwide.
Salza appears to overlook the fact that Freemasonry, as practiced in the United States, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon-derived branches globally, has historically maintained a neutral stance towards the Church. The conflict he emphasizes can be traced back to 18th century France and Germany, where anti-clerical sentiments, riding on the wave of the French Revolution, influenced certain branches of Freemasonry to challenge the Church's role in government and education.
However, Salza's absolutist stance and reliance on papal infallibility lead him to prioritize centuries-old encyclicals over contemporary context. His legal background is evident in his tendency to employ fundamentalist arguments rooted in 18th-century Vatican regulations. This approach results in a perspective that appears heavily weighted towards canon law at the expense of a more nuanced understanding of faith.
It's worth noting that the same papal bulls and encyclicals Salza references also criticized proponents of democratic governance, viewing them as threats to established power structures. This historical context is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
While certain religious groups may find Freemasonry incompatible with their faith, it's important to recognize that millions of men worldwide, including religious leaders from various faiths, have been Freemasons for three centuries without experiencing conflicts with their religious duties. Freemasonry, at its core, is a fraternal organization that promotes tolerance and encourages active participation in one's chosen faith community.
One of Freemasonry's key principles is respect for members' privacy regarding their personal faith, prohibiting proselytization within the lodge. This stance may be challenging for those who believe in constant religious witnessing.
Regarding Salza's Masonic credentials, it's important to note that his position as a local lodge officer, while respectable, is not uncommon or particularly high-ranking within the broader Masonic structure.
In conclusion, while Salza's work provides one perspective on the relationship between Freemasonry and Catholicism, it would benefit from a more balanced approach that considers historical context, contemporary practices, and the diverse experiences of Freemasons worldwide.
May 7, 2019
Must read for all the Catholics. It is in depth explanation of why are masonic lodges so devastating for catholic spirituality and christian doctrines from a standpoint of a former freemason turned catholic. After this book you will know why masons had devastating efect on spirituality of western civilisation.
June 22, 2025
8/10 - Good book exposing just how depraved freemasonry really is within politics and rituals.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews