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Article THE BELGIAN CLERGY AND THE FREEMASONS. Page 1 of 4 →
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The Belgian Clergy And The Freemasons.
THE BELGIAN CLERGY AND THE FREEMASONS .
( From the Commerce Beige , of Jan . 10 . > WE have scarcely escaped from the religious questions which have arisen between the King of Prussia and the Archbishop of Cologne , when , behold , Messieurs Englebert , Corneille , Francois , Gaspar Jos , Nicolas Joseph , G . de Smet , and L . Sinneville , spiritual Sovereigns of Belgium , in imitation of our holy father , the Pope , fulminate their interdictnot
, against a Protestant king , because they dare not do that , but against the Freemasons , an impious and atrocious sect , united and associated for the practice of good , in the exercise of a common charity ; a sect which is besides the type of the philanthropy of our age , in spite ofthe changes which have come upon most of our primitive institutions . —Before we proceed further , let us hear the heads ofthe church : — " THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF BELGIUM TO THE CLERGY OF
THEIR DIOCESES . "Rev . Brethren , —We have learned with pain that , amongst the faithful entrusted to our pastoral care , there are to be found some who believe that they can , with safety to their consciences , allow themselves to be received inio the Association of Freemasons , and frequent their meetings .
' As it is our duty to take care that an error so destructive to the soul shall not be propagated , we beseech you , Reverend brethren , to communicate to your flocks , by publishing our present circular at sermon-time , that the Associations of Freemasons which exist in your dioceses , under whatever denomination , come within the express prohibition and condemnation of the Sovereign-Pontiff , by whom it is rigorously forbidden to take any part in them , or to favour them in any manner whatever ; and that those who offend
so are unworthy of absolution , as long as they refram from sincerely renouncing these societies . " You will yourselves continue to adhere inviolably to this principle , as a rule of conduct , in discharging the functions of your holy office ; you will prudently avail yourselves of all opportunities afforded by those functions , to exhort earnestly , and even supplicate , in your name , such of your parishioners as have the misfortune to belong to these associ
- ations to retrace their steps promptly ; you will tell them , that nothing can suffice to dispense with their obedience to their pastor , their bishop , and , above all , to their sovereign-pontiff , the supreme head of the church of Jesus Christ , to the decision of whom they are bound to submit , in all that concerns their eternal welfare ; for he who does not hear the church , says the Saviour , should be regarded as a heathen aud a publican . Matt , xviii . 17 .
" Receive , reverend brethren , the assurance of our sincere affection . Given in Dec . 1837 . " + Englebert , Archbishop of Malines ; + Corneille , Bishop of Liege ; + Francois , Bishop of Bruges ; + Gaspar Jos , Bishop of Tournay ; + Nicholas Joseph , Bishop of Namur , For the Bishop of Ghent , " G . de Smet , Vicar General ; L . Sinneville , Vicar General . " The Journal des Flandres , which first published this most unexpected document , adds , — " We hear that other very important communications nave been made by the diocesan administrations to the deans and curates .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Belgian Clergy And The Freemasons.
THE BELGIAN CLERGY AND THE FREEMASONS .
( From the Commerce Beige , of Jan . 10 . > WE have scarcely escaped from the religious questions which have arisen between the King of Prussia and the Archbishop of Cologne , when , behold , Messieurs Englebert , Corneille , Francois , Gaspar Jos , Nicolas Joseph , G . de Smet , and L . Sinneville , spiritual Sovereigns of Belgium , in imitation of our holy father , the Pope , fulminate their interdictnot
, against a Protestant king , because they dare not do that , but against the Freemasons , an impious and atrocious sect , united and associated for the practice of good , in the exercise of a common charity ; a sect which is besides the type of the philanthropy of our age , in spite ofthe changes which have come upon most of our primitive institutions . —Before we proceed further , let us hear the heads ofthe church : — " THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF BELGIUM TO THE CLERGY OF
THEIR DIOCESES . "Rev . Brethren , —We have learned with pain that , amongst the faithful entrusted to our pastoral care , there are to be found some who believe that they can , with safety to their consciences , allow themselves to be received inio the Association of Freemasons , and frequent their meetings .
' As it is our duty to take care that an error so destructive to the soul shall not be propagated , we beseech you , Reverend brethren , to communicate to your flocks , by publishing our present circular at sermon-time , that the Associations of Freemasons which exist in your dioceses , under whatever denomination , come within the express prohibition and condemnation of the Sovereign-Pontiff , by whom it is rigorously forbidden to take any part in them , or to favour them in any manner whatever ; and that those who offend
so are unworthy of absolution , as long as they refram from sincerely renouncing these societies . " You will yourselves continue to adhere inviolably to this principle , as a rule of conduct , in discharging the functions of your holy office ; you will prudently avail yourselves of all opportunities afforded by those functions , to exhort earnestly , and even supplicate , in your name , such of your parishioners as have the misfortune to belong to these associ
- ations to retrace their steps promptly ; you will tell them , that nothing can suffice to dispense with their obedience to their pastor , their bishop , and , above all , to their sovereign-pontiff , the supreme head of the church of Jesus Christ , to the decision of whom they are bound to submit , in all that concerns their eternal welfare ; for he who does not hear the church , says the Saviour , should be regarded as a heathen aud a publican . Matt , xviii . 17 .
" Receive , reverend brethren , the assurance of our sincere affection . Given in Dec . 1837 . " + Englebert , Archbishop of Malines ; + Corneille , Bishop of Liege ; + Francois , Bishop of Bruges ; + Gaspar Jos , Bishop of Tournay ; + Nicholas Joseph , Bishop of Namur , For the Bishop of Ghent , " G . de Smet , Vicar General ; L . Sinneville , Vicar General . " The Journal des Flandres , which first published this most unexpected document , adds , — " We hear that other very important communications nave been made by the diocesan administrations to the deans and curates .