Freemasonry And The Pope.

who cares as much for the denunciation as we do in England . Possibly it has been created "by Papal alarm at the rising into existence of several lodges in Italy . There were formerly several lodges in Italy under the jurisdiction of

tbe Grand Lodge of England , of which many ecclesiastics were acknowledged members . Mr : Brydone , in his interesting tour made in 1770 , was a guest at an annual feast given by the nobility of Agrigentum to the Bishop . The jollity

of the company was , the traveller informs us , in no ways diminished by the bishop ' s presence , who p laced Mr . Brydone , and his friends Mr . Hamilton and Lord Fortrose , next to himself , and showed them great courtesy . "He found , " he says , "in the

company a number of Freemasons , who were delighted beyond measure when they discovered we were their brethren . " This was during the prosperous times of Don Carlos and his son Ferdinand IV ., when the finances of the Two Sicilies were

in a flourishing condition , and the country enjoyed peace and a degree of prosperity to which it had been a stranger for centuries . In 1811 we find the following lodges under the roll of the Grand Lodge of England : *

No . 235 Godolphin Lodge , St . Mary's Island , Sicily . ,, 237 Lodge of Perfect Union , in his Sicilian Majesty ' s Regiment of Foot , Naples .

„ 245 Well-chosen Lodge , Naples . „ 285 Union Lodge , Venice . „ 286 Lodge at Verona . „ 313 St . Jean de Nouvelle Esperance , Turin . „ 337 Lodge at Messina .

„ 346 Lodge at Naples . „ 354 La Loggia della Verita , Naples . „ 358 Old British and Ligurian Lodge , Genoa . We believe we may state , from personal experience of the workin g of Freemasonry in Italy ,

imperfect and ill-organised as it is , that it has been an all-important agent for good in the reconstruction of that country , to which we all wish so much prosperity . Not many years since a bishop was despatched

from Rome to denounce Freemasonry in Ireland , and he issued anathemas and excommunications against all who were members or should become members of the fraternity , but the consequence

was the reverse of these measures—the Order largely increased . The fact is , Freemasonry is antagonistic to the spirit of the Church of Rome . Any expansion of intellect , any attempt to sow the seeds of knowledge , or to improve the

intercourse with his fellowman hy associations not under the control of the priesthood , is and always has been forbidden , and the increase of members in countries where the Romish faith , prevails , in spite of these denunciations , is viewed with , alarm .

His Holiness in his allocution has been pleased to class Freemasonry among the Sects . A sectarian , according to our best dictionaries , is always understood at present as one who dissents from the established Church . —it may be of England or of

Rome . Now , we distinctly deny dissenting , as Masons , from any Church ; we admit all , and , as we do not teach , doctrines , or propound dogmas , we only require an acknowledgment of the Great Architect of the Universe , to use our symbolic language ; and to prevent disunion , the discussion of reli gious or political topics is strictly forbidden .

The idea of connecting Freemasonry with Fenianism , we have little doubt ori ginated with the apostate Father Manning-, as we see he was admitted to a private audience on the same day that the fulmination was sent forth , that the

Court of Rome might gather some political capital with the Irish ai-istocracy resident in the Romish territory . "This detestable conspiracy , " to quote the leading journal of Europe , " involved a scheme of wholesale assassination which , might

have made Marat , the friend of the people , shudder and turn pale . It contemplated nothing less than a complete slaughter of the aristocracy , including in that comprehensive term all possession of realised property . The Duke of Leinster *

and the Marquises of Ormond and Sligo were pitched upon by name as victims to be offered up to their Moloch . It lias been the policy of the Roman Catholic priesthood to keep up within certain bounds a spirit of discontent in the people

of Ireland against England and against the owners of the soil in their own country . "—Times , Oct . 3 .

Ihe priests now discover they have gone too far , and wish us to see they are desirous of destroying the Frankenstein of their own creation . But England wants not their aid ; she is quite capable of putting down this or any other atrocious combination , and we therefore advise the Pope