Freemasonry And The Pope.

FREEMASONRY AND THE POPE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , OCTOBER 28 , 1865 .

Pio Ixono ' s diatribe against the Institution of Freemasonry lias given rise , in tlie foreign Masonic and non-Masonic press , to a number of criticisms , almost all of which , concur in considering the foolish and ill-advised utterance as a

further proof of the gradual elimination of the elements that formed the base upon which the power of Rome rested in former centuries . Reserving to ourselves to present our readers , in future numbers , with excerpts of articles of the

foreign press on this subject , we will here quote a translation of the spirited reply addressed to the Pope by our brethren of Lyons , as also the circular which has been addressed to the Freemasons of Italy by the Grand Master , Di Luca : —

" The Freemasons of Lyons to the Sovereign Pontiff of ihe Roman Gatholic and Apostolic Religion . " Holiest Father , —Freemasonry is universal ; it counts adherents amongst the professors of all

religions on the globe . The chiefs of these creeds have always behaved inoffensively and benevolently towards Freemasomy ; those of Catholicism alone have been hostile to it for the last half century .

" We pass over the attacks and injuries heaped upon us by the acolytes of the Gatholic party ; their fury has become a chronic disease . But now war is waged against us from a higher quarter .

"In a long and harsh plvilippica you are pleased to condemn , not isolated actions or individual errors that are always possible even in the best regulated societies , but our association as a whole . You think , like your predecessors , that 'not a

moment is to be lost in striking and lacerating with one sentence of condemnation as with a sword , this sect that broodeth crime and assaulting all kings divine and human / Having enumerated the efforts of your predecessors , you

acknowledge 'that they did not meet with the success they hoped for ' in your opinion , Freemasomy , 'so far from being vanquished and brought to the ground , continues to exist with impunity , and acts more audaciously than ever . '

You point out how it ' covers itself with the cloak of benevolence in order to conspire more efficientl y against the Church and the civil power / You ask , ' What is the object of the clandestine meetings of this association of men belonging to

svery religion ana to all creeds ? Forsooth , you exclaim , a society that shuns day and light must be impious and criminal / And upon these conjectures merely you deplore that ' encouragement , or at least toleration , is afforded to the tenebrous

Masonic society , so hostile to the Church and- to God , so dangerous even to the security of kingdoms ; ' and then you add— ' Yenerable brethren , it is with feelings of pain and bitterness that we see some persons , who are called upon to reproach

this sect , according- to the ' enactments of our predecessors , remaining indifferent and almost pliant , whilst in a matter of such moment , the duties of the office devolving upon them ought to prompt them to greater energy / To put a

stop to this you ' curse and condemn this Masonic society , and the other societies , cjusdem generis , which aim at the same end under different forms , and conspire overtly or clandestinely against the Church and the legitimate powers / and you wind

up by saying— 'May God in his mercy , after having- crushed the wicked men who , by means of the above-mentioned societies , indulge in impious and criminal actions , grant that the Church and human society may recuperate a little from so numerous and inveterated evils /

" This is the substance of your allocution of the 25 th of September . There is nothing wanting in this analysis , not even your appeal to the secular power , and your unchristian desire of seeing us crushed for the good of the Church . Such attacks

bear with themselves the justification for the most violent repartees . But our reply will be calm , —we are conscious of the justice of our cause and the fairness of our intentions and actions .

"May it please your Holiness to listen tous . In this beautiful country of France , and in a time like ours , no man is condemned without a hearing-. At Rome , another mode of procedure is , we regret , the order of the day . Perhaps you might

have summoned us to your bar . The Masonic law , of which you are , no doubt , ignorant , would have pleaded for us . This law says literally—¦ 1 . Freemasonry being an institution essentially philanthropical , philosophical , ancl progressive , has for its object the search after truth , the study of universal

morals , of sciences and arts , and the practice of benevolence ; it has for ifcs principles the existence of God , the immortality of the soul , and joint responsibility amongst men . It considers liberty of conscience as a right belonging to every human being , and excludes nobody on account of his religious persuasion . Ifc has for its motto—liberty , equality , fraternity , & c . ( The address reproduces the three first clauses of the constitution of French Masons , for ivhich see FREEMA - SONS' MAGAZINE of Sept . 30 , 1865 , page 261 . )