THE POPE AND THE FREEMASONS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 123, 3 September 1875, Page 14

THE POPE AND THE FREEMASONS.

Mas. Dupanloup has received the following letter from the Pope congratualating him on his pamphlet against Freemasonry :—: — " Venerable Brother — Salutation and Apostolic benediction. — In this war, waged on all sides against the Catholic Church- by the Masonic sect, your publication was most useful and opportune, especially because this sect, being secret, has n w unmaslced itself. It avows its designs, and in a certain country, not unde .* the pretext of public rights, but in its own name, does guilty battle with the Church. It is useful, because the nefarious character of the sect being known, there is no honest man who must not turn from it with horror, and perhaps many members who do not know the secret mysteries will now withdraw. What in particularly us jf ul is the perspicacity with which you demonstrate to all attentive minds the real tendency of the words 'fraternity and equality/ which have deceived and. seduced so many, as to the true origin and object of the much-boasted liberties of conscience, of public •worship, and of the Press. After reading your work nobody can doubt that all this came from Freemasonry to overturn civil and religious order, and consequently the Church has merely condemned 'those who practise and defend such liberties. It is manifest that all partisans of the liberties, albeit unknown to themselves, favor the Masonic sect, and the more honest they are the more disastrous is their support to such principles. We therefore wish you many intelligent readers — for it is no small advantage to perceive the snare — and as a pledge of Divine favor and our special good wil], we give you, venerable brother, from the bottom of our heart, to you and all your diocese, our apostolical benediction. "In the 29th year of our Pontificate. " Pros IX , Pope."