My Encounter with an Alleged Freemason at Mass

David Martin | The Daily Knight

I thought I’d share this little anecdote with readers. On Tuesday, August 11, a man wearing a military type jacket with two big Masonic emblems on it came to the local Church to attend Mass. One emblem even listed the name and number of the lodge that the man apparently belongs to.

My wife told me that when the man went up for Communion it looked like he was pocketing the Host. She said he put the Host in his mouth but on the way back to his pew it looked like he did a fake sneeze to cover his mouth so he could take the Host out of his mouth with his right hand to put it into his left so he could pocket it.

He was there again for the Wednesday Mass. On Tuesday I hadn’t seen him so on Wednesday we both watched him go up to “receive.” He received the Host in his hand after which he bowed before the priest as if devoutly putting the Host in his mouth when it actually appeared that he was passing the Host from his right hand into his left so he could pocket it. It seemed that bending over toward the priest was done to block the priest from seeing what he was doing with his hands.

After the final blessing I pulled him aside and walked him out of the Church and told him I had something to speak to him about. When we got to the back vestibule, he immediately said he was almost deaf and couldn’t hear anything I was trying to say.  Yeah, right. He gave himself away by saying that. I looked right at him and in a rather low voice I said, “You cannot bring Masonic emblems into the Church” adding that “The Freemasons are a diabolical organization that practices witchcraft, kills people, and worships satan.”

All of a sudden, he heard me loud and clear, and angrily replied, “Who are you to tell me that?”  I said, “A member of the Catholic Church.” I asked him not to come into the Church again with that garb and he said, “Who are you? Are you saying I’m not a member of the Church?” I replied, “Not if you belong to that group.” Continuing I said, “Involvement with the Masonic lodge traditionally incurs excommunication.” He flipped out and said, “You have absolutely no authority to tell me that.” I said, “Oh yes, I do. It’s everyone’s right and duty to tell you that.”

At that point he tried to get away from me as he went to hide himself in the restroom, but before he got there, I said in a loud voice, “You will be reported!” “Reported?,” he shouted.  This was his fear all along.

So yes, after Mass I called the rectory and fortunately the lady who answered the phone seemed quite devout and peaceful and she heard my testimony as relayed above. She didn’t interrupt me or express any doubt but was all ears, and began to say, “Oh my, we cannot have that in the Church. I will notify the priests and parish office right away.” Apparently, she did because the man was not there the next day!

What is noteworthy is that he never made the least effort to deny he was a Freemason but made every effort to defend his Masonic jacket and aspiration. He looked like he was in late 50s, maybe 60. The glaring red Masonic emblem on his back was at least eight inches in diameter, so it seems strange that one of the priests didn’t approach about this.

As we know, Francis and Leo have said that all religions are paths to God so one has to wonder if Rome’s next step is to say that Freemasonry is a path to God. Nothing should surprise us at this point. If Vatican prelates today approve homosexuality and are looking forward to “alien” encounters, what would they not look forward to outside the traditional worship of God?