The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 2 – Historical Background
Catholic threat. This reader, whose opinion may well have been a general view
among the North American population, in his letter to the editor expresses no
mercy with Italian Masonry which in his eyes is no "pure Masonry," and thinks
that its misfortune serves it right:
This Liberty, Fraternity, Equality-Masonry that don't [sic] believe in
God, and that makes war upon and ridicules all religions, whether
Roman Catholic or Protestant, is the Masonry that was 'bulled' by the
Pope, and I think he did right. The Pope knows nothing of Masonry
except as it is practiced in Italy; there it is infidel and political, no more
like the old Masonry in England and the United States than is Odd
Fellowship or Druidism. If Masonry in the United States interfered in
politics and religion, how long would it be before we would hear of
'Bulls' there? Why [...], we would far outstrip the Romish Bull. We
would have Bulls from every denomination and party, the Presbyterians,
Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Republicans, Democrats, - a whole
herd of Bulls - and instead of the man (Masonry) 'butting the bull off the
bridge,' the old story would be reversed. Therefore, I suggest that
American Masons, professing to adhere to the old landmarks, have
nothing to do with defending Italian Masonry, which is not the
Masonry we profess. Let us not, therefore, get excited about the Pope's
Bull! I say, let the Bull butt away at all Masonry that don't [sic]
believe in God, and that holds political discussions within the Lodge;
and if the Bull gets the best of it in this contest, it will be all the better
for pure old Masonry. 164
A Mason of the humanitarian stream might argue that the writer of the
statement above recorded a lot of "bullshit," and had an intolerant attitude; but
this example only serves to show that the fraternal ties are often not tight enough
to extend help to a Masonic system in need - that is, if it does not fit in the
"mainstream" category. However, the problems with the Catholic Church
vanished in 1780, when the Papal States were taken over by secular
governments, so that the power of the Pope seemed crushed. A national Italy
emerged. In 1908, a great schism struck Italy which resulted in the establishment
of a National Grand Lodge under Palermi. This schism was also the result of the
intermeddling of international lodges, on whose recognition the Italian Grand
Bodies depended: "This misfortune was aggravated by heterogeneous policies of
outside Grand Lodges, especially American, in recognizing one or the other of
these Italian bodies." 165 The consequence was that divided Freemasonry had not
long to last. The next threat to come over the Craft was Fascism. In Italy,
terrorism began to break out against Freemasonry and put it to rest:
164 Quoted from E. T. Carson in a letter to the editor, titled "Letter from Europe," printed in The
Masonic Review, vol. XXXI, from 1866, p. 271/272.
165 Cf. CME, p. 335.