For stevo and the freemason conspiracy loons.

I know this will be a bitter pill for many anti-Madeleines to swallow, especially the more imbicillic like stevo, who see freemasons behind every lampost, but the simple thing is Gerry, as a Catholic, CANNOT be a freemason.

http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/articles/our-lady-and-christian-culture/can-a-catholic-be-a-freemason.html

Can a Catholic be a Freemason?
Written by Kevin Clarke
Saturday, 18 April 2009 00:00
Page 1 of 2
In recent years, many people have been greatly amused by films such as National Treasure and its sequel. In those movies, Freemasons of history helped to build society by passing secrets of hidden national wealth, keeping it out of enemy hands, and in doing so safeguarding the fate of the upstart nation. And who would not enjoy such cleverly conceived tales about these enlightened social builders?

And the list of Freemasons is a veritable who's who of history (some more favorable than others) - Paul Revere, Napoleon, Benjamin Franklin, Mozart, Churchill, Voltaire, more than a dozen U.S. presidents, and nearly three-dozen U.S. Supreme Court justices. The list goes on and on.

But what about masonic membership? Did not the Church in recent decades change her position? After all, isn't it just a conspiracy theory that the Freemasons worship Satan? No one can seriously hold that anymore, can they? Plus, it cannot be that bad because so many people are in it. That many people would not be part of a bad thing. Right?

So clearly, according to such reasoning, there can be nothing contradictory between freemasonry and Catholicism?

Quite the contrary: The Church's position on masonry is and has always remained the same.

An Objection - The Church's Position has Changed
In 1973, Cardinal Seper, head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that a Catholic who joined the Masons would not be automatically excommunicated for membership if and only if that lodge did not plot against the Church or legitimate civil authority. This seemed to a lot of the faithful like a relaxing of the position. Furthermore, in 1983, the new Code of Canon Law did not contain the prohibition against masonry as the 1917 Code did.

So has the stance of the Church relaxed or changed?

The bishops of the Church have answered that question decidedly in recent years. Their answer: No - the Church's position has not changed.

First of all, note that Seper lifted automatic excommunication in some instances, but did not approve of masonic membership. Seper himself stated that his letter did not change the force of the existing Canon 2335. With regard to the latter point, the CDF, responding to the perceived confusion, actually issued a decree later that year on the topic:

The CDF "Declaration on Masonic Associations" of Nov. 26, 1983, stated that 1.) the Church's position on membership in masonic associations "remains unchanged ... membership in them remains forbidden"; 2.) since basic masonic principles have always been irreconcilable with Church teachings, membership is a grave sin and precludes a member from receiving Holy Communion; and 3.) local diocesan authorities are not able to deviate from the Church's universal position in this regard.1 Finally, it should be noted that John Paul II himself ordered that Cardinal Ratzinger, new head of the CDF, publish this declaration.

Furthermore, local ecclesiastical authorities have not remained silent on masonry either. On April 19, 1985, Cardinal Bernard Law released a report to the United States Catholic bishops that "shows that the principles of masonry are incompatible with Christian faith and practice whether or not a specific masonic organization happens to be engaging in activity against the church."2 Even as recently as March 1, 2007, Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, reaffirmed the Church's position at a conference on freemasonry at the St. Bonaventure Pontifical Theology Faculty.

Added to which, if Gerry WAS a mason, and given that the anti's believe that masons look after their own, it is also rumoured that amaral is a mason, and as such he should be protecting Gerry, not trying to frame him.

But but but Vee, the government cover up can make anything happen for the McCanns..doh...didn't you know that? LOL

Conspiracies? Bwah nonsense. Can't they think of anything else to keep themselves busy?