Behind The Lodge Door: The Church, State and Freemasonry in America

Freemasonry, as we generally know it today, entered history when theGrand Lodge of England was established in 1717.In 1738, Pope Clement XII, as Rupert Cornwellobserved, issued his Pontifical Constitution, In Eminenti. The Pontiffdeclared:"We have resolved and decreed to condemn and forbid such[secret] societies, assemblies, reunions, conventions, aggregationsor meetings, called either Freemasonic or known under some otherdenomination. We condemn and forbid them by this, our presentconstitution, which is to be considered valid forever."We commend to the faithful to abstain from intercourse withthose societies . . .in order to avoid excommunication, which willbe the penalty imposed upon all those contravening to this, ourorder, none except at the point of death could be absolved of thissin, except by us or the then existing Roman Pontiff."