Why Are There Only Seven Sacraments?
Can a Catholic be a Freemason?

Q Why are there only seven sacraments?

A The Councils of Lyons (1274) and Florence (1438-1445) taught there are only seven sacraments, the ones we know today. The Council of Trent reiterated this teaching in response to Protestant rejection of some of the sacraments.

So why only seven?  Let’s look at the definition of sacraments.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sacraments as “efficacious (effective) signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.  The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament”  (CCC1131).  When we look at this definition, the number of sacraments become clearer.  For instance, baptism was instituted by Christ to convey grace and divine life. The visible sign of baptism is water poured over the head or water where one is fully immersed, as well as the words spoken, “I baptize you in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Baptism, therefore, fits the definition of a sacrament.  

Other rituals, such as Jesus washing the feet of his apostles, were established by Christ but do not convey grace, so they are not sacraments.  Other devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross, may be an occasion of grace but were not instituted by Christ; therefore, they are not sacraments.

Seven rituals of the Catholic Church fit the definition above:  baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony.   

Q Are Catholics free to become Freemasons?

A “Masonry’s fundamental tenets are simply incompatible with Catholic faith and practice” writes Father Kenneth Doyle, a former contributor to The Catholic Commentator.  In his Dec. 1, 2011 column he further states, “Freemasonry is, at its heart, not a social club but a religion.  It is a religion of rationalism, which, as Pope Leo XIII stated in his 1884 encyclical “Humanum Genus,” has as its fundamental doctrine “that human nature and human reason ought in all things be mistress and guide,” and it denies “that anything has been taught by God.’”  In a Feb. 3, 2017 post Father Doyle reiterates this position, stating again “the reality, though, is that Masonry is at heart a naturalistic religion whose basic tenets are incompatible with Catholic faith and practice.”

On Nov. 26, 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated “their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden.  The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive holy Communion” (Declaration on Masonic Associations).

A 1985 report by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pastoral Research and Practice entitled Masonry and Naturalistic Religion explains, “The lodge honors Jesus Christ as it honors Socrates, Buddha and Muhammad.  It cannot acknowledge any special spiritual claims by Jesus, since this would violate the basis of Freemasonry.”  It goes on to say “in-depth research on the ritual and on the Masonic mentality makes it clear that it is impossible to belong to the Catholic Church and to Freemasonry at the same time.”  

The church has also judged that the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Orangemen, the Sons of Temperance and the Communist Party are forbidden societies according to Catholic Answers, the largest lay-run apostolate of Roman Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the United States.

If you want to learn more about the church’s objection to Freemasonry, search for the article by Father Robert Bradley entitled Catholicism vs. Freemasonry – Irreconcilable Forever on the EWTN website.  It is one of several articles discussing this subject.

DEACON HOOPER is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].