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Given by His
Holiness Pope Clement XII
April 28, 1738
CLEMENT,
BISHOP, Servant of the Servants of God to all the faithful, Salutation,
and Apostolic Benediction.
Since the divine clemency has placed Us, Whose merits are not equal to
the task, in the high watch-tower of the Apostolate with the duty of
pastoral care confided to Us, We have turned Our attention, as far as
it has been granted Us from on high, with unceasing care to those
things through which the integrity of Orthodox Religion is kept from
errors and vices by preventing their entry, and by which the dangers of
disturbance in the most troubled times are repelled from the whole
Catholic World.
Now it has come to Our ears, and common gossip has made clear, that
certain Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings, Congregations or
Conventicles called in the popular tongue Liberi Muratori or Francs
Massons or by other names according to the various languages, are
spreading far and wide and daily growing in strength; and men of any
Religion or sect, satisfied with the appearance of natural probity, are
joined together, according to their laws and the statutes laid down for
them, by a strict and unbreakable bond which obliges them, both by an
oath upon the Holy Bible and by a host of grievous punishment, to an
inviolable silence about all that they do in secret together. But it is
in the nature of crime to betray itself and to show itself by its
attendant clamor. Thus these aforesaid Societies or Conventicles have
caused in the minds of the faithful the greatest suspicion, and all
prudent and upright men have passed the same judgment on them as being
depraved and perverted. For if they were not doing evil they would not
have so great a hatred of the light. Indeed, this rumor has grown to
such proportions that in several countries these societies have been
forbidden by the civil authorities as being against the public
security, and for some time past have appeared to be prudently
eliminated.
Therefore, bearing in mind the great harm which is often caused by such
Societies or Conventicles not only to the peace of the temporal state
but also to the well-being of souls, and realizing that they do not
hold by either civil or canonical sanctions; and since We are taught by
the divine word that it is the part of faithful servant and of the
master of the Lord's household to watch day and night lest such men as
these break into the household like thieves, and like foxes seek to
destroy the vineyard; in fact, to prevent the hearts of the simple
being perverted, and the innocent secretly wounded by their arrows, and
to block that broad road which could be opened to the uncorrected
commission of sin and for the other just and reasonable motives known
to Us; We therefore, having taken counsel of some of Our Venerable
Brothers among the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, and also of Our
own accord and with certain knowledge and mature deliberations, with
the plenitude of the Apostolic power do hereby determine and have
decreed that these same Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings,
Congregations, or Conventicles of Liberi Muratori or Francs Massons, or
whatever other name they may go by, are to be condemned and prohibited,
and by Our present Constitution, valid for ever, We do condemn and
prohibit them.
Wherefore We command most strictly and in virtue of holy obedience, all
the faithful of whatever state, grade, condition, order, dignity or
pre-eminence, whether clerical or lay, secular or regular, even those
who are entitled to specific and individual mention, that none, under
any pretext or for any reason, shall dare or presume to enter,
propagate or support these aforesaid societies of Liberi Muratori or
Francs Massons, or however else they are called, or to receive them in
their houses or dwellings or to hide them, be enrolled among them,
joined to them, be present with them, give power or permission for them
to meet elsewhere, to help them in any way, to give them in any way
advice, encouragement or support either openly or in secret, directly
or indirectly, on their own or through others; nor are they to urge
others or tell them, incite or persuade them to be enrolled in such
societies or to be counted among their number, or to be present or to
assist them in any way; but they must stay completely clear of such
Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings, Congregations or
Conventicles, under pain of excommunication for all the above mentioned
people, which is incurred by the very deed without any declaration
being required, and from which no one can obtain the benefit of
absolution, other than at the hour of death, except through Ourselves
or the Roman Pontiff of the time.
Moreover, We desire and command that both Bishops and prelates, and
other local ordinaries, as well as inquisitors for heresy, shall
investigate and proceed against transgressors of whatever state, grade,
condition, order dignity or pre-eminence they may be; and they are to
pursue and punish them with condign penalties as being most suspect of
heresy. To each and all of these We give and grant the free faculty of
calling upon the aid of the secular arm, should the need arise, for
investigating and proceeding against those same transgressors and for
pursuing and punishing them with condign penalties.
Given at Rome, at Saint Mary Mayor, in the year 1738 of Our Lord.
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