La Libre, Belgium: Church and Freemasonry, still feuding brothers?

The "inquisitors of heresy"

Freemasonry appeared in Belgium at the beginning of the 18th century. As Jef Asselbergh (photo below) , Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Belgium (GOB) reminds us, it was then "the first association of civil society to have emerged outside of ecclesiastical and social structures. This free association, which is interested in philosophy and social issues, does not please the Church, which at that time had the monopoly of these debates.

There followed, in 1738, the issuance of the first papal bull against Freemasonry. The main grievance advanced relates to the "darkness of the secrecy" of these societies which "cannot in any way agree with civil and canonical laws", as the papal document stipulates. The Church then condemns its own members, accused of "inquisitors of heresy" or "transgressors", to excommunication if they attend these "conventicles". However, at the time, the lodges were made up of a lot of clerics.

“It all starts there. We have never excluded religion… It was religion that opposed Freemasonry”, assures Jef Asselbergh.

Dogmatism VS relativism

At present, relations have eased, but "the historical dispute, we cannot deny it, is not completely emptied", underlines Father Eric de Beukelaer. "Although I am regularly invited to lodges, it is not a fan club that welcomes me. They are very respectful people but who come with grievances and globally different views of society on various ethical debates. With also sometimes false clichés, as some Catholics have false clichés about Freemasonry. That is the fact of a dispute", expresses this graduate in canon law and former spokesperson for the bishops of Belgium.

Because the visions of the two institutions continue to clash. In Belgium, the vast majority of Masonic denominations, which have 20 to 25,000 members, cannot accept the dogmatism of the Church. Catholic revelation is based, in fact, on dogmas, developed from the experience of Christ and the word of the Gospel, to apprehend the world. "The Church, in its pyramidal structure, kicks the butt by affirming this is how we should think and not otherwise ", laments Adolphe Adolphy, national grand master of the GOB from 1999 to 2001.

The approaches to certain major ethical questions in society can therefore only collide against each other. And this is verified through several examples, including euthanasia, abortion or homosexual marriage.

The case of abortion

This primordial question is undoubtedly the main stumbling block. Father Eric de Beukelaer (photo below) is frequently questioned on this subject in Masonic circles. "I am commonly asked: Who are you to prevent a woman who has decided not to carry her to term? This is a vision that starts from the freedom of the individual who carries life. My vision, as a Catholic, is rather this: Do not forget that there is another freedom at stake, which is this unborn life. Who are we to put a limit on the protection of life? Life should not be defended in a radical way? Taking into account the relational dimension of our actions is perhaps more important among Catholics..."

“Pragmatically, Freemasonry has some problems with this kind of conservative attitude,” analyzes Luc Nefontaine, doctor of philosophy and letters from the ULB and specialist in Masonic issues. "The brothers, in their majority, have a secular vision of these problems of society. There is therefore an incompatibility between these two currents of thought. Moreover, for most Masons, the fact of being in a state of serious sin by the Church is considered a sign of good health. The brothers believe that it is rather good to be singled out by a religion which they consider conservative and which, in their eyes, still has too much weight in Belgium on societal issues."

A contested secret character As mentioned above, the secrecy of the lodges has, from the beginning, posed a problem for the Church. "Freemasonry is not secret, it is discreet", tempers Adolphe Adolphy. The latter recognizes, however, that it "became more and more secret during and after the Second World War because too many members of the GOB and the GOF were deported and died in concentration camps under the Nazi regime. of that".

Jef Asselbergh also puts forward another reason : "It's a laboratory of thought, the ban on reporting what is said in the lodge allows this freedom of exchange and expression. A politician would not speak if he feared that a journalist from the same lodge repeats his remarks".

For his part, Eric de Beukelaer recognizes that "everyone has the right to discretion". But he points out that "in addition to discretion, there is Masonic preference". Indeed, the Anderson Constitutions, which establish the fundamental texts of modern Freemasonry, stipulate that "In like circumstances, give preference to a poor Brother, (…) before any other person in need". Jef Asselbergh defends himself by arguing that "this rule is outdated!". However, "brother masons still regret the application of this aspect", retorts the abbot of Beukelaer.

A gesture of openness

Despite the differences, openness has been in order in recent years. The emblematic example, cited by each interlocutor, is that of Cardinal Godfried Danneels who, in 2008, agreed to take part in a debate with the Grand Master of the GOB at the time, Henri Bartholomeeusen ( photo above) . The primate of Belgium "even said that he could not be entirely favorable to Freemasonry, which implied that he was a little...", smiles Adolphe Adolphy. As for Eric de Beukelaer, he recalls that "between different citizens, members of the same democracy, it is in our interest to know each other, not to demonize each other because we have everything to gain by talking".

However, for three centuries now, litigation has also allowed everyone to build their own identity, sometimes rejecting that of the other. Didn't Nietzsche write "Who lives to fight an enemy has every interest in leaving him alive"?