tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post2947878840871758190..comments2024-03-26T12:05:58.591-04:00Comments on Freemasons For Dummies: Two Major Masonic Conferences In France In May Christopher Hodapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-83071101304913115772017-05-01T08:21:54.225-04:002017-05-01T08:21:54.225-04:00Yes it is. Thanks for catching that. My spell chec...Yes it is. Thanks for catching that. My spell check didn't like Toulon for some reason and helpfully changed it for me. Fixed now.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-13433154809575118452017-05-01T07:40:08.187-04:002017-05-01T07:40:08.187-04:00The ICOM conference is in Toulon The ICOM conference is in Toulon Olafurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14616983780722501310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-9469315948641165152017-04-30T15:10:03.935-04:002017-04-30T15:10:03.935-04:00A number of the papers at the Paris conference, bo...A number of the papers at the Paris conference, both this month and previously, have been by church-going Catholics, some of whom are also lodge members. From the conference point of view, neither church nor lodge affiliation or lack thereof is a concern. Nor, in my opinion, should it ever be at a scholarly event.Bro. Paul Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435030965629467739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-50542487378006238342017-04-30T11:15:14.850-04:002017-04-30T11:15:14.850-04:00Not sure what that "same goal on parallel pat...Not sure what that "same goal on parallel paths" is exactly, since they are two wildly different types of organizations - at least as far as my limited knowledge of the Knights of Malta and their stated mission goes. The closest similarities seem to primarily be some common hierarchal nomenclature, like "Grand Master," etc. It <i>sounds</i> like Freemasons, so I guess that spooks some nervous folks who worry about such things.<br /><br />The big wave of anti-Masonic Catholic noise that has just recently arisen in the last two months or so is really traceable to two comments attributed to Pope Francis, taken out of context, and not DIRECTLY quoted from him, in which he mentioned what he saw were "Masonic" influences or forces within the Vatican. I don't read Italian (or Portuguese, which may be what he speaks around the house, for all I know), so for all I know he was just using the term "masonic" as many Europeans do as a generic catch-all term for any sort of "secret inner circle" group he may feel was working against him. Either way, as a result of the widely circulated quotes, the groups like Catholic Militant have gone berserk and decided the Freemasons have been wrecking the joint since Vatican II. <br /><br />I really think all that's happening with the KOM happens all throughout Catholicism: it seems to be an organization that saw a major world problem (i.e.: spread of HIV throughout the third world) and tried to help slow it by passing out condoms, in contravention of strict Church doctrine. A noble enough mission, to be sure, but in violation of a principle tenet of Canon law. The problem with being a "cafeteria Catholic" is that sometimes you get your hands whacked with a ruler by Sister Mary Discipline for it, no matter how noble you thought you were being.<br /><br />So it goes.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-5012577331164294952017-04-30T09:27:13.123-04:002017-04-30T09:27:13.123-04:00Sorry Chris. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I...Sorry Chris. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I thought the Masons were the boogey men who intend to destroy the Church (they are doing a good enough job by themselves). What I wrote is all speculation that has come about from having lunch once a month with a Freemason friend of mine. We compare notes and it appeared to us that at least some part of the Church (KOM?) and the Masons were aiming for the same goal although perhaps on parallel paths but in the same direction. Perhaps like kids around a campfire we try to see who can tell the scariest story and our imaginations run a little wild but it’s like the song says, “There’s something happening in here. What it is ain’t exactly clear”. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03955415033308593630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-10999179252232242862017-04-29T14:21:39.448-04:002017-04-29T14:21:39.448-04:00We wrote a whole book about this. Conspiracies are...We wrote a whole book about this. Conspiracies are eternally beloved because people desperately want a simple answer to the complex problems of world events. Random events are always disturbing, and conspiracy theories are comforting in their own way by putting a name and a face on the "cause."<br /><br />Unfortunately, this recent dust up between the Knights of Malta and Pope Francis has just kicked off a new wave of anti-Masonic paranoia in some limited pockets of Catholics. Sadly, it is easy to hunt an outside Masonic "influence" that has "infiltrated" the Church instead of looking at wider societal and demographic shifts which have affected two or three generations of clergy and administrators and are now in Church power positions. These are not "Masonic" forces, and never have been. They are failures or major changes worldwide in education, child rearing, economic shifts, and a hundred others. But some frustrated Catholics want a simple answer, and Masons have always made a good, general, all purpose bogeyman ever since the 1700s.<br /><br />Toss in the most recent <i>"Trump is Russia's Manchurian Candidate!"</i> headlines, mix up the two streams of thought, and you get this sort of silliness. (And yes, Shannon. It's silliness.)Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-76358351961914100122017-04-29T12:55:32.747-04:002017-04-29T12:55:32.747-04:00Well, over the years, in fact centuries, freemaso...Well, over the years, in fact centuries, freemasonry has been a society where in some countries, not perhaps now in the United States but certainly in France today, it has provided a meeting place for leaders -- rather like the famous Davos and Aspen vip conferences. I suppose it was inevitable that the Paris conferences would attract the speculation that I've seen in the outer solar system of internet conspiracy theorists. Paris is a more likely victim of such fictionalizing than when fraternal scholars were meeting in Sheffield or Edinburgh. But Paris is sponsored by libraries,universities, and scholarly societies, so to weave it into a scenario involving the Pope and Putin is rather a reach. It has become a significant meeting, but I agree with Chris that if it makes someone happy to think it is the world summit of the Illuminati, do fantasize.Bro. Paul Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435030965629467739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-85999595214921582242017-04-29T10:31:25.865-04:002017-04-29T10:31:25.865-04:00Oh dear. Well, right off the bat, I'd say you ...Oh dear. Well, right off the bat, I'd say you spend far too much time on the Internet. That, and the most basic fact that neither Putin nor Trump are Freemasons. But do go on and believe whatever makes you happy.<br /><br />As for the Paris Conference, hey Paul. It's your show. Wanna jump in on this one?Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-4599608631382317342017-04-29T09:36:43.657-04:002017-04-29T09:36:43.657-04:00First let me explain that I am not a Mason, I am a...First let me explain that I am not a Mason, I am a traditionalist Catholic who has been studying Freemasonry for many years and have several friends who are Masons and I now believe that there is a connection between the Masons and the Rad Trads of the Church as has been exposed in the Knights of Malta kerfuffle. Also, I have read several of the more esoteric histories of the fall of the Soviet Union speculating that it was a combination of the Vatican under Pope John Paul II, Fred C. Kleinkenect Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the Washington D.C Lodge and Ronald Reagan Commander and Chief, that put together finances, intelligence and clandestine networks to accomplish this monumental deed. I only mention this because it may be that something similar may be afoot. The one thing that wasn’t accomplished at that time was to smash the control of the Bank for International Settlements over worldwide finances and governments. Enter President Trump and Vladimir Putin who both appear to have some clouded connections to the Masons and more overt connections to big name religious figures; Trump to Cardinal Burke who was unceremoniously booted by the UN’s Pope Francis, and Putin to Patriarch Kirill of the Eastern Orthodox. Bannon who is Catholic has met with Burke and Putin has met with Kirill in a monastery out of the range of reporters and Reince Priebius is an Eastern Orthodox who when Trump was running arranged a meeting between the Patriarch of New Hampshire and Trump. So where are the Masons in this? There has been much speculation on Trump and Putin being connected to the Freemasons. Any connections I have found are shadowy at best (Trumps mother was a McLeod whose family is connected to the Knights Templar and Putin was supposedly flipped back in the early 70’s by a cabal of Royal Arch Mason in MI6). However, here maybe the connection that brings it all together. During the meeting of Freemasons in Paris, May 24th through May 27th, it has been reported by Foreign Policy that Trump will be in Brussels to meet with NATO and that during that meeting Vladimir Putin will show up for a private meeting with Trump. Brussels is only a 3 and one half hour drive from Paris and only one hour by helicopter or 20 minutes by private jet. Is it out of the realm of possibility that a 33rd degree Grand Commander and possible a 7th degree Royal Arch Mason might attend that private meeting between Trump and Putin? And is their aim to destroy the Deep State controlled by the Banksters? I am only connecting dot’s that are admittedly tenuous but after all, the world is a more shadowy place than we know.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03955415033308593630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-23818876717859259082017-04-27T14:58:29.831-04:002017-04-27T14:58:29.831-04:00The workshop on Ramsay is at the Museum of Freemas...The workshop on Ramsay is at the Museum of Freemasonry, rue Cadet, on Wednesday. Thursday is a French national holiday with all sorts of street fairs and performance. The conference proper opens on Friday morning at the National Library. There is a continental breakfast both Friday and Saturday, intermissions with food service, and a choice of panels and programs running continuously in the three auditoriums of the library. Various publishers and press will be there.Bro. Paul Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435030965629467739noreply@blogger.com