Si un católico ingresa a la Masonería, queda excomulgado "latae sententiae"

 Canonical Implications

The penalty for becoming a member of the Masonic Lodge is excommunication. That this was the case, even after Vatican II was made clear in a letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, dated Feb. 17, 1981 and signed by Cardinal Franjo Seper (See text here). Cardinal Seper in that letter declared:

On 19 July 1974 this Congregation wrote to some Episcopal Conferences a private letter concerning the interpretation of can 2335 of the Code of Canon Law which forbids Catholics, under the penalty of excommunication, to enroll in Masonic or other similar associations.

Since the said letter has become public and has given rise to erroneous and tendentious interpretations, this Congregation, without prejudice to the eventual norms of the new Code, issues the following confirmation and clarification:

1) the present canonical discipline remains in full force and has not been modified in any way;

2) consequently, neither the excommunication nor the other penalties envisaged have been abrogated;

Two years later, on Nov. 26, 1983, following the promulgation by Pope John Paul II  of the new Code of Canon Law, a public doubt arose regarding whether that penalty had been removed or not in the new Code.  Cardinal Ratzinger, now head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded with an extraordinary intervention, confirmed in forma specifica by Pope John Paul II. The key passage of which reads:

Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.

It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 1981 pp. 240-241; English language edition of L’Osservatore Romano, 9 March 1981).

In other words, the excommunication leveled in Canon 2335 against all Catholics for enrolling in a Masonic Lodge remains in force. This is in accord with the principle of Canon 6 and Canon 20. And thus, the excommunication of Canon 2335 in the old Code is to be understood, in accord with this declaration made by the CDF, to be subsumed into Canon 1364, which punishes by excommunication latae sententiae the crimes of Heresy, Schism and Apostasy, since clearly affiliation with the Masonic Sect is equipollent to all three under the diverse aspects of its creed, its purpose, and its manner of working.

THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SERIOUS: An excommunicated person cannot validly receive any dignity, office or munus in the Church in virtue of Canon 1331 §2 n. 4, of the new Code of Canon Law.