Catholic Church claims Freemasonry responsible for rupture in diplomatic relations between Mexican gov't and Vatican

We tend to think of the Catholic vs. Freemason controversy as something from centuries past, and in America, worrying that Freemasons control the world, or at least influence national politics, while fodder for the anti-Masonic conspiracy nuts, is usually downplayed or ignored in polite conversation and in U.S. news reports.

From England we often see articles about the fear townspeople have of the "network" of Masons in political, judicial and law enforcement positions. Demands for Masonic membership lists are common.

In Mexico, too, it seems, Freemasons play a prominent role in politics.

Today I found an interesting item from the Catholic News Agency. The Vatican maintains that for most of the 20th century, Freemasons controlled the politics and government of Mexico.

The report stated:

Mexican Masonry played a decisive role in the configuration of the Mexican State and in political measures such as the stripping of the Church's right to own schools and communications media, the right to vote of priests and religious, and the rupture of diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

The anti-clerical policies were kept in place throughout the entire period of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), dominated by the Masons, from 1929 to 2000.

Recently, Mexican bishops announced they would begin a campaign to regain the rights stripped from them by the previous Mexican constitution, put into place at the behest of Freemasons.

"The Great Teacher" Pedro Marquez, head of the Grand Lodge of the Valley of Mexico, reacted by accusing the Church of wanting to "return to the past."

"The Catholic hierarchy wants to dictate a political policy and that is a very grave error, as our society is no longer in the era of Christianity and priests are no longer viceroys of New Spain," Marquez said during a press conference.

"There is a tendency in the Church to meddle in the social and political affairs of Mexico, but the priests should return to their Churches," he added.

Bro. Oscar J. Salinas sheds further light on the political and religious intrigue surrounding Freemasonry in Mexico in his 1999 talk titled "Mexican Freemasonries: Encounters with Religion and Politics."

Update, Saturday, August 11: A priest known only as "Father V." picked up on this Mexican Masons story from the CNA, and posted the following as part of his "priestly commentary":

I would invite any Catholics who are Masons to renounce their memberships (and not to receive Holy Communion until having done so), get to confession, and join the Knights of Columbus! Your time will be better serving the Lord and His Church, and your dues won't be going to activities that you wouldn't want to support.

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