Expert: Fr. Michael - 6/22/2004

Question
I recently wrote to that questions column in the Wanderer, asking if the two following cases which happened in my community were permissible under Church Law. The first was that the Jewish editor of our local newspaper died and the Catholic Church had a big ecumenical Mass said for him.  The second was that a 33rd Degree Mason was buried in a Catholic Church. The Wanderer columnist said that both things were perfectly ok.I don't trust his answer.  They may very well be ok under the Vatican II church, but how about the Catholic Church?

Answer
You are correct about The Wanderer.  It is affiliated with the Church of the New Order not the traditional Roman Catholic Church.  I remember from years ago that Q&A guy was constantly getting answers wrong and having to backtrack on himself.  I wouldn't waste my money on The Wanderer.  Get Catholic Family News instead.

That aside, both situations are scandalous and sacrilegious from the Catholic point of view.  A Requiem Mass can be said ONLY for a Catholic, and formal Masons are excommunciated and therefore cannot be buried in sacred ground.