Pope Leo XIII against Freemasonry
By Thomas V. Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 05, 2026 | In The Catholic Culture Podcast
Listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | YouTube Channel
This is a listener-supported podcast! Thanks for your help!
Pope Leo XIII’s 1884 encyclical Humanum genus is the Church’s most comprehensive explanation of why, ever since 1738, she has forbidden Catholics to become Freemasons. Reading the encyclical today, one has the thought that its continued relevance has less to do with the present-day activities of Masonic organizations, and more to do with the fact that Masonic ideas have already come to pervade Western society.
Links
Thomas’s article about Humanum genus
Pope Leo XIII, Humanum genus
Theme music: “Franciscan Eyes”, written and performed by Thomas Mirus. Download the Catholic Culture Podcast soundtrack.
Thomas V. Mirus is President of Trinity Communications and Director of Podcasts for CatholicCulture.org, hosts The Catholic Culture Podcast, and co-hosts Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast. See full bio.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
