On questions of doctrine. The 6th Landmark and the Catholics.

It has been raised in a systematic way the argument that the conditions of Catholic and Freemason are incompatible. This is a recurrent topic in antimasonic propaganda, for now a long time, but the issue has become more frequent in religious literature and sites associated to the Catholic Church since the Pope Benedict XVI is in the Chair of St Peter. One of the most enthusiastic of this debate is "Espectadores", a Portuguese site owned by Bernando Motta and Duarte Fragoso. The arguments are sophisticated and well documented and deserve a special attention for those that, inside the Craft, follow these topics. There is a continuous position (within) not comment directly these allegations, in order to neutralize them, which sometimes has the opposite effect. Freemasonry, as an institution, doesn't interfere in matters of faith and religion and is plural to count on its ranks religious men and not religious men. Freemasonry, namely Regular Freemasonry, doesn't oblige people with no religious allegiance to become a believer of a religion; it is a matter of individual freedom, of freewill to follow or not follow a religion, whatever is it. Freemasonry is not against any religion in particular (or in general) and its history notice the role that priests and clerics have fulfill by their moral statute, both as Men of God and Freemasons. Our tenure is basically the one enrolled in the first paragraph of the Anderson's Constitutions:
A Mason is oblig'd by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient Times Masons were charg'd in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguish'd; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have remain'd at a perpetual Distance.

Insofar we gather ourselves around the belief of the religion that all men agree, to be a good man, to be kind and friend to others namely those in need. This a basic tenure that is common to every religion and man of good.
If some prefer to follow a more devoted orientation concerning their faith it is their right. Commentators argue that the present Pope, as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, has settle a ruling that determines that the Church has a negative assessment about Masonic associations because they have been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and the followers that are members of masonic organization commit a serious sin. Sin is something that has been multiplicated around the world and the Church as such has not been quite exempt of this problem as the Pope has stated in its recent visit to England.
We may also question the precedence of this ruling as its Holiness has not pass it into Canon law. This is probably the opinion of a certain department of the Church, in this case the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. This shows that this severe judgment had a special environment that has loosen somehow its accuracy.
If we may trace a comparison, is not because some interpreters of the Koran presume some acts (or persons) are against the teachings of the Koran that they turn automatically into pariahs of the religion and unbelievers and so targets to jihad. The Scriptures have enough elasticity to allow different interpretations and if we take notice the history of the Church, in these 2000 years, different (and sometime contradictory) teachings of Christ were preached as the truth along the centuries and the doctrine was updated to the demands of times and the the costumes of the believers. Nobody is burned no more in the bonfire because he (or she) is not a Christian, although this was the official punishment of the Church, in the Catholic World, till the end of the eighteen century. Nobody is more excommunicated by saying that the Sun and not the Earth is the center of the the Universe although Galileo was persecuted and judged by defending it against what was the official doctrine of the Church stated as civil law. So times change and the way Men face spiritual matters also do.
Freemasonry has no dogma and is free-minded by orientation and tradition. Within the Craft anybody can say what he wants and is not persecuted by doing so. So welcome the Man of God because they are children of Christ and welcome also the children of Allah, Buddha and other divinities. The world is large and we can be there all at the same time.