Bishop Munilla rejects compatibility between Catholicism and Freemasonry

Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante has reaffirmed the Catholic Church's stance against Freemasonry, stating that the two are incompatible. During his program ‘Sexto Continente’ on Radio María, he remarked, “One must choose between the cross or the compass,” arguing that the symbols and philosophies of the two groups cannot coexist.

Munilla noted that this position follows discussions among Nordic bishops regarding whether a ‘softer’ form of Freemasonry might be compatible with Catholicism. However, he clarified that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has maintained a negative response to such ideas. The Bishop emphasized that the opposition is not merely disciplinary but rooted in fundamental philosophical, theological, and anthropological differences, specifically citing the deistic nature of Freemasonry which he claims denies divine revelation and papal authority.