Pope Clement XII's 1738 bull In eminenti apostolatus forbade Catholics from joining Freemasonry under penalty of excommunication.

the verdict

SUPPORTED

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Recorded sources

2 sources for · 0 against

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Is it true that Pope Clement XII's 1738 bull In eminenti apostolatus forbade Catholics from joining Freemasonry under penalty of excommunication?

Yes. Two reference sources state that Pope Clement XII's 1738 bull In eminenti apostolatus banned Catholics from becoming Freemasons, with one adding that he declared anyone joining would be excommunicated.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 2 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 2 Oct 2026

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Evidence for · 2

In eminenti apostolatus - Wikipedia

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In eminenti apostolatus - Wikipedia. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_eminenti_apostolatus

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More for · 1

Freemasonry

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Freemasonry. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry

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