Masonic architecture in Catholic Churches – Ecclesiastical Freemasonry

A Church Dedicated to the Four Elements

Published on January 6, 2025 by Kathy Clubb1 Comment

A church built in 2017 at the largest parish in Australia exemplifies the fusion of humanism and paganism which is unfortunately almost ubiquitous in contemporary Australian parishes. The church is one of five in the Burleigh Heads parish, and is part of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Named ‘Mary, Mother of Mercy’, the building includes anti-Christian features, including Masonic symbols and indigenous mythology. Pagan and occult features were built into the church’s design and the opening ceremony exemplified the parish’s focus on paganism with a smoking ceremony and allusions to the four principal elements of alchemy.

Problems begin with the logo used for all churches in the parish. It shows five crosses which no doubt represent the total number of churches, but these replace the traditional three-cross arrangement which represents Christ’s saving Crucifixion.

The usual arrangement representing the crosses of Our Lord and the two thieves.

The Burleigh Heads logo attributes to the crosses the merely human aspect of the number of member-churches.

Built in a style typical of modern Australian churches, it features exposed steel beams and is almost devoid of sacred images. One exception is the enormous wooden statue of a very plain-faced Mother of God, surrounded by a group representing the diversity of Australian citizens, including a semi-naked boy with his surfboard.

Massive beams and pillars dominate the interior

The sanctuary is typical of many churches here, with the tabernacle hidden from view. The church features a pair of strikingly Masonic design elements: two sets of twin pillars, one at the church’s entrance and one set inside the body of the church. A news report describes the latter set as ‘concrete portals;’ significant because in esotericism, a portal is a gateway to secret knowledge, and is usually achieved via occult rituals.

The two pillars at the entrance to the church, flanked by structures appearing to represent a modern nod to the traditional flying buttress.

The nave holds the tabernacle; rather than the Blessed Sacrament being the focal point, this area is dominated by the massive pillars which span the entire building. The rows of chairs facing each other is another Masonic motif.

Twin pillars are especially significant in Freemasonry, where are said to represent the truth being found between two opposites, or poles. Duality is a common theme in the occult and was actually part of the design brief given to the designers for the church: they were asked that it embody ‘light and darkness, the masculine and the feminine, the sky and the earth’.

The heretical Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, (who possibly requested the design elements) gave a clue to the occult meaning of the ungodly building in his sermon at the opening Mass. He mentioned wind and fire, two of the four elements associated with alchemy and the occult.

This is the Church that has given birth to us and will continue to give birth to this community of faith in Burleigh Heads. It’s a place of the Spirit. It’s a place therefore of wind and fire, a place that can turn the human womb into a temple of God himself.

Archbishop Mark Coleridge

The third element, earth, is referenced by the twin pillars both inside and outside the church, which the designers explain “visually tie it to the ground.” The fourth element, water, is referenced in the name of the suburb housing the church – Burleigh Waters – as well as in the waters within the womb. Mention of the womb and rebirth also suggests the theme of transformation, so common among occultists.

Outside the church is a mosaic, shown below, which was produced by a local indigenous artist. It represents a pagan myth about a hero who was reincarnated as a dolphin.

Indigenous artwork based on a pagan myth

During the church’s opening ceremony, an unknown type of smoking ritual took place. It involved a layman raising a ‘smoking’ bowl over congregants. This appeared similar to indigenous smoking ceremonies in which smoking leaves or herbs are burned in the belief that this cleanses the space of ‘evil spirits’.

A smoking ritual during the opening ceremony

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the parish is home to at least one esoteric prayer group: the ‘Contemplative Women’s Group’ which purports to examine Scripture and which features an activity reminiscent of Wicca: “sinking into the feminine divine.”

Prior to the construction of the building, the former parish priest, Fr Ken Howell, was given a ‘virtual tour’ using cutting edge technology from a company named Oculus. Oculus is, of course, Latin for eye – a very important symbol for occultists.

Fr. Howell, wearing the ‘Oculus’ virtual reality goggles.

Occult Themes at Notre Dame Cathedral

Published on December 16, 2024December 16, 2024 by Kathy Clubb3 Comments

note: copyrighted images are not included in this post – click through to the original articles to see photographs of the restoration and liturgical furnishings.

It was not surprising to learn that some disturbing occult motifs have been integrated into the newly-restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. While much of the restoration was entirely in keeping with its historic past and Catholic tradition, the innovations are startling enough to make us wonder what role the church is meant to play in the ongoing destruction of the Catholic Faith.

The Phoenix

The first motif sets the scene for the rest of the tour: the rooster which once sat atop the Cathedral has been replaced by the phoenix, an occult symbol. Most are familiar with the Greek myth of the phoenix rising from the ashes, but as a symbol, it is far older, originating in the mystery religions of ancient Egypt. Several pagan religions have used the phoenix to represent transformation and renewal including the Native American Thunderbird, Russian Firebird, and Chinese Fèng Huáng.

Some occultists go further, equating the phoenix with Lucifer: venerating him as the angel who fell into the flames and will one day rise again to rule the earth. Arch-occultist, Aleister Crowley wrote a sacrilegious Thelemic ritual called the ‘Mass of the Phoenix,’ and the phoenix is also employed in Masonic symbolism.

The phoenix motif is one that has been repeated many times of late, most notably in the case of Trump ‘rising up’ from the injury sustained during his assassination attempt (which possibly foreshadowed his ‘rising up’ to be re-elected as President.)

The symbolism of the phoenix has not been lost on the media, with outlets entitling their reports on the Cathedral’s reopening in terms of ‘Phoenix from the Ashes’ and similar headlines. The bird’s designer, the Chief Architect of the project, Philippe Villeneuve, certainly had this theme in mind. He describes his creation as the rooster ‘reimagined’ to represent a phoenix carrying the ‘fire of resurrection’ to Notre Dame. In a very telling comment, Villeneuve explained that the design process was “so intense he might have to speak to his “therapist” about it.”

This bizarre scene appears to be a bird (another Phoenix?) flying over the organ
– from the Opening Ceremony. SOURCE: FLICKR

The Liturgical Furnishings

The ‘phoenix from the ashes’ theme was taken up by a writer interviewing Guillaume Bardet, the sculptor of Notre Dame’s creepy liturgical furnishings: the altar, lectern, cathedra with seats, tabernacle, and baptistery.

Bardet’s explanation of bronze, his material of choice, sounds like the fascination of an alchemist: ” it looked like a liquid sunshine filled with an extraordinary presence like a mysterious energy emanating from the bottom of the earth.”

Bardet reveals that, strangely, even before the fire, he had already come up with designs for Notre Dame:

In April 2019, I was finalizing my previous exhibition at [a French gallery] when Notre-Dame started going up in flames. In front of me was a large bronze table I had called The Last Supper : it was surrounded by twelve bronze stools, each named after an apostle. The opening evening, a few friends joked (seriously) that I had designed Notre-Dame’s future altar. When Notre-Dame called for creative projects, I felt legitimate to apply. Most of the objects and furniture I had in mind; some of them I had even sketched years before.

By sheer coincidence, the Chief Architect, whose brainchild was the rooster-come-phoenix mentioned above, had also had dreams of building Notre Dame: he made a model of the cathedral as a child.

In another article, Bardet exposes the Masonic, ecumenical agenda behind his designs, which also contains overtones of so-called ‘Synodality’:

‘They should resonate with conviction for Catholics and captivate the attention of non-Christians. Each element carries its own distinct identity, symbolism, and purpose, yet together they form a cohesive ensemble that engages in a meaningful dialogue.

An article on the restoration, written by a traditional Catholic, sheds some light on the theology underpinning the changes. Rita Stewart notes the connection between several ambiguous Vatican II documents and Bardet’s designs and explains his desire to “remove everything that is not necessary, and to arrive at the essential, and so the essential is that it is poor.” This sounds very much like the philosophy which gave us the Catacombs Pact.

Stewart also notes that the baptistery has the form of a circle with a central point – a classic Masonic/occult symbol.

The Vestments

The clown-like vestments worn by clergy at the Opening Mass are the ongoing focus of jokes and memes. Was their inclusion meant to point to some sort of humiliation ritual for the Catholic Church? They certainly gave the impression of something that cannot be taken seriously. Then, what can be expected from sa designer who has created costumes for Illuminists like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé or Katy Perry?

According to the designer, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, his vestments represent “the rebirth of Notre Dame,” harking back to the phoenix’s theme of transformation.

The Reliquary

In a similar way, the reliquary for the Crown of Thorns makes a joke of Catholicism. It is extremely tacky, not worthy of its role as a backdrop to a true relic of the Passion. Described by Rita Stewart as looking like ‘target practice at a shooting range’, the sculpture is completely out of place – except perhaps to the occultists. For them, the renovations obviously have a far darker meaning than anything that can be surmised here.

Let us pray for France, the first daughter of the Church, that She does indeed experience a re-birth, in the form of a return to traditional Catholicism.

Masonic Symbolism in Liturgical Design

Published on November 3, 2024November 7, 2024 by Kathy Clubb1 Comment

“Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism, and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled, to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it.”

Albert Pike, former Sovereign Grand Commander

The Masonic infiltration which has penetrated very deeply into the heart of the Church is often reflected in the layout of modern churches. The designs which reveal Masonic influence track closely with the liturgical changes that took place after the Council, and which were first exposed by Cardinals Ottaviani and Bacci in their historic Intervention. Their letter to Pope Paul VI, and its attached document compiled by a group of theologians, became known as the Ottaviani Intervention.That document lists the main problems detected in Pope Paul’s New Order of the Mass:

definition of the Mass (supper, memorial, assembly instead of Sacrifice)
purpose of the Mass (community/fraternal charity instead of Sacrifice and worship)
essence of the Mass (thanksgiving – actually a fruit instead of the Mystery of Calvary continued)

With regard to liturgical design, these changes were achieved by

reducing the main altar to a table
eliminating the sanctuary and placing the altar in the midst of the people
omitting specifically Catholic elements
inverting the roles of priest and laity
eliminating hierarchical structure
implicitly denying the Real Presence
having the priest face the people to support the idea of narrative rather than sacrifice
providing limitless options to undermine unity
using ambiguous designs and art
focussing on ‘paschalism’ to the exclusion of other communications of grace
promoting “archaeologism”, condemned by Pope Pius XII, to suggest that the Church has somehow lost Her way in more recent times.

It is easy to see how these novel elements in design are closely aligned with Masonic principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Traditionally, the design of a church symbolises the exclusive and hierarchical nature of Catholicism. The Sacrifice of the Mass takes place in a dedicated area, the Sanctuary, which is only entered by males. Only an ordained priest may offer the Mass, and steps surrounding the altar denote his ascent on behalf of the people towards the Triune God.

By contrast, the egalitarianism of Masonry sees the altar moved to the midst of the people, with the priest mingling among them. Steps no longer appear, and on some churches, the altar is even placed at a lower level than the congregation.

Specifically Catholic elements such as statuary, side altars, traditional motifs in stained glass windows, artwork and textiles point to a Church which believes Herself to be the One True Faith. These must be jettisoned in favour of the more universal “spiritualism” found in Masonry.

In line with the Masonic need for secrecy and misdirection, ambiguous patterns and symbols create confusion, replacing clear catechesis with mystical suggestions. In accordance with the Masonic principle of liberty, these creative details invite the designer or congregation to express their individuality, rather than being subservient to traditional themes and motifs.

The principle of fraternity is expressed when a church’s design emphasises a merely human charity – an assembly of people gathered to pray for the poor or to build up the their community. Any reference to the Mass as a Sacrifice, or focus on the Real Presence of the Lord in the tabernacle is eliminated. Similarly, artwork reminding parishioners of their eternal destination is replaced by representations of the corporal works of mercy.

Some specific examples of these principles are found in the churches shown below.

Saints Peter and Paul, in Bulimba, Brisbane. [Queensland, Australia.]

Saints Peter and Paul, in Bulimba, Queensland, Australia

As explained in notes about the church’s interior found on the parish website, this layout represents the theology wherein the assembly, that is the congregation, is the celebrant of the liturgy. Thus the priest loses his preeminent place and merges with the people. This was one of the concerns raised in The Ottaviani Intervention and represents the Masonic principle of egalitarianism.

Focus on the priest , as a man, actually increases in this layout and the people are forced to stare at each other.

According to the notes, both the altar and the ambo are cubes, each carved from a single block of marble and decorated with arches. Notably, the Le Guide du Paris Maçonnique, explains that the perfect cube, the cut stone and the arches are all “inherently Masonic.” [As related in Unholy Craft: Freemasonry and the Roots of Christophobia.]

As an aside, the priest in question held, as a fundraiser for the Church’s renovations, a Black and White Ball. It is a small point but interesting in the context of this discussion.

Another example of a cube-shaped altar can be found in this German church. Made of red marble, the altar was consecrated by Auxiliary Bishop of Munich, Rupert Graf zu Stolberg, at the St. Michael Church in Niederaudorf.

St. Patrick’s at Parramatta, Sydney. [New South Wales, Australia.]

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, Australia

This rather sparsely-decorated cathedral has been described by visitors as a ‘barn’ or a ‘basketball court’. The shift from Catholic, theocentric liturgical design to a Masonic, anthropocentric one is very clear here: there is no tabernacle in the main body of the church, and the lectern faces over the altar to the crucifix on the back wall. What looks like a floating storm cloud, is said by the designer to embody “a sublime narrative of spiritual life.”

The altar is a very egalitarian square. While not ugly, the fish and decoration shown at the entrance to the Adoration chapel, are ambiguous: they in no way point to the reality of the Real Presence only a few feet away.

The ‘presider’s chair’ is brutalist and situated near a rather grotesque crucifix. Notably, the arms of the cross are incomplete.

The tabernacle, like its decorations, is quite ambiguous: it is difficult to discern what we are looking at. The arms on the cross surrounding the Sacred Host are of the same length – a common occult representation of a cross which is commonly found in Rosicrucianism.

Banyo Seminary Chapel, Brisbane. [Queensland, Australia.]

Another example is this chapel in a dioscesan seminary in Australia. Again we see the altar and ambo have been brought into the midst of the congregants. No sanctuary, as such, exists. Congregants are left with little choice but to look at each other, instead of being able to gaze unimpeded at the Holy Sacrifice unfolding before them.

If we compare the three new churches above to the typical layout of a Masonic temple, we are at once struck by some obvious similarities. In the lodge, chairs are arranged in rows with the people facing each other. A table, known as the Table of the Book, is situated between the rows of chairs. In this layout, the focus is on man, which is a fundamental problem in new church designs as well.

Where once the focus of the Mass was clearly on God – as the faithful, along with the priest, faced the high altar with tabernacle and a prominent crucifix – these modern designs place the emphasis firmly on man. This novelty takes on a more sinister aspect with the introduction of occult-inspired details, such as the cube-shaped altar. In that case, what could be put down to mere ideological influence is clearly exposed as an attempt to replace the object of worship: Christ for Antichrist.

When a Shrine to Lucifer appeared in a Brisbane Cathedral

Published on August 5, 2024 by Kathy ClubbLeave a comment

Although some us have only recently come to see the influence of the occult underlying the Church’s most serious problems, there are others who saw the dangers years ago and tried to alert fellow Catholics to the danger. One of those faithful pioneers was Tim Pemble-Smith. Through his publication, News From the Pews, he and his colleagues set out to expose Freemasonry and other occult forces with the Archdiocese of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia.

The following is from Issue 24 of News from the Pews, dated 28 April, 2000. It explains the occult meanings behind an art installation which was once placed inside a chapel at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. At the time, the chapel was dedicated to “The Human Search for God”, but has since been redesigned and dedicated to St. Mary McKillop.

After much public outcry, and largely due to pressure from Mr. Pemble-Smith and his colleagues, the installation was removed. Strangely, no records of this artwork exist online, neither from the indigenous artist, Fiona Foley nor the Cathedral. For copyright reasons, this article contains no photographs from the shrine.

Article begins:

‘Devil’ Shrine in St. Stephen’s

Over the past two years, this newsletter has exposed many hidden demonic messages contained in The Human Search for God shrine in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Yet, the shrine has not been closed down and requests for an enquiry have been ignored….The Church admits that the shrine contains “systems of meaning”, but neither the artist nor the Church has explained those meanings. In this issue, we re-examine the artwork and see how it corresponds with the writings of the ‘devil-worshipper’ Aleister Crowley.

Influence of Crowley

Although he died in 1947, Aleister Crowley was the most influential occultist of the twentieth century. He was a self-proclaimed devil worshipper and sex and drug fiend. His book, 777 and Other Qabalist Writings of Aleister Crowley, sets out a system of elaborate codes to disguise the meanings of references to the occult. For example, the use of numbers is prevalent in much the same way as a codebook shows the disguised meaning of a message. Crowley created his own cult to worship the devil and wrote books setting out the way to practice his religion. Today there are many believers who follow his methods.

Artwork in Shrine

To a person unfamiliar with Crowley’s methods, the artwork presents a series of abstract images. There are seven panels of artwork in all, with four, square, central panels. The panels are all dark. You see a blood moon, a dog, a black luminous disc, and dark blue moon, leaves, pipi shells, fish etc. Certain images are repeated. Perhaps the first thing you notice is panel 1.

The dog in panel 1 stands out. Crowley used the dog as a reference to the Christian God. In Crowley’s system, “dog” is simply “God” spelled backwards. Crowley revelled in the use of wordplay, ie, a play on words. It should be noted that in the Courier-Mail (newspaper) article, Ms Foley is reported to have admitted to using reverse spelling in her art.

A Crowley follower who is familiar with Ms Foley’s other art, will recognise the dog in Panel 1 as the one in Ms Foley’s other work, “The Three-legged dog day.” They would also notice the 7 stars in the left corner in the pattern of a crescent. Cycles of the moon are commonly references to witchcraft. It is a classic Crowleyan reference. As Crowley said, “The best blood is of the moon monthly: then the fresh blood of a child…”

Multiple uses of Images and Shapes

A follower of Crowley will also be looking in the shrine for any repeated images or shapes. Multiple uses of images or shapes could point to Crowley’s codes. The Crowley follower would quickly note the central group of 4 square panels arranged into a larger square – panels 3, 4, 5, & 6.

Functions of Four: Alchemy

The Crowley fan knows that any ‘functions of 4’ are likely to point to alchemy, the ‘black art’ of attaining spiritual union with the devil. In the shrine there are many: the 4, square, central panels arranged to form a larger square, the 4 fish swimming, a group of 4 shells, a 4-part skeletal fish image.

The Crowley follower will know that if these panels relate to alchemy, the four central panels should represent the four elements of alchemy – earth, air, fire and water.

It is clear that panel 4 represents the red earth and that panel 5 represents water. The circular, black disk in panel 3 has a distinctive luminescent quality. It does not reflect light as the moon does, it’s black light comes from within. The Crowley fan will recognise this as Crowley’s vision of a ‘black sun’ – a reference to the abyss (hell) and to the dark angel of the abyss, Lucifer – the light bringer. Panel 3 is the fire panel.

Panel 6 presents the blue moon in the night air. This is the air panel. Air and earth panels are thus, as required, located diagonally opposite each other, as are fire and water. So the four square panels represent the four elements of alchemy, in a way, which – via the black sun – can be referenced to Crowley, the ‘abyss’ and to Lucifer.

Further, panels 3 and 6 present the sun and the moon opposite each other, “in balance”: symbolic of alchemy, as Crowley says.

Fish: Alchemy

Ms Foley presents four fish swimming in panel 5. The number 4 here is symbolic of alchemy. In 777 Crowley also links fish to alchemy. The fish are presented swimming in iridescent water. In 777, Crowley connects iridescence of water and alchemy.

Shells & Leaves

In Crowley’s system, the number ‘777’ itself represents his “world of the shells”, “demon-world” or “abode of the evil spirits” which are called the “shells”. Note that there are 17 shells in panel 4 and 4 more (4: alchemy again) in panel 5 – in total, 21 shells. 21 shells is a way of presenting 7, 7, 7 shells – a reference to Crowley’s codebook 777.

Ms Foley also presents five ‘V’ or heart-shaped, yellow brown leaf images, 3 in panel 4 and 2 more immediately above in panel 3. Reading downwards, this is ‘VVVVV’, Crowley’s signature contraction of the Latin used in reference to himself as ‘Master of the Temple.’ In Crowley’s system, the number 5 corresponds with the heart. Five is also Crowley’s number for sulphur, the yellow brown substance said to be used in alchemy. Crowley linked yellow brown with the ‘earth nature’ of his imaginary ‘camel’, which he says is the ‘means of travelling through the wilderness of the abyss’. As to the heart, Crowley states in 777 in reference to the invocation of his ‘Holy Guardian Angel’ (the devil) that “the human heart is the foundation of the work”.

Foley’s combination of 3 leaves and 17 shells in panel 4 (Remember there were exactly 17 shells in panel 4, for yet another reason; it was not simply coincidence) and 2 leaves in panel 3 immediately above is also significant. In 777, Crowley uses the numbers 2, 3 and 17 to derive a reference to the ‘Angel of Venus’, who is Lucifer.

Is it a shrine to the devil?

This otherwise unexplained shrine speaks for itself. The images and codes it contains correspond all too perfectly with Aleister Crowley’s writings. The parallels are too many and detailed to be mere coincidence. So, is it likely that the reluctant-to-comment Foley “Had never even heard of Crowley”?

HutheMeow, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wikicommons, author unknown: Aleister Crowley in the garments of the Ordo Templi orientis (OTO)

Sex-Abuser Rupnik’s Occult Art

Published on December 18, 2022December 18, 2022 by Kathy Clubb1 Comment

It recently became known that the Vatican covered up for sex-abuser and Jesuit priest, Marko Rupnik. Apparently he was excommunicated in 2019 for serious abuse of the sacrament of Confession – absolving a woman with whom he had fornicated. This unfortunate woman was only one of at least nine with whom he undertook such relations, but it was all swept under the rug by the Jesuit-controlled CDF.

Our interest in this man is not so much for his despicable violations of his vow of chastity, but for his disturbing artwork. Rupnik is the man behind a couple of the Vatican’s very strange logos and also had a hand in the disturbing basilica at San Giovanni Rotondo – the newer version of St Pio’s pilgrimage site.

The logo for the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and Adam with the eyes of Christ.”

Could be.

Or maybe this is a tribute to the Gnostic “third-eye” opening after ritual sodomy.

Rupnik’s logo for the 2022 World Meeting of Families, “This mystery is great”, says he. Well, it certainly is a mystery how an excommunicated priest came to design the official logo.

Interesting to see the third-eye symbolism recurring here; this time it is Our Lady and Jesus who share the third eye.

Some more of Rupnik’s talent can be seen in the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Vatican. John Paul II had the chapel renamed in 1987 then refurbished in 1996. It was meant to be a tribute to his ecumaniacal obsession of uniting the Eastern and Western churches, but the artwork, mosaics completed in the style of Eastern iconography, appears to have an underlying anti-Christ theme to it.

One of the four walls was worked by Alexander Kornoukhov, a Russian Orthodox artist – this seems to be the wall directly behind the (rather bizarre) altar. Rupnik completed the other three walls, which show predominantly scenes from Scripture.

The Knights of Columbus loved the end result so much that in 2005, they paid for this panoramic online version to be set up so that interested parties could make a virtual pilgrimage. The images below are screenshots taken from that site. For a psychedelic taste of Rupnik’s work, you may wish to visit (or to avoid) the Aletti centre website.

It’s hard to know exactly what this depiction of the Annunciation is meant to represent. The scroll probably means that Our Lady was prophesied in the Old Testament, but by placing Her figure in such a way that She appears to be on the scroll itself reduces Her to a mere myth.

St Peter unlocks the door to his pawn-shop? Note the yin-yang style decoration of the circles.

Perhaps the strangest of the images is this one of Christ with his “as above, so below” gesture. Behind him, JPII looks on approvingly.

Interesting Masonic-style grip between Christ and the male figure to our left.

Masonic Elements in a Californian Cathedral

Published on October 6, 2022October 6, 2024 by Kathy ClubbLeave a comment

Christ Cathedral in Orange County, California, is another example of a modern church with Masonic overtones. The anti-Catholic theme begins outside with this contemporary take on a Masonic obelisk ….

Exterior of Christ Cathedral, California

… and continues all the way to the sanctuary and altar. The altar itself is square, unlike the rectangular design of traditional Catholic altars. It is topped by a strange crucifix with crescent-moon shapes attached to the four ends of the cross. Crescent moons are a common symbol in witchcraft and the occult.

Theologian and philosopher, Peter Kwasniewski, gives this description of the sanctuary and offers an example of Freemasonic architecture for comparison:

“The location of the altar in the center of the room, the placement and type of presiders’ chairs, the dark torches on the ground punctuating the corners, the square mensa, and the all-seeing eye below the altar table at once bring us to a blood-curdling full stop. Can it be by accident that the altar at Christ Cathedral is a carbon copy of the altar of Freemasonry? Do we have a “reasonable hope” for denial? Even a cursory look at a Masonic altar makes the visual and symbolic link inescapable.

If one ignores the superior craftsmanship and style of the following Masonic temple, one can see the exact parallel in the disposition of the chairs — the tall chair in the center flanked by lower seating on either side — and then the square altar with the freestanding candles. (There is of course a fourth candle in the church, for it would have looked too strange to retain the asymmetry of three.)
https://onepeterfive.com/dark-symbolism-christ-cathedral/

Dr Kwasniewski gave this example of a Masonic Lodge layout

One liturgical ‘expert’ who contributed to the Christ Cathedral was Brother William Woeger. Brother Woeger designed the “Crux Gemmata” – the crucifix – as well as the candlesticks, reliquary and other features. Jesus’ crown of thorns and the altar’s reliquary are studded with strange crystals, reminiscent of those used by New Agers. Below is another design by Brother Woeger, which again shows Masonic influence. Note the checked floor, another square altar, surrounded by large candlesticks and the rows of pews which face each other.

I might return to Brother Woeger in a future article.