www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall George Washington Catholic?

An interesting thread on CAF about George Washington. I never knew he was or even thought of being Catholic.
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=217658

I have read those online sources before, but none of the mainstream biographies I have read on Washington mention a conversion.

Catholic Answers is a dubious source on many things, thanks to its attitude of tryign to argue for soemthing, rather than simply objectivly rpesent informarion. This is another of their gimmicks. After all, they want the love and admiration felt towards George Washington my Americans to be captured for their own cause. They arne't intereste din objective study, but in cresting a Washington who can inspire their ocnstituancy.

That said, what difference would it make to me? My loyalties where on the oposite side of the IInssurection.

GW was a mason, wasn't he? Can you be a mason and a Catholic at the same time? *clueless*

Glory to Jesus Christ.
Living less than 10 miles from Mount Vernon and even closer to Pohick Church (http://www.pohick.org) now Cranford Methodist Church, I can provide a little more information. Both George and his father attended the then Anglican Truro Parish. It is still an active parish sitting next to US Route 1 near Lorton VA. I have been privileged to have been given a tour by the church members. They proudly claim Mr. Washington as a member. Given that the parish was Anglican I wonder if that is where the confusion begun regarding him being Catholic and yes, he was a Mason. That too is recorded in the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria Virginia (http://www.gwmemorial.org). I hope this information is of some assistance.

Yours in Christ,
Ted

I have heard much conflicting information on this as well. The best possible way to find out would be to contact the parish that inherited the records from St. Mary's Mission and confirm whether or not he was indeed received into the Catholic Church.

Here are some errors though.

One on-line source claims:
However, Catholics have always recognized Anglican baptisms as valid (that is until recent times when the Form of Baptism is suspect in some cases).

The sign of the cross was not unknown in Anglicanism of the time (despite the prevalence of Low Churchmanship) due to the Catholic-leaning non-juror bishops.

This was done on festal occasions. There is one instance where John Adams accompanied him to hear a Mass & Te Deum at St. Mary's (then the Pro-Cathedral) here in Philadelphia. Adams' comment to him afterward supposedly ran along the lines of: "Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination - everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell."

The works of these saints were the standard reading in Washington's time.

I di dnot know Thomas Aquinas was a Repunlican, or spoke on ow to found a Republic.

Correct me if Im wrong here.

It seems that whatever vlues we hodl dear today, we projec tonto other sint he distant past. Much liek how THomas Jefferson is seen by many on the American Left as a Champion of their causes, even if he himself would liekly have opposed many of their ideas.

Beign dead, it is far easier for his memory to be manipualtd to suit the current agenda, as he cnanto speak agisnt it.

In like fashion, General Washington is, in Cahtolci Circles, often fondlythoguth of as a convert to the Church. He likely wans't, and even if he was, this neither provides evidence of its validity, nor adds luster.

Washington did betray his King and lotalty and lead a Rebellion, and htis was a decidley unCatolic thing to do.

Liekwise, his membership in Masonry was never recanted of.

And besides, we shoudl not fall prey to elevating political figures in our midns as if thei exampel ought be followed. Washington was not a Saint of the Churhc and his Accomplishemtns merely reflected a worldy value. He is not a Spiritual elader, and was no greater than anyone else int eh eyes of our Lord.

A begger enterign the Church for the remisison fo his sins, or a man renouncign a life of depravity and womanising, or a man who has sold drugs, is equelly reaosn for celebration as Any General, President, or King.

Or have we not learne dhtis mist absic of Lesson from Jesus himself, nd later repeated byt he Blessed aint James the Apostle?

George Washington a Catholic

That claim was probably originally made by anti-Catholics who hated things that looked, smelled, and tasted Catholic - e.g. the Chickian types. These use "Catholic" as a slur, in the same way conservative radio-types use "liberal" as a insult.

So now you blame my lot for it, ey?

(Odd and obscure joke)

The last time I looked, historians agreed that Washington was both an Anglican and a Mason. Every few years I hear the story that he was secretly Catholic. I don't know where that story originally came from, but it's not true.

Every so often a rumor that George the V or Edward the VII of Britain converted to Catholicism on his death bed surfaces also.

U.S. history notes that, of the 43 Presidents, the only Catholic was John F. Kennedy. Thirteen were Episcoplian.

Washington was Episcopalian as well as George H.W. Bush (41st) and his son, George W. Bush (43rd), but later converted to Methodism.

It is a different situation in the U.S. Supreme Court where currently five (5) justices are Catholic forming a majority (5 to 4), including the Chief Justice, Mr. John Roberts.

And among the 50 governors in 2005, 22 were Catholic! In the 109th U.S. Congress (2005 to 2006), 24 of the 100 Senators were Catholic while 130 of the 435 House representatives were Catholic.


Amado

DavidinVA,

Actually, it would not be the first time that a British sovereign became Catholic on his death-bed or sooner. Charles II certainly did and his brother, James II - we know the story.

It was George V, I believe, who ordered changes to the Coronation Ceremony to remove attacks against Catholic traditions as he said Catholics were just as much his subjects as Protestants. When Parliament refused, he refused to be crowned. It is entirely possible he became a Catholic later in life.

It is said that when Charles II attended a Presbyterian service, he was later asked what he thought of it . . .

To which he is said to have replied, "Not a religion for gentlemen . . ."

When he realized what he said, he immediately added, "And Anglicanism is not a religion for Christians!"

Alex

Dear Friend,

Lots of Catholics I know are members of Masonic lodges. In one context, I learned that a Catholic Mason asked permission of his bishop to join the lodge, and he received it! A former next door neighbour, an Antiochian Orthodox Christian, is a high-ranking Mason and is very involved in his parish.

I was recently invited to become Free Mason. But the thought of fixing people's steps for free isn't in the works for me . . .

Alex

As well you would have incurred excommunication lat� sententi�.