Brethren, I have contacted the Knights of Columbus via their web site, this is their response:
A potential applicant or current member’s membership in a social group such as the Elks does not automatically disqualify their membership in the Knights of Columbus. However, since questions such as this may deal with a person’s Catholicity and standing in the Roman Catholic Church, it is advised that you consult with your parish priest for his opinion.
In regard to a potential applicant or current member who is associated with the Masons, there is often confusion as to whether or not he qualifies for membership. As a result, our legal department has issued the following response concerning this matter:
The question here is
NOT whether one can be a Knight of Columbus and a Mason. The question is whether one can be a Catholic in union with the Holy See and at the same time be enrolled in a Masonic Association. The question of whether or not a member or candidate for membership is a Catholic in union with the Holy See is a pastoral question that is properly directed to local chaplains, pastors, and bishops. Candidates for membership in the Knights of Columbus known to be members of Masonic Associations should be presented with copies of the Church's teaching and must resign their membership in such Masonic Associations before being admitted to membership in the Knights of Columbus.
The fact is that many Catholics are unaware of the Church's constant teaching prohibiting a Catholic's enrollment in a Masonic Association. When a Catholic has a question regarding his or another's enrollment in a Masonic Association, the first thing to determine is whether that person is in fact enrolled in a Masonic Association. This determination should be made through a private and confidential conversation with the person in question. This conversation should be non-argumentative and non-confrontational. The purpose of the meeting is simply to confirm whether the member is enrolled in a Masonic Association and to determine whether the member is aware of the Church's teaching. When addressing the Church's teaching during this conversation, the first point of reference should be hard copies of the Church's most recent definitive statements on the issue. Please find attached copies of these statements which are as follows:
(1) DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS, issued by the CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH in 1983
(available at
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...aith_doc_19831126_declaration-masonic_en.html ); and
(2) "Irreconcilability between Christian faith and Freemasonry," an article in
L'Osservatore Romano dated March 11, 1985
(available at
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...19850223_declaration-masonic_articolo_en.html)
Prayerful study of these two statements should be encouraged, as they provide Catholics with solid guidance on how to "think with the Church" when considering a Catholic's enrollment in a Masonic Association. A Catholic being presented with these statements must be given adequate time to prayerfully consider the Church's teaching and to seek spiritual direction from his pastor in the context of his personal faith formation. If, after full fraternal and pastoral counseling and the passage of a reasonable period of time in which to prayerfully consider the Church's teaching, a member of the Knights of Columbus declines to resign from the Knights of Columbus or the Masonic Association, then the matter
shall be referred to the State Deputy for final resolution. After consulting with the State Chaplain, the State Deputy may take appropriate action, up to and including summary suspension of the member.