30 Lutheran pastors want Freemasonry banned for clergy

Photo: Toomas Huik

 Thirty members of the clergy of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church have turned to the governing body of the church to forbid clergy members from belonging to a Masonic organization, Eesti Paevaleht said.

According to the signatories of the letter, Masonic membership is not consistent with the position of a member of the clergy, causes confusion among and looks strange to members of  the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and looks strange to and causes prejudice in the society as a whole.

In the letter addressed to the Consistorium, the clergy members say they are couriers for Christ and ministers for whom relations and connections outside their job must not become obstacles to their work for the good of the kingdom of God.

"We are asking the leadership of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church to maintain the purity and good order of the teaching of the church among the people of God and to unequivocally ban membership by the clergy in a Masonic organization," the letter reads.

Jaan Tammsalu, the provost for Tallinn, admitted in a newspaper article published of late to being a Freemason. He also said that being a Freemason did not get into the way of his performing his clerical duties. The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church issued a statement saying that Tammsalu had properly fulfilled his duties as pastor and provost.