Is the obelisk in St. Peter's Square Masonic?

The animosity between the Catholic Church and the Freemason's is no secret. Until recent times, a Catholic who joined the Mason's was automatically excommunicated from the Church. The Church views Masonry, even today, as a grave threat to to the faith of its members because of its expounding of the principal of religious indifference; the view that all religions are equal and it does not matter what faith one holds.

This has caused many to question the obelisk which sits so prominently in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

The obelisk has been an occult symbol which features prominently is Freemasonry. The Washington Memorial in Washington D.C. is but one example.

"Ever wondered what are the meaning of these "pillars" that are found all over the world from Washington (the Washington Monument) to the Vatican? Why do the "Freemasons" regard them as "powerful symbols" and what does the Bible have to say about them?

Masonic author, Rollin Blackmer, elaborates: The Symbolism regarding solar (sun) worship indicated by the point within the circle has many variations, but one of the most primitive and natural was the sun was to be regarded as the male generative power of nature. To the ancient philosopher the origin and creation of life led to the contemplation of only one process, the generative act. The sun god was certainly the generator of life, light and heat, the male principle, and this was symbolically represented by the phallus or Lingam, which was some picture, more or less veiled, of the human male generative organ. The most frequent illustration was of a pillar set up in the center of a circle. The circle just as distinctively represented the earth or female principle. The sun was the great father, under his benign influence all nature germinated, and the earth was the universal mother in whose ample womb all these germs grew to maturity."

In Our Phallic Heritage we are told that "All pillars or columns originally had a phallic significance, and were therefore considered sacred." Pan, the goat god and god of sensuality, was often represented as an obelisk.

It seems strange that such an object would be present in the Vatican or that the Church would go to such trouble to have an ancient obelisk moved to be the center piece in St. Peter's Square.

Of course the Masons and Egyptians aren't the only ones who had high regard for the obelisk. In front of the Vatican stands the very same obelisk that once stood in Egypt. Ralph Woodrow explains: "The very same obelisk that once stood at the ancient temple which was the center of Egyptian paganism, now stands before the mother church of Romanism. This seems like more than a mere coincidence.

"The red granite obelisk of the Vatican is itself 83 feet high (132 feet high with its foundation) and weighs 320 tons. In 1586, in order to center it in front of the Church in St. Peters square, it was moved to its present location by order of Pope Sixtus V. Of course moving this heavy obelisk was a very difficult task. Many movers refused to attempt the feat, especially since the Pope had attached the death penalty if the obelisk was dropped and broken. Finally a man by the name of Domenico Fontana accepted the responsibility. With 45 winches, 160 horses and a crew of 800 workmen, the task of moving began. The date was September 10, 1586. Multitudes crowded the extensive square. While the obelisk was being moved, the crowd, upon penalty of death, was required to remain silent. But after the obelisk was successfully erected, there was the sound of hundreds of bells ringing, the roar of cannons and the loud cheer of the multitude."

Recently Pope Benedict XVI offered a more benign explanation for the obelisk in St. Peter's Square; he claims that it is a giant sundial to aid the faithful to mind their prayer times and holy days throughout the year.

High noon: How the sun and moon guided prayer times and liturgy.

Hidden among the paving stones of St. Peter's Square there is a simple clock and calendar. All you need is a sunny day.

The 83-foot stone obelisk in the middle of the square acts as a sundial that can accurately indicate midday and the two solstices thanks to a granite meridian and marble markers embedded in the square.

Pope Benedict XVI proudly pointed out the hidden timepiece during an Angelus address he gave on the winter solstice a few years ago.

"The great obelisk casts its shadow in a line that runs along the paving stones toward the fountain beneath this window and in these days, the shadow is at its longest of the year," he told pilgrims from the window of his library.

In fact, at noon on Dec. 21, the obelisk's shadow falls on the marble disk furthest from the obelisk's base, while at noon on June 21 -- the summer solstice -- the tip of the shadow will fall just a few yards from the obelisk. In between are five other disks marking when the sun enters into which sign of the zodiac.

A long, thin granite strip running from the obelisk toward the pope's window and through one of the fountains acts as the meridian: a line that indicates when the sun has reached true or solar noon and is at its highest point in the sky.

The pope, in his solstice soliloquy, reminded people that the church has always been keenly interested in astronomy to help guide and establish fundamental liturgical days and the times of prayer such as the Angelus, which is recited in the morning, at noon and in the evening. While sunrise and sunset are easy to figure out, sundials could accurately tell midday, he said.

Some may point out that the Church following the Zodiac proves its pagan influences but, there are some that argue that the Zodiac actually tells the story of Christ the redeemer and has been written in the stars for all the world to see through all the ages, if they just knew how to interpret what they see.

Not many folks have heard about the Bible in the stars. This is definitely NOT astrology. Astrology can't even put three signs together to make a story, whereas, the 48 constellations that make up the true Zodiac all go together to tell the story of Jesus, the Redeemer. The story includes His birth and life prophesy(the first four major Signs; 16 constellations), His dealings with His elect people(the second four major Signs), and His coming in triumph over Satan( the last four major Signs).

Do you buy the Pope's explanation, or do you believe the Church is somehow in league with the Masons, only pretending to be their enemies as the work, hand in hand, to impose the New World Order upon the world.