Special Note: Since this post was originally posted, we have received numerous emails from Kappa Sigma members protesting its publication. In response to the concerns of Kappa Sigma members I have edited the original poster's question to remove points and narrative that is not needed in asking the question as to any Masonic connection to Kappa Sigma or to the suitability of Catholics in joining Kappa Sigma.

As a matter of policy, we do not recommend Catholics to join ANY Greek Fraternity as the entire Greek system, in our opinion, opens itself to, and is rife with corruption, gross immorally, and environments utterly unsuited to people of the Catholic faith and to anyone of moral integrity in general.

We do not know the history specifically of Kappa Sigma members’ behavior on campus or in their houses.

As for Kappa Sigma and Freemasonry, we cannot at the time of this writing find any proof that Kappa Sigma derives directly from Freemasonry, but we have found circumstantial evidence that alludes to a possible connection or at least a possible influence—a few examples:

1) According to the Kappa Sigma MIT site:

Kappa Sigma has a rich and varied history. The spirit of Kappa Sigma dates back to 1400. A Greek scholar named Manuel Chrysoloras at the University of Bologna in Italy founded a society for mutual protection against harassment and attacks by the governor of Bologna, Baldassarre Cossa.

It was with the spirit of Chrysoloras that the five founders founded Kappa Sigma here in America. At the University of Virginia, William Grigsby McCormick, George Miles Arnold, Frank Courtney Nicodemus, Edmund Law Rogers, and John Covert Boyd met in McCormick's room on the night of December 10, 1869 and founded Kappa Sigma.

The connection with the “spirit of Chrysoloras” may implicate a similarity with Mason-like organizations.

2) We notice that many Kappa Sigma alumni are also Masons which gives pause including, according to one Kappa Sigma member who wrote us, a founder who “suffered death by revealing some of the masonic rites to our ritual.”

3) Another Kappa Sigma member who wrote us stated, “...the oaths and vows that we take are from the heart... but we are advised that in the modern context, it is only the belief in a supreme power that we must process...and not in one specific faith.” This language, underlined in the above quote, is very similar to the language used by the Masons to describe their “spirituality.” I also take pause at the “modern context” in wondering what the original context might be. Again this sounds very mason-like in the interpretation of their own rituals.

4) More than one of the Kappa Sigma members who wrote us allude that some of the rubrics revealed by the original poster may be accurate but needs to be kept secret. One member said, “The individual concerned provided mere glimpses of a portion of what actually occurs...” Another member said, “The young man mentioned a few details concerning this fraternity's ritual that many people value as being kept a secret.” Finally, yet another member told us, “I am a member of Kappa Sigma and I can tell you that this e-mail [posting about Kappa Sigma] is accurate in contact (sp) [content], but it does not represent the actual beliefs and meanings of Kappa Sigma.”

5) The most damning factor in our opinion is the ritual vows that contain a penalty of mutilation and death. Such “culture of death” is, in our understanding, patently inappropriate for Catholics who are admonished to pursue a Culture of Life. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, of happy memory, continually and repeatedly called all Catholics and all people of Good Will to live a Culture of Life. We also learn from St. Paul in 1 Thess 5:22 that we are to avoid even the appearance of evil. Thus, even if the intent is not evil, we are not to do something that even smacks of evil in appearance.

In addition to any of the above, the secret nature of the Fraternity also causes a problem. Since the Fraternity will not reveal their rituals to anyone they place themselves beyond scrutiny. Without any access to the Fraternity rituals it is impossible for parents or pastors to scrutinize the organization as to its harm or lack of harm to Catholics.

Indeed, this problem of unscrutinized secrecy becomes more acute with Kappa Sigma specifically if what one Kappa Sigma member told us is true. This Fraternity member said, “Our group refuses to provide proof about our ritual because it is one of the most well kept secrets among any fraternity. During the 1960s, when most fraternities were required to demonstrate their rituals before congress, and register the process with the library of congress, ours was excluded. The reason for this was one of our most distinguished members, former Senator Bob Dole testified that there was nothing present in the ritual that constituted a threat, and that the secrecy is reserved only for members to share a common bond.”

With all due respect to Senator Dole, this is very disturbing. We have here a Senator using his special influence to exempt a Fraternity from Congressional scrutiny giving Kappa Sigma special privilege not granted to any other Fraternity. Why is Kappa Sigma so special as to be treated differently from any other Fraternity? In addition, while Senator Dole is a respectable man as far as I know, why should we take his singular word for it? especially in the face of offering special privilege to one group over another?

The Senator's endorsement, however, is beside the point. While the Senator I am sure is correct that there is nothing in the Kappa Sigma ritual that is a treat to the safety of the fraternity members or to the community, our point is one that speaks to spiritual safety of one's soul and thus the prudence of Catholics joining this Fraternity. The secrecy, apparently made more secure by Senator Dole than it would be with other Fraternities, makes it impossible for parents or pastors to judge the affect of these rituals on their children's spiritual health. This, we believe, is a fatal flaw.

The secrecy in a Fraternity is a mere gimmick to create a bond between fellow brothers, and perhaps to have some fun. That is fine as far as it goes. In the scheme of things it is trivial especially when compared with real and substantive issues of privacy, such as in issues of employment, school, and medical records, or in “genuine” national security issues and such. When Fraternities take themselves too seriously and begin to treat their “secrets” as if it had the importance of National Security and the breaking of that secrecy the equivalent of treason, then we stumble into the ridiculous.

While the “secrecy” of Fraternities in this context is rather trivial, it is not trivial if those secrets contain rituals or parts of rituals that are potentially harmful spiritually or otherwise problematic for Catholic participation. This is the reason why scrutiny is needed. When such secrecy is unchecked, made absolute, or exists without unbiased scrutiny, then President Wilson's comment below becomes a more important maxim.

It should be noted that such issues as these are of specific and acute concern for Catholics in that these things matter in Catholic teaching and life, but I suppose it may be possible that some other Christian groups may not have as great a concern about this. I am sure the secular public has little concern as long as Senator Dole is correct in his assessment. Thus, it is important to note that the assessment and comments made here refer only to a Catholic concern according to a Catholic worldview.

It is wise, I think, when thinking about these things, to listen to the advice of Woodrow Wilson who said, “Everybody knows that corruption thrives in secret places, and avoids public places, and we believe it is a fair assumption that secrecy means impropriety....”

For all these reasons, we cannot in good conscience recommend to the Catholic Faithful membership in Kappa Sigma or other similar Fraternities.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary