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Who are the Rosicrucians, what do they believe, and why do they believe it? | Catholic Answers<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1906385056278061&ev=PageView&noscript=1" />Skip to main content Accessibility feedback ☰ ✕ Home Catholic Answers Live Podcasts Video Magazine Q&As Tracts News Events Encyclopedia Bible Navigator Donate SOCIETY 315 Shop School of Apologetics Speakers About Careers Advertise Find About Shop Donate Q&A Who are the Rosicrucians, what do they believe, and why do they believe it? Catholic Answers Staff • Download Share AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to PrintPrintShare to EmailEmailShare to MoreAddThis Listen to the audio version of this content Question: Who are the Rosicrucians, what do they believe, and why do they believe it? Answer: The Rosicrucians are an occult sect originating in either the 15th or 17th century, depending on which account you accept. The latter is the more plausible and involves the 1610 publication by Johann Valentine Andrea of a work called Fama Fraternitatis, which purported to be a history of a society of mystical healers begun by the German scholar Christian Rosenkreuz. Though this “history” was later admitted to be a complete fabrication, the concept of a brotherhood of men interested in science, medicine, and occultism was a fashionable one at the time and took root in Germany; the Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross spread also to England. The history of this movement becomes vague after the end of the 17th century, and little is known of it until 1866, when modern Rosicrucianism was organized as a branch of Freemasonry. It spread from England to the United States and then back to Continental Europe, and by the end of the 19th century, Rosicrucians had established numerous lodges, colleges, and regional headquarters throughout the Western world. Rosicrucian theology is vague and undefined. It has borrowed certain Christian concepts while rejecting others, viewing “all things as complicitly and ideally in God” and tending toward a kind of pantheism. Here there are similarities (unsurprisingly) with the occultic religion of upper-level Freemasonry. Despite their name, the Rosicrucians are not a Christian denomination, nor even a quasi-Christian sect; a Catholic should have nothing to do with them. Related Rosicrucians Rosicrucians, the original appellation of the alleged members... encyclopedia Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons For Faith, Hope, And Love How can you believe all this stuff? This is the number-one... shop Does Christmas Have Pagan Origins? Each December, as we approach Christmas, there are articles... audio The Reliability of the Gospels The historical reliability of the Gospels is essential to... article With One Accord The apostles and early Christians believed and worshiped in... audio Ultramontanism The term ultramontanism has had a long and complicated... article Open Forum for Non-Catholics Non-Catholics call with their questions. Questions... audio Filioque The schism between the Catholic and the Orthodox churches is... article Bible History Set in Stone A few weeks ago, while leading a pilgrimage tour to Israel, I... article ‹ › Enjoying this content?  Please support our mission! Donate Get Our Newsletter Donate Company About Us News Profiles Careers Advertise Sites Shop School Conference Cruises Publishing Submissions Permissions Copyright © 1996-2023 Catholic Answers Terms | Privacy | Contact Us By continuing to use this site you agree to our Terms and that you have read our Privacy Policy. All right