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Actually, the RC Church lifted the ban back in the 60's when Pope Paul VI met with the Duke of Kent, Grand Master of England and they realized that there was no difficulty between Legit Masons and Catholics. It was a misunderstanding of huge proportions. Please see my postings in the Masonic thread. Later on the current Pope, John Paul II reiterated that there was no reason why a catholic lay person could not join the Masons. The only reservation is that in order to join the Masons Catholic Clergy must obtain approval of their Bishop, or their Father Superior if they are members of professed orders such as Jesuits or Franciscans. This has to do with lines of authority and appearance of active endorsement rather than cordial relations based on non hostile non opposing philosophies.
There are Masons who are a bit anti-Catholic and there are Catholics who are a bit anti-Mason just as there are Greeks who are anti-GDI and GDIs who are anti-Greek. This simply is not a perfect world. The key point is that after a couple of hundred years of mutual misunderstanding the Masons and the Catholics are on friendly terms and the Pope apparently thinks this is just fine with him.
As to Masonry being purely WASP, one should remember that the Order is rather a lot older than this country and one will find regular legit Masons of every faith, every race, and every philosophy so long as they all believe in a Supreme Being and live up to the obligation one takes at initiation. In some countries most Masons are Catholics
As an OBTW, I am a practising Catholic, when I was at School in England and later in my JYA in England I was an acholyte who regularly served Mass for Cardinal Basil Hume, and I am a Mason who has been Master of my Lodge and served as M.E.Z. of my Royal Arch Chapter.
If I can answer any specific questions please post or send me an email.
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