Roncalli and Freemasonry

On December 18, 1993, Naples born Virgilio Gaito was elected Grand Master of the Grand
Orient of Ital!Not long afterward, the Grand Master granted two significant inter"iews, the
first to #abio $ndriola, %o&rnalist at LItalia Settimanale, the second to Gio"anni '&bedd&,
correspondent for 30Giorni, the monthl p&blished b Gi&lio $ndreotti, prominent member of
the mo"ement, Communion and Liberation( D&ring these two inter"iews, Gaito made an
all&sion to )ohn **III( #ollowing, we report the +&estions and answers, the are similar, with
onl slight differences-
$ndriola as.s Gaito- /Do o& belie"e that there might be priests in the Grand Orient lodges,
it0s said that certain 'ardinals ha"e been 1rothers!23 4he Grand Master responds- /5robabl(
$s for me, I don0t .now( It0s said that )ohn **III was initiated into Masonr when he was the
N&ncio in 5aris( I0m onl reporting what I0"e been told( In his speeches, I ha"e noticed a
n&mber of intrinsicall Masonic concepts( I0m mo"ed to tears when I hear him sa that it is
necessar to emphasi6e man(2 718
In his inter"iew, '&bedd& as.ed- /9hat does the new Grand Master ha"e to sa abo&t the
warm relations between the 'atholic 'h&rch and Masonr32 /:o& .now,2 responded Gaito, /an
prelate who wo&ld li.e to belong, we wo&ld accept with open arms( 4he problem is more on
the 'h&rch0s side and not o&rs, we welcome all free men, all free spirits( It seems that 5ope
)ohn **III had been initiated in 5aris and that he ma ha"e participated in the lodges; wor. in
Istanb&l( 9hen I hear hierarchical ecclesiastics spea.ing in their sermons abo&t man being the
center of the &ni"erse, I am mo"ed to tears(2 7<8 =$nd> the Grand 'ommander of the ?&preme
'o&ncil of Me@ican Masonr, 'arlos Vas+&e6 Aangel, also recentl re"ealed that $ngelo Aoncalli
was initiated into 5arisian Masonr( 738
#rom inter"iews with the Grand Master of Italian Masonr, an important +&estion emerges-
9hat were the relations between )ohn **III and Masonr3 $nd f&rther- 9as $ngelo Gi&seppe
Aoncalli a 1rother #reemason3 $ccording to Virgilio Gaito, the answer is as follows- 1( It seems
that $(G( Aoncalli fre+&ented the Istanb&l lodges( 2. It seems that it ma ha"e been in 5aris
that $(G( Aoncalli ma ha"e been initiated into Masonr( 738 $t an rate, the Grand Master0s
competence in this matter is, as he sas, not completel reliable, b&t he also sas that
n&mero&s aspects of )ohn **III0s tho&ght are essentiall Masonic(
9e ha"e alread e@pressed o&r opinion on the information emanating from Masonic members
regarding 5ier 'arpi0s /re"elations(2 7B8 $ltho&gh Virgilio Gaito is more a&thoritati"e than 5ier
'arpi, we sho&ld repeat that for &s, a priori, the word of a Mason is s&spect( 1eca&se Gaito is
constrained to admit that his testimon is e+&i"ocal, it is necessar for &s, in o&r series, /4he
5ope of the 'o&ncil2 to re"isit the past regarding o&r s&b%ect(
The Grand Orient in the East (Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey)
4he fo&rth part of /4he 5ope of the 'o&ncil2 titled /$n Cc&menist in the 1al.ans- 19<DE19392,
and the following part, /#rom the ?econd 9orld 9ar to the 5aris $ppointment-1939E19BB,2
were specificall dedicated to the period spent b Msgr( Aoncalli in those regions as the
representati"e of the Fol ?ee, first in 1&lgaria, then in 4&r.e( 7D8 $ccording to 5ier 'apri0s
statements, in 193D, barel had he =Aoncalli> arri"ed in Istanb&l, =he> %oined the AoseE'roi@(
$ccording to Gaito, =Aoncalli> was content to fre+&ent the Godges witho&t being initiated( 9e
ha"e no e@plicit confirmation of this information( Fowe"er, we can demonstrate that this
information is not at all &nli.el to be tr&e( $lread, we ha"e spo.en of the friendl relations
with the =Castern> /Orthodo@2 hierarch, and the 4&r.ish go"ernment, relations which went far
beond diplomatic e@igencies(

4h&s, in both cases, it can be hpothesi6ed that Aoncalli had an entr into the Masonic world(
It is th&s noteworth that the $nglican and /Orthodo@2 confessions did not harbor the 'atholic
pre%&dice toward Masonr( 4he /5atriarch2 of 'onstantinople, $thenagoras, who compared
)ohn **III to ?aint )ohn the 1aptist was, for e@ample, a high dignitar of Masonr( 7H8
Moreo"er, the 4&r.ish go"ernment imposed a strict laicism that was the the program of a
secret societ, the /:o&ng 4&r.s,2 which was s&pported b the Masonic ?aloni+&e Godge, and
was mainl composed of members of a )ewish ?ect 7the D&ganeh8 which p&blicl professed
Islam, while secretl practicing the r&brics of a )ewish c&lt in their ho&ses( 7I8 4hese /friends2
wo&ld ha"e introd&ced Aoncalli to Masonr( 4oo, Aoncalli0s cond&ct and spe eches, reported in
earlier cited iss&es of Sodalitium, clearl indicated that, if he was not initiated, Msgr(
Aoncalli,EEEagain to +&ote the Grand Master0s happ phraseEEEe@pressed /specificall Masonic
ideas(2
ith the !asons O" the #econd Re$u%lic
$ccording to Gaito and Vas+&e6 Aangel, it was in 5aris that Aoncalli wo&ld ha"e been initiated
into the secrets of the J9idow0s ?ons0 ?ome specifics can now be added to what has alread
been said in Sodalitium( 788 4he friendl relations between the N&ncio and two "ir&lent
antiEclerics, the ?ocialist, Vincent $&riol, and the radical, Cdo&ard Ferriot, shoc.ed the 5arisian
political sphere, despite its sense of /freedom(2
$ldo $lessandro Mola, an historian of Masonr, clarified the matter b writing that $&riol and
Ferriot were both members of Masonr( 798 Mig&el Mateo 5la, the ?panish ambassador from
Madrid, was practicall shown the door at the 5aris N&nciat&re b Msgr( Aoncalli, who e"identl
did not ha"e the same smpathies for General #ranco0s en"o as he did for $&riol and Ferriot(
On another p&rel diplomatic occasion, the ?panish ambassador!was shoc.ed b a
+&asiEconfidential remar. made in his presence b the N&ncio, Aoncalli, to certain 'atholics(
4he N&ncio professed friendship for the person and wor. of the #rench go"ernment0s Minister
of Cd&cation, and also said that he held him in esteem, considering him to be /molto bravo.
((($nd when he was told that in #rance, since the time of 'ombe, all the Mini sters of Cd&cation
had been Masons!Msgr( Aoncalli openl showed his displeas&re at the remar. %&st made to
him(2 71K8

$nother indication of Aoncalli0s Masonic affiliation was his friendship with 1aron Marsa&don,
e"idenced b the latter in three of his boo.s( 7118 ?ince I ha"e alread commented on this in
"ario&s former essas, I am content here to add %&st a few new details( Marsa&don and the
N&ncio, Aoncalli, met in 19BI and became friends, altho&gh Marsa&don did not at all hide his
Masonic affiliation( It was Marsa&don0s membership in the Lnights of Malta that was the
occasion for the first contacts, Marsa&don as.ed Aoncalli for his s&pport in recogni6ing the
=Lnights of Malta> Order in Gatin $merican co&ntries( In fact, Marsa&don, initiated into Masonr
in 19<H b 5ierre Val&de, Minister of the Merchant Marine, which is part of the sec&lar sphere,
had been sent b the latter, one ear earlier, to ?o&th $merica, as the representati"e of #rench
maritime companies( #rom 19<I to 193<, he wor.ed for the #rench go"ernment and Masonr
7which were one thingM8, and he beca me well ac+&ainted with the ?o&th $merican lodges(

Marsa&don ret&rned #rance and attained the highest Masonic degrees than.s to the s&pport of
the famo&s Masonic spirit&alist, Oswald 9irth( 71<8 In the postEwar period, Marsa&don was
named Minister 5lenipotentiar for a special mission of the ?o"ereign Militar Order of Malta
7?MOM8 b the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, brother G&do"ico 'higi $lbani della Ao"ere(
Nat&rall, than.s to his Masonic s&pport, he had obtained official recognition from the #rench
go"ernment for the Delegation of the Order for the #rench branch(

$pprised of his entr into ?o&th $merica, the Order of Malta ga"e Marsa&don the mission of
obtaining the same recognition on that continent and also the mission to see. ad"ice from the
N&ncio, Aoncalli( $ccording to the 1aron, from that point on, and fore"er after, Aoncalli became
his /protector2 and /confidant2 O"er the co&rse of their long and man meetings, man more
of them ta.ing place at the N&nciat&re than at Marsa&don0s residence, the two wo&ld disc&ss
the Order of Malta0s problems, as well as /the relations between the 'h&rch and Masonr,2
/spirit&al problems,2 and /rapprochement among the "ario&s 'hristian 'h&rches(2 7138
Marsa&don wrote abo&t some of these con"ersations-
NAoncalli told me>- It isn0t a matter of belief or disbelief in God that preocc&pies me, b&t rather
the tr&e conception of 'hrist, abo"e all, )es&sEMan( =Aoncalli> ne"er spo.e of hell, rather he
fre+&entl spo.e of a f&t&re life which, howe"er, he caref&ll a"oided defining( Fe had not
forgotten his ten ears in the Cast, not onl had he been embraced b the Orthodo@
5atriarchs, b&t he had not forgotten that the are the heirs of the 'hristians closest to the
$postles and that the had caref&ll a"oided certain no"elties that were enth&siasticall
welcomed!in Aoman 'atholic +&arters(N 71B8
$mong these no"elties- the infallibilit of the 5ope, on which he =Aoncalli> "ol&ntaril
maintained silence, and the $ss&mption of Mar, which 5i&s *II was soon to declare a dogma(
71D8 On the s&b%ect of Masonr, the N&ncio =writes Marsa&don> /did not scorn an interest2 in
Marsa&don0s /modest conception of relations between the 'h&rch and Masonr,2 71H8 /he
=Aoncalli> .indl did his best to &nderstand the meaning of initiation!(which is in no wa
incompatible with the faith, of which he was more and more con"inced,271I8 to the e@tent that
he /formall2 ad"ised /the 1aron2 /to remain in Masonr(2 7188 $s described b Marsa&don,
Aoncalli0s character and ideas correspond to the profile done of him b another high Masonic
dignitar, 'arl )( 1&rc.ardt, the ?wiss diplomat, who was Ao ncalli0s friend at the time he was
N&ncio in 5aris( =9rote 1&rc.ardt>, /Fe is a Deist and a rationalist!Fe will change man
things, after him, the 'h&rch will no longer be the same(2 7198
In s&m, e"erthing was mo"ing along +&ite well 7from Marsa&don0s point of "iew8 when the
Lnights of Malta scandal hit(
&n'uest into the (nights o" !alta
On No"ember 1B, 19D1, G&do"ico 'higi $lbani della Ao"ere, Grand Master of the Order of
Malta, died in Aome( Normall, the Lnights wo&ld ha"e then con"ened to elect a s&ccessor, b&t
the did not do so( 4he were &nable to do so- 5i&s *II formall forbade them to do so( 4he
5ope appointed a commission of 'ardinals =5apal 'ommission> charged to reform 7or s&ppress8
the Order of Malta, and for the rest of the das of 5apa 5acelli, the Lnights wo&ld not ha"e a
Grand Master( $ll of that changed on )&ne <B, 19H1( On that date, the feast of ?aint )ohn the
1aptist, patron of the Order 7and of Masonr8, )ohn **III recei"ed the Lnights at the Vatican,
and to their great satisfaction, p&blicl iss&ed the 1rief which s&ppressed the 'ommission of
'ardinals instit&ted b 5i&s *II( Fe also appro"ed the Order0s new constit&tions, and
a&thori6ed the election of a Grand Master( 4his is how $ngelo de Moiana, Msgr( Mario Nasalli
Aocca de 'orneliano0s co& sin, Fis Foliness0 Grand Cameralinga =5apal 'hamberlain>, was
elected the following Ma( 7<K8
1&t wh for so man ears had 5i&s *II left the Order witho&t a Master, had placed it &nder
the direction of a sole Gie&tenant General, and &nder the s&r"eillance of a 'ommission of
'ardinals3
4he fact is that there were se"eral problems( 4he Lnights had preser"ed little to nothing of
their original character of a religio&s order, and there were few members who professed their
"ows( $lread in 1I99, in the aftermath of the Ae"ol&tion, a schismatic, the '6ar of A&ssia,
had been elected Grand Master 71I99E18KK8( $nd there is the matter of ?t( )ohn0s Order, a
separate branch fo&nded in the last cent&r, ?t( )ohn0s Order, which was lin.ed to the 7"er
Masonic8 1ritish monarch( 7<18 $ certain n&mber of $nglican Lnights were recei"ed b the
Grand Master of the Lnights of ?t( )ohn( 4he ante litteram ec&menism of the Order was
e@tolled b 1rother Marsa&don himself( 7<<8 1&t most &nsettling was the infiltration of Masonr
into the Order of Malta( 7<38 OPnote <3Q 4his infiltra tion was confirmed b doc&ments and
admitted b the Masons themsel"es, for e@ample, Marsa&don and Mola( 7<B8 4his is wh
'ardinal Nicola 'anali inter"ened( 7<D8
In his capacit as Grand 'ommendatore 5rior of Aome of the Fol and ?o"ereign Militar Order
of )er&salem, 'ardinal 'anali said that Malta wanted to ta.e them o"er( 4hese enemies of
Malta were acc&sed of wanting to s&ppress or reform Malta and p&t it directl &nder the control
of the Fol ?ee, and in partic&lar the Order of the Fol ?ep&lcher, of which Msgr( 'anali was
the Grand Master( 7<H8 In realit, 'ardinal 'anali, who had contrib&ted to 5i&s *0s
antiEmodernist battle, was alarmed b the Masonic infiltration that we ha"e alread mentioned(
4his is treated in the Cditorial Note b Cditor Vitiano in Marsa&don0s boo., LOecumni!me vu
par un "ranc#macon de $radition =NCc&menism "iewed b a #reemason of 4raditionN>-
N$ttac.ed &nder the 5ontificate of 5i&s *II b the integrist Aoman clan, he =Marsa&don>
resigned his office of 5lenipotentiar of the Order, b&t was immediatel promoted to the high
office of Minister Cmerit&s, the onl Lnight of Malta c&rrentl to ha"e that distinction( 4he
Grand Master of Malta, in his str&ggle against 'ardinal 'anali, ne"er abandoned 1aron de
Marsa&don who, on his part, was constrained to contin&e to gi"e his ser"ices to the diplomatic
and hospitalier plans(2 7<I8
In fact, Marsa&don, a #reemason, was disco"ered to be in the Order, and that was the reason
he was forced to resign(
$lso, =a&thor> #ranco 1elligrandi0s disp&ted acco&nt of the episode 7<88 does not seem at all
&nfo&nded, and did m&ch to clarif at least some of the affair-
NIn this #rench period, an incident too. place, ignored for the most part, which momentaril
lifted the "eil co"ering Aoncalli0s pres&med membership in the Masonic sect( $ letter from
'ardinal 'anali, hard as a roc., was sent to Fis Figh Cminence, 5rince 'higi $lbani della
Ao"ere( ( 5i&s *II!(had %&st learned!(that the minister of the Order of Malta in 5aris was a
Mason!Fe disco"ered that =Marsa&don> had been gi"en ;the Grand Magisterial 'ross; on the
recommendation of his predecessor =de5ierredon> and, abo"e all, as is .nown, on the
recommendation of the N&ncio in 5aris, Aoncalli( 4he res&lt of this first in+&est was
immediatel referred to the Vatican, to 'ardinal 'anali who e@claimed- ;5oor Aoncalli( I am
&pset at ha"ing to embarrass him and I hope that it won0t cost him the 'ardinal0s hat!; 9ith
the greatest circ&mspection, the Vatican decided to p&t the Order in 5aris o&t to past&re, and
sent a person to 5aris who wo&ld attend to this highl delicate affair( In effect, three persons
implicated in this period are of central interest- the N&ncio, beca&se of his collaboration with
the Order of Malta o"er some delicate affairs in $rgentina, 'o&nt de5ierredon for the man
ears of his ser"ice, first in 1&charest and then in 5aris, and 1aron Marsa&don himself, for
meritorio&s wor. in obtaining the official recognition of the Order b the #rench go"ernment(N
N$ 'haplain of the Order, Msgr( Aossi ?toc.alper was named Magistral Visitor( Fe was sent to
5aris to spea. with #ather )oseph 1erteloot, a )es&it who was an e@pert in all aspects of
Masonr( ?toc.alper also spo.e to the Vicar General of the diocese, Msgr( Ma&rice 1ohan( 1oth
confirmed Marsa&don0s affiliation( ;4he Magistral Visitor,; his mind made &p, then went to
N&mber 1K avenue de %r!ident &il!on, the N&ncio0s head+&arters( Fe tactf&ll as.ed Aoncalli
abo&t the news s&rro&nding the 1aronEMason( 1etween smiles and pleasantries, the sto&t
priest of ?otto il Monte sent for Msgr( 1r&no Feim, the 'haplain of the Order of Malta( 4oda,
this priest is $postolic Gegate in Great 1ritain( Fe s&rprised the "isitor from Aome with his
clergman0s habit and the lighted pipe that he held between his teeth, and then f&rther
s&rprised him with his st&pefing assertions on Masonr, which he defined as ;one of the
&ltimate forces of social conser"atism in the world and th&s, a force of religio&s preser"ation(;
#inall, he asto&nded him with his enth&siastic %&dgment of 1aron Marsa&don who, he said,
had helped the N&ncio &nderstand Masonr0s transcendent "al&e( It was beca&se of these
merits that the N&ncio in 5aris, $ngelo Gi&seppe Aoncalli, had s&pported his nomination as
Minister of the Order of Malta in 5aris( #inall Msgr( ?toc.alper recei"ed the coup de grace
when, protesting that 'anon <33D of 'anon Gaw called for the e@comm&nication of members
of Masonr, Feim responded!th at ;the n&nciat&re of 5aris was in the process of wor.ing
secretl to reconcile the 'h&rch and Masonr(;2 $nd this was in 19DKM 7<98
$s 1ellegrandi tells it, the episode is absol&tel similar to what we alread .now from other
so&rces( Msgr( Feim, of 1ale is a liberalEmonarchist, conse+&entl fa"orable to an $ngloE?a@on
stle of Masonr, )hich $oses as the "orce %ehind social conser*atism. =Cmphasis added
b translator especiall for ;rightEwing;'atholic $mericans> 4ransferred to $&stria after this
5arisian incident, he e"ent&all went, on October <1 and <3, 19HH, to ?candina"ia, to the
5lenar session of the ?candina"ian and 1altic co&ntries0 Cpiscopal 'onference( 4he bishops of
these co&ntries decided not to as. for the ren&nciation of Masons who belonged to the 'h&rch,
which then permitted d&al membership in the 'h&rch and Masonr( Mola reported that this
decision had been prepared /b the $postolic Delegate to ?candina"ia, Msgr( 1r&no 1( Feim,
who had been )ohn ** III0s secretar when he was N&ncio in 5aris(2 73K8
9hat then was the pre"ailing climate d&ring these ears in certain #rench 7and German8
'atholic +&arters3 $lread, since 19BI, the )es&it, #ather )oseph 1erteloot, to whom the
Aoman "isitor was sent for information, was .nown as a pioneer in the reconciliation between
the 'h&rch and smbolic Masonr( Fe was also an intimate friend of the Mason, $lbert
Gantoine( 7318 #r( 1erteloot0s wor.s on the possibilit of a reconciliation date from 19BI to
19D<, the ears of Aoncalli0s N&nciat&reM 4he contacts between certain Masons and the N&ncio
in 5aris res&lted in spreading the belief that there co&ld be a possible collaboration( 4oo, Msgr(
Feim0s and Msgr( Aoncalli0s ideas were promoted( $nd then there was both0s friendships with
Marsa&don, Ferriot, and $&riol!$ll of this s&ggests that concl&ding that Msgr Aoncalli was
initiated into Masonr in 5aris is not at all &nli.el( $t an rate, one fact remains certain- 1
appointing a commission charged to reform the Order of Malta, 5i&s *II appro"ed 'ardinal
'anali0s concerns, and )ohn **III re"ersed his predecessor0s decision and reopened the wa
for Masonic infiltration into the Order( Onl in the OrderEEEb&t not also in the 'h&rch3 4his is
what we are going to address ne@t( In the meantime, less than two months after the a&dience
with the Lnights of Malta, the elderl 'ardinal 'anali died( Fis antagonist, $ngelo Gi&seppe
Aoncalli, did not ma.e the least show of regret( 73<8
!asonic shado)s o*er the +ouncil
4ransferred to Venice in 19D3, 'ardinal Aoncalli insisted on his two old principles- /C"erthing
there is, and Masonr besides(2 7338 OPnote 33Q Meaning that it is necessar to consider
what &nifies rather than di"ides, and he contin&ed to fre+&ent the Masonic 1rothers, $&riol and
Marsa&don( In 19D8, 5i&s *II died and Aoncalli was elected &nder the name of )ohn **III( 9e
ha"e alread spo.en of Aoncalli0s strange certaint that he wo&ld be elected b the 'oncla"e, a
certaint fed b the tro&bling prophecies of the esotericist, )eanEGaston 1ardet( 73B8 9e ha"e
also spo.en of the role plaed b Masonr in the 19H3 'oncla"e, which too. place after )ohn
**III0s death, and ended b electing 5a&l VI( 73D8 4here are some specific details regarding
the latter e"ent( /Vaticanist,2 1enn Gai , specificall mentions two of these( 73H8 1&t the fi rst
and "er discreet mention of these was made b a person who was certainl well informed,
Gi&lio $ndreotti, who wrote-
NIn the das %&st before the 'oncla"e, a noteworth e"ent too. place, in which 'ardinals #rings
and Gercaro fig&red, both of whom had plaed preEeminent roles 7as leaders of the
progressi"ist front8 in the first conciliar session( $ n&mber of 'ardinals EEEItalians and
foreignersEEEwere in"ited to a meeting at Grottoferrata, m&ch to the s&rprise of the
inhabitants, at the in"itation of the $rchbishop of 'ologne, #rings( One of the participants told
me, halfEam&sedl and halfEserio&sl, that the canonical ma%orit had alread been reached-
he specificall told me who wo&ld be the beneficiar of the choice, and I didn0t as. him
anthing f&rther( 1&t thro&gh a certain other aspects of the same meeting, I was confirmed in
m prediction that it wo&ld be Montini(N 73I8
M&ch li.e the master of the ho&se whose name one forgets to mention, $ndreotti does not tell
&s who his informant was( !$ct&all, it wasn0t in one of the n&mero&s religio&s ho&ses of
Aome that the meeting he spea.s of too. place, b&t in the "illa of the lawer, Rmberto
Ortolani, who was later implicated in the e@ploits of the Masonic Godge, 5<, and in the 1anco
$mbrosiano fail&re, and who, at the time, was Gercaro0s /"alet(N 4he "illa had alread offered
its hospitalit to #rings to permit the $rchbishop of 'ologne to /ta.e his time to spea. in all
tran+&ilit abo&t the b&siness of the 'o&ncil2 7G( Gercaro, Lettera del Concilio, '()*#'()+,
CD1, 1ologna 198K, p( III,. 7388 It co&ld be that the miniEconcla"e at Grottoferrata had
designated 'ardinal Gercaro, /Ortolani0s man(2 1&t at another meeting which too. place in the
'ap&chin con"ent at #rascati, it is Montini who recei"ed preference, the e@+&isite flower of
progressi"ism was present thereEEE =9>ith 'ardinals Gienart, #rings, ?&enens, LSnig 7398 and
$lfrin., 7BK8 )ohn **III had appro"ed the two elections- in March 19H3, a few months before
his death, he confided to Msgr( 5ietro ?igismondi of the 5ropagation of the #aith- /M bags are
pac.ed and I am at peace- whoe"er comes after me shall carr thro&gh on the little that I
ha"e done, the 'o&ncil abo"e all( 4here is Montini, $gagianian and Gercaro(2 7B18

?o it was that on the e"ening of )&ne 18, Montini paid a "isit to Gercaro at the ho&se of the
1enedictine Oblates of 5riscilla, on the via Salaria in Aome( 4he Oblates are a religio&s
congregation fo&nded b $ndreotti0s &ncle, don 1el"ederi( It was there that the agreed on the
name of Montini, 7B<8 who later .nowingl declared that he was /the least desired and fa"ored
for election b that gatheringM2 7B38 4he meetings con"ened to g&ide the 'o&ncil, and also
those held in "iew of the forthcoming 'oncla"e were, then, held in the ho&se of a Mason in the
person of Ortolani, who alread had plaed a specific role at the Vatican &nder )ean **III( 4hat
Ortolani0s and Masonr0s roles in the election of 5a&l VI were central was confirmed b the
?alesian priest, #ather 5ier Giorgio Garrino, who, %&st at the time of his tragic death in $&g&st
199B, said that the election of 5a&l VI was fa"ored b Masonr(
Fa"ing presented these premises 7conditions of the election of Montini, ass&rance that Aoncalli
had of being elected, the /prophec2 of 1ardet abo&t this!8, there is another assertion b
1ellegrandi according to which 5a&l ?ella, of the well .nown 1iella famil, .new before the
19D8 'oncla"e that $ngelo Gi&seppe Aoncalli wo&ld be elected( 4his assertion is not at all
witho&t basis( 9ho told him this3 /$nother highl placed Masonic a&thorit in contact with the
Vatican(2 7BB8
$s soon as he was elected, )ohn **III recei"ed the most spirited congrat&lations from his
friend, 1aron Marsa&don, who wrote to him, with )ohn **III responding( Marsa&don wrote-
/#or me it was a profo&ndl emotional moment, b&t for most of o&r friends, it was a sign(2 7BD8
Fere is how $ldo $( Mola comments on this fact, win.ing his ee at those who wo&ld
&nderstand-
NIt is than.s to Msgr( Aoncalli0s te@t, -ater et -agi!tra, that he chose the name )ohn, Jhe who
brings the light of the Gord,0 meaning the name of the apostle whose Gospel lies open on the
Godges0 altars( 4he name ta.en b this Msgr( Aoncalli once elected to the 4iara, wo&ld be
blessed b all of his con"rre! in the person of :"es Marsa&don, his dear friend from the 5aris
N&nciat&re das( It is than.s to this te@t that Gamberini was elected to the post of Grand
Master(2 7BH8

,ohn --&&& re"rains "rom condemning !asonry
4racing bac. along o&r pre"io&s paths, we ha"e once again e@amined $ngelo Aoncalli0s
relations with Masonr or, at least, with certain Masons( Now a +&estion arises- 9hat was his
attit&de once he became )ohn **III, i(e(, once he was elected 5ope3
$ central fact is significant- )ohn **III ne"er condemned Masonr( 7BI8 4his is e"en more
strange if one ta.es into acco&nt that, since the $pril <8, 1I38 1&ll, In .minenti, in which
'lement *II condemned Masonr for the first time, and in doing so, also e@comm&nicated its
adepts, the 5opes incessantl prod&ced /an enormo&s mass of doc&ments of condemnation
and e@comm&nication2 of Masonr( $ccording to #ather Csposito, /No statistics were e"er .ept,
b&t &sing reliable meas&res to reach a probable co&nt, this corpu! anti#ma!!onicum was no
less than BKKEBDK doc&ments2 of which 1BD alone were from 5i&s I* and more than <<H b
Geon *IIIMM 7B88 In this /frontEline battle2 7/guerra guerreggiata, to &se #ather Csposito0s
Italian phrase8 between the 'h&rch and Masonr, the last 5ope to raise his "oice against the
sect was that of 5i&s *II, on Ma <3, 19D8, %&st a few months before his death( 4hen nothing
or, rather, a series of conciliator doc&ments were drawn &p first b episcopal conferences,
then b the /Fol ?ee,2 which c&lminated, on No"ember <8, 1983, in the abrogation of
e@comm&nication( 7B98 Ignoring the changes carried o&t b )ohn **III, some 1ishops wo&ld
contin&e for some time to condemn Masonr, as was done b the $rgentinian Cpiscopac in
19D9, and b the Aawanda Rr&ndi Cpiscopac in 19H1( 7DK8 'ontig&o&s with the declaration of
the 1ishops of Aawanda, according to which Masonr is an instr&ment of ?atan, the #ather
)es&it, Michel Ai+&et, /with the appro"al of the Ccclesiastica l a&thorities,2 organi6ed a
conference in the Volen Godge of Ga"al, in #rance, on March 18, 19H1!$s a res&lt of this
conference, for the first time, &nder )ohn **III, the larger p&blic was bro&ght &p to date on
the dialog&e between se"eral representati"es of Masonr and se"eral from the 'h&rch( 4he
great re"ision was &nderwa(
,ohn --&&&.s volte face
If )ohn **III interr&pted the chain of condemnations and e@comm&nications acc&m&lated b
all of his predecessors b remaining silent on Masonr, it cannot, howe"er, be said that he was
ne&tral on this s&b%ect( $ccording to the e@perts0 &nanimo&s consens&s, it is with his
5ontificate that the volte "ace began, as did the opening of dialog&e with #reemasonr( 9e
present the e"idence- D&p&, the Grand Master of the Grand Godge of #rance, declared that
/)ohn **III and Vatican II pro"ided formidable impet&s to the tas. of clarification, and to
reciprocal dtente in the relations between the 'h&rch and Masonr( 7D18 GTon de 5oncins,
#reemasonr0s great enem, wrote-
N4he campaign of rapprochement between #reemasonr and the 'h&rch remained in a latent
state &nder 5i&s *II0s pontificate, the fire b&rned &nder the ashes, b&t the progressi"ists who
had sei6ed considerable infl&ence, reali6ed that their efforts had no chance of coming to the
fore with 5i&s *II!9ith the arri"al of )ohn **III, there was an e@plosion!One had the
impression of there reall being a methodicall orchestrated international campaign(N 7D<8
In 19IK, ?al"ini, the Grand Master of Masonr, asserted-
N)ohn **III recentl p&blished a doc&ment which, on this s&b%ect, comes "er close to o&r
position!(and -ater et -agi!tra, as well as %acem in $erri!, effecti"el present ideas "er
s&ggesti"e of a h&mane rapprochement among different ideologies(N 7D38
4he #reemason, Volpicelli, declared, /!=4>wo recent pontificates, that of 5ope )ohn and 5ope
9o%tla, ha"e e+&all "al&ed the two comm&nities of the 'h&rch and Masonr!2 7DB8
In tr&l Masonic lang&age, #ather Csposito ass&res &s-

N!=9>ith the ad"ent of 5ope )ohn and the 'o&ncil, the ecclesial comm&nit has transformed
itself into a "eritable st&dio where stonec&tters, sc&lptors and artists of all .inds, architects
and chaplains, ha"e committed themsel"es to ! the metic&lo&s wor., whose goal is b&ilding
the new cathedral of the f&t&re(N 7DD8
4he 'atholic, $lec Mellor, who %oined the Godge with the permission of the 'ardinal $rchbishop
of 5aris, Msgr( Ma&rice #elton, wrote, /4he &ltimate phase =of Jp&t o&t the fire0> had to be
prepared b the /ggiornamento desired b )ohn **III and b Vatican II, then b 5a&l VI(2 7DH8
Aobert #abiani wrote, / It was )ohn **III who bro.e the ice with a meas&re that passed amid
complete silence, that of a&thori6ing 5rotestants con"erted to 'atholicism and initiated into
Masonr to remain peacef&ll in the lodges( ?ince then, signs of contact ha"e m&ltiplied!2 7DI8
)es&it #ather $ntonio #errer 1enimelli confirmed Aoncalli0s /possibilist2 position of this d&al
membership, /$nd thatEEEmeaning that Masonr is an association in which all 'hristians ha"e a
placeEEE)ohn **III and 5a&l VI &nderstood "er well, as had 'ardinal Aat6inger0s predecessor,
'ardinal ?eper, who, in 19I< had alread &ttered the words that made a 'atholic presence
within Masonr possible(2 7D88
Marsa&don li.ewise affirms this-
NMsgr( Aoncalli formall ad"ised me to sta in Masonr( Fe recei"ed me at 'astel Gandolfo in
m capacit as Minister Cmerit&s of the ?o"ereign Order of Malta, and blessed me, renewing
his enco&ragement for a rapprochement pro%ect between the ch&rches, at least between the
'h&rch and Masonr of 4radition(2 7D98
$ltho&gh brief, this re"iew demonstrates for the %&dgment of those concerned with this
+&estion, that )ohn **III0s go"ernance changed the 'h&rch0s 1KK ear intransigence vi! a vi!
Masonr into an o"ert&re which res&lted in permitting d&al membership in the 'h&rch and in
Masonr(
The ma/or agreements %et)een Roncalli and !asonry
?ince 19HI, #ather Csposito was engaged in dialog&e with Masonr( In order to demonstrate
this dialog&e;s legitimac and possibilities, he wrote n&mero&s wor.s, some +&otes from
which are contained in the article, Le grandi concordan0e tra Chie!a e -a!!oneria 7/4he ma%or
agreements between the 'h&rch and Masonr28( In realit, the /agreements2 in +&estion didn0t
e@ist between the 'h&rch and Masonr, b&t onl between the latter and )ohn *II, 5a&l VI, and
)ohn 5a&l II( In order to confirm these agreements, #ather Csposito did not confine himself to
citing the direct relations of certain men of the 'h&rch with those of Masonr, rather, he also
cited the relations of associations or of leaders who, if the were not e@plicitl Masons, had
been fo&nded or willed b Masonr, that is to sa the Rnited Nations, 7RN8, with its &ni"ersal
Declaration of the Aights of Man, the Aed 'ross, ?co&tism and the Aotar 'l&b( In this article I
shall treat )ohn **III0s rapport with these organi6ations(
1( The 0nited 1ations and the 2eclaration o" the Rights o" !an
On December 1K, 19B8, the RN ratified a Declaration of the Aights of Man( In name and
content, it reprised the Declaration of the #rench Ae"ol&tion, which had alread been
condemned b 5ope 5i&s VI( Csposito wrote-
N9>ith )ohn **III, the epoch of o"ercoming 'atholic narcissism began(2 4he acceptance of the
r&les of dialog&e and ec&menism ina&g&rated the law of reciprocit, in the sense that the
e@istence and e@plicit recognition of the reciprocal "al&es of each were admitted!In the
Cncclical, %acem in terri! 1$pril 11, 19H38, 5ope )ohn made e@plicit reference to the RN and to
the Declaration of the Aights of Man b e&logi6ing- /4he essential goal of the Rnited Nations is
to maintain and to consolidate peace between peoples, of de"eloping among them amicable
relation s founded on the principle of equality, of reciprocal respect and the broadest
collaboration in all areas of h&man acti"it!One of the most important acts accomplished b
the RN was the Rni"ersal Declaration of the Aights of Man, appro"ed December 1K, 19B8 b
the General $ssembl of the Rnited Nations!('ertain points in this Declaration ha"e elicited
ob%ections and ha"e been treated to %&stified reser"ations( Fowe"er, 9e consider this
Declaration as a step toward the establishment of a %&ridicoEpolitical organi6ation of the world
comm&nit(2 7HK8
4h&s, )ohn **III s&bstanti"el appro"ed 7e"en if he e@pressed some generic reser"ations8
what the 'h&rch had condemned(
2. #couts
$fter ha"ing demonstrated the Masonic origin of ?co&tism 7pp <9IE3KK8 and its slow
assimilation among 'atholics after the death of ?t( 5i&s *, #ather Csposito reported on )ohn
**III;s address deli"ered on the occasion of the international pilgrimage of 'atholic ?co&ts in
)&ne 19H<-
N$s &s&al!the 5ontiff!emphasi6ed a search for points of agreement between the di"erse
h&man elements, b&t did not mention the second le"el of dissent and r&pt&re!=4he> 5ontiff
said, ;4he bea&t of o&r o&th and ardent ser"ice will attract!etc!It will contrib&te to
o"ercoming all of the barriers which e@ist between men, helping them all to recogni6e
themsel"es as sons of God and members of one big famil( 4hat is the s&ccess of o&r
mo"ement, its honor and glor(;2
Did )ohn **III mean to enco&rage 'atholic ?co&ts to con"ert all of the infidels to the one
'h&rch of 'hrist, that is, !icut litterae !onant, or did he intend to in"est ?co&tism with /one of
the most a&thentic aspects of the mo"ement2 which its 'atholici6ation had "oided, namel, its
/interconfessional tolerance23 7H18
3. The Rotary +lu%
5re66olini wrote, /4he Aotarians are a bit li.e 1o ?co&ts grown old and s&ccessf&l(2 7H<8
4he celebrated writer ignored 7no do&bt8 to what e@tent he was correct, at least regarding the
common origin of the two gro&ps( #ather Csposito act&all recalled Aotar;s Masonic spirit((!
with these enlightened words-
N4he e@isting rapport between this organi6ation and Masonr!is essential, not onl beca&se of
its fo&nding on #ebr&ar <3, 19KD b the lawer, 5a&l 5( Farris, of 'hicago, along with three of
his fellow Masons, b&t also beca&se of the ideological and %&ridical elements, borrowed from
Masonr, which ta.e the best in the initiator message in order to insert it into societ and
laici6e it, that is b e@cl&ding the initiator and restricti"e aspects , which EEEEb alwas
e@cl&ding religio&s confessionalismEEEEha"e a certain sacred altho&gh la character(N
$lso, the 'atholic 'h&rch0s position can onl be contrar to the Aotar 'l&b0s( In ?pain
7)an&ar <3, 19<98, in Folland, and in some Gatin $merican co&ntries, the 1ishops simpl
forbade all 'atholics to belong to the 'l&b( $nd the Fol ?ee iss&ed two doc&ments on
)an&ar 1D, 19<9 and )an&ar 11, 19D1 respecti"el, forbidding ecclesiastics to %oin the Aotar(
$nd regarding the lait, the decree appro"ed b 5i&s *II, specified-
N4>he m&st be e@horted to obser"e what is prescribed in 'anon H8B of the 'ode of 'anon Gaw
=which states>- ;4hat the faithf&l!g&ard against secret societies =which are> condemned,
seditio&s, s&spect, and that the s&bmit themsel"es to the legitimate "igilance of the 'h&rch(;N
7H38

1&t there again, to &se #ather Csposito0s e@pression 7p( 3BB8 EEE/=4>he re"isionism of )ohn
**III2 inter"ened( On this, we ha"e the relati"el detailed acco&nt 7HB8 of the attorne, Omero
Aanelleti, 7HD8 OPnote HDQ who plaed a similar role!(to that of his /older brother,2 )&les
Isaac( 4he 'h&rch0s condemnations and s&spicion were a bitter offense to the Aotarians who
were onl with diffic&lt able to recr&it among 'atholics(

Aeconciliations2 were attempted se"eral times( Aanelletti plaed a role in all of these
attempts( 4he were &ns&ccessf&l in 19<9 and also in 19B9E19DK, when the International
5resident, Fodgson, with Go"ernor Gang, and Gancia, the Aotar ?ecretar in Aome, tried to
win a&diences with 5i&s *II-

N4he were waiting in the 'o&rt of ?an Damaso for a&thori6ation to go &p to the recei"ing
room, b&t the attempt was in "ain( 4he 'h&rch a&thorities .new the were Aotarians, and did
not allow the a&dience( 4he attempt, made in the Aotar0s interest, and for their ad"antage,
met with no s&ccess(4 7HH8
No sooner had 5i&s *II died, when losing no time, the new 5resident, 'lifford $( Aandall, wrote
to Aanelletti saing that he wanted an a&dience with the newl elected )ohn **IIIM Aanelletti
gained gro&nd with #ather Martegani 7December <, 19D88, then, s&re of himself, wrote to Msgr(
'apo"illa, Aoncalli0s pri"ate secretar in Venice and then at the Vatican( 'apo"illa was an old
friend 7since 19BD8 of $mbrosini, the 5resident of the Aotar in Venice, who, writing to
'apo"illa, described Aoncalli as /a "er ind&lgent and &nderstanding 5atriarch vi! 2 vi!
Aotarian acti"it(2 7HI8 Aanelletti confirmed, /Man times d&ring his ears in Venice, 5ope )ohn
had had the occasion of approaching the cit0s Aotarians, beca&se he was well &p to date on
o&r instit&tion(2 7H88
$nd obser"e how 'ardinal ?ch&ster, the $rchbishop of Milan, introd&ced the Aotar in the
Milanese Diocesan newspaper as being among /the "ario&s esoteric forms of one Masonr(2
7H98 Obser"e too that Aome renewed its condemnations while 5atriarch Aoncalli was flirting
with the Aotar brothersM ?trange, no3 4he fact is that after a telephone call, Aanelletti and
'apo"illa met on #ebr&ar H, 19D9, the spo.e for an ho&r( Aanelletti made an /e@cellent
impression2 on 'apo"illa, and he disc&ssed past tro&bles and the failed attempts at
rapprochement with him( 4his time, he was not reb&ffed( On #ebr&ar <D, Msgr( Nasalli Aocca
di 'orneliano informed Aanelletti- /=O>n $pril <K, the Fol #ather wo&ld recei"e 5resident
Aandall in an a&dience(2 /I re% oice with o&,2 wrote 'apo"illa to Aanelletti the following March
<M Aanelletti ga"e Aandall the good news, /recommending to him that he adopt the greatest
reser"ations,2 and then writing to 'apo"illa-
N!=I>n agreement with o&, I am noting that this a&dience is re+&ested for $ttorne 'lifford $(
Aandall, 5resident of the International Aotar, who will be accompanied b his wife, Madame
Aenati, the former Int0l 5resident, G(5( Gang, some Go"ernors of the Aotar of Ital 7Gio"anni
Di Aaimondo and Geo ?pa&r8, as well as mself( 4hro&gh this, in honor of the respect that the
International 5resident is read to pa Fis Foliness in the name of the entire Aotarian famil in
111 co&ntries of the world, we %oin in the specific honor =to be presented> to o&r Italian
Aotarian famil(N 7IK8
C"identl, it was parado@ical that !(2the Aotarian famil2 whose 'atholic members had %oined
against the will of the Fol ?ee, were recei"ed b )ohn **IIIM 4hat is what the Camrier ?ecret
5articipant reali6ed, and who twice told Aanelletti that the a&dience granted to them was
granted to indi"id&als and not to Aotarians( 4he Camrier opposed the agreements that
Aanelletti made with 'ap"o"illa( 4he latter was treated to / the sweet smile2 of /5ope )ohn2
EEEitself Aotarian!(, for this occasion, )ohn **III /had a good word for each one,
strengthening &s, finall, with his $postolic blessing(2 7I18
O!!ervatore 3omano and Civilt2 Cattolica ignored the a&dience, which was reported b all the
other newspapers(( 1&t with it, the Aotarians had won( $ll resistance collapsed when /on
March <K, 19D3, 5ope )ohn granted a second a&dience to the Aotar( 4hese were the Aotarians
of the 188th district, that of Aome!4he gro&p was placed close to the 5apal throne(N 5ope )ohn
/addressed them with deepl genero&s words and ga"e them his paternal blessing, and also
e@tended it to all Aotarians worldwide(N 4his time, the Aotar;s delegates, Gelati, 'aria and
Aanelletti were presented /in their official capacities(27I<8
4o close this chapter, let &s +&ote the Aotarian, Rbertone-
NIf we reflect toda on certain attit&des adopted in the 'atholic milie&, on the acc&sations
made against the Aotar of being among organi6ations ;openl hostile to 'atholicism,; ;whose
moralit is nothing less than a mas. of laEMasonic moralit; and if we compare these to the
e@isting c&rrent relations between the Aotar and the 'h&rch, if we thin. of the order gi"en to
the clerg and to 'atholics to ;.eep awa; from the Aotar, et noticing the presence of so
man priests and 5relates who are members of the 'l&b, one of whom is #ather #rederico
9eber, ?), who was go"ernor of a District, it seems to &s that the facts reco&nted b Aanelletti
are stories from another world!((4oda, when we attend "er high le"el ec&menical meetings,
it seems inconcei"able to &s that anone might tr to reproach the Aotar for ;tring to
&ndermine the legitimate control of the 'h&rch(; $nd, gi"en the c&rrent opening gi"en to all
religions, who are d eclared ;worth of respect,; this "er se"ere position ta.en toward an open
organi6ation which proclaims itself dedicated to the restoration of the highest moral principles
in professional and b&siness areas, as well as an organi6ation which has, for its sole end, the
;common good of societ,; this position also seems inconcei"able( It was 5ope )ohn and the
'o&ncil which ha"e forged the hinge between the two epochs(N 7I38
!sgr. +a$o*illa.s denials
$s we ha"e seen, all the signs con"erge, )ohn **III made no opposition to Masonr, he had
e"en fa"ored it( Fe espo&sed, at least in part, its principles( Fe had emphasi6ed the possibilit
of being both a Mason and a 'atholic, and flowing with this position, he himself was probabl
an initiate of Masonr( $lso considering the weight e"idence and the increasing pro"enance of
e"idence from persons who deem him as s&ch, is there anone for the defense3 4r&th to tell, a
credible person has denied all coll&sion between Masonr and )ohn **III, it is his faithf&l
secretar, $rchbishop Goris #ranUois 'apo"illa(
4o m .nowledge, 'apo"illa was inter"iewed twice- once in 19IH, for two articles in
LO!!ervatore 3omano, then, later, in a boo. inter"iew with )ohn **III0s nephew, Marco
Aoncalli (7IB8 In 19IH, 'apo"illa spo.e o&t, indignantl, against 5ier 'arpi0s boo., Le pro"e0ie
di %apa Giovanni=N5ope )ohn;s 5ropheciesN>( 9ritten b a Mason and edited b a Masonic
p&blishing ho&se, .dition! -editerrane, the boo. affirms Aoncalli0s pres&med affiliation with t
he Aose 'roi@ in 4&r.e( 'apo"illa ro&ndl denied this, based on the N&ncio0s ?ched&le and
Mass Aegister from that period in 4&r.e( In an inter"iew with Marco Aoncalli, 'apo"illa
ret&rned to the +&estion 7p( 11I8( In his boo., 'apo"illa f&rther elaborates on )ohn **III0s
relations with Masonr( 'apo"illa said that all the noise abo&t /Masonic conspiracies hatched
to destro the tradition and &nit of the 'h&rch2 are /fantasies for la&nching polemics,2 7ID8
and inconcei"able 7p( 898 $ct&all, 'apo"illa e@cl&des the Jmi@ing0 with Masonr!($fter which
he proffers his sword in fa"or of $merican Masonr, which /ne"er entered into conflict with
religion2 7ibidem,.
Fowe"er, when it comes to )ohn **III, the faithf&l secretar becomes circ&mspect, and almost
contradicts himself!Fe act&all draws an all&sion to two episodes, both in 19H<, a telegram
recei"ed from a Masonic Godge e@pressing their hopes for )ohn **III0s reco"er, and a note
from the hand of )ohn **III, s&mmari6ing certain entries of the 4ictionnaire /pologti5ue
Catholi5ue concerning condemnations of Masonr b the 5opes( $s to )ohn **III0s repl to the
telegram, dictated to his secretar of ?tate, 'apo"illa sas- /?ome co&rteo&s e@pressions of
than.s!1&t no "erbal compromises with Masonr!27IH8
$ccording to 'apo"illa, he .eeps his distance, b&t it seems to me that it is the opposite- no
5ope e"er responded with or witho&t co&rtes to letters or telegrams from MasonrM 4he
second matter 7the list of pontifical condemnations8, in itself insignificant, ta.es on significance
beca&se of the meaning e"ent&all gi"en it b Aoncalli( /Did the 5ope intend ma.ing a new
condemnation32 4his was as.ed of 'apo"illa in 19I9 b two )es&it philoEmasons, #errer
1enimelli and 'aprile( 7II8
$t the time, 'apo"illa offered little- /I do not belie"e that he had an intention to proceed with
a new papal condemnation,2 he responded, /b&t he wanted to &nderstand, basicall, the
+&estion( Fe certainl s&pported all ca&tio&s contacts, and e"ent&al negotiations(2 In 19I9,
'apo"illa depicts a )ohn **III who was not thin.ing of condemning Masonr, b&t who tho&ght
of p&rs&ing ca&tio&s contact and /negotiations2 with Masonr( In 199B, he corrects his
position, and in doing so, his stle becomes obsc&re- /I confirm the s&bstance of what this
boo. asserts,2 b&t!2 I ca&tio&sl e@plain the meaning of the ad"erb ( 'o&rteo&sl does not
mean complacentl(( 4o enter into dialog&e is ne"er the same as comprom ise and atten&ations
of the condemnations of Masonr!2 7p( 898, and to the +&estion of whether these negotiations
had ta.en place, he drl responded- /I ne"er intend to spea. of that(2 7ibidem,
Is 'apo"illa0s defense credible3 Is it legitimate to do&bt it3 Not onl beca&se the first arg&ment
7the MasonrEVatican telegrams8 rather confirm the acc&sation, and beca&se the second was
"ario&sl interpreted b 'apo"illa himself, b&t also beca&se of re"ealing omissions( In effect, if
I am not fooling mself, 'apo"illa ne"er denied the assertions of the Grand Masters Gaito and
Aangel, nor did he ref&te 1aron Marsa&don0s three boo.s which are tr&l cr&shing for $ngelo
Gi&seppe AoncalliM 9h this obstinate silence3 :et, Marsa&don0s boo.s ha"e been +&oted and
enlarged &pon b others, among them, #ather Csposito, and it is strange that 'apo"illa, who
was informed on e"erthing concerning )ohn **III, ne"er .new abo&t it( 5ier 'apri0s 5&nch
and )&d stle boo. seems to ha"e ser"ed as a scapegoat to tr to discredit a m&ch more
serio&sl fo&nded arg&ment regarding )ohn **III0s Masonic affiliation, a bit li.e 4a@il;s f
alsifications( 9hoe"er affirms Aoncalli0s initiation will be ta@ed with being 5ier 'apri0s followers,
and th&s ridic&led, as were the partisans of the satanic origin of Masonr, who were tagged
then with being Geo 4a@il0s epigone!. ?o, it is one of these classic Masonic operations of
throwing off the scent in order to hide the fact that there is a more than meets the ee(
!asonry and ecumenism
Aegarding the rapprochement of Masonr and ec&menism, I refer to Marsa&don0s boo.,
Oecumni!me vu par un -a6on de $radition. 4he motto of )ohn **III0s intimate friend!is
perfectl ec&menical- /ad di!!ipa