Italian Freemasonry mourns Francis, a kindred spirit
We're not in the habit of reproducing Masonic press releases, but this obituary of Francis is a special case.
We're not in the habit of reproducing Masonic press releases, but this obituary of Francis is a special case.
Editors’ Notes
The Grand Lodge of Italy has issued an extraordinary tribute to Francis, hailing him as a man who “incarnated the values of brotherhood, humility, and the quest for a planetary humanism.” In doing so, they confirm—without embarrassment or evasion—what we and others have long argued: that this man, and the revolution he fronted, are the fulfilment of Enlightenment and Masonic aspirations.
The Lodge praises his encyclical Fratelli tutti as a manifesto for the Masonic and Revolutionary triad of Libertas, Aequalitas, Fraternitas. They claim that his faith was aligned with their own “Masonic initiatory method, founded on a path free from dogmas,” and embrace his embrace of doubt and dialogue, and his promotion of “a planetary conscience”—all classic code for a religion of man. “Planetary humanism”—which may also refer to a “global humanism”—is their term, not ours.
They recognise in Francis a man after their own heart: one who sought to “change the Church” by bringing the “revolutionary teaching of St Francis” into history—by which they mean the same humanist, anti-supernatural religion that has long replaced the true Gospel in the halls of power.
No doubt Francis’ apologists will claim that this is an example of the Church’s enemies trying to attack her by co-opting Francis after his death.
However, the truth is well known, and we ourselves recently demonstrated how the Enlightenment’s “religion of light”—rationalism, liberty, equality, fraternity—was Luciferian in essence: an inversion of divine order, a rebellion against Christ the King, and the enthronement of man in God’s place.
What Italy’s Grand Lodge now confirms is this:
Francis was not a surprise deviation, nor a tragic fall from past fidelity.
He was the natural outgrowth of a conciliar revolution designed to enthrone man.
He was their pope—of their ideals, their religion, their light.
And now they mourn him.
Francis, the Pope of the Poor and Forgotten [‘The Last Ones’]
Obituary from The Grand Lodge of Italy of the Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, Italy
The Grand Lodge of Italy of the Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons joins in the universal mourning for the death of Pope Francis, a shepherd who, through his magisterium and his life, embodied the values of brotherhood, humility, and the quest for a planetary humanism.
The Grand Lodge of Italy of the Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons joins in the universal mourning for the death of Pope Francis, a shepherd who, through his magisterium and his life, embodied the values of brotherhood, humility, and the quest for a planetary humanism. Coming from the “end of the world”, Jorge Mario Bergoglio knew how to change the Church, bringing the revolutionary teaching of Saint Francis of Assisi into the present moment of history.
In this time of mourning, our Communion wishes to pay homage to the vision of Pope Francis, whose work bears a profound resonance with the principles of Freemasonry: the centrality of the person, respect for the dignity of every individual, the construction of a community of solidarity, the pursuit of the common good. His encyclical Fratelli tutti stands as a manifesto. Libertas, Aequalitas, Fraternitas [Liberty, Equality, Fraternity] is the threefold axis of Freemasonry’s value system. To overcome divisions, ideologies, and the dominant single thought in order to recognise the richness of differences and build a humanity united in diversity—this was Francis’ ardent desire, and it is the very design pursued by the Grand Lodge of Italy.
Pope Francis knew how to reconcile faith and reason, complementary dimensions of the human experience, renewing the Anselmian principle of credo ut intelligam [I believe so that I may understand]. A faith capable of questioning itself, of welcoming doubt, and of dialogue, which we also find in the Masonic initiatory method, founded on a path free from dogmas and substantiated by the unceasing search for truth.
The reign of Francis placed at its heart the poor and forgotten, along with care for the planet and an ethics of development grounded in human dignity. This too is reflected in the Masonic construction of the “inner Temple”, founded on tolerance, solidarity, and resistance against hatred and ignorance, and it finds a profound correspondence in Bergoglio’s pastoral work, who with his “gentle revolution” showed that humility and dialogue are instruments of authentic strength. In the line of the “Francis Economy” and the vision of a “common home”, Freemasonry supports the commitment to a sustainable, just, and united future.
In this time marked by grave crises, the Grand Lodge of Italy finds itself in accord with Pope Francis’ appeal for a “planetary conscience”, which recognises humanity as a community of destiny. We honour his memory by continuing to work for an ethic of restraint, for respect of the other, and for the construction of a Temple founded on solidarity, freedom of thought, and universal brotherhood.
Luciano Romoli
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Italy of the Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons
Rome, 22 April 2025
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Base text translated by AI, each line scrutinised by a human.
I’m guessing the image of Bergoglio on the train doing that pose isn’t free to use… https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWk2Bf5je8MMUWC9CWkAJTxpqlX5cxzA0osQ&usqp=CAU
“The people’s Pope” only makes sense when you understand who “the people” are: https://newdiscourses.com/2023/01/the-people/