The Synodal Church and Freemasonry

The three Freemasons were Stefano Bisi of the Grand Orient of Italy (GOI), Luciano Romoli of the Grand Lodge of Italy of the ALAM (GLDI) and Fabio Venzi (by videoconference from Rome) of the Regular Grand Lodge of Italy (GLRI).

As Riccardo Cascioli reported in La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana [The New Daily Compass] on February 19, Bisi “also expressed his disappointment at the fact that Pope Francis had opened the Church’s door to homosexuals [Fiducia supplicans], then ‘to divorcees [Amoris lætitia], but forgot that among Freemasons there are also many Catholics who are prevented from receiving communion’.”

“In short,” the journalist comments, “is it possible that the ‘Who am I to judge?’ [Francis says on the subject of homosexuals] and ‘Todos, todos, todos’ [all, without distinction, must be welcomed into the Church] do not apply to Freemasons?”

To this Masonic view, Bishop Antonio Staglianò’s response appeared to be “tearing apart the doctrinal approach on the Catholic side and basically going along with the demands of the Freemason exponents.” There was another detail that did not go unnoticed: the prelate had slid his pectoral cross into the interior pocket of his jacket. 

Riccardo Cascioli writes: “Staglianò gets the doctrinal clutter out of the way: doctrine, he says in synthesis, does not exhaust membership of the Church, indeed this is first and foremost life, [...] And indeed Staglianò continues: ‘I am interested in the Christian event, not the doctrine’. And how is the Christian event defined? As the manifestation in Jesus Christ of ‘God who is love, only and always love’. [...]

“So, it is clear that this is also the way to overcome irreconcilability with Freemasonry. And an ad hoc theology is also being prepared. In fact, Staglianò also criticized the document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that last November reiterated the ban on Catholics joining Masonic lodges, because it is reductive, it remains on the level of doctrinal confrontation.

“Now we need other categories, ‘we need a healthy sapiential theology’, the one that Pope Francis has asked the Pontifical Academy for Theology headed by Staglianò to develop.”

A Theology Adapted to the World 

The Italian journalist asks what is meant by this “healthy sapiential theology,” and he responds by quoting Francis: “What does this mean? ‘A theology capable of thinking critically about everything, of responding also to the critical instances of universal reason, because we live in a world where if you do not dialogue you risk being absolutely out of the world.

“’Sapiential means that it knows how to unite science and wisdom of life'. Isn't that clear? It doesn't matter, what one must understand is that in the end on the ‘wisdom of life’ one can also collaborate with Freemasons, in good works and for the common good. Mercy rains down on everyone anyway.”

In La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana on February 27, Riccardo Cascioli brings the topic up again: “The tactic is always the same: words say that doctrine does not change, but then there is life to consider, which is always greater than doctrine. This is exactly the sense of the Staglianò’s speech in Milan.

“Thus we find on the one hand the affirmation of the profound diversity between the Christian God and the Masonic conception of the Grand Architect, but on the other hand the overcoming of the doctrinal obstacle with the concept of love and mercy, which embraces all.”

The Italian journalist adds: “from a logical point of view, Bisi's [GOI] discourse is perfectly legitimate: if we are all sinners and all must be welcomed into the Church with full rights, why are irregular couples yes and Freemasons no? As with gay unions, one could always say that it is not Freemasonry that is blessed but individual Freemasons.

“And in fact Staglianò does not defend this discrimination, rather he lays the groundwork to overcome it. Including the final invocation of a ‘healthy sapiential theology’ that goes beyond the doctrinal approach that the latest document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published last November is still steeped in.”