EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). Catholic authorities deserve credit for refusing church funerals to two publicly identified Freemasons, demonstrating that ecclesiastical teaching and discipline still have consequences when a public affiliation conflicts with the Faith (see article below).
The episode raises an uncomfortable question for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Ecumenical Patriarchate—especially as they continue to promote closer relations and eventual unity with Rome.
Orthodox authorities have likewise condemned Freemasonry (please note the Church of Greece’s famous position in the 1930s). Yet GOARCH maintains extraordinarily close ties with AHEPA, a fraternal order historically organized around a lodge structure and initiation ritual, and has even institutionalized an annual “AHEPA Sunday” honoring the organization. Concerns become still more serious wherever Orthodox lay leaders—including Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate—may simultaneously maintain Masonic affiliations.
So the question is simple: If GOARCH and Constantinople are so eager to walk toward unity with Rome, will they follow Rome’s example here?
It is easy to preach dialogue, fraternity, and unity. It is harder to enforce the Church’s own boundaries.
Rome has drawn a line on Freemasonry. Will GOARCH and the Ecumenical Patriarchate do the same—or explain why they will not?
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Catholic funerals for two Freemasons stopped by Church authorities
On August 7 and 8, two Catholic bishops in Rome and in the Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo stopped planned church funerals for two men publicly identified as Freemasons after their affiliations became known shortly before the ceremonies. In Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, Vicar General of the Pope for the Diocese of Rome, denied authorization for the funeral Mass of musician Bruno Battisti D’Amario after the Grand Orient of Italy publicly identified him as a prominent member. The following day, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-Sanremo canceled the scheduled church funeral of Mario Tarducci in Camporosso, citing Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law and the precedent of the Roman case.
The Roman case concerned Bruno Battisti D’Amario, an 88-year-old respected classical guitarist and professor who died on August 5. He was also closely associated with composer Ennio Morricone and performed guitar for several famous Italian Western film soundtracks. His funeral had been scheduled for August 7 at Santa Maria in Montesanto, commonly known as the “Church of the Artists.” The church was even due to be specially open for the ceremony during the August closure.
The Grand Orient of Italy (GOI) – the national leading Masonic lodge – published a public tribute identifying Battisti D’Amario as a “master brother” and stating that he founded the Roman Giuseppe Leti lodge, composed the GOI’s official anthem, and held senior positions within the organization. The GOI also said he had twice served as president of the regional council of Worshipful Masters in Lazio and as a councilor of the order. The public tribute was later deleted.
READ: ‘No exception’: Nordic bishops affirm Catholic prohibition on joining Freemasonry
Church officials said they did not know about Battisti D’Amario’s Masonic affiliation when the funeral was arranged. Father Fabrizio Maria Gatta initially told La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana that the funeral had been requested by the daughter and that “God’s mercy goes beyond our categories, and it is not for us to run blood tests on someone who has died.”
After the Italian newspaper raised questions and presented the GOI statement identifying the musician as a Mason, he said the information was new to him and that he would alert Bishop Antonio Staglianò, rector of Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria.
“I have called Cardinal Reina, who is the Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and my direct superior, and after consulting the legal office of the Diocese of Rome he could do nothing other than deny authorization for the funeral Mass,” Staglianòtold La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. “Nothing prevents the artist from receiving Masses for the repose of his soul after the burial.”
The following day, the same issue arose in Camporosso, in the Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo. Bishop Suetta learned only after the funeral had already been arranged that Mario Tarducci belonged to a Masonic lodge and served as Worshipful Master. The information came from a local newspaper and public funeral notices.
On August 8, the diocese published an official statement declaring that Suetta discussed the matter with the parish priest and the deceased’s family and sought further instructions, which could not be obtained within the limited time available. Faced with the simultaneous case in Rome, the bishop adopted the same indications given there by Cardinal Reina and ordered the planned funeral at St. Mark’s parish church not to take place.
This is good news! Very good news.
I was Roman Catholic before I became Orthodox. I assure you the RC’s allow freemasons to have funerals the same as they allow pro-abortion politicians to have funerals and receive communion.
I wouldn’t take this instance out of Italy to be the norm. Also ironic that quite a few Italian bishops openly supported gay marriage and other aberrations like that
Im no fan of the Fanar but pretending they’re worse than the Roman Catholics with freemasonry is just not accurate, I’m well aware.
They do say that even the broken clock tells time correctly two times per day….
Petros,
Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity regardless if it has been tolerated by flawed clergymen.
Freemasonry includes AHEPA, the Rotary Club, the Lions, the Kiwanis and all pseudo-cults that claim to be “non-sectarian” and “non-political” charities that follow cult rituals, oaths and doctrines.
Although Freemasonry is condemned by Pan-Orthodox Councils, our own Orthodox Church in America promotes moronic Ahepans who bluntly prey on their members’ ignorance.
These unethical idiots lie to the world about Ahepa’s Ku Klux Klan origins, Ahepa’s abuse of thousands of children in their adoptions scam in the 1950s, Ahepa’s failure to ever promote Greece’s or our Church’s interests (other than pose with dignitaries in photo-ops), and Ahepa’s waste of donations on their grand wizards’ VIP “visitation” tours.
They even lie about the number of members they have!
They pretend to be the modern-day Philiki Etaireia, while they bow before the sultan of Turkey (or, as they obediently call it, Türkiye).
Critically, they boast that they “wisely imitate” Freemasonry in their creed, rituals, and oaths. They omit that their creed and rituals were written by AHEPA’s founders, Carl F. Hutchinson and J.O. Wood, leaders of the Ku Klux Klan imperial palace in Atlanta, and leaders of Freemasonry.
AHEPA’s Nicholas Karacostas, Savas Tsivicos, Basil Mossaidis, and wizard-wannabe Costaki Prentzas — the one with the fake smile and greased hair who plays his fingers into a masonic triangle shape every time he sees a photographer — deceive our Church, our community, and their naive members into thinking that their Freemasonry should be given a pass, indeed that it is Christian, because AHEPA does charitable work and has earned the right to B.S. us!
That only proves that they are not only unethical; they are also stupid.
Well said Leonidas! And what is the reason that Freemasons want a Christian funeral, since they will have a Masonic funeral anyway? What is the point of having both a Christian and an AHEPA funeral? By having an AHEPA funeral, they admit that they are actually a different religion and have nothing to do with Jesus. You cannot serve 2 masters!