From Agence French Presse today:
GRENOBLE, France - A Catholic priest at the posh French ski station of Megeve has been stripped of his functions at the request of the Vatican for being a member of a Masonic lodge, his parish said on Friday, May 24.
Father Pascal Vesin of the Sainte-Anne d'Arly-Montjoie parish was ordered by the bishop of Annecy, Yves Boivineau, to halt his functions due to his "active membership" of the Grand Orient de France, a large Masonic organisation.
A statement from the parish said the move had been "made at Rome's request."
It said the bishop had asked Vesin earlier to forsake Freemasonry, which he had refused to do.
In March, the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asked for priest's departure. Three members of the diocese of Annecy then met him but Vesin said he would not quit his membership of the Lodge.
Freemasonry of all types -- regular or irregular, legitimate or "diverted" -- has been condemned by many popes.
Why just one Priest? There are hundreds of Roman Catholic priests who belong to Masonic Lodges in Italy, Portugal, Spain and France. There are even lodges with membership rolls that carry the names of Bishops & Cardinals, many of whom belong to the Scottish Rectified Rite in Rome, Tomar, Madrid and elsewhere. Freemasonry came out of the church mystery guilds, and many Rites and Orders of Freemasonry still maintain a Christian requisite for candidates. You have Grand Lodges in Latina America that were founded by Priests. Perhaps there is more to this story, as there are many more Roman Priests who still belong to lodges under the GOI and certainly under the other Grand Lodges in France. We are only hearing of this one particular Priest being singled out.
ReplyDeleteThe article I saw on this stated that he was a member of the Grand Orient de France, but it also didn't mention the GLNF - which itself might be a good thing, considering their implosion. France has always been a tricky area for the fraternity, and like Italy, some of the schisms there really go after the "secret society" angle. It's too bad, but nobody's stoning me in the street, which I guess is okay too.
ReplyDeleteGOF is an active anticlerical and anti-catholic organisation in France. What would the former priest expected the Church to react?
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