Catholic funerals for two Freemasons stopped by Church authorities

ROME (LifeSiteNews) — Two planned Catholic funerals for Freemasons were stopped in Italy after diocesan authorities applied canon law.

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.

The diocese explicitly cited Canon 1184, which states that ecclesiastical funerals are to be denied to those who, without showing signs of repentance before death, are “notoriously apostate, heretical or schismatic” or are “other manifest sinners” whose funerals would cause public scandal.