French Freemason receives Catholic funeral in violation of Church law

DIJON, France (LifeSiteNews) — A French Catholic archbishop presided over the funeral of a publicly known Freemason, a decision that stands in striking contrast to recent Catholic funerals denied to Freemasons in Italy.

Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon presided over the funeral rites of François Patriat, former French minister and senator, on August 25 at the collegiate church of Notre-Dame in Semur-en-Auxois, Côte-d’Or. Patriat — historic ally of French President Emmanuel Macron — died on August 19 at the age of 83 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident several weeks earlier. His membership in Freemasonry had been reported publicly before his death.

The Masonic publication 450.fm identified Patriat as “Brother” and described him as a political figure who “passed to the Eternal East,” confirming his membership in Freemasonry. In 2023, Le Monde reported that Patriat accompanied Macron during his first visit to the Grand Orient in 2016.

READ: Pope Leo XIV appoints Freemason to Vatican committee

Macron delivered an extensive eulogy inside the collegiate church, recalling Patriat’s longstanding political support for his secular-progressive vision of society, marked by the promotion of assisted suicide, gender ideology, and restrictions on religious expression, incompatible with the moral framework of Catholic doctrine. “Every time I turned around, François was there,” Macron said.

Patriat served as Secretary of State and later Minister of Agriculture under Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. In 2016, he became one of the prominent political figures to support Macron’s emerging presidential project. After Macron’s election, Patriat chaired the Senate group supporting the president and remained one of Macron’s closest political allies until his death.

Catholic teaching explicitly prohibits membership in Masonic associations. A November 26, 1983, declaration from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, signed by then-prefect Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stated that the Church’s negative judgment concerning Freemasonry remained unchanged because Masonic principles were incompatible with Catholic doctrine. It further stated that Catholics who join Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.

The funeral of Patriat drew considerable attention within the French Church because it sharply contrasts with two directives issued by Italian bishops — including the Pope’s Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome — regarding funerals for public figures who were likewise members of Masonic lodges.

READ: Catholic funerals for two Freemasons stopped by Church authorities

Applying Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina denied authorization for the funeral Mass of Bruno Battisti D’Amario after the Grand Orient of Italy published a tribute identifying him as a prominent Mason. The tribute was later deleted, and the diocese clarified that Masses for the repose of his soul could still be offered privately after burial.

A similar situation occurred the following day in the Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, where Bishop Antonio Suetta canceled the funeral of Mario Tarducci after learning from local media that he had served as a Worshipful Master in a Masonic lodge.

With limited time to seek further instructions, and in light of the precedent set in Rome, the bishop applied the same canonical criteria and ordered that the funeral not take place in the parish church.

The diocese explicitly cited Canon 1184, which denies ecclesiastical funerals to those who, without signs of repentance before death, are manifestly associated with organizations or conduct that would cause public scandal.