Is The Pope A Freemason?

asseveration which has been productive of so much evil to the Order historically and archajologically in the opinion of all Masonic lovers of truth , and especially of non-Masonic writers , botb of the past and of the present . It

appears , therefore , to us , to be our bounden duty to endeavour to prove the assertions so often made and so readily given , to the very bottom ; to sift the mass of authorities and

declarations made with so lavish a hand , so as to separate the wheat from the chaff , and without paying any attention to reckless assertions , to ascertain what is absolutely true , if possible , not merely what we wish or assume to be the

case . And all this , it appears to us , that we ought to do as careful students , thinking Masons , for the sake of Masonic veracity . It seems from an editorial in our

contemporary , the Freemason , that the matter has again been referred to Philadelphia , U . S ., for investigation ; but in the meantime let us see what

are so far the " proofs " submitted to us . What are the " scintillations of evidence V For some years , it has been openly asserted , Pope Pio Nono was a Freemason . Bro . Chalmers I . Paton , for instance , in the Freemason . for

April 2 , 1870 , ( see vol . iii . Freemason , page 163 ) , states that " some -two years ago I explained the fact that Pius IX . was initiated into the Order of Freemasonry . I shall in the course of a very short time send to the Freemason

further particulars . " And accordingly , in the Freemason for June 25 th , 1870 , ( vol . iii ., page olO ) , Bro . Paton communicates an article headed , "The Pope a Freemason . "

But when we look at this carefully , hoping to find proof , we find nothing whatever but a repetition of Bro . Baton ' s own opinion , and which it appears he had communicated to the Scotsman two years previously , namely , in 1868 . Did we say that there was no proof ? That is not quite correct , for as evidence

Bro . Paton bases his statement on the negative fact , that the "truth of Pius IX . being himself a member of the Order has never been disputed by any member of the Soman Catholic Church , in a private or public manner , "

and on the positive fact that to " myself it has been admitted by one who has had a conversation with the Pope personally on the subject . " Without appearing too inquisitive or too sceptical ( we are only searchers

, alter truth ) , we should like to know , we confess , to Avhom the Pope madesuch an admission , and what were the exact words of the venerable

Pontiff . For we fear that we must say that Bro . Paton's evidence is not conclusive , and his facts are not satisfactory , as they rest entirely upon his own " ipse dixit , " and are therefore opposed to all the true conditions and critical canons

of historical inquiry . At present we ourselves are unwilling to pronounce any opinion one way or the other . We wait for evidence , as we feel sure that is the only possible way of rightly answering the question or of

finally disposing of the subject . We want something more than negative probabilities and suppositious averments . The Pope is said to have been made a Mason at Borne , at Havannahand at

, Philadelphia , for into these three "locales , " all the present evidential facts seem to resolve themselves . It is possible that the Pope was made a Freemason surreptitiously in Borne , in the days of his early liberalismwhen

, he was a friend of Guiseppe Mazzini , and not hostile to " Giovene Italia . " Indeed , some writers have said that Pio Nono was once admitted into the "Carbonari" or one of the Italian secret

societies . But so far no evidence whatever has been adduced of such a reception . Other writers have , however , publicly declared that the Pope was made a Freemason in Spain , at Madrid , though we believe all that the Spanish Grand