Vatican Official is Chaplain of three Masonic Lodges, publishes Book on reconciling Catholicism and Freemasonry

They’re not hiding it anymore…

Vatican Official is Chaplain of three Masonic Lodges, publishes Book on reconciling Catholicism and Freemasonry

The August-September 2020 issue of Inside the Vatican contains a most interesting article on the increasing toleration, if not outright approval, of overt “Catholic” Freemasons by the Vatican II Church. The piece is entitled, “New Openings to Make Masonic Membership Permissible?” (pp. 34-35) and is written by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Robert Moynihan. The text is available in full on the ITV web site.

Moynihan reports that on Feb. 12, 2020, an Austrian Novus Ordo priest by the name of “Fr.” Michael Heinrich Weninger gave a press conference announcing the release of his 504-page book, Loge und Altar: Über die Aussöhnung von katholischer Kirche und regulärer Freimaurerei. The title translates as: Lodge and Altar: On the Reconciliation of the Catholic Church and regular Freemasonry.

Not only is Weninger himself a Mason, he even serves as “the chaplain of three Austrian Masonic lodges”, according to Moynihan. He was flanked by Austrian Masonic Grand Master and “committed Catholic” Georg Semler at the press conference. Further:

Weniger [sic] noted that copies of his book were distributed to Pope Francis and to various cardinals, including Vienna’s archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, 75, and [were] received “with benevolence, without exception.”

The book’s thesis is that there is no contradiction between being a Catholic and a member of a British-recognized “regular” Grand Lodge which requires a belief in God: focuses on basic ethical lessons grounded in natural law; offers conviviality and good fellowship and does charitable work; and specifically forbids discussion of or involvement in politics and religion.

He concedes that the Church’s fears about the liberal, “adogmatic” Grand Orient-type of Masonry (deemed “irregular” and not genuine Masonry by London) are well-founded, as the notorious Grand Orient of France (France’s largest Masonic group) and similar bodies are overtly and aggressively political and anticlerical, with a membership largely made up of left-leaning atheists and agnostics.

Despite all this, Fr. Weniger remains a priest in good standing as far as anyone can ascertain.

(Robert Moynihan, “New Openings to Make Masonic Membership Permissible?”, Inside the Vatican, Aug. 1, 2020)

There have been countless papal condemnations of Freemasonry since the 18th century. A number of them can be found in our post on the topic:

• Papal Condemnations of Freemasonry

As far as the Vatican II Sect goes, officially it does indeed oppose Freemasonry, although in reality, of course, it is wedded at its core to the lodge. (This can be seen, for example, in its adoption of the Masonic triad of liberty, equality, and fraternity at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), which manifested itself in the conciliar positions on religious freedom, collegiality, and ecumenism. None of this would have been possible under a true Pope.)

Although in his 1983 Code of Canon Law, “Pope” John Paul II lifted the penalty of automatic excommunication for membership in Freemasonry (see Canon 1374), even in the Vatican II Sect such membership remains forbidden, as Cardinal” Joseph Ratzinger clarified that same year: “The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Declaration on Masonic Associations”, Nov. 26, 1983).

Therefore, Weninger’s brazen move is a scandal even according to strict Novus Ordo standards.

But who is this “Fr.” Weninger, anyway? He used to be married and served in the Austrian diplomatic service. In 2009 he was widowed, and a mere two years later he was (invalidly) ordained a priest by Vienna’s infernal “Cardinal” Christoph Schönborn. (Photos of his first Novus Ordo worship service can be viewed here — in particular, we like this one.) Schonborn appears to have connections with Freemasonry himself and, in any case, is certainly doing the anti-Catholic work of the Masons.

To make matters worse, Weninger is not just any Novus Ordo priest — he is a Vatican official. As “Pope” Benedict XVI, the same Joseph Ratzinger who had reiterated the impermissibility of joining the Masons, appointed Weninger on Nov. 1, 2012, to serve on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, where he contributes to the dialogue with Islam. His name can be found, for instance, in this Nov. 13, 2014 statement on the Vatican web site.

Quite rightly, therefore, does Moynihan observe that “it appears action is no longer being taken to discipline priests and prominent laymen who are known Masons, or bar them from Holy Communion.” Not only that — they are now openly promoted!

And why not? The highest-ranking Freemason in Vatican City is “Pope” Francis himself, after all — if not in terms of official membership, at least in terms of doing the Masons’ work. His Naturalist “new humanity”, his incessant push for globalism, and especially his blasphemous-apostate Abu Dhabi Declaration on Human Fraternity, etc. — all this is music to Masonic ears.

No wonder Francis holds an honorary membership of the Rotary Club in his native Buenos Aires, and Italian Freemasons cheered his election as “Pope” in 2013.

If Weninger ever met Francis in person, we do not know. But if he did, we are certain that the two had a good time shaking hands.

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