Documents for your files 

The headline of an article in the weekly issue of Masonic Historiology journal, published in Los Angeles, California, and dated April 10, 1945, reads "Pope Pius IX as a Mason." The headline is printed above the journal's name, as you can see below.

This document was purchased in an auction by a friend and given to TIA with the good intention of adding to the historic discussion on whether Pope Pius IX – Giovanni Mastai Ferretti – was a Freemason before ascending to the Chair of St. Peter.

We had mentioned in passing in a few articles on our website that Pius IX had been a Liberal and perhaps even a Mason – here, here and here – which raised an enormous furor against us among sede-vacantists – here. Why? Because if this is proved true, their theory that a heretic or a mason cannot be a valid Pope is historically demonstrated to be unfounded.

Although the goal of this section – Progressivist Documents – is not to dispute theological matters but simply to offer historic documents for our readers' files, it is becoming increasingly clear that Giovanni Mastai Ferretti actually was inscribed in and later expelled from the Masonry.

Besides the present-day document, TIA has already brought to light two others, here and here stating the same thing. This does not means that we have a certainty that he was a Mason, but we believe that the probability is growing.

Below, we offer photocopies of the mentioned original issue of Masonic Historiology. Our only addition is the red mark at the left of the texts pertaining to the matter at hand.

• The Chair of St. Peter
• Was John XXIII a Mason?
• Masons Consider Pius IX as One of Them
• Study on Pius IX by a Mason
• Conciliar Church Draws Closer to Freemasonry
• Card. Ravasi: ‘Dear Masonic Brothers’
• A Pope According to Freemasonry
• When the Pope Becomes the Chaplain of Masonry