Murder in the
33'rd Degree
The Gagnon Investigation Into Vatican Freemasonry
by Charles Theodore Murr
Father Charles Murr was a close friend of
Cardinal Edouard Gagnon, one of the truly orthodox prelates of the
twentieth century. According to the author, Gagnon was asked by Pope
Paul VI to investigate Freemasonry inside the Church. Gagnon did so for
three years and produced a substantial report that has never been made
public.
The author gives us good reasons to demonstrate
that Cardinal Gagnon had come up with some significant findings.
Allegations are made that a number of prelates including Cardinals
Villot and Baggio were involved in Freemasonry.
So far, so good. I am much less certain that the
author has added anything new with regard to the death of Pope John
Paul I. Apparently, Cardinal Gagnon met up with him three days before
he died. In the author's opinion, Pope John Paul I was about to start
an investigation on how far Freemasonry had infiltrated the Church. Did
this result in his death? The only smoking gun inside the Vatican that
I am aware of in the last few decades is the one belonging to Pope John
Paul II's would-be assassin.
Much more convincing is the author's
documentation of Masonic involvement in the Vatican financial scandals.
Cardinal Gagnon was again asked to investigate.
The sincerity with which John Paul II desired a
fruitful dialogue with the Society of St Pius X is surely shown in the
extent to which Gagnon was involved.
Father Murr has done a great job in telling
Gagnon's story. He has appeared in a number of on-line interviews and
he has so many interesting anecdotes to tell. The anecdotal style
sometimes works less well in the written format.