Italian politician outs himself as Freemason

Usually when I write an article for The Burning Taper, I at least know something about what I'm writing about. But in this case, I admit I don't have a clue.

I've never heard of this guy, and everything I found on him on Google was in Italian, except for a short Wikipedia entry that appears to be a translation from another language, or written by someone for whom English is not a first language. I used the Babel Fish to read a few articles, and his blog, but it was all Greek to me.

Anyway, it's about an Italian career politician named Clemente Mastella, who is mayor of an Italian town, a member of the Italian Senate, and also the national Justice Minister. According to Wikipedia, he's a Roman Catholic, married to another Italian politician, and (like many politicians) has been involved in several scandals in his long political career, and apparently is either loved or hated by his fellow Italians, depending on their political persuasion.

I stumbled on a short news article about him today, written in English, that caught my attention.

He "outed" himself as a Freemason.

He reportedly said:

"I would like to tell Travaglio that I have never worn one of those 'smocks.' But no, I am about to come out of the closet, so to speak: it is true that I am a Freemason, with the number 52947. In this Masonic lodge I was taught to respect others and especially those who think differently from myself, to foster democratic values, and to acknowledge the fundamental importance of the judiciary."

The editor of the story at AGI News inserted that Mastella said that the number he gave, 52947, referred to the date, 5 Feb. 1947, of the "founding of the ministry." Wikipedia, however, gives Feb. 5, 1947, as Mastella's date of birth.

Surely someone can make up a nice Masonic conspiracy story out of this self-outing and the mysterious number 52947.

Freemasonry Watch, are you watching?

Vatican anti-Masons, care to take a stab at this?

Freeman? Are you there? Jack Chick? Anyone?

Image: Bro. Clemente Mastella

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