Rosario Francesco Esposito
Encyclopedia
Rosario Francesco Esposito (25 September 1921 – 23 November 2007) was an Italian Pauline
priest.
He gained notoriety when he announced that he had joined Freemasonry
. He dismissed the Church ban on membership in the Masonic lodge
, saying that it is “a thing of the past.”
Prior to his joining the fraternity, Esposito, together with Father Giovanni Caprile, had been commissioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
to study the Church’s teaching on masonry. In 1983 the prefect of the Congregation, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, made a Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons
which stated that the Church's the ban on Masonic membership remained in place.
On March 1 2007 Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary
, reacted to Esposito's declaration by making a statement that membership of Masonic organisations "remains forbidden" to Catholics, and called on priests who had declared themselves to be Freemasons to be disciplined by their direct superiors.
Society of Saint Paul
The Society of Saint Paul is a religious congregation which was founded in 1914 at Alba, in Italy, by Fr.Giacomo Alberione and was officially approved by the Holy See on 27 June 1949....
priest.
He gained notoriety when he announced that he had joined Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. He dismissed the Church ban on membership in the Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, saying that it is “a thing of the past.”
Prior to his joining the fraternity, Esposito, together with Father Giovanni Caprile, had been commissioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
to study the Church’s teaching on masonry. In 1983 the prefect of the Congregation, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, made a Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons
Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons
The Clarification concerning status of Catholics becoming Freemasons was a February 1981 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Seper reiterating the Church's prohibition on Catholics becoming Freemasons....
which stated that the Church's the ban on Masonic membership remained in place.
On March 1 2007 Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary
Apostolic Penitentiary
The Apostolic Penitentiary, formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is one of the three tribunals of the Roman Curia. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church.The...
, reacted to Esposito's declaration by making a statement that membership of Masonic organisations "remains forbidden" to Catholics, and called on priests who had declared themselves to be Freemasons to be disciplined by their direct superiors.