Cardinal Reina, French archbishop differ over funerals for Freemasons

August 27, 2026

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica, halted a planned August 7 funeral Mass for a Freemason after the rector of the church where the Mass was scheduled learned of the deceased’s Masonic affiliation and asked Cardinal Reina how to proceed.

The following day, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo, Italy, cancelled a scheduled funeral Mass for a Mason in his diocese. The prelate cited Cardinal Reina’s decision, as well as Canon 1184, which provides for the denial of funerals to “notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics,” as well as “other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful.”

On August 25, Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon presided at the funeral Mass of French Senator François Patriat; President Emmanuel Macron delivered one of the eulogies. In 2017, the newsmagazine Valeurs Actuelles reported that Sen. Patriat did not hide his Masonic affiliation.

The funeral Mass led Tribune Chrétienne to write in an editorial:

How did the Archdiocese of Dijon assess the canonical status of a man whose membership in Freemasonry was publicly known? And to what extent is it appropriate to turn the choir area of a church, during a religious funeral, into a platform for a tribute with such a directly political dimension?

This is not a matter of judging François Patriat or questioning the grief of his loved ones. But the faithful have a right to understand. An explanation from Archbishop Hérouard would therefore be particularly welcome.

 

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Further information:

• Italian bishops cancel Masonic funerals (The Pillar, 8/10/26)
• BOURGOGNE: Aux obsèques de François Patriat, Emmanuel Macron a salué «l'homme de plusieurs en même temps» (Infos Dijon, 8/25/26)