Ovi Magazine Issue #24: Nationalism - Published: 2013-01-31

When Spiritual Chaos Begets Political Unity: How Fr
society detrimental to more transparent, legitimate
processes. She quotes Giacomo Casanova de Seingalt
when describing the nature of the fraternity: “Those
who think that the secret of Freemasonry consists
in signs or words are sadly mistaken. The secret
is actually a lived experience, and thus it is only
a secret insofar as it is incommunicable in human
words.”[1] Modelled after religions that assigned
certain rituals, symbols, temples, and statues as
being sacred and transcendental, the exclusive
society heavily depended and still depends on these
elements to legitimize their collective world vision
and aspirations. They also developed an ability to
identify other fellow members outside the confines
of their “sacred” temples. Such distinct symbols
as the compass in a square and pendants shaped as
a pelican or a star were assigned to represent the
organization. Calculated gestures, handshakes, nods,
and styles of dress were all established to serve as
features that would allow members to recognize each
other in ordinary environments. Born in London, in
the 18th century, Freemasonry was inspired by the
enlightenment idea of “rationality.” With human
reason, Freemasons believed in their power to affect
and change the political and historical events of the
times. In Italy, the construction of masonic lodges
in the 19th century coincided with other nationalist
conspiratorial associations such as the Carboneria,
who were in favor of developing Italian nationalism,
creating a constitutional monarchy, and eradicating
absolutism.
This brings a person to ask a million dollar question:
Was the existence of secret societies necessary to
build the nation-state of Italy? Discovering that an
underground society, which deviates from the norms
of the state and challenges decisions made by the
current ruling command who hold the population
in disregard, launches a concerted effort to oppose
the unjust state of affairs may offer some relief to
the oppressed. However, this coercive way to incite
change in society or to develop a cultural identity
may not be the right solution to existing or future
political and social dilemmas. It would be a naive
oversimplification to assume that the secret society,
under a mandate issued to itself, could singlehandedly
protect the population from ambitious sovereigns of
both the state and the church. Questions regarding
how they were funded and if their vision was in
line with that of the majority of the population who
were not members keep arising when discussing the
“possible” legitimacy of the group. Citizens will not
likely be patriotic toward a nation-state that is built
on ideals and values that are not shared among and
approved by the majority of its citizens. Since the
majority of people are out of the exclusive circle
of secrecy, it would be difficult for them to identify
with and understand masonic practices, even if they
were to be based on a patriotic agenda. By the mere
principle of exclusion, a population is left in the dark
regarding the fate of the territory that is shared. Apart
from the reality of secrecy, what concerned the Vatican
the most was that Satanism was openly and proudly
practiced as a form of spirituality by Freemasons.
Considering inhabitants of Italy believed in one
Christian God throughout many centuries
before the Risorgimento period, they
would find it hard to digest that a
crucial period in their cultural
history, which had been
largely shaped by Christian
principles, was assembled
together under a demoniac
spell casted by freemasons.
According to Enrico Nassi’s
book on freemasonry, they
believed in ideologies and
“rhetoric that kept people
divided” (24). From the
Pope’s perspective, Satanism
was not a legitimate premise
on which any society that
wanted to penetrate the
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