"Propaganda Due: The Lodge That Rewrote Italy’s Rulebook (in Secret)"?

 

The Rogue Lodge: How Propaganda Due (P2) Became Italy’s Most Infamous Secret Society

Freemasonry has always had an air of mystery—ancient rituals, secret symbols, and enough coded language to make a Cold War spy jealous. But what happens when a Masonic lodge decides to go completely off the rails and become its own rogue operation? Enter Propaganda Due (P2)—the scandalous secret society that made Italy question whether it was run by elected officials or a cabal of well-connected men in dark suits exchanging cryptic nods.

The Lodge That Went Off the Rails

Originally, P2 was just a normal Masonic lodge, founded back in 1877 under the Grand Orient of Italy. It was meant to provide a space for high-profile individuals who couldn’t attend regular meetings—think politicians, military officers, and business moguls who were too busy running countries and financial empires to engage in the usual Masonic bonding activities.

For a while, it was relatively tame. But then along came Licio Gelli, a man who must have studied “How to Run a Shadow Government” as a side hobby. Gelli, a former fascist and all-around puppet master, saw P2’s potential—not as a brotherhood of philosophical reflection, but as a perfectly packaged elite network that could bypass democracy and quietly pull the strings of Italian politics from the shadows.

In 1976, the Grand Orient of Italy revoked P2’s Masonic charter, meaning it was no longer officially part of Freemasonry. But did that stop Gelli? Of course not! Instead of quietly disappearing, P2 simply went underground, morphing into something more secret, more powerful, and much more dangerous.

A Secret Society That Had Everything—Including a Hit List

Imagine a Masonic lodge, but instead of earnest discussions about philosophy and architecture, members were swapping insider financial tips, making backroom political deals, and possibly coordinating who needed to mysteriously disappear. P2 allegedly infiltrated political offices, the military, media outlets, law enforcement, the Vatican Bank, and even Italy’s intelligence services.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Italy was starting to feel a little… off. The government was riddled with corruption, bank scandals were erupting like a volcano, and political figures were either suspiciously well-connected or mysteriously vanishing. People wondered—who was really running the country?

Then came the bombshell in 1981. A police raid on Gelli’s villa uncovered a list of over 900 members, including high-ranking officials, influential businessmen, and even future Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (yes, that Berlusconi). The list was basically a who’s who of Italian power. And it wasn’t just Italian elites—the lodge allegedly had ties to CIA operatives, South American dictators, and dodgy financiers.

Murder, Money, and Blackfriars Bridge

One of the most chilling P2-linked scandals involved the Banco Ambrosiano—a Vatican-affiliated bank that suddenly imploded in 1982, leaving $1.3 billion missing and a bunch of very nervous people wondering where the money went.

Roberto Calvi, the bank’s chairman and a suspected P2 member, fled Italy in fear for his life. He turned up dead, hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London in what authorities initially ruled as suicide. But the positioning of his body, the presence of bricks in his pockets (symbolic, some say, of Masonic punishment), and the fact that he was found under a bridge **nicknamed after friars—who wore black robes, much like Freemasons—**made it look less like suicide and more like an execution.

The Fall of P2—Or Did It?

The scandal surrounding P2 was so intense that Italy officially banned secret organisations operating within the government in 1982, effectively shutting down the lodge. Gelli was arrested multiple times, but managed to escape prison, flee across multiple countries, and finally return to Italy, where he lived out his days with surprisingly little consequence for someone accused of running a rogue deep-state network for decades.

Yet whispers of P2’s legacy persist. Some conspiracy theorists believe its influence never truly disappeared, but instead evolved into more modern secret networks hidden within governments, financial institutions, and intelligence agencies. Others argue that P2 was merely an extreme case of elite networking gone wrong, rather than a grand sinister plot.

One thing’s for sure—Italy has never forgotten the rogue lodge that nearly ran the country from the shadows.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) refused to recognise Propaganda Due (P2) because it violated several fundamental principles of Freemasonry.

Why UGLE Rejected P2

1. Secrecy Beyond Masonic Tradition – While Freemasonry values discretion, P2 operated as a clandestine organisation, engaging in covert political and financial dealings that went far beyond the accepted norms of Masonic brotherhood.
2. Political Involvement – UGLE strictly prohibits Freemasonry from interfering in politics. P2, however, was deeply entangled in Italian government affairs, intelligence operations, and financial scandals, making it incompatible with the apolitical stance of regular Freemasonry.
3. Criminal Allegations – P2 was linked to corruption, bribery, and even suspected assassinations, including the mysterious death of banker Roberto Calvi under Blackfriars Bridge in London. Such activities were completely at odds with the ethical principles of Freemasonry.
4. Violation of Masonic Regularity – UGLE recognises only lodges that adhere to strict Masonic traditions, including belief in a Supreme Being and lawful governance. P2 operated outside these boundaries, functioning more like a shadow government than a legitimate Masonic lodge.
5. Expulsion by the Grand Orient of Italy – In 1976, the Grand Orient of Italy officially withdrew P2’s Masonic charter, meaning it was no longer a recognised lodge. Since UGLE only acknowledges lodges that are part of regular Grand Lodges, P2’s expulsion made it ineligible for recognition.

UGLE’s Stance on Italian Freemasonry

UGLE has historically been cautious about recognising Italian Freemasonry due to its historical involvement in politics and religion. While it did recognise the Grand Orient of Italy in 1973, P2’s scandal reinforced UGLE’s commitment to keeping Freemasonry free from political and criminal influence