In an old interview, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the SSPX, said he thought then-Archbishop (and later Cardinal), Achille Silvestrini was a Freemason. The 1986 article can be found in the archives of the Society’s United States website. The pertinent question and answer are given below – the entire interview is quite enlightening.

Q. I have read that many of the high-ranking members of the Roman hierarchy are secret Masons. Is that true? If so, how deeply have they penetrated the Church?

A. It’s very difficult to say, “This man is a Freemason,” “This man is a Freemason,” or “This man is a Freemason.” We don’t know. It’s very difficult. It is certain that there are some cardinals, some bishops, cardinals in the Curia, or monsignors or secretaries of congregations in Rome that are Freemasons. That is certain because the Freemasons themselves have said that. They have said that they have in their lodge some priests and bishops. It is certain that there are some cardinals and many monsignors in Rome who do the same work as the Freemasons; they have the same thinking, the same mind. Willebrandt is Prefect of the Secretariat for the Unity of Christians, and Archbishop Silvestrini is the first secretary of Cardinal Casaroli who is Secretary of State – and his right hand is Silvestrini. He is a great power in the Curia. He nominates all the nuncios in the world. He has a very great influence and he is probably a Freemason.

According to Malachi Martin in Windswept House, Silvestrini was present at the infamous “Enthronement of Satan” ceremony in the Vatican, which took place sometime during the 1950’s – ’60’s. In the book, Silvestrini was known by the pseudonym, Silvio Aureatini.

Silvestrini, who died in 2019, was also known to be a member of the St Gallen Mafia, the nefarious group which conspired to promote Jorge Bergoglio at both the 2005 and 2013 conclaves.