News • 10 November 2002

Maltese freemasons would like to go public but…

By Saviour Balzan

Valletta: The two Maltese senior freemasons were courteous but very matter of fact. We met yesterday at a cafeteria.

"Why don’t you go public?" I asked. "We would very much like to but with the misconception on freemasonry, we are very hesitant."

They were clearly worried that MaltaToday would publish the list after last Tuesday’s Bondi+ programme.

"I am not a Lou Bondi lap dog," I said, and I am only interested in freemasons who are public officials and people with an official profile.

I returned to my question about the Maltese lodges going public.

"Foreign lodges have gone public, but here in Malta we are misunderstood and we are weary over taking this move.

"What Joe Zahra did has never been done before in any of the other lodges abroad. We trusted him, but we did not know his background." Joe Zahra, a freemason and former Lorry Sant henchman and now a Bondi+ team member secretly filmed rituals at the Marsamxett lodge.

I asked them if they screened people for their criminal background.

"Yes as far as we can, and if someone is convicted they are not accepted in the lodge."

What about the conflict of being a freemason and a Catholic.

"We have no conflict, but there are historical reasons for this. We accept members of all religions, so long as they are monetheistic religions."

What happens if someone does not want to be remain a member.

"It is up to them, and if one fails to pay they are excluded from the lodge."

And networking, I queried.

"We are no different than other groups, we help but not in the way the media has portrayed it."

Then why not go public I insisted.

"The public would not understand us, and many of our members would be misconstrued."

What kind of charity do they carry out?

"Abroad in the foreign lodges, charity is a very big thing, for example millions were donated to the September 11 victims. Here in Malta we are not as rich but we have tried to help, but we do not make a fuss about it."

I paused to field yet another question but they interjected.

"We are saddened by what has been said about freemasons. In the European court, there have been judgements where members of the judiciary have been vindicated for having been discriminated by the authorities.

"These court rulings effectively mean that being a member of a lodge does not conflict with one’s role as a judge or magistrate."

Am I right in saying that there no politicians in the freemasonry?

"Yes," was the curt reply.

We shook hands, thanked each other and promised to keep in touch.

Related articles:

MaltaToday urged by freemasons not to publish list

No hard evidence that politicians were or are freemasons

Bin there, done that