Olbia, 18 maggio 2019 – Anything that hides a secret, either for confidentiality or for history, generates curiosity and prejudice: Freemasonry knows this well, often used as a lightning rod when talking about political events.
Precisely Freemasonry, the real one, showed up in style in Olbia this weekend for the annual gathering of the Lodges dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi: a historical character with a thousand facets, controversial, but also a well-known member of Freemasonry.
The members of the Garibaldi Lodges from all over the world thus met in Olbia, at the Geovillage, to pay homage to Garibaldi's figure.
The event was organized into multiple segments: a public one (a conference dedicated to Garibaldi), one dedicated to leisure (gala dinner, trip to La Maddalena), a private one (dedicated to closed-door meetings and rituals).
Stefano Bisi answered the journalists' questions, Grand Master of the Grande Oriente d'Italia. Michele Pietrangeli is also with him (Great Orator part of the Goi Council) and Gian Carlo Caddeo (President of the College of Worshipful Masters of Sardinia).


Very little is known about Freemasonry and its rituals, while much is known about its adherents, many of whom were prominent figures of culture and science who gave so much to the world.
“The construction of the freemason takes place within rituals – explained Stefano Bisi -. In lodges we learn to be listeners before we are speakers: we speak one at a time. In the lodges, so, a man is built who is then a citizen of the world".
Generally, those affiliated with Freemasonry are people with a certain cultural depth: there are doctors, engineers, journalists, scientists, university teachers, researchers, lawyers.
Perhaps, precisely because of this particularity, it is believed that Freemasonry, because of the “quality” of its adherents, has a role in the political and historical events of the entire world, but also in Sardinia.
“The Grand Orient of Italy has no role in politics as an association – Bisi specified -. The adherents, outside the lodge, they have a life and can do as they please, also political activity. We are citizens like everyone else, we want to be judged for what we do and not with prejudice".
When we talk about Freemasonry we cannot help but think of the "legendary" Lodge P2, to the Rebirth Plan and Licio Gelli: an affair that has certainly damaged Italian Freemasonry, but which according to Bisi has a positive aspect that everyone forgets: “It was Armandino Corna, Sardinian and Grand Master, to expel Licio Gelli. He was an important man for democracy.".
“Brotherhood between brothers has the limit of the law – specified the Grand Master -. In our entrance we swear on the Constitution and present the criminal record. Solidarity ends where solidarity begins, which is against the Constitution. I'll give you an example: if I were the president of a commission that had to decide who to entrust a job in the healthcare sector and I had two candidates in front of me, a Freemason brother and one not belonging to Freemasonry, I would choose the most qualified. The same should happen in the opposite case: unfortunately there have been cases of family members of brother Masons who have been penalized due to prejudice".
As for a certain return to the roots and sovereignty that can be felt in Europe, Bisi's opinion is clear: “We are Italians, European citizens of the world and we stand for universal brotherhood. Having strong roots does not mean being anti-European".
Even on the Catholic front there is an air of change: “The world changes, sooner or later we will find a balance", comments the Grand Master.
For those who are not initiated into its rites, Freemasonry is and will always remain an almost indecipherable mystery and a "distant" environment - but seen up close, these Italian Freemasons aren't that scary.
After all, Freemasonry is very widespread in Sardinia: counts as an asset 48 log, the majority of which are in Cagliari.
In Olbia there are two lodges: the “Gallura” and the “Dialogue”.
source – https://www.olbia.it/olbia-tempio-della-massoneria-il-raduno-delle-logge-garibaldi-tra-curiosita-e-mistero/