· 98 comments · Save ·
News & Current Events Apr 4, 2026 at 1:52 AM

Trial opens in Paris as 22 members of Athanor FreeMasonic lodge face murder, attempted murder and conspiracy charges

Posted by buffduckusa

Murder trial opens over alleged masonic lodge crime network in Paris
the Guardian
Murder trial opens over alleged masonic lodge crime network in Paris
Twenty-two defendants, including intelligence agents and police, accused of committing crimes on behalf of Freemason mafia
🚩 Report this post

98 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
whycarbon Apr 4, 2026 +186
what year is it again? 1826?
186
ungovernable Apr 4, 2026 +209
Collusion among powerful members of society who are members of secretive networks, focused on the self-interest of the people within that network, is very much a 2026 problem.
209
FriendoftheDork Apr 4, 2026 +17
Why does this read like a Deus Ex quote?
17
fuck-nazi 6 days ago +9
Deus ex epstein?
9
[deleted] 6 days ago +9
[removed]
9
FriendoftheDork 6 days ago -3
Do you have a single fact to back that up? Edit: that's literally from the game...
-3
abbynorma1 Apr 4, 2026 +42
It's an always problem. A human problem.
42
tokyogodfather2 Apr 4, 2026 +14
Nah as brilliant Comedian Julio Torres recently said in the Daily Show, more of us know about it now that’s all. They’re not hiding it as much
14
metaglot 6 days ago -5
Thats not very funny :( He's a terrible comedian.
-5
crakkerzz 6 days ago +16
First it was not the "Masons" doing it for some agenda, It was a group of 20 people, 4 of whom belonged to a mason lodge that wasn't an actual Blue Lodge, it was a clandestine lodge. Masons are not "Self Interested" and those that are rarely last more than a few months. Most masons are not either powerful or wealthy, you are expected to work on yourself and your community. You are expected to help other Mason's in Distress, but the same is expected of anyone else you meet in distress. Mason's is 1/3 godly philosophy, 1/3 Charity, and 1/3 fellowship. As a Past Master, amongst other offices, I tell candidates plainly that if they think its a bus stop for a free ride to keep looking, its not there. When you become a Mason you are told that you can not support another mason who breaks any law of god or man , in specific, Murder, Treason or any other criminal act. Please do not make generalities about things you have plainly not experienced, it debases good men who work towards building a better community, they are required by oath to be silent about their good deeds. If you think this is an easy road, feel free to join, the rituals are old and would probably bore you and the work and charity grows old quickly for those that join for self advancement.
16
CT_Phipps-Author 6 days ago +13
Speaking as someone who might be a member, don't ruin the mystique! Who controls the British crown? Who keeps the metric system down? We do, we do Who keeps Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps? We do, we do Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star? We do, we do Who robs cavefish of their sight? Who rigs every Oscar night? We do, we do
13
VladislavThePoker 5 days ago +1
Is it mostly tradesmen? My Grandad was a Mason and he always said it was more or less a grown up fraternity for guys who didn't end up going to college, kinda like the Lion's Club but with some Skull & Bones pageantry.
1
crakkerzz 5 days ago +1
Some lodges I have seen are more military dominant, some are indeed more tradesman, mine is mostly farmers although we have a retired executive from IBM as well as caterers, tradesmen and professionals. Anyone I have seen join for personal gain tend to leave in a few months.
1
realKevinNash 4 days ago +1
Its always going to be a problem.
1
dubbzy104 Apr 4, 2026 +10
Power begets power
10
Mdmrtgn Apr 4, 2026 +8
Right? What the f*** did I miss, people going to the moon and masonic trials.
8
AuroraFinem Apr 4, 2026 +6
Damn, people went to the moon in 1826?? We’ve been slackin
6
Buzumab 6 days ago +2
Check out the P2 / Propaganda Due investigation in Italy. Federal commission found a huge number of military, political, industrial and journalistic members of society colluding in what was effectively a shadow government in the 80s.
2
wrgrant 5 days ago +2
Also tied into the murder of a Vatican banker I believe - He was left hanging from a bridge. Fascinating stuff.
2
Buzumab 4 days ago +2
Yes, Roberto Calvi fled from Rome under a false passport and was found a few days later hanging from Blackfriar's Bridge in London with $10,000 in his pockets and bricks tied to his ankles. Notably, 'Freemason' and 'blackfriar' were historically used interchangeably, and Calvi was a member of the P2 lodge. He had previously been head of Banco Ambrosiano, and had used the Vatican bank to embezzle funds out of the country leading to the bank's collapse (and the Vatican being on the hook to some extent to its creditors).
2
wrgrant 4 days ago +1
Thanks, I had forgotten the details
1
JuicedRacingTwitch 6 days ago
> what year is it again? 1826? People in the past built the foundation for everything today. You have never been special just because you were born later.
0
fxkatt Apr 4, 2026 +139
>*“What my client found terrifying is the fact that the key figures in this case – police officers, former DGSI agents and Freemasons – are precisely the people who are supposed to act for the good of society.”* Hmm. Not so sure about that, but anyhow this cult of assassins, which has existed for many years, were never associated with their killings until this recent investigation exposed them.
139
emslo Apr 4, 2026 +55
Some of those that work forces…
55
twenafeesh Apr 4, 2026 +27
[Are the same that burn crosses](https://youtu.be/bWXazVhlyxQ)
27
tokyogodfather2 Apr 4, 2026 +14
And [s*xually assault minors](https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/cia-staffers-committed-sex-crimes-against-children-but-werent-prosecuted-report-says-central-intellegence-agency-kids-abuse-sexual)
14
grey_hat_uk Apr 4, 2026 +12
Guys I think evil cults of powerful people might just be the bad guys.
12
OttoVonCranky 6 days ago +20
I have never thought of Free Masonry as 'acting for the good of society'. Just a club with some odd rituals. 
20
rygem1 5 days ago +3
Freemasonry itself doesn’t have any sort of central governing authority, at best there will be a single national lodge that doesn’t do much other than make sure all the lodges are following by-laws so each lodges culture develops independently over time. Some are super philanthropic, others are more social clubs and some are philanthropic but discourage members from being public about it because they do it simply to be nice not for recognition.
3
Historical-Edge-9332 6 days ago +8
Maybe they get annoyed because people hear “free mason” and stop wanting to pay for their stone work. Perhaps the name needs updating. “Low cost Masons” “Not free, but won’t cost you an arm and a leg Masons” “Masons” “Freebird Masons”(they meet in secret and listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd)
8
wdomeika Apr 4, 2026 +82
I don't know about you, but the Masons have always struck me as a kind of weird organization. In Baltimore there's a huge building that's the Scottish Rite of Freemasonary. In ten years i've never seen a single car in the lot nor a light on at night.
82
Floreat_democratia Apr 4, 2026 +34
\> In Baltimore there's a huge building that's the Scottish Rite of Freemasonary. In ten years i've never seen a single car in the lot nor a light on at night. Every city has those. The city I lived in had the same thing. For ten years I never saw a single person enter or leave the building.
34
yuccasinbloom Apr 4, 2026 +71
It’s a philanthropic fraternal organization. Boys clubs used to be more popular but we are a more individualistic society. Is it weird? Super. My husband is one, I’ve been to a couple of their open to the public ceremonies. It’s weird as f***. But it makes people happy and it’s a community, and, for the most part, does a lot of good for the community around them. The Freemasons in this article are not the norm and only further sow distrust of what is truly a f****** nerdy ass boys club.
71
ungovernable Apr 4, 2026 +44
Being from a family of them, I have more… mixed views as to what they get up to.
44
Justread-5057 Apr 4, 2026 +34
Can you elaborate?
34
mysteryofthefieryeye 3 days ago +2
… and I knew he wouldn’t 🙄
2
even_less_resistance Apr 4, 2026 +21
it’s the ones that don’t do fucked up shit tho at the lower levels that give the cover to those that do - and i question if it’s good for small communities to have stuff gatekept by these little orgs.
21
CombatMuffin Apr 4, 2026 +29
You could argue the exact same thing about many networks or organizations. Fraternities, non-profits, small companies, large companies, polit8csl movements, you name it. Freemason and societies like them have a reputation, because they were far more relevant hundreds 9f years ago, but you can find info in their specific rites and customs online if you google around a little bit. The rest is just conspiracy theory stuff, or people trying to make them be bigger than they actually are.
29
even_less_resistance 6 days ago +1
i mean- i kind of do? what good do any of these orgs really do for anyone? seems outdated and unhelpful. starts mini-cults. look at most businesses today. be a part of the fam??
1
Groundbreaking_Text9 6 days ago +15
Masonic lodges do a ton of charity work as do many of the masonic affiliates. Masonic lodge are some of the largest contributors to charities in the US. Shriners maintain 22 hospitals for children across the US, free of charge, for many awful, disfiguring conditions like scoliosis. Knights Templar support a lot of research and provide resources to the blind. As a general rule, Masons do not seek recognition for their works of charity, so it's not advertised like most companies or influencers that monetize their 'charitable' actions or treat it as free marketing. 
15
daveashaw 6 days ago +7
My post-surgery home physical and occupational therapy was with Masonicare. They were great.
7
even_less_resistance 6 days ago +2
yes, my family even benefited from the shriners in the 70s when my uncle needed a heart operation as a baby. still don’t think they are good to have vs the alternatives of a government taking care of its own people so they don’t have to look to charity for help and get sucked into weird belief systems. same thing for church
2
Groundbreaking_Text9 6 days ago +14
I mean even in countries that have that, they still do a lot of charitable work. For example, in the UK Masonic organizations are the third largest contributors to charity. Furthermore, talk of religion is not allowed in lodges. There's a requirement to believe in a higher power, but that's it. Part of the reason that so many conspiracies swirl around Masonry is that many people cannot understand why people of different religions, denominations, and cultural backgrounds would congregate and socialize. It's also a big reason that Masons have been persecuted through out history. Over 100,000 Masons were killed in the holocaust for this suspicion, for example. 
14
even_less_resistance 6 days ago -14
well, you seem to have a real interest in defending lodges. why is that?
-14
Groundbreaking_Text9 6 days ago +18
I was a patient at Shriners Children's hospital, benefited greatly from their charity, and have volunteered there as an adult. My dog is a certified therapy animal and the kids get a little distraction from the horror of having their spines and backs literally broken back into proper shape. I have friends with other disabilities that have benefitted from their charity drives, or even just the Roadrunners which take poor children to doctors appointments and surgeries across the country for free. In my eyes, they are one of the few organizations that are mostly populated with good people that are trying to do good. At the charity meals they do here, I see doctors standing shoulder to shoulder with plumbers, carpenters, and lawyers serving the food, washing the dishes, cleaning up the trash, etc. To me, that says a lot about how most of the members see themselves, as people of the community. 
18
Worldly_Anybody_9219 3 days ago +2
I guess they provide a social environment to make connections and have people to talk to. My dad is a Freemason (although seems to have gotten bored of it over time). A lot more people in his generation belonged to fraternities as a way to form a community with some level of social support, but now "third spaces" like that are dying out, which isn't necessarily a good thing for mental health.
2
even_less_resistance 3 days ago +1
right on- i actually had a boyfriend for a bit that was in and it was his turn to be worshipful master or whatever, and he tried to get me to join the lady’s version, but i just have an aversion to anything that is hierarchical these days tbh
1
yuccasinbloom 3 days ago +1
It’s not a cult, dude. You may think it is, but as someone who has known masons my entire life, it’s not. It’s a philanthropic fraternal organization.
1
yuccasinbloom 6 days ago +4
I would argue that churches would deserve the same distrust.
4
even_less_resistance 6 days ago +3
me too fr -
3
tokyogodfather2 Apr 4, 2026 +2
All clubs and churches and communities built on secrets end up like that
2
Capable_Kiwi2514 5 days ago +1
>small communities to have stuff gatekept by these little orgs. That's not what these orgs are doing though. Formal organisation is not gatekeeping.
1
even_less_resistance 5 days ago +1
sure jan
1
fulthrottlejazzhands Apr 4, 2026 +19
I'm from a family of (at least) 5 generations of freemasons, including myself.  I find it hilarious and adorable when people bring up conspiracy theories about the organisation.  We do have some things that are only known to members, but none of them are malelovent or harmful, and part of the tradition.  The entire point of freemasonry is to be a positive force for both members and public. In essence, we're too interested in and busy organising charitable endeavours and emptying kegs at our events to be involved in any untoward conspiracy. My advice to anyone really interested in the organisation is to ask a member about it.
19
CommanderOfReddit Apr 4, 2026 +4
What is the point of "some things only known to members"?
4
Niaaal 6 days ago +5
Simply put it creates a sense of fraternity
5
TimothyMimeslayer 6 days ago +8
Secret handshakes used to be all the rage back in the day.
8
tokyogodfather2 Apr 4, 2026 +2
I love the way you wrote that. I think you are a cool and understanding wife. Me, a f**king nerdy husband XD
2
CollegeMindless7373 Apr 4, 2026 +5
They are weird, in that all fraternal organizations are kind of weird. Historically, they were formed as guilds - which functioned as sort of proto-unions. In that sense, they had the same risk of corruption and organized criminal activities as any modern union, which is to say it was rarely a thing but it did happen and this has carried over to today. Hence, most Freemasons are just adult men who use it as a quasi Boy Scouts mixed with a backdoor channel LinkedIn, but there are some weird thugs seemingly mixed in.
5
x_mutt_x Apr 4, 2026 +21
This isn't a Scottish right sanctioned mason lodge. You can start your own without any outside association with the overall order for whatever reason and teach / do whatever you want. I think there's documentation for the degrees you can only get through the Scottish right but that's just based on public knowledge. It is just a religion focused old peopes club at its heart.  
21
Hayabusa_Blacksmith Apr 4, 2026 +14
Scottish Rite, rite meaning "The prescribed or customary form for conducting a religious or other solemn ceremony."
14
BeIgnored Apr 4, 2026 +14
In Minnesota a woman donated a shitload of money to a children's hospital and in return the hospital was named after her father. A few years later the Masons came along, donated more money than she did, and demanded their name go on the hospital instead. It always left a bad taste in my mouth, plus was super confusing because a bunch of the university's other buildings and departments are already named after the Masons. I know it's not supervillain level stuff, but it's still chud behavior and will never not annoy me.
14
TimothyMimeslayer 6 days ago +9
Looking it up, it looks like she gave up naming rights in March of that year and then it was renamed in October. https://www.startribune.com/25m-gift-brings-new-name-to-u-s-children-s-hospital/279137861
9
BeIgnored 6 days ago +6
Yes, she relinquished her naming rights so the U could accept the Masons' gift because their gift was contingent upon their name being on it. The name didn't suddenly go away that March lol. "He described how Caroline Amplatz pledged $50 million to build a new children’s hospital in Minneapolis named for her father. Then in 2014, just three years after the new facility opened, she allowed her family name to be removed from the institution so it could be rechristened to attract another important gift." https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazine/spring-2017-whats-in-a-name/
6
Dangerous_Golf_7417 Apr 4, 2026 +8
Masons are notoriously eco-friendly, they take public transport to all their club meetings
8
eucalyptusmacrocarpa Apr 4, 2026 +5
And keep the lights off? 
5
LaiqTheMaia Apr 4, 2026 +5
They eat a lot of carrots
5
FishAndRiceKeks 6 days ago +2
I think you're both thinking of rabbits.
2
ThriftianaStoned 6 days ago +2
Theres one in Singapore its in a very busy spot and it never ever looked open or as if anyone was there.
2
Niaaal 6 days ago +2
Check again on Wednesday evenings, that's when they meet once a month
2
Maro1947 6 days ago +1
They are aging out I rent a hall from them for Martial Arts and the average clage is 70+
1
Better_than_GOT_S8 4 days ago +1
70 what? Square foot? Bit small for a martial arts cage but whatever works I guess.
1
Maro1947 4 days ago +1
Typo Age
1
Better_than_GOT_S8 4 days ago +1
Yeah I knew
1
thegooddoktorjones 5 days ago +1
This has little to do with freemasons and everything to do with some rich guys deciding they have the influence to be organized criminals. Masons are mostly about getting away from their wives for a while and hanging out.
1
[deleted] Apr 4, 2026 -4
[deleted]
-4
Tough-Copy7569 Apr 4, 2026 +4
oh f*** off with the conspiracy theories. Jesus f****** Christ.
4
appleparkfive Apr 4, 2026 +5
I mean if there were ever a thread for conspiracy theories, this one seems pretty apt
5
Fallouttgrrl Apr 4, 2026 +9
You say in a thread discussing at least one group of Masons having a Mafia-style hit squad spanning decades
9
75Highon_Vida Apr 4, 2026
They're not sanctioned under the ordinary rites of Freemasonry. Anyone can start their own masonic lodge but if it isn't sanctioned as in approved and recognized by the rest of the Masons, then it's considered irregular ie not connected to the rest of Freemasonry.
0
Fallouttgrrl Apr 4, 2026 +1
Oh my bad I didn't realize these were the freemason irregulars
1
75Highon_Vida 6 days ago +1
Oh no no you're good. I only wanted to mention that for clarity's sake. There's some long running feuds/issues between the regular and irregular lodges.
1
ungovernable Apr 4, 2026 +7
You say this in a topic about 22 members of a Masonic lodge being charged with murder conspiracies.
7
[deleted] Apr 4, 2026 -1
[removed]
-1
ungovernable Apr 4, 2026 +1
Dinah wasn’t targeted for being connected to Mossad. That was a pretext given to whatever patsy they lined up to do the deed. He was targeted because someone in that group wanted him dead for personal or professional reasons.
1
Pale-Factor-8574 Apr 4, 2026 +2
Yes, that was the excuse given to the would be assassin. I'm wondering if the person who gave the orders either wasn't aware of the Lodges in Israel, or just used it because of current world affairs, and was counting on the assassin to not know much about the Masons. It's also possible that the assassin is anti-Israel/Judaism, so it was sufficient motivation. I'm looking forward to the outcome of these trials. Particularly for Laurent Pasquali.
2
freedfg 6 days ago +34
Wait. Let me get this right. As to the article. 4 members of a 20 member masonic lodge are tied to a criminal ring. And we are framing it as "them freemason's are at it again" ?
34
thegooddoktorjones 5 days ago +1
Sometimes people re-invent things that already exist, sounds like these rich choads reinvented the mafia.
1
realKevinNash 4 days ago +1
Wow. Crazy. Lots of members of the government.
1
Lifekraft Apr 4, 2026 -11
What a bunch of scum. Im not suprise some freemason lodge reach this level of corruption. It always attracted the worst people.
-11
tokyogodfather2 Apr 4, 2026 +23
Only when they get super powerful. The mason lodge in my home town in Iowa was really just a friendly old folks home. As a black kid in a racist town, the mason families were some of the few who were nice to me
23
thebarkbarkwoof Apr 4, 2026 +4
They used to have separate Masonry for blacks. I was involved in DeMolay when I was young.
4
typewriter6986 6 days ago +2
Prince Hall
2
thebarkbarkwoof 6 days ago +2
Yup. I couldn't think of the name. It's been over 40 years.
2
Lifekraft Apr 4, 2026 -2
In theory it should be that. But it always attract greedy people that just come for networking.
-2
cantproveidid Apr 4, 2026 +4
My dad, who was a mason, used to say you could tell by how they wore their ring. If the symbol on it appeared right side up (point of the square facing you, as you looked down at your ring), it was to remind you of your obligations to masonry. If the symbol appeared right side up to the person across from you (like when you went to shake hands), it was reminding them of their obligations. So he figured they were the ones looking to profit from being a mason. It is a great secret organization, that has no secret.
4
dyspnea Apr 4, 2026
Is there a podcast yet?
0
Green-Ad7694 6 days ago -6
The hidden hand. Nothing will happen.
-6
← Back to Board