# Licio Gelli

Licio Gelli (April 21, 1919 – December 15, 2015) was an Italian financier, liaison officer between the Italian government and Nazi Germany, chiefly known for his role in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal. He was revealed in 1981 as being the Venerable Master of the clandestine lodge Propaganda Due.

## Quotes

* I am a fascist and will die a fascist.
** "Licio Gelli, financier - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. December 16, 2015. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* I personally have done much to have the excommunication of Freemasons removed from the new Code of Canon Law. In its time Freemasonry collaborated in ecumenical activity, then in the drafting of the Canon Code, on the concept that Christian unity also passes through those Anglican and Protestant bishops and pastors, as well as Orthodox, who are Freemasons. Freemasonry also participated in the creation of the Concordated Bible.
** Io personalmente ho fatto molto per far togliere dal nuovo Codice di Diritto Canonico la scomunica ai massoni. A suo tempo la Massoneria ha collaborato all’attività ecumenica, poi alla elaborazione del Codice Canonico, sul concetto che l’unità dei cristiani passa anche attraverso quei vescovi e pastori anglicani e protestanti, nonché ortodossi, che sono massoni. La Massoneria ha partecipato pure alla realizzazione della Bibbia concordata.
*** As quoted in Vittorio Messori, Le cose della vita (n. 16)
* Every morning I speak to my conscience and the dialogue calms me down. I look at the country, read the newspaper, and think: 'All is becoming a reality little by little, piece by piece'. To be truthful, I should have had the copyright to it. Justice, TV, public order. I wrote about this 30 years ago.... Berlusconi is an extraordinary man, a man of action. This is what Italy needs: not a man of words, but a man of action.
** Rebello, Lara (December 17, 2015). "Italy: Masonic leader Licio Gelli dies at 96". International Business Times. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* It is not up to us to deliver judgments. Only God will be able to tell the truth.
** Hooper, John (December 29, 2015). "Licio Gelli obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* Mussolini was the son of a blacksmith, Hitler was the son of a house painter and I am the son of a miller.
** Mussolini è stato il figlio del fabbro, Hitler è stato il figlio di un imbianchino e io sono il figlio di un mugnaio .
*** As quoted in Gelli in libreria (2011), Teletruria TVWEB (at minute 0:59).
* [Journalist:] So none of your plan came to fruition in your opinion? [Gelli:] mah I see on the other hand that everyone is a little watered down. Everyone took some cues from it on the other hand I can't say more. Also because he was aimed only at good. They should, I don't say, talk to me about certain rights. I don't even ask for them because it was not possible to file it with SIAE.
** [Giornalista:] quindi non è stato realizzato niente del suo piano secondo lei? [Gelli:] mah io vedo d'altra parte che tutti si sono un po' abbeverati. Tutti ne hanno preso degli spunti; d'altra parte non posso dire altro. Anche perché era volto soltanto al bene. Mi dovrebbero, non dico, parlare di certi diritti. Non li richiedo nemmeno perché non fu possibile depositarlo alla SIAE.
*** As quoted in Alessandro Ruggiero, Licio Gelli, piano di rinascita integrale su Canale 19 (2008), at minute 3:27.
* [About the P2] My Plan of Democratic Rebirth? I see that 20 years later this Bicameral [the D'Alema Bicameral Parliament Commission] is copying it piece by piece, with the Boato draft. Better late than never. They should at least give me the copyright.
** Il mio Piano di rinascita? Vedo che vent'anni dopo questa Bicamerale [la Bicamerale D'Alema] lo sta copiando pezzo per pezzo, con la bozza Boato. Meglio tardi che mai. Mi dovrebbero almeno dare il copyright...
*** From Il Borghese, April 1997. As quoted in Marco Travaglio, Ad personam, Chiarelettere, Milano, 2010, pp. 119-120. ISBN 978-88-6190-104-9
* The real power lies in the hands of the holders of the Mass Media.
** Il vero potere risiede nelle mani dei detentori dei Mass Media.
*** As quoted in in Mario Guarino e Fedora Raugei, Gli anni del disonore, Dedalo, Bari, 2006, p. 35. ISBN 9788822053602.
* We had Italy in our hands. We would never have wanted to attack, but we were like a sentinel, carefully ensuring that the Communist party should never emerge.
** Politi, James (December 17, 2015). "Licio Gelli, fascist and masonic chief". Financial Times. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* [journalist:] what can you tell us about the carnages? I asked her who is behind the carnages. [Gelli:] but you see, there have always been these massacres here. And there always will be. Oh yes, because there is no order. And also in recent times, because in the early days there were no massacres. They possibly took place after '60; before 1960 they never occurred. It's from the '60s: and why am I talking about the '60s? Because in 1960 there was still a certain condition that the people had emerged from a dictatorship of fascism - call it the dictatorship of fascism - and the people had gotten used to working and had to go to work because otherwise they would have been punished and wouldn't have had to go on strike because with the strike it is not that it occurs; the strike makes people more poor.
** [giornalista:] delle stragi che ci dice? le avevo chiesto chi c'è dietro le stragi. [Gelli:] ma delle stragi, vede, ci sono sempre state queste qui. E sempre ci saranno. Eh sì, perché non c'è ordine. E anche negli ultimi tempi, perché nei primi tempi stragi non ce ne sono state. Sono avvenute eventualmente dopo il '60; prima del '60 non se ne sono mai verificate. È del '60: e perché parlo del '60? Perché nel '60 c'era ancora una certa condizione che il popolo era uscito da una dittatura del fascismo -chiamatela dittatura del fascismo- e il popolo aveva abituato a lavorare e doveva andare a lavorare perché se no sarebbero stati puniti e non avrebbero dovuto scioperare perché con lo sciopero non è che si produce; lo sciopero impoverisce.
*** As quoted in Alessandro Ruggiero, Licio Gelli, piano di rinascita integrale su Canale 19 (2008), at minute 3:58.
* Would Giulio Andreotti have been the true "master" of the P2 Lodge? For heaven's sake... I had the P2, Cossiga the Gladio and Andreotti the Ring.
** Giulio Andreotti sarebbe stato il vero "padrone" della Loggia P2? Per carità... io avevo la P2, Cossiga la Gladio e Andreotti l'Anello.
*** As quoted in Licio Gelli: "Berlusconi un debole, Andreotti a capo dell'Anello e Fini è senza carattere", Oggi.it, 15 February 2011.
* With P2 we had Italy in our hands. Then there was the Army, Financial Police, Police: they were clearly commanded by all people from the P2 Masonic lodge. [...] We never wanted to attack and we couldn't attack, but we were a sentinel to prevent the Communist Party from emerging.
** Noi con la P2 avevamo l'Italia in mano. Allora c'era l'Esercito, Guardia di Finanza, Polizia: erano nettamente comandate da tutta gente della loggia massonica P2. [...] Noi non abbiamo mai voluto attaccare e non si poteva attaccare, però eravamo una sentinella perché non emergesse il Partito Comunista.
*** As quoted in Klaus Davi, 4 December 2008. Video on Youtube.com.

## Quotes about Licio Gelli

* Italy, it must be recorded with honesty, albeit bemusement, has produced few more remarkable individuals this century than Licio Gelli.
** Rupert Cornwell, in Roberts, Sam (December 18, 2015). "Licio Gelli, Italian Financier and Cabal Leader, Dies at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* I think every citizen of Bologna has a reaction to that surname. It would have been good if he had never set foot in our country and our city.
** Virginio Merola, in Politi, James (December 17, 2015). "Licio Gelli, fascist and masonic chief". Financial Times. Retrieved on 16 August 2018.
* Licio Gelli: In this country there is only one charismatic figure who can truly lead it: Silvio Berlusconi.
    Gomez: Are you really sure about that, Commendatore? Do you really not see anyone else?.
    Gelli:Well, there would be one:Dell'Utri, but he has the problem of the Palermo trial...
* Gomez: But in the meantime we know how these things go: he will end up being acquitted.
    Gelli:No, they will give him seven years… (Peter Gomez)
** As quoted in Peter Gomez, Licio Gelli, quando il capo della P2 mi disse: ‘Condanneranno Dell’Utri a sette anni’ (December 23, 2015)
* The P2 Lodge, until its dissolution in 1982 due to the Anselmi-Spadolini law, was a regular lodge of the Grand Orient of Italy, as attested by extensive documentation that passed between the grand masters Gamberini, Salvini and Battelli on the one hand and Licio Gelli on the other.
    Peter Gomez:The existence of the Propaganda Due Lodge was known, but it was not known who exactly its members were?
    Giuliano Di Bernardo:Grand Masters knew it, because the Grand Masters signed the badges. The cards of the P2 affiliates bore the signature of the Grand Master, therefore they were all effective members of the Grand Orient of Italy.
** La Loggia P2, fino al suo scioglimento nel 1982 per la legge Anselmi-Spadolini, è stata una loggia regolare del Grande Oriente d’Italia, come attesta un’ampia documentazione che è intercorsa tra i gran maestri Gamberini, Salvini e Battelli da una parte e Licio Gelli dall’altra.
    Peter Gomez:Si conosceva l’esistenza della Loggia Propaganda due, però non si conosceva chi fossero esattamente i suoi componenti?
    Giuliano Di Bernardo:Gran maestri lo sapevano, perché i Gran Maestri firmavano i tesserini. I tesserini degli affiliati alla P2 portavano la firma del Gran Maestro, quindi erano tutti membri effettivi del Grande Oriente d’Italia.
*** As quoted in Giuliano Di Bernardo: So che esiste un elenco completo di nomi della loggia P2 (April 17, 2023)

## External links

* Licio Gelli on IMDb
* Authority control: WorldCat search