Editing Propaganda Due P2 (section)

==Propaganda Due (P2) Masonic Lodge==
History of Propaganda Due (P2)  Propaganda Due, or P2, was founded in 1877 in Turin, Italy, as “Propaganda Massonica” under the Grand Orient of Italy. Initially an elite Masonic lodge for prominent figures like politicians, nobility, and government officials, it aimed to provide secrecy and facilitate Masonic research and networking. Banned in 1925 by Mussolini’s Fascist regime, it was reconstituted in exile in Paris in 1930 and reformed after World War II, becoming Propaganda Due when the Grand Orient numbered its lodges. By the 1960s, P2 was largely inactive until [[Licio Gelli]], a former fascist and Blackshirt who joined Freemasonry in 1964, took control in 1966. Under Gelli, P2 transformed into a clandestine, anti-communist, far-right organization, violating Masonic principles and Italy’s constitutional ban on secret associations (Article 18). The Grand Orient withdrew P2’s charter in 1976, but Gelli operated it illegally until 1984.
P2 grew into a powerful network, with an estimated 962–1,600 members, including high-ranking Italian officials, military officers, intelligence chiefs, bankers, industrialists, journalists, and future Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It was implicated in major scandals, including the Banco Ambrosiano collapse (1982), the murders of journalist Carmine Pecorelli (1979) and banker [[Roberto Calvi]] (1982), the Tangentopoli bribery scandal (1990s), and terrorist acts like the Italicus Express bombing (1974). A 1981 police raid on Gelli’s villa uncovered a membership list, exposing P2’s influence and leading to political upheaval, including the resignation of Justice Minister Adolfo Sarti and the collapse of Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani’s government. A parliamentary inquiry labeled P2 a criminal organization aiming to subvert democracy. Gelli faced trials for conspiracy, fraud, and espionage, receiving reduced sentences and dying under house arrest in 2015. P2’s international reach included Argentina, with members like interim president Raúl Alberto Lastiri and junta figures Emilio Massera and José López Rega.