Freemasonry
Freemasonry has a long history. One of the oldest texts we have on the Masonic Order is the Regius Manuscript, dated around 1390. In other words, we are talking about a tradition that has been documented for over 630 years. This means that the Masonic Order, in a recognizable form, has existed for over half a millennium and in a structured and organized form, as we know it today, since the 18th century.
So you don’t walk through this door as if you were joining a leisure club. This is a centuries-old Order. We are approaching a human continuity, a language, a way of being in the world that has survived the centuries, transformed and passed on. There are many books and texts on Freemasonry. We will not go into detail here about its history or its intentions, as there is already a wealth of documentation on the subject.
One simple question remains for today : what exactly does the term ‘Freemasonry’ mean in the 21st century ?
To answer this question, we must first accept a very simple idea :
There is no single Freemasonry.
The word “Freemasonry” does not describe a single, monolithic institution with a single way of working, a single intention, or even a single leader. It describes a set of traditions, sometimes very different from one another, sometimes even opposed in their understanding of the role of Freemasonry.
To visualize this diversity and understand how the same word can cover different realities, two simple comparisons can help.
- For the first example, let’s take religion. In Christianity, for example, there are Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Copts, etc. They do not have the same practices, the same forms, or always the same way of worship. They do not agree on what it means to “be” Christian. Yet they all describe themselves as Christians.
- Second comparison : let’s look at a social system such as a republic. In a modern republic, people on the left, in the center, on the right, liberals, social democrats, and conservatives sometimes have totally incompatible views on how to organize society. They would never agree on everything. Yet they all claim to serve the public interest and call themselves “republicans,” just not in the same way.
Freemasonry works in the same way : one word, many ways of living it. There is no financial, contractual, hierarchical, or dependent relationship between two Grand Lodges. Just as there is no relationship between two political parties or two religious doctrines.
What is an Grand Lodge ?
When several Masonic Lodges share the same ‘way’ of working, the same intention, they can come together in an Grand Lodge, a kind of common house. An Grand Lodge brings together several Lodges that share the same vision of Freemasonry. This is similar to associations that come together to form a federation. In fact, this is exactly what a Lodge is from a legal standpoint : it is an association under the 1901 law (in France), whose statutes are filed with the local government and which is recognised by public services.
What distinguishes these different Grand Lodges, and their constituent lodges ?
To simplify matters, we can distinguish between two main ways of practising Freemasonry today.
- On the one hand, you have Freemasonry focused on society — an approach especially characteristic of Continental (notably French) traditions. In several Grand Lodges, the priority is to reflect on major issues in the secular world : society, justice, city organisation. These are known as ‘societal’ issues. Meetings are primarily used to debate these topics, produce analyses and sometimes formulate public positions. In this approach, Freemasonry is seen as a place for civic reflection. This type of Freemasonry seeks to be a laboratory of ideas and to influence society. The ancient symbolic language is still there, but it is seen as an old relic of the past. It often takes second place to the main objective : thinking about the world and seeking to improve it.
- On the other hand, there is traditional initiatory Freemasonry, whose centre of gravity lies elsewhere. The primary objective is not to comment on external society, but to work on oneself. This approach considers Freemasonry as an initiatory path : that is, a personal path of inner transformation, supported by a Working (a ritual system) and a framework considered sacred. Here, symbolic practices are not seen as folklore or historical decoration : they are living tools for work. It is an approach that is deeply convinced that before improving life in the city, one must first work on oneself. That true peace on earth will only be possible when every human being has first found peace in their own heart. Our Grand Lodge belongs to this traditional initiatory approach.
Both approaches claim the Masonic name. They use the same word. To the general public, they may even appear to be identical. In reality, they do not have the same goal.
How can we still speak of a Masonic ‘order’ if there are such differences ?
Well, because even though practices and priorities vary greatly from one Masonic family to another, there is still a common foundation. There are still strong ideas that can be found, in one form or another, in any serious Masonic structure :
- Cut your stone
The image is old, but it remains central : everyone arrives with their raw, rough, unpolished side. Masonic work consists of ‘cutting one’s stone’, that is, correcting oneself. It is about transforming oneself. This idea runs across Masonic traditions.
- A set of values
Under different words, we find the same fundamental moral requirement : the pursuit of brotherhood, concern for human dignity, rejection of baseness, honesty in one’s actions. Even when the orders do not have the same methods or priorities, they continue to present themselves as places where people try to raise the human level, not lower it.
- A symbolic language
Historically, Freemasonry has worked with symbols : the rough stone mentioned above is one such symbol. The square and compass you have heard about are others. In some Grand Lodges, this symbolic language is still used as a working tool, that is, an instrument of inner transformation. In others, it has become more discreet, almost patrimonial, like a shared memory. But it has not completely disappeared. It is one of the last areas in which very different Freemasons can still recognise each other as Freemasons.