Knight Kadosh

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The Knight Kadosh is a freemasonic degree or ceremony of initiation of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. It is the Thirtieth Degree of the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite for the United States of America, the Mother Supreme Council of the World, being the first and oldest Supreme Council,[1] and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada.[2] However, the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, which introduced a number of non-traditional degrees, and replaced several of the older degrees, has never conferred a degree entitled "Knight Kadosh." Instead its thirtieth degree is entitled "Grand Inspector."[3]

The term "Kadosh" is derived from the Hebrew word "קדוש", which means holy or consecrated.[4] "Kadosh" and "Knight Kadosh" is often abbreviated in masonic documents as "K--H.'."[5] and "K.'.K.'.D.'.H".[6]

Contents

[edit] History

The earliest recorded portrayal of the "Knight Kadosh" degree can be linked to the Council of Emperors of the East and West in 1758. This council united several masonic degrees being conducted in eighteenth century Paris, France.[7][8] The "Knight Kadosh" or originally "Illustrious and Grand Commander of the White and Black Eagle, Grand Elect Kadosh" was part of a full complement of twenty-five degrees or grades governed by this council. The "Knight Kadosh" was the twenty-forth degree of this complement.[9][8]

In 1801, the first Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite was founded in Charleston, South Carolina, which later became the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite for the United States of America. This body adopted many of the degrees of the Council of Emperors of the East and West, including the "Knight Kadosh." The "Knight Kadosh" degree was adopted as the Thirtieth degree and was simply entitled "Knight Kadosh."[10][8]

The Knight Kadosh Degree is not part of the degree system used by Northern Jurisdiction of the United States.

[edit] Lesson of the Degree

Like all Masonic Degrees, the Knight Kadosh Degree attempts to teach the initiates a series of moral lessons by the use of allegory and symbolism. The official description of the lesson portrayed in Southern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite for the United States of America's version of the Knight Kadosh Degree is as follows

"The lesson of this degree is to be true to ourselves, to stand for what is right and just in our lives today. To believe in God, country and ourselves."[11]

[edit] Controversy

The Knight Kadosh degree is controversial as its initiation is purported to be anti-Catholic. The 1918 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia alleged that, in the ceremony in use in the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the United States, purported to have been written by Albert Pike, the Papal tiara is trampled[12] during the initiation. This allegation does not appear in any subsequent editions of the Catholic Encyclopedia[13], although it was repeated by Father William Saunders in the Arlington Catholic Herald in 1996.[14]

Neither the Catholic Encyclopedia's nor Father Sauders' account agree with Pike's ritual[15] which includes neither trampling or stabbing a skull and, in fact, does not include or mention papal tiaras at all.

The controversial Masonic book Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike does mention hostility to the papal tiara by the historical Knights Templar when discussing the Kadosh degree.[16], however this is Pike's personal commentary on the degree and is not part of the degree itself.

An early Twentieth Century essay, authored by someone with the pen name of "Cato Perpatria", translated from the original Spanish by Edwin Sherman and published in a Masonic magazine, says that the Knight Kadosh initiation ritual commemorates a Papal betrayal of the Knights Templars[17] while at the same time swearing enmity towards the Church.[18] It is not known if "Cato Peratria" was a member of the Scottish Rite, and his essay does not specify the symbolic actions of the ritual nor say if members of the Scottish Rite agreed with his sentiments.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Freemasons for Dummies, Christopher Hodapp, ISBN 0-7645-9796-5, Hungry Minds Inc, U.S., 2005. p. 225
  2. ^ [1], accessed Aug 3, 2006
  3. ^ Freemasons for Dummies, Christopher Hodapp, ISBN 0-7645-9796-5, Hungry Minds Inc, U.S., 2005. p. 227
  4. ^ An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert G. Mackey, The Masonic History Company, New York, 1917. Vol. 1, p. 378
  5. ^ [2], accessed Aug 3, 2006
  6. ^ A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, A.E. Waite, ISBN 0-517-19148-2, University Books, New York, 1970. Vol. 1, p. xx
  7. ^ A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, A.E. Waite, ISBN 0-517-19148-2, University Books, New York, 1970. Vol. 1, p. 254
  8. ^ a b c An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Albert G. Mackey, The Masonic History Company, New York, 1917. Vol. 1, p. 379
  9. ^ A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, A.E. Waite, ISBN 0-517-19148-2, University Books, New York, 1970. Vol. 1, p. 432
  10. ^ A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, A.E. Waite, ISBN 0-517-19148-2, University Books, New York, 1970. Vol. 2, p. 412
  11. ^ "30th degree - Knight of Kadosh, or Knight of the White and Black Eagle: The lesson of this degree is to be true to ourselves, to stand for what is right and just in our lives today. To believe in God, country and ourselves. There is no apron, but the jewel is a gold Teutonic cross, enameled in red, with the letters J.'.B.'.M.'. on the obverse, and a skull transpierced by a poinard on the reverse." Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction from freemasoninformation.com
  12. ^ "The Kadosh (thirtieth degree), trampling on the papal tiara and the royal crown, is destined to wreak a just vengeance on these "high criminals" for the murder of Molay [128] and "as the apostle of truth and the rights of man" [129] to deliver mankind "from the bondage of Despotism and the thraldom of spiritual Tyranny"." From the article Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
  13. ^ New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967 ed, Volume 6, pp 132–139, McGraw-Hill, New York. The most recent edition (2002) does not contain any article on Freemasonry.
  14. ^ "When one reaches the 30th degree in the masonic hierarchy, called the Kadosh, the person crushes with his foot the papal tiara and the royal crown, and swears to free mankind 'from the bondage of despotism and the thraldom of spiritual tyranny.' "Catholics and the Freemason 'Religion'" by Father William Saunders, The Arlington Catholic Herald, May 9, 1996, hosted by the Eternal Word Television Network.
  15. ^ Pike, Albert; The Magnum Opus or Great Work; Kessinger Publishing Co.; ISBN 1-56459-245-6
  16. ^ "Thus the Order of Knights of the Temple was at its very origin devoted to the cause of opposition to the tiara of Rome"; Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, 1871, XXX KNIGHT KADOSH
  17. ^ "THE mystic ladder pertains particularly to us as Knights Kadosh, as the type of our order. It is composed of two ascents or supports that remind us of the compact which took place between Philip the Fair and Pope Clement the V, and the strength of that union which was given against our predecessors." From The Mystic Ladder, Translated by Edwin Sherman in the Builder Magazine, July 1915 - Volume I - Number 7
  18. ^ "And so you likewise complete your obligations and swear implacable hatred to the enemies of that Order which was the pattern of all the virtues; and we now have the obligation of employing all our forces for the total ruin of evil and priestly tyrants, upon whose heads must fall the blood of Jacques de Molay and his martyred companions." From The Mystic Ladder, Translated by Edwin Sherman in the Builder Magazine, July 1915 - Volume I - Number 7
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