Grand Orient de France
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The Grand Orient de France (GOdF) is the oldest Masonic organization in Continental Europe, founded in 1733. However, over time it has established its own traditions which were in contradiction to Masonic practices in most English speaking countries including Grand Lodges in the United States and United Kingdom. Many of those Grand Lodges withdrew recognition from the Grand Orient, which they now claim as "irregular".
It was one of the first Masonic orders to allow some of its lodges to become adoptive (i.e. to admit women). In 1774, following the introduction of Rites of Adoption in several of its lodges, it issued an edict authorising them, the Duchess of Bourbon being elected first Grand Mistress of France.
In the United Kingdom patronage of the Grand Lodge has long been a royal prerogative. This had an influence over some of the wording in the early days of Freemasonry, including demands of a charge of loyalty. Over time this has become a ceremonial funtion. Likewise in France Napoleon III established a dictatorship over official French freemasonry, appointing first Prince Lucien Marat and later Marshal Magnan to closely supervise the craft and suppressing any hints of opposition to the regime.
In 1877 it allowed those who had no belief in a Supreme being - which many other Freemasons regarded as a Masonic Landmark - to be admitted. More specifically, this dispute is based on competing interpretations of Anderson's 1723 Constitutions:
"[If] A Mason [...] rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine."- Anderson's Constitutions.
It was this decision that has been the root cause of the schism between the Grand Orient and much of Latin Freemasonry and the "English speaking" Freemasonry. It is a schism in Freemasonry which continues to this day. It is argued that the definition is ambiguous, that Anderson's Landmarks are his own collection and interpretation of the historical landmarks, and that changes in both interpretation and practice have occurred before and since.
The Grand Orient advanced the concept of Laïcité, a French concept of the separation of church and state and the absence of religious interference in government affairs. The Grand Orient arrived at its interpretation of absolute freedom of conscience in the 19th century. It was in in 1875 when the Bishop Dupanloup wanted to become a freemason and a member of the Grand Orient de France. He was 74 years old. During his initiation he was asked if he believed in a supreme being, and he answered:
“A wise man of ancient times, who was ask'd the same question by a king, thought about an answer for days, but was never able to answer. I please you not to request an answer from me. No science denies a "first cause", because it finds neither another warrant nor proof. All knowledge is relative and we always meet unknown phenomena and laws we don't know its cause. The one who proclaims with determination to neither believe nor disbelieve in a God proofs not to understand the problem of what makes things exist and disappear.” [1]
