Co-Freemasonry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Co-Freemasonry is a form of Freemasonry which admits both men and women. It began in France in the mid-nineteenth century. Most Masonic Lodges do not admit women, and do not officially recognise Co-Freemasonry, holding it to be irregular or clandestine.
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[edit] International Co-Freemasonry — Le Droit Humain
International Co-Freemasonry was founded in France in the late nineteenth century, during a period of strong feminist and women's suffrage campaigning. It is the only truly international masonic Order and has members from over 60 countries worldwide.
French Masonry had long attempted to include women, the Grand Orient de France having allowed Rites of Adoption as early as 1774,[1][2] by which Lodges could "adopt" sisters, wives and daughters of Freemasons, imparting to them the mysteries of several degrees.[3]
In 1879, following differences among members of the Supreme Council of France, twelve lodges withdrew from the Grand Orient de France and founded the Grande Loge Symbolique de France. One of these Lodges, Les Libres Penseurs (The Free Thinkers) in Pecq, reserved in its charter the right to initiate women as Freemasons, proclaiming the essential equality of man and woman.
On January 14, 1882, Maria Deraismes, a well-known humanitarian, feminist author, lecturer and politician, was initiated into Les Libres Penseurs. The Right Worshipful Master, Bro. Houbron, 18°, justified this act as having the highest interests of humanity at heart, and as being a perfectly logical application of the principle of 'A Free Mason in a Free Lodge'. The Lodge was soon suspended for this "impropriety".
In 1890 the Lodge La Jerusalem Écossaise, also of the Grande Loge Symbolique de France, petitioned other Lodges for the establishment of a new order of Freemasonry that would accept both men and women. This time La Jerusalem Lodge did not propose to initiate women itself, but to create a new order working in parallel. The main proponent of this was Dr. Georges Martin, a French senator, advocate of equal rights for women, and also a member of Les Libres Penseurs.
On March 14, 1893, Deraismes, Martin and several other male Freemasons founded La Respectable Loge, Le Droit Humain, Maçonnerie Mixte (Worshipful Lodge, Human Rights, Co-Masonry) in Paris. They initiated, passed and raised sixteen prominent French women.
Shortly after, on April 4 of the same year, the first Grand Lodge of Co-Freemasonry was established, the Grande Loge Symbolique Écossaise Mixte de France (Grand Lodge of Mixed Scottish Rite Freemasonry of France), which would later become known as the International Order of Co-Freemasonry "Le Droit Humain". This was a radical departure from most other forms of Freemasonry, for not only did the new order not require belief in a Supreme Being (the Grand Orient de France had discarded this requirement in 1877) — it opened its doors to all of humanity who were "... just, upright and free, of mature age, sound judgment and strict morals."
[edit] The Eastern Federation
Several prominent members of the Theosophical Society joined Co-Freemasonry, including Annie Besant, George Arundale, Charles W. Leadbeater, C. Jinarajadasa and Henry Steele Olcott. Henceforth, wherever they took Theosophy, they also introduced Co-Freemasonry.
The Order of Universal Co-Freemasonry in Great Britain and the British Dependencies was founded by Annie Besant and officers of the Supreme Council of the French Maçonnerie Mixte (known today as The International Order of Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain) on September 26, 1902, with the consecration of Lodge Human Duty No. 6 in London. Besant remained head of the Order until her death in 1933. The English working, influenced by the Theosophy of its leading members, restored certain Masonic practices not required in the French working, notably that its members hold a belief in God or a Supreme Being. The permission received from France to reinstate this in the English workings is known as the 'Annie Besant Concord', and in 1904 a new English ritual was printed, which firmly established this requirement as central to the work. The revised ritual was called the 'Dharma Ritual', also known as the 'Besant-Leadbeater' and more recently as the 'Lauderdale' working. The Dharma Ritual also attempted to restore prominence to esoteric and mystical aspects that its Theosophically-minded authors felt were the heart of Freemasonry, so that it became foremostly a spiritual organisation; Co-Freemasonry of this Order was therefore sometimes called "Occult Freemasonry".
[edit] The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry
In 1903 the first Co-Masonic Lodge in the USA was instituted under Le Droit Humain by the French professor Muzzarelli in New York. He founded the first Alpha Lodge in Charleroi, Pennsylvania and more than 50 others within four years before leaving the United States of America in 1908. In 1909 delegates of twenty of these Lodges founded the American Federation of Human Rights in St. Louis. By 1924, nearly 100 Lodges had been started under the guidance of Louis Goaziou, the Most Puissant Grand Commander, Representative of the Supreme Council in Paris.
[edit] Defection of Lodges from Le Droit Humain
Between the mid-1990s and early 2000s a large number of lodges defected from Le Droit Humain, which they charged with infringing upon their constitutional rights. On 2 January 2001 Le Droit Humain formally expelled four senior members of the British Federation over these disagreements. Following these expulsions, about 70[citation needed] members resigned.
The defecting lodges reformed as the American Federation of Human Rights, the Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry, the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry, and a number of smaller orders.
Other lodges, including those in Australia and South Africa and some US lodges, opted to remain affiliated with the Supreme Council of International Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain, and continue to exist as the British, Australian, and American Federations of the order, governed by the Representative of the Supreme Council in France, known as the Most Puissant Grand Commander, who holds the 33rd and highest degree of the Order.
[edit] The American Federation of Human Rights / American Co-Masonry
In December 1993, when demands from the Supreme Council in Paris conflicted with the International Constitution and the National Constitution of the American Federation of Le Droit Humain, which mandated independence in internal affairs and adherence to United States law, a large part of the membership decided to withdraw from Le Droit Humain.
On April 11, 1994, the Supreme Council of American Co-Masonry, The American Federation of Human Rights, was reformed by members of the Grand Inspector General of the Thirty-third Degree. Also known as American Co-Masonry, this now-independent obedience, which has its headquarters in Larkspur, Colorado, has since become the largest Co-Masonic organization in the United States.
[edit] The Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry
In 2001, following growing concerns over erosions to the Annie Besant Concord by the administration in Paris, many member lodges of the Eastern Federation resigned from Le Droit Humain, severing all ties, and reconstituted new governing bodies. Lodges in India, New Zealand, parts of the US, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Spain reformed as the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry; lodges in the UK reformed as the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women.[4][5]
[edit] The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons is a virtual Grand Lodge for men and women operating over the internet.
The Ancient, Accepted & Esoteric Freemasons was initially chartered by the Grand Orient de France on May 14 1928. On November 17 1976 Grandmaster Juliet Ashley established the Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons as an independent Masonic organization. This order's name was changed to "International Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons" at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on June 22 1977. At that meeting the Grand Lodge also established Acacia Lodge #1 A:. A:. & E:. F:. as the first Lodge of Master Masons under the new jurisdiction. From 1992 the Grand Lodge ceased to operate within a physical temple, and from 2003 they began rewriting the rituals for self-initiation and lodge initiation using one or more initiating officers. They have offered internet initiations for Entered Apprentices since 2004.[6]
The order confers Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees, as well as York Rite and Scottish Rite degrees and several other advanced rites. Degrees are practiced in their regular and ancient form, and are accompanied by esoteric teachings.
[edit] The Co-Freemasonic Order of The Blazing Star
The Co-Freemasonic Order of the Blazing Star is an independent order of freemasonry based in the South West of England that admits men and women equally. It sees its main emphasis as cultivating the spiritual and esoteric aspects of freemasonry, and offers a true initiatory system of training and development of the 33 degrees of ‘The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite’ for the benefit of humanity and the world. It currently operates an ancient Irish working in the craft degrees.
In November 1997 a group of senior masons formed an independent Supreme Council to revitalise and regenerate masonic ritual and practice with an explicit emphasis on the symbolic, esoteric and spiritual teachings, initiatory training, and the ‘inner’ workings forming the basis of the ritual work. To distinguish the new order from other masonic bodies, the name ‘Order of the Blazing Star’ was taken. The Blazing Star is a universal symbol, and is found in most masonic rituals. The principals, rituals and traditions are still based on those of the Grand Scottish Constitutions of 1786, revised and agreed by the national Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite at Lausanne in 1876. In May 2007 the Supreme Council decided the name of the order should more closely reflect its heritage and work and thus ‘The Co-Freemasonic Order of the Blazing Star’ was established.
[edit] Recognition of Co-Freemasonry by other Freemasons
Co-Freemasonry is not formally recognised by any of the major Masonic Grand Lodges inasmuch as intervisitation or other Masonic interaction is not permitted.
A Landmark of Freemasonry agreed by all masculine Grand Lodges is that the initiation of women is forbidden and members take a binding obligation not to countenance the initiation of women. Certain Grand Lodges of Co-Freemasonry also follow the lead of the Grand Orient de France in removing references to the Supreme Being from their rituals and initiating atheists; this is a further point of separation from typical Masonic Lodges which hold belief in a Supreme Being to be a Landmark requirement.
Notwithstanding the prohibition of interaction in a ritual context, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the oldest of the Grand Lodges, whilst not recognising Co-Freemasonry, states that it does hold informal discussions from time to time with Women's and Co-Masonic Grand Lodges on issues of mutual concern, and that
- Brethren are therefore free to explain to non-Masons, if asked, that Freemasonry is not confined to men (even though this Grand Lodge does not itself admit women).[7]
The Grand Orient de France also does not initiate women, but does recognize Masonic bodies that do. Thus, it allows visitation by women from those bodies.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Co-Masonic Organisations
- The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons
- The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain
- The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain — British Federation
- The Internation Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain - American Federation
- International Masonic Order "Delphi"
- The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry / American Federation of Human Rights
- Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women
- The Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry
- Lithos Confederation of Autonomous Lodges (Belgium)
- The Co-Freemasonic Order of The Blazing Star
[edit] Women's-only Masonic Organisations
- Women's Lodges in the USA chartered by the Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium
- Grand Loge Féminine de France
- The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons
[edit] References
- ^ Huffmire, Casey R. Women and Freemasonry in France and Germany. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
- ^ Mackey, A. C. Adoniramite Freemasonry, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences. Retrieved 2006-07-13
- ^ Mackey, A. C. Eastern Star, Order of the, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences. Retrieved 2006-07-13
- ^ The Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women, Great Britain. Retrieved 30 November 2006.
- ^ A Grand Conclave, from The Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women, Great Britain. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
- ^ History of the Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons Retrieved 2007-09-15.
- ^ What About Women in Freemasonry? - last accessed 2006-02-12. The UGLE have also advertised Freemasonry for Women on their old london-lodges.org website.
- ^ "Where it can be found" section of the history of the Grand Orient de France. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
- Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry — Co-Masonry. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
- Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry — Women. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
- The Builder, November 1920, containing the article Woman and Freemasonry by Dudley Wright. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
- The Builder, August 1921, containing the article Co-Masonry by Joseph H. Fussell. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
- History of the Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons Retrieved 2007-09-15.
- Freemasonry for Women by Catherine Yronwode. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
