Liberal freemasonry

The Birth of Liberal Freemasonry

In 1877, at the convention of the Great East of France, at the initiative of a Calvinist priest and a member of the WWF, Frederick Desmond , she was excluded from the mandatory requirement for membership in the WWF of the landmark about faith in the Supreme Being ( God ) - which allowed the OVL and associated lodges to consider this decision WWF as non-compliance with landmarks and an attempt to move away from Masonic traditions ^[4] .

Regarding the landmark about faith in God to the representatives of the lodges, Desmon talks about the wording of Article 1 of the 1849 WWF Constitution, which will go down in history and will receive the ardent support of most venerable masters of the WWF lodges ^[5] . In particular, he repeatedly said:

"(...) We ask for the removal of this formula, because it puts awkward venerable masters of lodges in an awkward position, and this is no less important for many profane people who are inspired by a sincere desire to become part of our large and noble society, which is rightfully represented as a broad and progressive organization that suddenly established this dogmatic barrier that their conscience does not allow them to cross.

We demand the abolition of this formula, because it seems completely unnecessary and alien to the goal of Freemasonry. - When a society of scientists meets to consider a scientific question, is it for something compelled to use theological formulas in the basis of its charter? “They should abandon scientific goals because of this, shouldn't they?” “They study science regardless of any idea or religious dogma.” “Shouldn't it be true Freemasonry?” Its scope is not large enough, so Freemasonry should not step on land that does not belong to it.

Not. Leave theologians to discuss dogma. Let authoritarian churches formulate dogma in their sermons. “Let Freemasonry be what it should be, that is, an organ open to progress, all moral ideas and high aspirations, broad and liberal (...)"

It was this decision that was the reason for the split between the great east (and the lodges following it) and the rest of Freemasonry. This schism in Freemasonry continues to this day. WWF members argued that the definition is ambiguous, that Anderson’s landmarks are his own collected and interpreted historical landmarks, and that changes, both in interpretation and practice, took place before and after.

The solution is not universal, argued in France. In 1877, part of the lodges left the WWF in protest and formed the Great Scottish symbolic lodge ^{[6] [7]} .

Admission of women to Masonic organizations

The great east of France created the “ Adoptive Ritual ” in 1774 ^{[8] [9]} , in the boxes of which the sisters, wives and daughters of the Freemasons joined as adopted members of these boxes ^[10] .

In 1877, after the abolition of the mandatory requirement of faith in God among the candidates, twelve lodges split from the Great East of France and founded the “Great Symbolic Scottish Lodge”.

On January 14, 1882, Maria Derem, a well-known humanist , feminist, writer, teacher, and politician, was initiated into the box of Free Thinkers. Soon, for this violation, the box was expelled from the Supreme Court, and Derem herself was forced to leave this box.

In 1890, the Scottish Jerusalem Lodge, also belonging to the Great Symbolic Scottish Lodge, notified the other LSSL lodges of the founding of a new Masonic order that would accept both men and women. This time, the box suggested not starting to devote women, but to create a new order working in parallel. The main initiator of this was Dr. Georges Martin , a French senator, a women's rights activist, and a member of the Free Thinkers box.

On March 14, 1893, Maria Derem, Georges Martin and several other Masons founded the Human Rights box in Paris. They dedicated and raised to the degree of master in one day 16 French women.

Shortly afterwards, on April 4 of the same year, the first Great Mixed Lodge was founded - the “Great Symbolic Scottish Mixed Lodge of France” ( French Grande Loge Symbolique Écossaise Mixte de France ). This was a radical departure from other forms of Freemasonry: the order not only did not require faith in the Supreme Being , but also opened the door for women along with men.

• The great east of France , which arose in 1773, is one of the oldest great lodges in France. The number of WWF is 52 500 people. It is the largest Masonic organization on the European continent.
• Le Droit Humain is a mixed Masonic organization. Officially founded on April 4, 1893, this order has about 30,000 members in 60 countries on 5 continents. Lodges work according to the Ancient and accepted Scottish charter.
• The Grand Women's Box of France is an international women's Masonic organization with 14,000 members, united in 300 boxes worldwide. As an independent OHL, it has been operating since 1952. It excludes from its principles the landmark about purely male membership in Freemasonry, recognizes the right to freedom of conscience of everyone and advocates the secular nature of modern society as a whole.
• The great east of Belgium - 10 500 people.
• The Grand Lodge of Italy - 9,000 people.
• The Great Mixed Lodge of France - 5,100 people.
• The Great Mixed Universal Lodge - 1,400 people.

International Liberal Masonic Organizations

• CLIPSAS
• SIMPA

• The great east of France - lodges "Moscow" No. 6018 (Moscow) and "Astrea" No. 6032 (St. Petersburg) ^[11] ;
• Le Droit Humain - “New World” box No. 1989 (Moscow) ^[12] ;
• The Great Women's Lodge of France - Gamayun Lodge No. 502 (St. Petersburg) ^[13] .

• Freemasonry
• Regular Freemasonry
• Anglo-American Freemasonry
• Mixed Freemasonry
• Paramonism