SECESSION AMONG ITALIAN SECESSIONISTS: GIULIO CASTELLI.

AMERICAN FREEMASON, NOVEMBER 1914

Those few of the American fraternity who have followed the course of
Freemasonry in Italy will remember that several years ago a schism
occurred, having its beginning at Milan. Fortunately the differences were
healed because of the wise action taken by Grand Master Ernesto Nathan
[the present Mayor of Rome] who was then at the head of the Craft in that
country.  A new and more serious difference arose later, and one which has
a greater importance because of the action of bodies in other countries in
recognizing the opposing factions.  To make this matter plain let it be said
that the Grand Orient of Italy is under the Grand Mastership of Brother
Ettore Ferrari, and the Supreme council of the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite has Brother Achille Ballori as Sovereign Grand Commander. 
These are in close affiliation with the Grand Lodge of Italy of the Symbolic
Rite, and all three have headquarters at the Palazzo Giustiniani in Rome. 
The Grand Orient is in fraternal relations with, among many others, the
Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland, the British possessions
and many of the governing bodies of the United States.  It would therefore
seem that these affiliated bodies have clearly established their legitimacy. 
Now the schism of which we speak, and which is the subject of Brother
Castelli's article following, occurred in the Supreme Council, and the
separated bode is known as the "Grand Lodge of Italy for the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite." According to the year-book published by the
International Bureau of Masonic Relations, [Berne] this was founded in
1908, has 81 Lodges, and has Saverio Fera as its Grand Master.  American
Masons are, or profess to be, sticklers for regularity and legitimacy.  How,
therefore, the two Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite in the United
States can recognize these secessionists, as against the long-established
body, is a matter perhaps to be left to them, as they do strange things. 
Place is given to Brother Castelli's article that Masons and Grand Lodges
may understand the situation, and not to be led to injustices in any matter
of recognition.  And it may be said that any such body, founded on
injustice and wrong, has in itself the seeds of disruption and dissolution.
- EDITOR FREEMASON.


YOUR esteemed magazine has more than once shown its impartiality, and
its contributions represent so many different views on Masonic matters, that
I venture to hope you may publish this article, which as I think has an
importance to the Freemasons of all nations.  If your memory serves, you
will recall that I sought to expose this matter once before in the postscript
to an article of mine which you published, but which postscript was then
suppressed by you.  I could partly understand your reason for so doing, as
the matter was then known only to a few, and would perhaps have had but
small interest.  Now these matters have become public property, so to
speak, and with that perhaps your objections will fail.

More than once, while I was in the United States, I felt the ridiculousness
of the situation, and the injustice, that usurpers of the powers of the
Supreme Council of Italy and of Italian Freemasonry had been recognized
by the two Supreme Councils of your country.  It is not that any difference
is made to the followers of true Italian Freemasonry.  I was, speaking for
myself, greeted everywhere in America with the utmost kindness.  But yet
as you know, my dear brother, human beings are so constituted that an
injustice will arouse us, even if we do not ourselves suffer.  Now I want to
assure you, and have you satisfied for yourself, that I knew and asserted
the truth when I wrote you two years ago.  To give you the evidence I am
sending you copies of the Giornale d'Italia, one of the leading dailies of
Rome, one of which contains an article entitled "Serious Secession in Mr.
Fera's Freemasonry," and part of which I translate for THE AMERICAN
FREEMASON. This is as follows:

There are in Italy at present two Freemasonries, as there were several years
ago, when a secession occurred at Milan, under the lead of Senator de
Cristoforis.  Signor Nathan, when Grand Master, succeeded in bringing
peace and harmony to the factions, and it was his privilege to unite Italian
Freemasons again into a homogenous body.  In 1908, for reasons which
we cannot now make public, and which are really of no interest to our
readers, a new schism or division showed itself. Mr. Fera, a Protestant
minister, separated himself from the Palazzo Giustiniani, and in company
with several others constituted "The Masonic Order of the Scottish Rite,
Ancient and Accepted." Over this body he was chosen to preside, and the
official headquarters were fixed for Rome in the "Via Ulpiano." This caused
a great scandal, which was doubly magnified, because coincident with the
schism 30,000 lire also disappeared.

This schism was a source of great trouble and anxiety to the Italian
fraternity.  A great question developed, and is still unanswered.  Those who
still hold to the Palazzo Giustiniani, infinitely greater in number, and who
know themselves to be the true representatives of the Italian Craft,
submitted their cause to the Masons of all other countries.  Mr. Fera, on the
other hand, assuming that his schismatic body was the true one, did the
same thing, and for his part succeeded in being recognized by some
foreign Masonries (as, for example, the two Supreme Councils of the United
States - the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions.) Thus we find that Mr.
Fera's Order was recognized by some of the foreign Masonic powers, while
that which holds in the Palazzo Giustiniani is recognized by others.  Mr.
Fera was invited to the international convention to be held in Washington,
and naturally considered this a great victory.

Such was the situation when, by a mere chance, we came into possession
of a printed document, marked "private, secret and ad personam," which
is likely to bring a great confusion to the schismatic forces upon the
battlefield.  We shall now consider, impartially, this precious and interesting
document.  It is signed by a "Most Wise Brother" - (we do not know who
might be a brother so wise,) but we understand from the reading that he
presides over a Chapter, and that this Chapter must be a superior Masonic
body, having the right to rule over and to discipline other bodies.  Here is
what this Wise Brother says:

Addressing himself to the Craft he laments that after a month from the time
an irregular reunion took place, a 33d degree brother allowed himself to
express the opinion that a special routine was in order to inquire what was
done in the superior bodies, and that he availed himself of that privilege. 
After such lapse of time following upon these irregular proceedings, and
seeing that the Grand Commander paid no heed to the irregularities and
preserved a complete silence, this Wise Brother states that he feels justified
in addressing the document in question to the Craftsmen, and in which is
set forth the principal reasons for this protest.

Following this the writer of the startling document proceeds to give proofs
of what has happened in the brotherhood, and which came little short of
resulting in tumultuous fights.  The writer then accuses the schismatic
Supreme Council - that which seceded from the Palazzo Giustiniani - of the
most irregular conduct.  The Chapter of which this Most Wise Brother is a
member at the time denounced these illegal acts, which plainly and
glaringly contravened the statutes.  But when the Grand Commander, Mr.
Fera, was appealed to, he neither answered the communication nor took
any steps to prevent a renewal of the illegalities.  Instead of that, he
favoured the convening of an arbitrary and illegal meeting, called together
by some of the higher grade brothers, to elect a new president for the
Chapter, though the brother holding that position was regularly chosen and
no charges had been made against him.  Then, when the regularly elected
officer turned over his protests to Mr. Fera, as Grand Commander, the only
answer was his removal from office and an order for dissolution of the
Chapter.

The document then proceeds to accusations against Grand Commander
Fera, setting forth that it is evident, even to outsiders, that the treatment of
this Wise Brother and others who with him insisted upon abiding by the
statutes, was most offensive.  It was shown, on the other hand, that
nominations en bloc had been made, whereby brothers having neither
merit nor age had been given promotions.  This had been done with the
sole object of securing a new superior body, one which by neglecting or
over-riding the statutes, could choose a new president acceptable to Mr.
Fera.

The same document further says that there being a heavy debt for
construction of the Temple, and the funds being low, all kinds of pressure
was put upon the brethren to pay. The writer insinuates that to raise funds
these illegal promotions were made, all of which is absolutely in
contradiction to the spirit of Italian Freemasonry.  This writer also says that
defamatory articles which have lately appeared in the daily secular press
have emanated from some of these interested brothers, and are directed
against their own brothers. "From this one can see," says the Giornale
d'Italia ironically," that brotherly love seems to be remarkably reigning in
that young body of Freemasons under the rule of Mr. Fera."

The edifying document ends with these words, which we give literally: "At
any other time I might not have cared to discuss the acts of Grand
Commander Fera; but at this moment, when the most elementary rules of
delicacy and consideration are lacking, and when every thing tends to give
the one person sole right to make or unmake at his pleasure whatever
concerns the Order; at this moment of anarchy, during which persons are
admitted to the fraternity en bloc, with no vote taken nor guarantees
demanded that the statutes will be observed; at this moment in which
brothers of the 33d degree are trying to penetrate into the internal
administration of the Chapter, promising and giving degrees and collecting
fees belonging to the Chapter, and without so much as notifying the
treasury; in this moment when the supreme authority of the Order sanctions
a new system of prying into and secret spying upon men and things, using
declarations obtained from persons who have signed their names, in good
faith, to documents previously written and extorted by various methods,
and those declarations being then used by the Grand Commander for
making or refusing nominations - in this moment, I say, I cannot possibly
refrain from formulating a protest against all that has happened, and that
still threatens to happen to the Chapter.

The secession within the secession bas burst out, and brethren all declare
they cannot predict the consequences. It is certain, however, that a great
number have associated themselves with this Most Wise Brother in his
protest, though it is so violently expressed.  We have spoken with a
Freemason from the Palazzo Giustiani (whose Mephistophelian smile may
be excused.) He says this grave controversy in Mr. Fera's body is sure to
cause many rumours and a scandal in the Masonic world.  He added,
moreover, that this tumult throws a light-though not a clear light-upon the
usurping Masonic body.

As an Italian Freemason, and one sincerely attached to the universal
institution, it grieves me to make this showing of strife among our brothers. 
Yet it is impossible for me - belonging faithfully to the Palazzo Giustiniani
as I do - to do otherwise than seek to present the matter fairly and justly. 
A brother, who because of personal reasons starts such an unfortunate
strife in the Masonic family, has not the true spirit of a Mason.  Fortunately
at the Palazzo Giustiniani we feel, as ever, that our organization is rooted
in correct sentiment and in the soil of justice, and we can look calmly to the
future, knowing that the past will amply vouch for our integrity.
Rome, September 23, 1912.

Since the above article was received, an edict of interdiction has appeared,
issued by Grand Master Smith of New York, against the Fera aggregation. 
This document recites that the Grand Orient of Italy is "everywhere
recognized as duly constituted and regular," and that the seceding body is
to be classed as "a schismatic Grand Lodge." It is further set forth that a
recipient of degrees from the latter organization has invested others with
the same within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of New York, in
defiance of the authority of that governing body of the Craft and the laws
of the fraternity.  Hence Masonic intercourse of any sort with these
schismatics is interdicted.

As Saverio Fera, the head of this clandestine organization, and some of his
official associates, are at this writing in the United States as invited
delegates to the recent international conference of Supreme Councils of the
Scottish Rite, held at Washington, the situation has its awkward features,
and some that might be hard to explain.  The Grand Master of New York,
finding from the history of Italian Masonry that the Grand Orient is regular,
and that these others are no more than imposters, rightly decides that Mr.
Fera and his crowd shall be debarred from any Masonic rights in his
jurisdiction.  On the other hand the Supreme Councils of the United States,
to whom the word "clandestinism" has no meaning except when they
seeking to impress ignorant brothers of Grand Lodges, have decided that
Mr. Fera and his associates and dupes are of good and regular standing,
and therefore to be received with honour.  The real question can not be
shirked or evaded by a declaration than the Scottish Rite bodies are
competent to pass on the regularity within that system, without reference
to Craft irregularity or clandestinity. The Rite loudly and insistently proclaims
its Masonic character.  When anything is to be gained or is to be stopped,
the sovereignty of Symbolic Masonry is humbly acknowledged.  But here
we have the peculiar spectacle of Masonry of the high degrees (?) passing
upon the regularity of Masons whom a really sovereign body of the Craft
find to be wholly irregular and schismatic.

Somewhat wearily we ask, what is the answer?

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