French Freemasonry, 1913, and the Future
by William E. Parker, MPS

French Freemasonry is usually accepted
as beginning in the years 1725-
1730, with not just an English but with
Scottish Stuartist influence also a major
factor in the early years. But, if the
French adopted English Freemasonry,
the innovative Gaelic mind would also
inject esoteric, philosophic, and chivalric
tendencies into the Craft. The early
era also saw a fair amount of internal
Masonic dissension and turmoil, as
likely often existed elsewhere.

Through the years, numerous Rites
and Orders came into being such as the
Scottish Grand Lodge, Council of the
Emperors of the East and West, the
Strict Observance, The Scottish Directories,
the Scottish Philosophic Rite and
others. They would all impact on the
development of the Craft in France, but
such references will be noted only
briefly, our interest aimed at a most
modern period. As a matter of brevity,
let us note simply that a Grand Lodge
was established in the early years of
French Masonic development, dissolved
in the early 1770s, a National
Grand Lodge organized in 1773, and
then superseded by a Grand orient
(G.O.) that same year.

In the realm of Masonic history, however,
one group does deserve particular
mention. A member of the lodge "des
Amis Reullis", Savalette de Lange, was
instrumental in setting up a study
group between 1771-75 to search for the
"truth"; not just "Masonic truth",
but "The Truth" - an admirable quest
to be sure but undoubtedly a difficult
one. In time, a proposal was made to
establish both a system of 12 grades,
culminating in the grade of Philalethes,
or Searcher for truth, and a comprehensive
Masonic Library which was an
innovation at that time. With de
Lange's death in 1797, however, the
"Rite of Philalethes" would unfortunately
disappear along with its founder.

Louis-Philippe, Joseph de Bourbon,
Duke de Chartres, cousin to the King
and known to history as Philippe-
Egalite, had accepted the Grand
Mastership of the new G.O. In reality,
however, it was the strong administrative
and leadership abilities of the Duke
de Montmorency-Luxembourg, as
General Administrator, who provided
day-to-day guidance and moulded the
young G. O. into a viable Obedience.
Although there were continuing problems,
these two high-level members of
the nobility undoubtedly assured the
Craft of a certain "protection" and
stability, without which its survival might
have been questionable.

In an unusual turn of events, however,
some members of the former Grand
Lodge of France (G.L.F.) met in June
of 1773 and, unhappy with the "new"
Grand Obedience, "reformed" their
own G.L.F. The Count de Clermont,
Grand Master of the old G.L.F. since
1743, had passed away in 1771 and the
"reformed" G.L.F. was often called the
G. L. of Clermont in his memory.
Thus, for over 20 years, until after the
Revolution, a rivalry existed between
the G.O. and the Clermont G.L.

The Revolution of 1789 saw French
Freemasonry as a body fall victim to the
era's frenzy and Masonic activity
largely ceased during that bloody
epoch. The G.O. and G.L.F. resumed
labor in the late 1790s, although the
Clermont body faced serious problems.
Its activities and membership never
equalled the lever of the G.O.'s and it
vanished in June 1799 when circumstances
forced its disappearance and absorption
by the G.O.

Through the years, there have been
allusions that French Freemasonry instigated
the 1789 Revolution, a false assumption
but one still believed by some.
In essence, there were American
Freemasons involved in the American
Revolution and French Freemasons involved
in the French Revolution. But,
in both instances, the Craft itself was
not directly involved, only members
thereof. In that members were prominent
citizens and active in community
life in both nations, it's quite normal
and proper they were involved.
(Northern Light Nov. 1992)

The first Active Scottish Rite Supreme
Council was formed in Charleston,
South Carolina, in 1801, with the first
French Supreme Council formed in
Paris in 1804 under Count de Grasse
Tilly, the rise of the Scottish Rite an
epic in itself. (Philalethes Oct. 1995).
The early 1800s saw continued Masonic
dissension among the various French
Obediences, principally the G.O. and
Supreme Council (S.C.), the waters
somewhat "calmed" during the
Napoleonic era. There is no clear
evidence the Emperor was a Mason, but
he clearly "favored" Freemasonry and
his top-level advisors were invariably
Masons, presumably as a means for
him to "control" the Craft. Napoleon
did not legalize Freemasonry but rather
"tolerated" it and is reported to have
said: "It is better that they (the
Freemasons) depend on me, rather than
I depend on them."

The fortunes of the Craft ebbed and
flowed as the nation's destiny swung
back and forth between Royalist, Imperial,
and finally Republican elements.
Whatever the circumstances, the continual
harassment by the Church with
its religious intolerance was a constant
specter on the horizon. The long history
of Church and State persecution in
many nations is well known, hence
needs little further clarification here.
Nonetheless, the Craft continued to
prosper as the Masonic spirit captured
French imagination. (Philalethes June
1994).

In 1877, the G.O. took the unprecedented
action of deleting from its Constitutions
the requirement for a belief in
God and the presence of the three
Great Lights in Lodges. Masonically,
their action can neither be accepted nor
condoned. Viewed historically, it appears
to have been brought on, first, by
a wave of anti-Clericalism then sweeping
France as a result of Church
excesses and repressive religious and
political policies; and, secondly, the
G O.'s position that "an absolute liberty
of conscience was required.: Naturally,
by rejecting traditional Masonic
principles, such action resulted in
withdrawal of Recognition by Regular
Grand Lodges worldwide.

At the end of 1894, a number of Symbolic
Lodges then under the S. C .
founded a new G.L.F. A Symbolic
Grand Lodge had been formed in 1880
and a large portion of this body then
fused with the new G.L. A minority of
the membership, however, resisted the
fusion and carried on their Grand
Obedience, although it eventually
disappeared. There have, of course, been
other Masonic movements within the
country, but the few noted represent a
brief overview of the volatile French
situation from the early 1700s to the
beginning of the 20th Century.

In 1913, members of the G.O., disenchanted
with that Obedience's continuing
Irregularity and position vis-a-vis
traditional Masonic landmarks, formed
a new Obedience, today known as the
Grande Loge Nationale Francaise
(G.L.N.F. - French National Grand
Lodge). The Grand Lodge of England
and other Regular Masonic bodies Recognized
the new Obedience as being the
only Regular representative of French
Freemasonry, but early years were
nonetheless difficult for the young G.L.

If WW-I hindered Masonic progress
internally, conversely it brought the
opportunity of providing for the formation
of Military Lodges for American, English,
Canadian, and Brethren of other
nationalities. Post WW-I events saw the
English and American presence, in particular,
result in forging close and
strong links with English and American
Freemasonry, links which have
endured.

WW-II was a particularly disastrous
period for French (and European)
Freemasonry, the NAZI Regime seeking
out and destroying the Craft and its
members. Countless members of
French Freemasonry were to serve the
wartime Allied Cause : e.g., P.G.M.
Derosiere who was imprisoned for providing
England with information;
P.G.M. Jean Mons, one of France's
great Resistance fighters, who marched
down the Champs-Elysees next to
Charles de Gaulle when Paris was liberated;
P.Lt.Gd.Cmdr. ofthe S.C. Michel
Garder, arrested by the NAZIS and
imprisoned for his activities in France's
"Secret Services"; P.G.M. Van Hecke
who carried messages on his bicycle
from one Resistance Center to another;
and the present Grand Master
M.W.Bro. Claude Charbonniaud, who
entered the Resistance at age 17, eventually
joining the Regular Free French
Forces. Countless others could be cited,
but these few G.L.N.F. Members are
representative.

In spite of repression, the Craft survived
and, like a Phoenix rising from
the ashes, the post WW-II period saw a
Masonic resurgence throughout Free
Europe. After the War, their former
meeting rooms destroyed. The
G.L.N.F. eventually relocated to
Neuilly-sur- Seine, a Paris suburb. In
June of 1967, in the presence of
representatives from around the world,
including England, Scotland, Ireland,
other European Grand Lodges and almost
a dozen American Grand Lodges,
a new and modern Grand Lodge
Temple Building was dedicated.

Growth was steady and, in time, the
Neuilly premises became too small with
additional space required. Planning
began and in June of 1993 a newer and
larger Grand Lodge Temple was dedicated
in the 17th District of Paris, again
with distinguished Grand Lodge visitors
in attendance including the Right
Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in
Pennsylvania .

The new four-story building, perhaps
modest by some American standards,
nonetheless comprises a Grand Temple
with a capacity of 500, eleven smaller
Lodge rooms, library, executive offices,
and other areas including a snack bar,
restaurant, several dining rooms, and
an underground parking garage. With
consideration given for future growth
and with the Neuilly premises also still
in use, Regular French Freemasonry
will have outstanding facilities available
for many years to come.

Through the years, members of military
forces stationed in Europe have
been afforded the opportunity of being
part of the G.L.N.F. As a result, some
10,000 American, Canadian, English
and other Brethren have been able to
practice Freemasonry, either as Initiates
or Joining Members. Formerly, there
were American-style lodges using
American Rituals at most military
bases throughout France. But, with the
continual withdrawal of American
Forces from Europe, such lodges have
largely disappeared. There remains,
however, a Continental District Grand
Lodge grouping a handful of still existing
lodges. (Northern Light Aug.
1994) .

French Freemasonry is very circumspect
insofar as the general public is
concerned. Masonic Temples are not
marked as such with no exterior identification
as to the purpose of the facility,
there are no public notices of meetings,
members wear no identifying insignia,
nor do they generally identify themselves
to non-Masons. One may then
ask how prospective members are located.
Usually, when a Member knows
someone he believes would make a good
Mason, discreet comments are made as
appropriate and selective introductory
readings may be made available thus
providing an opportunity for a man to
learn about the Craft and petition and
request membership if he is so inclined.
But, following traditional Masonic
principles, there is, of course, no direct
recruitment.

French Freemasonry is not secret,
however, being duly registered with
French authorities. And, the G.L.N.F.
forwards a Birthday message to the
President of the French Republic each
year who, in turn, expresses his
acknowledgement and appreciation. On
occasion, there are public meetings to
explain more fully the Craft to interested
parties, and from time to time
there are "open house" invitations
from the Grand Lodge to non-Masons.
One such instance, for example,
occurred in conjunction with the June
10th, 1994, D-Day celebrations in
Normandy where numerous Paris citizens
were hosted at the new Grand Temple.

There were also Masonic ceremonies
conducted wherein a new lodge, the
"Star Spangled Banner", was consecrated
in Paris. The Grand Master of
the District of Columbia, M.Wor.Bro.
William T. Jenkins, participated in the
ceremonies in that the Lodge will use an
American/D.of C. ritual. In additional
to numerous Masonic dignitaries attending
from the U.S., there were visitors
from several other countries. As a
part of the ceremonies, M.W.Bro.
Jenkins presented the new Lodge with a
United States Flag which had flown
over the U.S Capitol.

Additionally, there were special
Masonic ceremonies in Normandy to
which visiting Brethren were invited.
Underscoring the special relationship
between France and America, there
were four American guests of the
French Prime Minister at a luncheon at
his residence in Paris on June 2nd,
1994, one of whom was a Masonic
Brother from Texas. The American,
British, and Canadian Ambassadors to
France were also in attendance.

One cannot compare the Craft in
France to its North American
counterparts solely in terms of numbers,
French membership being much
smaller, as is the country itself. In terms
of Masonic Regularity, of course, the
G.L.N.F. adheres to the same traditional
landmarks and Masonic principles
as all Regular Grand Lodges.
The Masonic organizational structure
also essentially parallels that of the
North American and other Regular
Obediences.

French (and European) Freemasonry,
with the exception perhaps of the
American Forces, have essentially only
Symbolic, Scottish, and York Rite Masonry,
including the Royal Arch and Mark.
There are no appendant bodies such as
the Shrine or Tall Cedars, no ladies'
auxiliary groups such as the Eastern
Star or Amaranth, nor any youth
groups such as Demolay, the Rainbow,
or Job's Daughters. Interestingly, however,
insofar as the ladies are concerned,
there are women's groups styling
themselves Masonic in England,
several European, South American, and
Mediterranean nations. Efforts are
under way to establish similar bodies in
those areas which were once behind the
"Iron Curtain". (Philalethes June
1995).

It is not easy to become a French
Freemason and it requires effort to
remain one. Entrance requirements are
strict, although following traditional
Masonic principles, and inquiry into
the character of a prospective member
may take a considerable amount of
time. In that several Rituals are
practiced, administrative and ritualistic
procedures may vary slightly between the
several groups. In some, for example,
prospective members may eventually be
invited to the Lodge for an examination
"sous le bandeau", to be blindfolded,
then escorted into the Lodge, questioned
by the Membership, and then escorted
out of the Lodge thus quite naturally
not being privileged to see the
Lodge's interior. A ballot may or may
not be taken that same evening, thus
affording the Membership ample time
to reflect upon the candidate's qualifications
if additional time is felt necessary.

For favorable ballots, Initiation, Passing,
and Raising follow in due course
although this, too, can be a lengthy
process. And, in between degrees, a
newly obligated Brother may be required
to give an oral presentation in
Lodge on his reactions and interpretations
of what has gone before. In some
instances, a catechism is required in
essentially the same manner as in the
American system. Examinations, while
in the friendly spirit of brotherhood, are
nonetheless detailed both with a view of
determining if the Brother has fully
grasped the meanings imparted in the
degree and in aiding him to a better
understanding where necessary, an
important part of his Masonic progress.

Recent years have seen the implementation
of some Symbolic Lodges using
what is known as the "York Rite",
essentially an American style ritual
translated into French. This particular ritual
has proven quite successful and is now
being used by a number of French
lodges with more in the offing. Visitors
are always welcome in all lodges, but an
American visitor would immediately
recognize the workings of this particular
ritual.

Members are expected to participate
actively in the life of their lodge and
repeated unjustified absences are not
considered favorably. For the first year,
however, a member is generally obliged
to only sit and listen, without "active"
participation, thereby absorbing knowledge
from more senior members. It
takes, on average, perhaps three years
to become a Master Mason; i.e., a degree
a year, although some advancements
are more rapid. Masonic progress
is not automatic and in both Symbolic
and Scottish Rite Masonry a
member must exhibit a knowledge of
the Craft, its meanings, symbolism,
and aims In the Scottish Rite, for
example, it can take a man years to
advance to the 18th or 30th degree.

Lodges are, in general, rarely larger
than 30-40 members who know each
other well and attend regularly, with a
new lodge formed when necessary to
preclude a lodge from becoming too
large. Initiation and yearly fees are also
significantly larger than North American
obediences. French Masonry is
highly intellectual, it being common for
papers of historic, symbolic, philosophic,
or spiritual nature to be presented in
lodge followed by a discussion period.

Degree work, primarily in French, of
course, except for several "American"
and "English" style lodges, follows the
traditional story lines familiar to
Americans although presentations may vary
slightly in the several rituals practiced.
In general, lodges are opened and
business conducted in the First Degree.
This permits E.A.'s and F.C.'s to observe
and learn, although they must
naturally temporarily leave the room
when the lodge goes to a higher degree
than they possess. (Philalethes Aug.
1994).

France, being largely a welfare state,
has a fairly large tax rate which supports
public hospitals and other similar
activities and the Social Security System
reimburses medicines and provides
funding in other areas. Consequently,
there is less requirement for private
charities than in North America. Nonetheless,
while not on a comparable scale
to the large American and Canadian efforts,
both the G.L.N.F. and Supreme
Council For France have charitable
endeavors designed to provide aid in cases
where the need arises. Lodges also have
a "charitable collection" at the close of
meetings destined to aid members in
need .

Meetings are usually held monthly
and are invariably followed by a dinner
(agapes) either at a local restaurant or
one of the Grand Lodge dining areas,
full restaurant facilities available. These
after-meeting dinners are an important
part of building fraternal friendships
between members as well as expounding
more informally the tenets of the
Craft. While Masonic protocol is generally
followed, being perhaps somewhat
akin to a "Table Lodge" but in a more
relaxed vein, it may happen that members
will rise and give their thoughts on
the evening's work (planche); i.e.,
continuing discussions on a paper which
has been presented earlier. It is also the
usual rule for visitors to rise and say a
few words.

Some critics have expressed concern
about the 1913 G.L.N.F. establishment
in not having three founding lodges. It
should be noted, however, that it was
only 16 years later, in 1929, that such
stipulation was advanced. Thus, the
1913 formation was clearly legal. It
should also be noted that the Grand
Lodges of Georgia (1786), New Hampshire
(1789), and Rhode Island (1791)
were also formed by less than three
lodges and that New Jersey was formed
not by lodges but rather by an Assembly
of Masons in 1786. It can safely
be stated that, like the G.L.N.F., these
American Grand Lodges are also eminently
Regular and beyond reproach.

From 1954-1964, there were merger
discussions between the G.L.N.F. and
the G.L.F., such talks finally ending in
failure, the G.L.F. ultimately preferring
its attachment to the Irregular G.O.
Thus, while previously maintaining
relations with the G.O., and long
permitting intervisitations therewith, in 1964
the G.L.F. consummated a formal
Treaty of Alliance with the G.O. As a
result, about 1,000 members of the
G.L.F. reevaluated their Masonic integrity
and left that Obedience, joining the
G.L.N.F. to find Masonic Regularity.
While unification of French Freemasonry
did not then prove possible, perhaps
the future will prove more positive.

While placing the G.L.F. further into
an Irregular position, the Treaty produced
other ramifications as well. If the
G.O. worked with the Grand Council of
Rites as its high degree body, the G.L.F.
worked with the Supreme Council of
France. The Treaty meant that the S.C.
would then be in amity with an Irregular
body, a situation not acceptable to
the Sov. Gd. Commander of the S.C.
and others who eventually withdrew
from the G.L.F. and formed a new Supreme
Council. With a membership
drawn from the Regular Masonic Obedience,
the G.L.N.F., the new Supreme
Council For France, with its subordinate
bodies is now Recognized by Regular
Supreme Councils worldwide.

Concerning current European events,
there is renewed Masonic activity in
several "Eastern European" nations.
Efforts by the G.L.N.F to revive the
Craft in Russia resulted in four Symbolic
Lodges as well as French Supreme
Council efforts which have resulted in
the requisite subordinate Scottish Rite
bodies. It's a delicate situation in areas
once behind the "Iron Curtain", but
such efforts have been crowned with
success with a Grand Lodge of Russia
created by the G.L.N.F. in Moscow on
June 24, 1995. Efforts to reestablish a
Russian Supreme Council will undoubtedly
also be realized in the near future.

The G.L.N.F., with other Regular
Obediences, has supported consecration
of Grand Lodges in Iran, Hungary,
and Eastern European areas.
Rotarian Lodges have also been
formed in France in preparation for the
day when they can return to that nation
and reestablish the Craft there. Political
events often intrude upon the life of the
Craft as, for example, in Iran where a
cessation of Masonic activity was dictated
with both a Grand Lodge and Supreme
Council in Exile being formed.

Also, since WW-II, the G.L.N.F. has
been responsible for introducing Regular
Freemasonry into Spain, Portugal,
Morroco, Gabon, the Ivory Coast,
Senegal, Togo and Benin. In brief, up
until 1995, the G.L.N.F. had established
Freemasonry in countries with over 200
million inhabitants, 15 different
languages, 150 ethnic tribes with as many
dialects and more than 10 different
religions. Now, the new Grand Lodge of
Russia with its millions of inhabitants
and diverse cultures can be added to
that already imposing list.

In summary, Regular Freemasonry in
France is a dynamic and growing body
whose influence has extended far
beyond France's own borders. The
"Miracle of 1913", the establishment of
the G.L.N.F., has undoubtedly aided in
mankind's hopes for the future and has
left a profound Masonic legacy, one
Masons worldwide can be justly proud
of.
