THE BUILDER JULY 1929

Freemasonry in Cyprus

By BRO. C. G. TORARITIS

A COPY of this address was sent by the author to Bro. Walter H.
Braun, the Editor of the "Templegram," the official bulletin of
Henry L. Palmer Lodge, No. 301, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As it was
too long to publish in the "Templegram," and as it was also of
sufficient interest to merit the attention of a wider circle than
the membership of Henry L. Palmer Lodge, Bro. Braun has very kindly
communicated it to THE BUILDER.

Dr. Christophorus G. Toraritis is a member of the Supreme Council
of Greece A. & A. S. R., and Grand Inspector General for the Island
of Cyprus, as well as Representative of the Grand Lodge of Greece,
a position roughly equivalent to a D.D.G.M., only relatively of
greater importance. The address was given before Cimon Lodge, No.
53, Larnaca, Cypress, Sept. 30, 1928, on the occasion of the
reception of a number of visitors from the British Fleet.

THOSE of the English brethren, who had attended the recent meeting
of Zeno Lodge, will remember that I had promised to make a speech
on the history of Freemasonry in Cyprus during the present meeting
in Cimon Lodge, as I consider that the English brethren would be
interested in this subject.

Consequent to my promise I am going now to deal briefly with this
subject in accordance with such sources and information as I shave
been able to find.

It would not be possible for any historian of the Freemasonry of
modern times to overlook that of England, because your great
country has undoubtedly been the mother, the light-giver, the
hearth, from which modern Freemasonry has spread, not only all over
Europe, but in the East and in America as well. Let us examine,
therefore, how and when Freemasonry commenced to be of importance
in Great Britain that we may be enabled later to study Cyprus
Freemasonry as its descendant.

Anderson, in the Constitution of Freemasonry, which was published
in 1723, stated that King Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great,
the first Christian King of England, gave himself up to the
construction of great buildings and for this purpose he had called
in Masons from France. These Masons brought with them the Charges
and Regulations of the Lodges of Roman era, known under the name
Collegia Romana, and with the help of King Athelstan, they improved
the constitution of English lodges. Edwin, the King's younger son,
was instructed in Masonry, and through the son's recommendations to
his father, the King issued a- charter, granting the right to the
Masons to freely regulate their own affairs, and these Masons were
to convene once a year at a general meeting or Assembly. At the
first of these meetings which was held at York, and at which Edwin
presided as Grand Master, there were produced the documents, of
which some were in Greek, Latin and French, and on the basis of
these old records the Laws and Regulations in accordance with which
the Craft was to be governed in the future were drawn up. These
were later sanctioned by Henry VI and the Lords of his Council, on
the 24th of June, 1717. Four Masonic lodges, the only ones
surviving from the troubled period of James II, met at the
Appletree Tavern and established the Grand Lodge of England, still
in existence, under the influence of two famous Freemasons, namely
Rev. James A. Anderson, D. D., and Rev. J. Theophilus Desaguliers.
Anthony Sayer was chosen as the first Grand Master. Two years later
(1719) Desaguliers w a s elected Grand Master and from this time
onward a great progress of the Craft is observed, many noble and
wise men joining it. As I have mentioned above, in 1723 Anderson
published his famous Book of Constitutions, which he dedicated to
the then Grand Master, the Duke of Montagu. To these two great
Masons the systematized drawing up of the first and second degree
rituals is said to be due.

In very brief compass, this is how and when modern English
Freemasonry was founded and the Grand Lodge of England established,
that wise and powerful Masonic authority which since that time has
spread, and continues, up to the present time, to spread all over
the world, in zealous thoughtfulness and with an exemplary
authority, our sublime Masonic principles, directing the numerous
lodges under its obedience with beneficent power.

THE INTRODUCTION OF MASONRY IN CYPRUS

After this brief but necessary prologue I shall deal with the
Freemasonry of Cyprus, in regard to which I should, however,
mention that unfortunately the sources from which enlightenment was
to be derived are very poor, and much is entirely missing. The
island birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, has to
exhibit two first-class stars in the Masonic firmament each well
versed in Masonry: Zeno, the son of Mnassiou, the famous founder of
the Stoic philosophy, who, as all of you are aware, has contributed
so much to the Masonic ideal, is the first, and the second is St.
Epiphanio, Bishop of Salamis, who was surnamed pentaylotte, five-
tongued, as he was versed in the Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syrian and
Egyptian languages, and whose works on the Eastern mysteries, and
those of Eleusinia are considered classical. Before these great
minds the ages will continue to do respectful homage. But no
information has been preserved of the Freemasonry in Cyprus at that
time, nor during the subsequent centuries. During the Turkish
occupation, although this was never positively ascertained from
authentic sources, it seems likely there were certain sporadic
groupings of Masons, at least among those connected with the
various Consulates, and in view of the Friendly Society being a
body very close to Freemasonry, and knowing that the Archbishop and
the other bishops and the chief men of the Island were initiated
into the mysteries of this Friendly Society, we cannot exclude the
possibility that these persons, or some of them, might have been
initiated into Freemasonry. But I should repeat that all these are
surmises not yet authentically verified. Organized Freemasonry, and
this can be fully verified, appears in Cyprus at the time St.
Paul's Lodge, No. 2277, was established, and this was the first
cradle of the Craft in Cyprus. The founders' application to the
Grand Lodge of England to sanction the establishment is dated April
7, 1888; the sanction was granted on the 1st of August, and the
installation of the lodge took place on Nov. 1, 1888. W. Bro.
Harricott conducted the installation ceremony, Bro. H. Silvester
was the first Worshipful Master, and the other founders were
twenty-seven in number.

The appearance of Freemasonry in Cyprus as an autonomous society
commences from the establishment of this lodge. In the Masonic
temple of this workshop were received the first Greek Masons, who
have been the zealous apostles of the Masonic ideal all over the
Island. At this stage we should stop to mention the name of a great
son of Cypriote Freemasonry, an inspired worker in the field of
Masonic ideals, the deeply respected and beloved old brother, John
Carageorghiades, a physician, whose character will always be held
forth as an example of Masonic industry and zeal. Bro.
Carageorghiades was among the first shoots of the Masonic seedlings
of St. Paul's Lodge, and after he had arranged for a few more
Greeks to be initiated in his mother lodge, he erected, with the
aid of English brethren, a second lodge in the Island, which is the
first Greek Lodge, Zeno No. 18, which is now subject to the Grand
Lodge of Greece.

The first Greek Lodge was established on Nov. 15, 1893, and its
founders were fourteen in number. In 1892 St. Paul's Royal Arch,
No. 2277, was established in Limassol. The following English
Masonic lodges were also established, but unfortunately I do not
know at this moment the dates of their erection; they are, St.
Paul's Mark Master Lodge, No. 455, in Limassol; St. George's Lodge,
No. 2402, originally in Larnaca, but now working successfully in
Nicosia; and St. George's Mark Master Lodge in Larnaca.

THE SCOTTISH RITE INTRODUCED

With really great joy and Masonic pride I would acquaint you, my
dear brethren, that Cyprus, and particularly Limassol, has a
complete chain of Masonic workshops, that is from the lowest one,
the symbolic lodge, to the highest that can exist in a country
where there is no Supreme Council, namely, the Areopage, and the
establishment of the various Greek lodges took place as follows:

On the 30th of November, 1899, nine Freemasons of the 18th degree
established the Chapter Plato, No. 6, in the Valley of Limassol,
under the jurisdiction of the most glorious Supreme Council of the
thirty-third for Greece.


On the 7th of October, 1918, Cimon Lodge, No. 53, was established,
under the holy dome of whose temple pan-Cypriote Freemasonry is
welcoming you today, with an exceptional great joy and happiness.
On the 30th of December, 1918, twelve Freemasons of the 30th degree
established the highest Masonic lodge in the Island, the Areopage
Cyprus, No. 3, at Limassol, empowered to grant the degrees from the
19th to the 30th, inclusive.

On the 8th of February, 1921, to complete the chain of the Masonic
lodges, eleven Freemasons of superior degrees, established the
Lodge of Perfection, Eleutheria (Freedom), No. 2, at Limassol,
which works the degrees from 4 to 14, inclusive. As you can see,
brethren, Freemasonry has now been solidly established, and has
begun to spread all over the Island, establishing new lodges in
nearly every one of our towns. Solon Lodge was established at
Nicosia on the 18th of July, 1921; Cinyras Lodge, No. 64, at
Paphos, the fabled birthplace of Aphrodite, on the 8th of April,
1923; and thirteen Freemasons established, on the 5th of January,
1928, Evagoras Lodge, No. 77, at Famagusta, which is at present
occupying the place of Benjamin among the Masonic lodges in the
Island and which, I am sure, will with great pleasure cede this
position to a lodge in Kyrenia, the only town in the Island not yet
possessing one, but in which I have great hope the Great Architect
of the Universe will shortly help us to found another, when from
all six towns of the Island the Masonic light will be spread in all
its brilliance to the G. A. of U. and the prosperity of humankind
in general and of the people living in the fatherland of the great
Stoic philosopher in particular.

The Freemasons of the Island, including as well, the regular
members of the different lodges, and those sojourning with us,
number some 600; and it is with great pleasure that I would
communicate to you that the Masonic phalanx in the Island, thanks
to the praiseworthy labors of the various lodges, is continually on
the increase, not only in quantity but also, and this is more
important, in quality.

I am outlining the history of Cyprus Freemasonry, and I should not
omit to mention that the Craft had successfully carried out a bold
defensive war for nearly ten years during the famous Archbishop's
question; when Freemasonry was persistently and cunningly slandered
as being hostile to religion. During this conflict the Masonic
unity among the brethren, and their mutual aid and support was
admirable.

The foregoing is all I can say of Cyprus Freemasonry. Undoubtedly
there are many and great omissions, but let us hope that in the
lapse of time these will be filled up and scholars better equipped
than myself will deal more perfectly with this subject, in which I
shall always be greatly interested. Myself, I have simply broadly
outlined it and I shall be delighted if some able writer will
shortly appear to compile the same in greater completeness.


As you see, dear brethren, the Freemasonry of Cyprus owes its
genesis to that of England, which, as I have mentioned above, can
properly be designated as the mother of the modern European and
American Freemasonry.

We Greek Freemasons are deeply grateful to English Freemasonry, and
pan-Cypriote Freemasonry today, under the holy dome of a Greek
lodge, addresses, through you, dear English brothers, as
representatives of the English Craft, fraternal greetings, with the
hearty wish that it may continue in prosperity and to ever
progress, to the benefit of the highest and noblest Masonic ideals.
To me, my brethren, you will, I trust, give permission to greet
your Freemasonry in general, and in particular your high Masonic
authority, the United Grand Lodge of England, in the name of the
Grand Lodge of Greece, of which I have the great honor to be the
Representative in the Island, and under the authority of which the
present lodge was constituted. and continues to hold allegiance.

[At the conclusion of his address Bro. Toraritis called upon the
members of Cimon Lodge to give a formal Masonic salute in honor of
the Grand Lodge of England, and the visiting naval brethren.]

