Regular Grand Lodges
The French National Grand Lodge case (GLNF)
Since 1913, the year of its foundation, the French National Grand Lodge (GLNF) came to be the only French Grand Lodge in amity with the United Grand Lodge of England.
Unfortunately, driven by business and personal interests, key elements of this organization have lost their original splendor and often their Masonic character. This has become especially true in recent years.
Some illustrations can be provided: these are some relevant facts widely accepted as true. It has a pyramidal structure (no Lodge is a single association unto itself but is a part of the same GLNF Legal Association), the fact that the Grand Master is really not replaceable, rather he is not elected by the Lodges or even by their representatives, the fact that he proclaimed himself spiritual master of the structure, the fact that there are non-Mason security guards at the entrance to protect the Brothers in their meetings, that this structure is bogged down in international political affairs, the truth that police files concerning normal background checks of applicants have been used by other members for their own purposes, etc., etc.. These are illustrative of a way that has seriously departed from Freemasonry.
In this context,… Continue reading
The French National Lodge (LNF)
The French National Lodge is a small regular French Grand Lodge which aim is to promote the traditional teaching of operative and speculative Masonry. Its members have very fraternal relations with other Grand Lodges.
History of the French National Lodge (From Antoine P:.)
The French National Lodge (LNF) was officially born on April 26, 1968, from the decision of three lodges having regular charters of the French National Grand Lodge (Opera), to federate. These three Lodges were Jean Theophilus Desaguliers lodge, James Anderson lodge and la Fidélité Lodge1 .
The first of these lodges, founded in Paris using the Rectified Scottish Rite, worked according to the Restored Modern French Rite (later called Traditional French Rite), the second in Lille, was incorporated to Modern French Rite, and the third, also in Paris, practiced the English Emulation Rite. They became, in that order, the first three Lodges on the board of the Federation.
Brothers who took the decision to found the French National Lodge, under the leadership of Brother René Guilly also known as René Desaguliers (1921-1992), one of the greatest scholars of French Masonry, have done so because their traditional rigor needs and their desire to return to the… Continue reading
The Grand Lodge of the French Masonic Alliance (GL-AMF)
The new and emerging history of the Grand Lodge of the Masonic French Alliance was substantively immersed with that of the older French National Grand Lodge (GLNF) until 2012.
History of the French National Grand Lodge
The French National Grand Lodge is itself a relatively recent Grand Lodge. It was born into light in the early twentieth-century from the desire of a group of Masons of the Grand Orient of France to restore and thence forward practice the Rectified Scottish Rite in France.
In 1910, Camille Savoire and Edouard de Ribaucourt brought the Rectified Scottish Rite to life with the support of the Grand Priory of Helvetia, a Swiss Masonic Body managing the higher grades of the Rectified Scottish Rite. They strengthened the “The Center of Friends Lodge,1 “, the name of a now defunct lodge which had been working the Rectified Scottish Rite until 1838.
On the 15th of March, 1911, the Grand Orient of France and the Grand Priory of Helvetia signed an agreement with the “The Center of Friends Lodge” permitting it to work the Rectified Scottish Rite under the auspices of the Grand Orient of France.
However, in 1913, the Grand Orient of France opposed… Continue reading
The Traditional and Symbolical Grand Lodge – Opera (GLTSO)
The Traditional and Symbolical Grand Lodge called “Opera” (because its headquarters were formerly located “Avenue de l’Opera” in Paris) is a young and regular Grand Lodge. It was born in 1958 in a split from the French National Grand Lodge.
With a few Brothers (less than 8000), it originaly practiced the Rectified Scottish Rite. Work in Lodges are generally of high quality. Its members can freely visit the lodges of other Grand Lodges.
History of the Traditional and Symbolical Grand Lodge – Opera
The history of the Symbolical and Traditional Grand Lodge Opera is the one of the French National Grand Lodge until 1958, important milestone for both Grand Lodges.
In 1958, Pierre de Ribaucourt, son of one of the founders of the French National Grand Lodge, is undertaking with other Brethren of that Grand Lodge to create a regular French Grand Lodge which coumd have fraternal relationships with other French Grand Lodges.
Furthermore, it should be noted that in 1958 the French National Grand Lodge is considered by the French Freemasonry as a foreign Grand Lodge (English). It is to escape the British influence and to be closer to their French brethren that many influential Brothers including thirty GLNF… Continue reading
The Grand Lodge of France (GLDF)
The Grand Lodge of France is a regular and traditionnal French grand lodge, which has almost 32,000 Brothers. Its headquarters are located at 8 rue Puteaux in Paris, in a former convent.
The Tradition of the Grand Lodge of France comes from the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, from which it derives its foundation in 1894. Since 1804, date of creation of the first Supreme Council of France1 (Supreme Council for the 33rd degree in France) the evolution of this grand lodge was always some way linked to that of the Rite and the Supreme Council. It therefore remains administratively independent of it.
The grand lodge historically mainly practices the craft Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Some of its lodges also practice the Rectified Scottish Rite (6 lodges) and Emulation Rite (1 lodge). Lodges not practicing the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite may not swarm (create other lodges).
History of the Grand Lodge of France
The first Grand Lodge of France was created between May and July 1728, by the Duke of Wharton, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of London. In 1738, the Order gets its first French Grand Master: Thee Duke of Antin. In 1771,… Continue reading