Dear friends,

France is a country that shares many ancient and very interesting traditions, orders and spiritual directions. I will try to briefly, but meaningfully and understandably convey to you the stages of development of the Masonic order in France.

In France, the first Masonic lodges were Scottish soldiers and immigrants from the city in Bordeaux, and the Irish military You–Germaine–De–in the press Founded at the end of the 17th century, the beginning of the 18th century... In France, the Rosicrucians and various esoteric movements were quite strong, although the Catholic Church always tried to weaken them.

1735 This year, the Grand Master of England and the Duke of Richmond arrived in Paris to initiate new members of the Order, including the Secretary of State – Count You of Florentine, which is recommended Montesquieu had to All this happens before the great schism in England. During this period, Louis XV was still young, and social, moral and democratic values were not very strong and influential principles in the society. The lodges and the aristocratic and bourgeois strata included in it came out against the existing situation and government.

In 1737, Rome of the Pope to Clemensa Based on the bull, the king's prime minister, Cardinal Fleury issued decree, with which forbade of lodges existence and functioning. All Masons faced severe punishment. Nevertheless, Freemasonry became a new form of protest against the reigning, intolerable situation that reigned in society, the state and the church. In the same year, the famous Scottish Mason, an aristocrat Andrea Michael Ramsay famously said, he saw the world as "big Republic, in which Every the nation represents one big to the family and Every citizen his is a son".

In France, it was well remembered that the once powerful and influential Templar Order, Jacques De mole Under the leadership of… 400 years later, the Templars and chivalric societies were intensively opened and developed. During the same period, there were many structures, societies and associations similar to Masonic lodges, for example "the chosen ones from Leon", "not Capitol", "of Claremont Capitol", "Noachite", "Philately", Martinists Order and various Occult and mystical Order. Of this variety, France stood out of France Great Lodge.  It should be noted here that the name "Grande Loge de France" is given to the first Masonic Grand Lodge on the territory of France, although the exact date of its establishment is unknown. In 1773, this Grand Lodge approved a new charter and took a new name - Grand Orient de France. All this was connected with the French Revolution. At the same time, a certain number of lodges included in the Grand Lodge of France did not accept the mentioned changes and continued to work under the old name, although in 1799 these two structures were united again.

In Masonic lodges, democratic tendencies completely prevail: lodge officers are elected rather than appointed, freedom and equality, were announced as basic principles. At the same time, quite famous people started joining the order. Montesquieu Following his footsteps, he joined the order, a philosopher Helvetius, an astronomer Lalande, a mathematician Condorcet. of their lodge "nine and" He was a master Benjamin Franklin, were members of the lodge, Francois de La Rochefoucauld (writer, translator of the US Constitution into French), Voltaire, Lafayette, d'Alember (philosopher, educator, editor of the "Scientific Encyclopedia"), artists Verne and Greze, sculptor Goodon, a poet Andre yours, Abbot Sayes. become members of French lodges Mirambo, Bogarne, Beaumarchais, Joseph Marie De Master, middle finger, Chamfer, Massena, Talleyrand…

of France 1789 year revolution At the first stage, when there was talk of changing the government by humane, non-violent methods, 477 out of 578 deputies were Masons. During this period, for the first time in Europe, they started talking about human rights. In contrast to England, the principle of equal election was established in the lodges, the grand lodge or the symbolic lodges included in it were headed (and this great difference is still maintained today) by worthy men of any social or ethnic origin. In England, you know that leadership positions, starting with the Grand Master, of course, are only allowed for "blue bloods", those who belong to the royal family of Windsor and its relatives.

3 years later, radicals come to power and 1792 this year in France was banned Masonic Order, This stage of the revolution dealt a great blow to the Masonic brotherhood, half of the 70,000 Masons were no longer left. 1798 Since, the strengthening of the order began again, which Napoleon with Bonaparte and was related to his family members. Napoleon St. After the exile to the island of Helen, the Masonic order was divided again, the persecution of the Masons, who were again called Jacobins or Bonapartists, clergy and public figures began to leave the lodges, the number of lodges also decreased.

It is understandable that Freemasonry in France was and is based mainly on the ancient and recognized Scottish charter, and the history of Masonic lodges dates back to the 17th century. In addition, the Old and Recognized Scottish Charter as a structure existed separately and the Symbolic Lodges separately (subsequently merged into the Dyad Lodges). From 1799 to 1894, there was one powerful Grand Lodge in France - the Grand Orient of France, which I have already talked about above. 1894 This year, the Grand Orient - Grand Orient again separated a part of the lodges, which restored the charter existing before 1799 and regained the name - Grand Lodge of France. The United Grand Lodge of England did not recognize either of these two Grand Lodges, and it was only in the 20th century that it helped found a third Grand Lodge in France to which it gave "recognition of the British line".

1820 This year representatives of the Imperial and Military Lodges re-established meetings in the Rite Lodges of Memphis and Mitzraim. During this period, the diversification of masons into "royalist" and "republican-Bonaparte" masons continues.

1804 This year, he arrives in France De Grass Tilly, which old and recognized Scottish of the statute higher Council (Southern Jurisdiction, Charleston, USA) was tasked with implementing this new system in Europe, which consisted of 33 steps. He successfully completed this task in France and combined the new system with the existing Grand Lodge system, creating a new - French Supreme Council.

After that, two societies were developing in France - "big East" and "higher Council", it was the latter who initiated the restoration of the "Grand Lodge of France" in 1894, which he himself led until 1904, and then, as it follows from the principles of regularity - the first three Masonic degrees are led and "supervised" by the Grand Lodge of France, and degrees 4-33 - Supreme Council of France.

Not only did politics divide the Masonic order in France – the ideas of liberalism, positivism and laicism clashed with traditionalist ideas. e.g. 1877 this year of France Big the east removed it symbol, which creator, Great of an architect signifier was, more importantly, he announced the principle of freedom of conscience and opened the door of the lodge to atheists and in later years to Mandilosians as well. This decision finally cut off the Grand Orient of France from regular Masonic direction. The United Grand Lodge of England has severed its connection with the Grand Orient of France.

As I mentioned, in 1894, part of the lodges (almost half of them) left the Grand Orient of France and the Grand Lodge of France was restored. By 1913, there were two Masonic Grand Lodges in France - "France Great East" and "of France Great Lodge", when England created (promoted) the third Grand Lodge, which of France National Great Lodge was called It was then and still is the smallest union in France. For a time it also lost its regularity in 2012 and a new regular Grand Lodge was created in France - "Alliance of Regular Freemasons of France" (Lodges and Masonic Brothers from SNDL), which planned to unite with the Grand Lodge of France and was a historic chance to restore mutual recognition between England and France and Unity, which was actively recommended and supported by the United Grand Lodge of Germany, the Grand Lodge of Austria, the Grand Lodge of Switzerland - Alpina, the Grand Lodge of Luxembourg and the Grand Lodge of Belgium... but unfortunately, after a few years of thought, England again chose to revive the National Grand Lodge of France...

The Second World War again dealt a great blow to French Freemasons. The Nazi puppet French government, at the behest of the Berlin Nazi government, banned all Masonic lodges and began arresting Freemasons. Most of the brothers joined the French partisan resistance. only 1943 The work of the French lodges in the North African colonies was revived. President in 1945 Roosevelt With the help, the building and archives were returned to the Grand Lodge of France, although part of these archives went from Berlin to Moscow...

Today there are 60,000 members in the Grand Orient of France, 40,000 Masons in the Grand Lodge of France, the Alliance of Freemasons of France affiliated and recognized by the Grand Lodge of France - 18,000 brother Masons, as well as the second brother in the Grand Lodge - the symbolic Grand Lodge - Opera - More than 12,000 brothers are Masons. In the British project - the National Grand Lodge of France - there are 4-8 thousand (unspecified to date) members.

It is certainly sad that the political or ideological struggle that began centuries ago, which has nothing to do with true Masonic ideals, regularity and values, continues between England and France. 2012 was an ideal historical opportunity for mutual recognition of these two historically rich and interesting directions. This case also had quite weighty mediators, from the Grand Lodges of the Anglo-Saxon line - Austria, the United Grand Lodge of Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland (Alpina), as well as a large number of supporters - Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland and others. But probably both became stubborn, especially England, because it is still considered the "mother lodge" of Masons, which to be precise is correct - the first Grand Lodge, whose legal successor is the United Grand Lodge of England today; And not the cradle or "mother" of "Freemasonry" as such... and presumably Scotland doesn't want to cede "antiquity" here. The Grand Lodge of France is the founder of and has historical ties to several historic Grand Lodges in the United States.

To summarize – the oldest lodge in France (confirmed) is Perfect Equality, which was founded in 1688. It was a military lodge composed of members of a regiment founded by Charles II in 1661 and which remained loyal to the Stuart royal family until the end. Also, it is interesting that the French lodge was established in England from 1720-23, the first Grand Lodge of England (its full and official name is Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, was founded in 1717 June 24) in the system, its honorable master John Theophilus Desaguliers, and among the members - James Anderson, later the author of the constitution. Since 1732, the Grand Lodge of London has been opening its lodges in France, probably since 1733. Grand Lodge of France, however, as the researchers claim, the Grand Lodge of France became a completely "French phenomenon" or a completely independent structure in 1743. In 1773, the Grand Lodge split and a new Grand Orient of France was created, using the London Grand Lodge ritual. Since 1799, the Grand Lodge of France and the Grand Orient of France have been united again, becoming one of the largest Masonic associations in the world. Finally, the Grand Lodge of France follows the traditions of the old and accepted Scottish Charter of 1804 and develops as a regular Grand Lodge, while the Grand Orient of France becomes a new in the Masonic system, the so-called The "liberal" movement, which developed independently, opened its doors to atheists, women, and, in short, to anyone who had the proper desire to become its member. The Grand Lodge of France remained a body of men only, recognizing the Creator, or Grand Architect of the Universe, and the principles of regularity approved by the World Supreme Council at the Lausanne Convention of 1875, as well as the principles of Anderson's Constitution.

Among the many reasons why the English and French lines are not in mutual recognition, it is worth noting - the rejection of the Scottish roots in England, and on the contrary in France - their importance and even more so the rituals of the highest degrees received from Scotland, which were formed by their fusion Ancient and Accepted Scottish Statutes and accordingly the highest councils of the quality of 33; Also, political reasons related to the Stuart royal family and the German royal line emerging in England after 1714; As well as the "traditional" political rivalry between the British and French empires, one of which was and remains a monarchy (which has a peculiar influence on the Masonic order in England), and the other has been a republic for 250 years, and the principle of election and rights in its lodges is based on equality, not descent; The split in England was between the "ancients" and the "moderns", France retained the principles and rituals of the "ancients", and in 1807 the United Grand Lodge of England It declared itself as a structure created as a result of the unity of these two directions, although there is more of the "modern" in it. England twice missed a historic chance for mutual recognition - in 1905, when the Grand Lodge of France became absolutely sovereign from the Supreme Council and was recognized by almost all the regular Grand Lodges of the world (because then there was no such sharp separation into "Anglo-Saxon" and "French-Continental" Masonic directions ) and 2011-2013, when the French National Grand Lodge of the Anglo-Saxon direction was dissolved into simple multiples. Instead of unity and mutual recognition, England recognized a new Grand Lodge in 1913, which was created from a total of two lodges (one from the Eastern Jurisdiction of the French Grand Lodge and the other completely "wild" i.e. solitary lodge from Bordeaux) - French Nat. Grand Lodge. In the 50s of the 20th century, a certain number of lodges were separated from this formation twice, one wing of which was created - Symbolic grand lodge - opera, and the other wing - National Lodge of France. In 2012, the third wing, which separated from the National Grand Lodge of France (Anglo-Saxon direction), founded another Grand Lodge - the Alliance of Freemasons of France. These Grand Lodges are affiliated, have mutual recognition and friendship Grand Lodge of Francewith.

This is only a cursory glance at the Masonic history of France, which is very rich and interesting, both traditional and innovative. Like the Freemasonry of Scotland, Ireland, England, Austria, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, Freemasonry in France is both individual and the oldest in the world. The Grand Lodge of France is headed by Ra With the principles approved by the Lausanne World Convention of 1875:

Freemasonry proclaims and has proclaimed from the beginning of its existence, the existence of a creative principle called the Grand Architect of the Universe. It imposes no restrictions on the search for truth and demands tolerance from all Masons, ensuring freedom for all.

Freemasonry is open to all men regardless of their race, creed or nationality. Freemasonry forbids political and religious discussions in lodges, it considers the freedom of each brother in his political or religious views and activities outside the lodge, so long as such brothers enjoy a good face and are free and dignified.

One of the main tasks of Freemasonry is to fight against ignorance in all its manifestations, the Masonic Order's requirements for its members are based on obedience to local laws, honorable life, protection of justice, love of doing good, service for the welfare of mankind, without any profit; Establishing progress and peace."

Grand Lodge of Georgia

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