Freemasonry in France
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Freemasonry in France (French: Franc-maçonnerie) has been influential on the worldwide Masonic movement due to its founding of Continental Freemasonry.[1]
There are many and varied Masonic rites and obediences in France. The main male-only masonic organisations are the Grande Loge de France and the Grande Loge Nationale Française, the main female-only organisation is the Women's Grand Lodge Of France, and the main mixed organisations are now the Grand Orient de France and Le Droit Humain.
Historiography
In the 18th century Paris and Lyon were the two major centers of the French Freemasonry. Each of them hosted more than 20 lodges.[2]
Until the mid 20th century, the history of Freemasonry was excluded from classic-style history syllabi in universities. Particularly in France, Masonic historiography was thus almost entirely divided between authors who were vehemently pro- or anti-Freemasonry (with the former often being masons themselves).[3] Since then, Freemasonry's political influence has diminished, and its historical conflict with France's Roman Catholic church (also now less politically powerful) has been if not resolved then at least appeased. This climate has been more favourable to the application of classic historical principles and methods to Masonic historiography, allowing it to develop and form a discipline of its own, "Masonology",[3] devoted to a wider and more neutral study of the highly varied cultural and intellectual universe formed by European Freemasonry in general and French Freemasonry in particular.
French Freemasonry offers the historian several documents (manuscripts, diplomas, engravings, caricatures, journal articles and other printed material) as well as a large number of objects relating to both ritual (Masonic aprons, tablets, vessels, medals) and everyday life (pipes, clocks, tobacco boxes and faience decorative art) that have been put on show in many museums and permanent exhibitions. However, the main sources in this area remain the manuscripts, especially the manuscripts cabinet at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the municipal library of Lyon. In 2001, the Russian government repatriated (among other things) all the Masonic archives which had been confiscated by the Nazis during their occupation of Europe - these had been held at Moscow since 1945.[3]
Course
Ancien Régime
Origins
According to a tradition dating to 1777, the first Masonic lodge in France was founded in 1688 by the Royal Irish Regiment of Foot Guards, (later known as the Regiment of Walsh of the famed Irish Brigade of France [citation needed]) which followed James II of England into exile, under the name "La Parfaite Égalité" of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Historians believe this to be probable, but it has never been proven conclusively.[4] The same can be said of the first lodge of English origin, "Amitié et Fraternité", founded in 1721 at Dunkirk.[5] The first lodge whose existence is historically certain[6] was founded by some Englishmen in Paris "around the year 1725". It met at the house of the traiteur Huré on rue des Boucheries, "in the manner of English societies", and mainly brought together Irishmen and Jacobite exiles. It is quite probable that it was this lodge that in 1732 received official patents from the Grand Lodge of London under the lodge-name "Saint Thomas", meeting at the sign of the "Louis d'Argent", still on the rue des Boucheries.
In 1728, the Freemasons decided to recognise
While the existence of a Grand Master in France was attested to as early as 1728, it took another ten years for a true assembly of representatives from all the "English" and "Scottish" lodges[8] to form the first Grande Loge de France on 24 June 1738 and establish Louis de Pardaillan de Gondrin (1707–1743), second Duke of Antin, as "general and perpetual Grand Master in the kingdom of France". It was this Grand Lodge which gave birth to the French Masonic jurisdictions which still exist today.
1730s
In December 1736, the
The first revelation of Masonic secrets to the French public dates to 1737, and the following year these were published in the La Gazette de Hollande under the title La réception d'un frey-maçon ("The reception of a Freemason"), drawing on investigations by René Hérault, lieutenant of police, and the testimony of a Miss Carton, a dancer at the Opéra, to whom a Mason had told the secrets. The police interest reflects the absolute monarchy's fears of the dangers it could incur from a "society admitting people of all estates, conditions, religions, and in which may be found a large number of foreigners". It therefore forbade "all traiteurs, cabaretiers, aubergistes and others from receiving the aforesaid assemblies of freys-maçons". However, this did not stop them meeting, under the protection of figures from the high nobility, such as the duke of Antin. Other investigations occurred from 1740 to 1745, giving rise to highly detailed police reports that now constitute a precious source for historians of Freemasonry. These investigations were also accompanied by arrests and light sentences, until Freemasonry definitively became part of French social life, with condemnations and sentences emanating from the monarchy ending around the end of the 18th century.[10]
The year 1738 also saw the condemnation of Freemasonry in the papal bull In eminenti apostolatus of Pope Clement XII. This was the signal for a wave of anti-Masonic persecutions across European countries more loyal to the see of Rome, but not in France, where the bull was refused registration by the Parlement of Paris for political reasons.[11] French Freemasonry was mainly Catholic in composition, including several priests,[12] and remained so until the French Revolution.
1740 to 1788
In the 1740s an original and mixed-sex form of Freemasonry, known as "
In 1771,
1789 to 1815
Revolution
After the French Revolution, the Jesuit
Even though the Grand Orient proclaimed its attachment to the democratic form of government from January 1789 onwards, it was forced to cease its activities by the
First Empire
The plebiscite of 6 November 1804 legitimized the
[Freemasonry is] a pile of imbeciles who assemble for good cheer and for the execution of many ridiculous follies. Nevertheless, they carried out good actions from time to time.[17]
During the First Empire, the Grand Orient de France was under strict control from the political authorities
1815 to 1850
In 1814, at the start of the Bourbon Restoration, the count of Grasse-Tilly reawakened the conflict between the Grand Orient de France (wanting to be the unified centre of all French Freemasonry) and the Supreme Council of France (jealous of the independence of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite) which then lasted until the end of the century. The First Empire's final fall the following year majorly weakened French Freemasonry, which had been one of the Empire's key pillars,[19] with the number of lodges falling to 300 around the end of the year 1820.[20]
Throughout the 19th century French Freemasonry little by little made itself more democratic and more politicised - several Freemasons were among the revolutionaries of the
Second Empire
In 1851,
Two years later, the emperor newly authorised the Grand Orient to elect its Grand Master. Magnan was elected and remained Grand Master until his death in 1865 (the
In 1869 there was a dispute between the Grand Orient and the Grand Lodge of Louisiana in the United States over recognizing a Lodge that the GLL did not recognize. This was a prelude to the schism of Continental Freemasonry.
Paris Commune
In 1870 the Grand Orient de France numbered around 18,000 Freemasons and the Scottish Rite around 6,000.[23] March 1871 saw the start of the Paris Commune, in which Parisian Freemasons were heavily involved. Thirifocq, a militant socialist and member of the "le libre Examen" lodge of the Supreme Council of France, demanded that Masonic banners be set up on Paris's ramparts and that they should be "avenged" should they be torn by the bullets of the anti-Commune forces. Many Freemasons figured among the revolutionaries, including Jules Vallès and Élisée Reclus. On 29 April 1871 several thousand Freemasons of both obediences gathered behind dozens of banners for a large demonstration gathered before the Versaillan forces. This demonstration was followed by a meeting between two emissaries of the Commune (including Thirifocq) and Adolphe Thiers, which ended in failure and in the crushing of the Commune by the Versaillans. Unlike the Parisian lodges, those in the provinces did not support the Commune, on whose fall the Grand Orient officially disavowed the action of the Parisian lodges and rallied to Thiers and the French Third Republic, in which it was to play a leading role.
1875-1899
On 8 July 1875,
The decision to admit Atheists was not universally approved in France and led, in 1894, to a schism in French Freemasonry. The lodges wishing to require a belief in Deity broke off from the Grand Orient and formed Grande Loge de France (the second organization of that name).[24]
As for the Scottish Rite of the Supreme Council of France, the traditional obligation was not suppressed, but Grand Commander Crémieux in 1876 brought back into force that his jurisdiction should not impose "any form to the Grand Architect of the Universe".[citation needed] The Supreme Council also faced a secession by lodges of the three upper degrees, which intended to move out from under its patronage. In the end it granted them their independence, merging them into the Grande Loge de France.
From 1893 to 1899, France saw the formation of the first mixed-sex mainstream Masonic obedience, which rapidly became international - the Ordre mixte international du Droit humain, which also adopted the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
1900-present
1900-1918
French Freemasonry began the 20th century with the
In 1913 two lodges ("le Centre des Amis" and the "Loge Anglaise 204") left the Grand Orient and founded the "National Independent and Regular Grand Lodge", which was immediately recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England and until the 1960s remained mainly driven by Englishmen or Americans resident in France. In 1948 changed its name to the Grande Loge Nationale Française, which it still bears today.
Though the pacifist current which appeared in France before World War I also manifested itself in Freemasonry, as in other countries this current disappeared with the start of the war and the first cabinet of the "
1918-1945
After losses in the First World War, Freemasonry resumed its growth - the Grand Orient de France rose from 23,000 members in 1919 to 33,000 in the 1930s, whilst the Grande Loge de France rose from 6300 members to 16,000 in the same period.[26]
Although a request by
In the inter-war period, French Freemasonry occupied a major place in the political appearance of the Republic and was strongly implicated in its struggles. It was thus particularly affected by the Republic's fall during the
A thousand French Freemasons were also deported or killed during the Second World War, mostly for involvement in French Resistance activities or due to their Jewish origins, with Masonic Temples pillaged and their archives confiscated. However, fellow-feeling that arose between Gaullists, Communists and Freemasons working in the Resistance against a common enemy meant that, in the post-war period, the Communist condemnation of Freemasonry diminished considerably in France.
When lodges revived on the France's liberation, purge committees were often spontaneously put in place. However, the total number of active French Freemasons had fallen by two-thirds
Postwar splits and unifications
In 1958, some brothers of the Grande Loge nationale française disagreed with its non-recognition of other French obediences and split to form the "Grande Loge nationale française dite « Opéra »", which has since then become the
Since the 1970s, there have been several splits which have given rise to many small obediences, as well as many micro-obediences and independent lodges. Though the seriousness of some of them is unanimously recognised, others' conformity to Masonic traditions is not always well-established. Some authors[31] see in this tendency a reflection of the individualist atomisation and rejection of institutions which (according to them) now characterises modern-day French society. On 20 February 2002 the Grand Masters, Grand Mistresses and Presidents of nine Masonic obediences[32] met in Paris to sign the founding text of "French Freemasonry" ("Maçonnerie française"), an expression originated as a 'brandname' by the Grand Orient de France. Its text went as follows :
[...]
Away from partisan controversies, engaged in an initiatory journey that emancipates consciences, the French Masonic obediences together affirm :
- The primacy of a balanced equilibrium on the initiatory journey, the practice of a symbolic method and engagement in society as a citizen ;
- The rejection of all dogmatism and all segregation ;
- The refusal of all
integrismsand all extremisms ;- The will to work for the betterment of the human condition, to the progress of individual and collective liberties ;
- The defence and promotion of absolute liberty of conscience, thought, expression and communication ;
- The defence and promotion of
secularism, an essential liberty which allows all others ;- Research into dialogue for peace, fraternity and development
They decide to work together for the betterment of Man and Society.
In October 2002, this collection of obediences created the Masonic Institute of France (Institut maçonnique de France, or IMF), with the aim of "promoting the cultural image of French Freemasonry across the historic, literary and artistic inheritance and its diversity" and of "rediscovering, deepening and making better-known to all interested members of the public the cultural and ethical values of Freemasonry". The IMF is both a foundation for Masonic culture and a study and research centre. It organises an annual salon on Mason books and awards a literary prize to an author who is not a Mason but defends ideas and values close to those of Freemasonry. However, in July 2006, the Grande Loge de France decided to leave the association formed in 2002 and the Grand Orient de France decided to annul the 'brand name' "Maçonnerie Française" with the INPI.
In France, there are some 11 Grand Lodges, few of which officially recognize the legitimacy of the others. However, in June 2005, the Grande Loge Nationale Française and the Grande Loge de France took steps to improve their fraternal working relations by signing a "Protocole Administratif", allowing them to cooperate with each other at a level below official recognition.[citation needed]
Obediences
- Grand Orient de France
- Grande Loge de France
- Grande Loge Nationale Française
- Grand Lodge Mondial of Misraïm
- Women's Grand Lodge Of France
- Le Droit Humain
- Universal Mixed Grand Lodge
- Mixed Grand Lodge of France
- Grand Loge Ecossaise de France[33]
- Grande Loge Traditionnelle et Symbolique Opéra (French Wiki)
- Loge Nationale Française (French Wiki)
- Grande Loge Unie de France[34][35][circular reference]
Critiques and scandals
In the 18th century, the
See also
References
- ^ Grand Orient de France Archived 2008-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Map of the French Masonic Lodges in 1789". 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ a b c (Dachez 2003, pp. 8–11)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 44)
- ^ (Naudon 1981, p. 66)
- ^ Mémoire historique sur la maçonnerie, supplement to the Encyclopédie, 1773
- ^ (Daniel Ligou et al. 2000, pp. 40–41)
- ^ (Naudon 1981, p. 72) - however, the existence of this gathering is not confirmed by more recent authors (see Talk:Grand Lodge of France).
- ^ (in French) Full text of the discourse.
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 52)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 53)
- ^ (Mitterrand, Hutin & Guichard 1992, p. 935a)
- ^ (Mitterrand 1992) counts "a dozen in Paris and fifteen in the provinces", "around 1740"
- ^ L'histoire 2001, p. 23
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 200)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 79)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 81)
- ^ a b c (Mitterrand, Hutin & Guichard 1992, p. 935c)
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 15)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 88)
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 41)
- ^ This simplified appelation by which it is generally known in this era was then in fact known as the "Central Grand Lodge" of the Supreme Council of France
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 76)
- ^ "Grande Loge de France website". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 104)
- ^ a b c (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 112)
- ^ Jane Degras (ed), The Communist International 1919-1943 Documents, vol 1, 1919-1922, The French Question, pp403-405
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, pp. 163–168)
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 175)
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 115)
- ^ for example (Dachez 2003, p. 118)
- ^ These were the 9 obediences mentioned in Freemasonry in France.
- ^ https://glef.fr/
- ^ http://www.gluf.org/
- ^ fr:Grande Loge unie de France
- ^ (Dachez 2003, p. 52)
- ^ (D. Ligou et al. 2000, p. 89-95)
Bibliography
Works used in this article
- ISBN 2-13-053539-9.
- ISBN 2-85229-287-4.)
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ignored (help - ISBN 2-13-037281-3.
- Franc-maçonnerie, avenir d'une tradition. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours. 1997. ISBN 2-84099-061-X.
- sous la direction de Daniel Ligou. (2000). Histoire des Francs-Maçons en France. Vol. 1. private publisher. ISBN 2-7089-6838-6.
- sous la direction de Daniel Ligou. (2000). Histoire des Francs-Maçons en France. Vol. 2. private publisher. ISBN 2-7089-6839-4.
- Garibal, Gilbert (1994). Être franc-maçon aujourd'hui. Vol. 2. Marabout. ISBN 2-501-02029-4.
- <Please add first missing authors to populate metadata.> (1997). "Les francs-maçons". Historia. 48. ISSN 0018-2281.
- Christian Guigue (2013). La Formation Maçonnique. Christian Guigue. ISBN 978-2-9506708-9-2.
- "Les francs-maçons". L'Histoire. 256. 2001. ISSN 0182-2411.
Documentaries
- Grand Orient les frères invisibles - script by Alain Moreau, directed by Patrick Cabouat, produced by France 5 / Program 33.
Other authorities in this area
- Cumming, Ian. "Freemasonry and Education in Eighteenth Century France." History of Education Journal (1954): 118-123. online
- Halpern, Avner. "Freemasonry and party building in late 19th-Century France." Modern & Contemporary France 10.2 (2002): 197-210.
- Jacob, Margaret C. Living the Enlightenment: Freemasonry and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Europe (1991) excerpt
- Jacob, Margaret C. The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts and Fictions (U of Pennsylvania Press, 2007).
- Jacob, Margaret, and Matthew Crow. "Freemasonry and the Enlightenment." in Handbook of Freemasonry (Brill, 2014) pp. 100-116. online
- Jacob, Margaret. "The Radical Enlightenment and Freemasonry: where we are now." REHMLAC: Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Latinoamericana y Caribeña 1 (2013): 11–25.online.
- Jaunaux, Laurent/ Concise History of the French Regular Freemasonry, Philalethe Society, 2001
- Loiselle, Kenneth. "Freemasonry and the Catholic Enlightenment in Eighteenth-Century France." Journal of Modern History 94.3 (2022): 499-536. online
- Loiselle, Kenneth. "Living the Enlightenment in an Age of Revolution: Freemasonry in Bordeaux 1788-1794)." French History 24.1 (2010): 60-81. online
- Snoek Jan A.M. and Henrik Bogdan. "The History of Freemasonry: An Overview" in Bogdan and Snoek, eds. Handbook of Freemasonry (Brill, 2014) ch. 2 pp 13-32. online
In French
- Pierre Chevallier, Histoire de la franc-maçonnerie française, 3 volumes, Fayard, 1974.