Freemasonry in Romania

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Freemasonry in Romania traces its origins to the 18th century. Following an intricate history, all organised Freemasonry in the country ceased during the Communist era, although some lodges continued to operate in exile overseas. Freemasonry returned to Romania in the 1990s.

History

Headquarters of the National Grand Lodge of Romania (MLNaR), in Bucharest
Ghencea cemetery

The beginnings of Freemasonry in the

a peasant revolt the following year, gave a Romanian-language speech at the True Understanding Lodge in Vienna, in which he used a series of Masonic symbols (it is highly likely that he was initiated). In 1795, by imperial decree, Masonic activity was outlawed in the Habsburg empire, including Transylvania. In Wallachia, the first lodge was very likely established by Jean Louis Carra, secretary to voivode Grigore III Ghica (October 1768-November 1769).[1]

In advance of the

revolution in Moldavia that year. The union of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 featured involvement by Freemasons from the Principalities and from exile. Cuza, domnitor of the new polity, governed on Masonic principles but nevertheless came into conflict with certain prominent boyars, who, like him, belonged to the Steaua Dunării Lodge in Bucharest. These individuals, dissatisfied with Cuza's actions, organised a plot to dethrone him, but when this was uncovered in 1865, the prince shut down the Lodge without taking measures against the plotters. Thus Cuza dissolved his own Lodge on the pretext that its establishment in nine years earlier had not been officially approved. Not coincidentally, the three officers who presented Cuza with his act of abdication the following year were Freemasons. The Junimea literary society, connected with Steaua Dunării and publishing journals such as Gazeta de Iaşi (1867), Convorbiri literare (1867), Gazeta literară (1871) and Constituţiunea (1886), played an important cultural role.[1]

Romania's Lodges were unified on 8/20 September 1880, when the National Lodge was founded with Constantin Moroiu as Grand Master. Conflict ensued between the National Lodge and certain Moldavian Lodges, as the former indirectly refused to admit

Greek merchants among its members. Romanian Freemasons helped promote international recognition for the Union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918.[1]

On 12 November 1925 the Great Orient of Romania was formed, which functioned alongside the Grand National Lodge. In 1934, these two merged with the Grand Symbolic Lodge of Transylvania to form the United Romanian Freemasonry, led by

Miron Cristea (another Freemason) in order to rule as absolute monarch (which he began to do the following year).[1]

Freemasonry reappeared after the

1989 revolution, after which Freemasonry returned to the country. The National Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Naţională din România), which brought together three Lodges, was established in 1993.[1] It holds recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England,[2] and in turn recognises over 200 foreign Grand Lodges.[3]

The Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă a României), uniting ten Lodges, came into being in 2003. Four more Masonic groups are active: another National Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Naţională a României), the National United Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Naţională Unită din România), the Feminine Grand Lodge of Romania (Marea Lojă Feminină a României) and the Grand Orient of Romania (Marele Orient al României).[1]

Members

Romanian Freemasons have included:

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Stoica, pp. 153-55
  2. ^ Foreign Grand Lodges at the United Grand Lodge of England site
  3. ^ “Mari Loji recunoscute” at the Marea Lojă Naţională a României site
  4. ISBN 978-973-726-278-3
    .
  5. ^ Djuvara, p. 317; (in Romanian) Dan Amedeo Lăzărescu, "1848: Revoluţia intelectualilor" Archived 2007-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, in Magazin Istoric, June 1998
  6. ^ (in Romanian) Fabian Anton, "Armenii în masoneria românească" Archived 2011-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, in Ararat Archived 2011-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, Nr. 7/2007, p.6
  7. ^ Marcel Shapira, "Message" Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, in the National Grand Lodge of Romania Masonic Forum Magazine, Winter 2005
  8. ^ "A Romanian To Lead The World Freemasonry", Romania Journal, June 23, 2019

References

External links
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