Ignorance is a curse. And the more so, since it never seems to have the wit to hide its faulty light under a decently opaque bushel. Sadly, ignorance about Freemasonry still emerges.
    Our "Week of Action" in the Summer helped change a number of faulty perceptions of the Craft. But ignorance will out: during November the new Archbishop of Canterbury revealed his antipathy to Freemasonry: he questioned its compatibility with Christianity, and revealed his refusal to promote known Freemasons to senior posts in the Church. Furthermore, a spokesman for him, in an aside, even introduced the fear of "some" that masonic ritual might be satanically inspired. How far this reflects the view of his master, the Archbishop, is not clear. You can read the report on page 6 of this issue.
    But this incident raises the spectre of something deeper and worrying: Christian fundamentalists have long condemned Freemasonry as anti-Christian, satanic, and the cause of a family curse which, by some kind of genetic osmosis, travels down through the generations wreaking spiritual havoc – or so they would have us believe. There are plenty of anti-masonic droppings washing around the bilges of the Internet. And that is where the ignorant go to play.
    But what is truly disturbing is that some, at least, of this anti-masonic slander seems to have been picked up and absorbed by the man who is now the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the major spiritual figures of our culture. Picked up, absorbed, and re-transmitted.
    Ignorance is certainly a curse; knowledge, though, is a gift, one which brings understanding. This is truly something to struggle for, to nurture into being through constant husbandry. Wisely, the Charge given to all candidates experiencing our Third Degree, asks that they might reflect upon "that most interesting of all human studies, the knowledge of your self." It knows that self knowledge means touching that spark of divinity which lies within, bringing understanding, bringing tolerance, and a deep love of that infinite Divinity within which we all have our Being.
    Without such understanding we arrive only at prejudice; and where prejudice reigns, persecution is not very far away. Freemasonry Today writer, Andrew Montgomery, author of the journals of our Brother Lightfoote, succinctly summed up the outcome of such prejudice and intolerance in the following letter to The Independent, the newspaper which reported the Archbishop’s anti-masonic stance:

"Sir: I am a little confused by your report stating that the Archbishop of Canterbury intends to deny ecclesiastical advancement to Freemasons because they belong to a `secret organisation’ – so how will he know who they are? Perhaps they should all wear a yellow Seal of Solomon, sewn on to the coats, front and back, so that they may be more easily identified. It’s worked in the past…"

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I should like to take this opportunity to announce the departure of Anthony West as Chairman of the Board of Freemasonry Today. He has played an important part in the team who first devised the magazine, set it up, and then nurtured its success since the first issue appeared in Summer, 1997. His place has been taken by Geoffrey Baber, also one of the founders, who has devoted much time and expertise in order to ensure the success of our magazine.
    Our Freemasonry Today trip to Egypt, 8th – 19th April 2003, is gathering apace: please ring Tracey Strand at HPB Travel for a brochure (telephone 01638 674 744). There are many mysteries in Egypt that we will be taking a look at; genuine mysteries, not those invented by authors and publishers with little knowledge or discrimination. That the grandeur and mystery of Egypt has fascinated the European mind for millennia is shown by Professor Curl’s article on pages 32-35 in this issue.
    Michael Baigent MA – Editor