Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London

An unaccustomed air of expectancy reigned in the Grand Temple in London on 12 March, for the Quarterly Communications, and an overflow had to be accommodated in Temple No. 1 The reason for the increased attendance was item 7 on the paper of business, the motion to approve the establishment of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London. The Pro Grand Master introduced the measure by reminding Grand Lodge that the motion was far too important to be considered other than objectively and dispassionately. Speeches in support of the measure ranged from the Earl of Eglinton and Winton as the most senior, to Edward Lord, Senior Warden of his London lodge. An impassioned plea by the opponents of the measure failed to make its mark, and votes in favour amounted to something like 80% of those present.

Questions Over Masonic One-Day Classes in North America

Grand Secretary, Robert Morrow, and Director of Communications, John Hamill, recently attended the annual conferences of Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries of North America as observers. The United Grand Lodge of England has been represented at these for the last 20 years.
    The conferences were held from 15 – 19 February in Minneapolis and are the biggest gatherings of their type in the world. The formal membership comprises the Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries of the State Grand Lodges of the United States together with those from the masonic Provinces in Canada. Many other high-ranking Freemasons attend as observers. Attending this year, with the English contingent, were representatives from the National Grand Lodge of France, The Grand Orient of Italy, The Grand Lodge of Iran (in exile), the new Grand Lodge of Armenia, the Grand Lodge of Russia and the Grand Lodge of Portugal.
    The conference of Grand Secretaries was particularly interesting: of the four topics which they discussed, one concerned the one-day classes which some Grand Lodges in the United States have held to initiate, pass and raise, in one day, several thousand Freemasons in a mass ceremony. Such ceremonies have recently been held Ohio and Indiana; the Grand Lodge of New York has planned one for the end of March.
    The conference was told that these events were not as successful as the organisers had hoped; figures suggested that the drop-out rate after the ceremonies was reaching 82%. In consequence, Grand Lodges are questioning whether the huge administrative effort involved in organising such one-day classes is therefore worth it. Others questioned whether this was the right way forward for Freemasonry: how can such events claim to create Freemasons? Are they creating Freemasons or just creating numbers? There does seem to be a background of resistance to these events. Significantly, there is no evidence that those jurisdictions which have held these mass ceremonies are rushing to repeat them.

Archbishop Withdraws from Interview

As reported in the last issue of Freemasonry Today, we were promised an interview some time during March when the Archbishop of Canterbury was planning to conduct a number of meetings with United Kingdom media representatives.
    We had asked for the interview in order to give the Archbishop the opportunity to clarify the remarks attributed to him in The Independent; remarks which indicated that he held Freemasonry in very low esteem indeed and further, that he was actively discriminating against members of our Order when appointment to Church positions was being considered.
    He has subsequently stated that the remarks attributed to him were ‘personal views in a private letter’ but that he nevertheless feels that ‘there are difficulties in reconciling some of the expressions of belief and practice of Freemasonry with those of Christianity’. Charitably, he added that he recognised ‘that there are a variety of opinions within the Anglican Church’.
    On 29th January, a representative of Freemasonry Today was invited to meet with the Rev. Jonathan Jennings, the Archbishop’s Press Secretary, at Lambeth Palace. During the conversation a proposal was put forward by us that a ‘study group’ of representatives, both of the Church and of Freemasonry Today, be formed in order that mutual respect between the Anglican Church and Freemasonry might be fostered. This proposal was received with some interest and the Press Secretary said that he would pursue it.
    Our representative was also shown a copy of the letter due to be sent to the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, a reply to one the Grand Secretary had sent to the Archbishop shortly after the initial Press report. This letter is available now on www.grandlodge-england.org.uk. It apologises for any hurt caused to Freemasons and regrets the tone of the media coverage. The Archbishop also said that he had been misquoted, in particular, that the ‘quoted statements about the ‘satanic’ character of masonic ceremonies and other matters did not come from me and do not represent my judgement’. And he added, as a personal aside, that ‘Since my late father was a member of the Craft for many years, I have had every opportunity of observing the probity of individual members’. This, incidentally, makes the point that the organisation still remains beyond his approbation.
    Lambeth Palace seemed to think that this meant the end of the matter. Shortly thereafter we received word that we would not be granted an interview with the Archbishop, neither would any ‘study group’ be formed. But the Church still seems happy to receive all donations made to it by Freemasons and Freemasonry – estimated to be about one million pounds last year! Dare we mention the word hypocrisy?

Consecration of Royal Arch Grand Chapter in Brazil

On the 5th February, at a meeting of the Supreme Grand Chapter of England held in Rio de Janeiro, Lord Northampton and other Grand Chapter officers from England, consecrated and constituted a Supreme Grand Chapter of Brazil. The Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Brazil, Laelso Rodrigues, became the First Grand Principal.
    Last year the Grand Orient of Brazil, with whom the United Grand Lodge of England has had excellent relations for many years, asked whether a Supreme Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch might be constituted in Brazil since they had no means of creating it under their own constitution. The Committee of General Purposes agreed to proceed with it.
    Firstly a Royal Arch Chapter, Pegasus Chapter, No. 2205, was created in England specifically for the purpose. Having been consecrated in England, it then planned to meet in Rio de Janeiro. It was to become Chapter No.1 in the Supreme Grand Chapter of Brazil.
    Then 3 English Chapters which were moribund and whose Warrants were due to be returned, were reactivated; each also resolved to meet in Rio de Janeiro as part of the English overseas District of South America, Northern Division. They did so late last year and there accepted a number of joining members, both Brazilian and English residents of Brazil. These 4 Chapters then resolved to set themselves up as the Supreme Grand Chapter of Brazil which resolution has now been given form.

Welsh Assembly Continues Debate Over Freemasonry

The Welsh National Assembly has been unable to make another attempt to resolve its long-running dispute over Freemasonry. The rules passed to govern the conduct of Assembly members included a demand that all Freemasons must declare themselves. This singling out of Freemasonry alone of all possible organisations which members might belong to has brought much well deserved criticism upon the Assembly.
    We reported in the last issue of Freemasonry Today that an amendment to this rule widening the number of organisations which should be declared failed to get sufficient support in the Assembly to be passed.
    Proposals to change the rule were scheduled to be brought back before the Assembly in January amid fears that a failure to amend the anti-masonic rule could go to court. On the 30th January a much-depleted Standards of Conduct Committee of the National Assembly for Wales convened. Its Chairman, David Melding, had resigned following the failure of the Assembly to modify this discriminatory rule.
    The Committee resolved to resubmit the proposal to modify the rule to the national assembly without any changes to it. Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, Cynog Dafis, described the existing policy as ‘discriminatory’ and the Assembly’s decision not to modify it as ‘irresponsible’.
    Liberal Democrat Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, agreed, adding that she felt further explanation would be necessary to persuade colleagues to support the proposed amendment to the rules. It was agreed that an analysis of the debate should be prepared prior to the next vote by the national assembly.
    Only one current member of the National Assembly, North Wales Conservative, David Jones, is a Freemason, and he has declared the fact.
    The National Assembly for Wales is the only United Kingdom administration with such an anti-masonic policy.