Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/834

 MASONRY

778

IffASONET

thorities. A brother, then, guilty of rel^cllion cannot be expelled from the lodge: on the contrary, his feUow Maaonfl are particularly obliged to have pity on his misfortune when he (in prison or before the courts) has to suffer from the consequences of his rebellion, and

five him brotherlv assistance as far as they can. reemasonry itself as a body is very peaceable and loyal, but it does not disapprove; on the contrair, it conmiends those brethren who through love of free- dom and the national welfare successfully plot against monarchs and other despotic rulers^ while as an asso- ciation of public utility it claims pnvile^ and protec- tion through kings^ princes, and other high dignitaries for the success of its peaceful work. "Loyalty to freedom", says Chr.. 1875, I, 81, "overrides all other considerations". The wisdom of this regulation, re- marks Mackey (Jurisprudence. 510. note I), "will be apparent when we consider, tnat ii treason or rebel- hon were masonic crimes, almost every mason in the United Colonies, in 1776, would have oeen subject to expulsion and every Lodge to a forfeiture of its war- rant by the G. LL. of England and Scotland^ under whose jurisdiction they were at the time ".

A misleading adage is "once a Mason always a Mason". This is often taken to mean that the Masonic tie is indissoluble, that there is no absolution from its consequences" (Ohr., 1885, 1, 161) or "Obli- gations" (Chr., 18n89, II, 58), that not even death can sever the connexion of a Mason with Freemasonry (Chr., 1883. 11^ 331). But certainly a Mason has the "right of demission" (Mackey. "Jurisprudence. 232 sq.), and this right, whatever \ye the opinion of Ma- sonic iurispnidence, according to the inalienable natural rights of man, extends to a complete with- drawal not only from the lodge but also from the brotherhood. In the scale of Masonic penalties, "ex- pulsion " is the most severe (Mackey, op. cit., 514 sqq.). Besides those who have been expelled or have resigned there are many "unaffiliated" Masons who have ceased to be "active " members of a lodge, but, accord- ing to Masonic law, which, of course, can oblige no more than is authorized by the general rules of mo- rality, they remain subject to the lodge within the jurisdiction of which they reside.

As to unity, Masonic authorities unanimously af- firm that Freemasonry throughout the world is one, and that all Freemasons form in reality but one lodge; that distinct lodges exist only for the sake of conven- ience, and that conseauently every regular Mason is entitled to be receivea in every regular lodge of the world as a brother, and, if in distress, to be relieved. The good understanding among Masons of different countries is furthered by personal intercourse and by correspondence, especially between the grand secre- tary offices ana international congresses (Paris, 1889; Antwerp, 1894; Hague, 1896; Paris, 1900; Geneva, 1902; Brussels, 1904; Rome, intended for Oct., 1911) which led to the establishment, in 1903, of a permanent inter- national office at Neuchdtel, Switzerland (Chr., 1907, II, 119). There is no general Grand Lodge or direc- tion of Freemasonry, though various attempts have been made in nearly every larger state or country to establish one. Incessant dissensions between Ma- sonic systems and bodies are characteristic of Free- masoniy in all countries and times. But the federative unity of Freemasonry suffices to prove a true solidarity among Masons and Masonic bodies throughout the world; hence the charge of complicity in the machina- tions which some of tliem carry on. This solidarity is openly avowed by Masonic authorities. Pike, for instance, writes (Off. Bull., 1885, VII, 29): "When the journal in London which speaks of the freema- sonry of the G. L. of England, deprecatingly protested that the English Freemasonry was innocent of the charges preferred by the Papal Bull (Encycl. 1884) against Freemasonry, when it declared that English Freemasonry had no opinions political or religious, and

that it did not in the least degree sympathise vrith the loose opinions and extravagant utterances of part of the Continental Freemasonry, it wajs very justiy tnd verv conclusivelv checkmated by the Ronush Orgfja with the reply, It is idle for you to protest. You are Freemasons and you recognixe them as Freemasons. You give them countenance, encouragement and sup- port and you are jointly responsible with them and cannot shirk that responsibihty ' ".

As accurate statistics are not always to be had and the methods of enumeration differ in different coun- tries, total numbers can only be approximated. Thus in most of the Lodges of the Umted States only the Masters (third degree) are counted, while in other countries the apprentices and fellows are added. There are besides many unaffiliated Masons (ha>'ing ceased to be members of a lodge) who are not in- cluded. Their number may be estimated at two- thirds of that of the active Masons. In England a Mason may act as member of many lodges. Confirming our statement as to the active members of the strictly Masonic bodies, which in calendare and year books are registered as such, we may, upon recent and reliable sources (Mackey, "Encyclopedia", 1908, 1007 sq.: "Annual of Umversal Masonry'*, Berne, 1909; "Mas. Year-Book 1909", London; "Kalender fQr Frd- maurer", Leipzig, 1909), estimate the actual state of Freemasonry as follows: Grand O's^ G. L's, Supr. Couns., and other Scottish G. bodies, 183; lodges 26,500; Masons, about 2,000,000; the number of the Grand Chapters of Royal Arch is: in the United States, 2968 subordinate chapters, under one General Grand Chapter; England, 46 Grand Chapters with 1015 suboruinate chapters; English colonies and for- eign Masonic centres, 18 Grand Chaptera with 150 sub- ordinate chapters. The census of craft masonry is as follows:

Countries

Great Britain and Colonies (exc. Can- ada)

Canada

United, States: White

Colored

Latin Countries

(Europe and S. America)

Other European countries

Africa

Total

Members

262.651

66.728

1.203.150

28.000

120.000

90.700

2.150

1.767.388

VI. Inner Work or Freemasonry: MxaoNic Symbolism and Oaths. — "From first to last", says Pike (I, 340), "Masonry is work". The Masonic "work", properl^r so called, is the inner secret ritual- istic work by wmch Masons are made and educated for the outer work, consisting in action for the welfare of mankind according to Masonic princii)les. Masons are made by the three ceremonies of initiation (first degree), passing (second degree), and raising (third degree). The symbols displayed in these cere- monies and explained accordmf; to the MasOnic prin- ciples and to the verbal hints given in the rituals and lectures of the three degrees, are the manual of Masonic instruction. The education thus begun is comjjleted by the whole lodge life, in which every Mason is ad- vised to take an active part, attending the lodge meet- ings regularlv, profiting, according to his ability, by the means wfiicn Masonry affords him, to perfect him- self in conformity with Masonic ideals, and contribut- ing to the discussions of Masonic themes and to a good lodge government, which is represented as a model of the government of society at large. The lodge is to be a type of the world (Chr.. 1890, 1, 99) and Masons are intended to take part in the regeneration of the human race (Chr., 1900, II, 3). "The symbolism of Free- masonry ", says rike in a letter to Gould, 2 December, 1888 (A. Q. C., XVI, 28), "is the very soul of Ma-