Freemasonry, sometimes spelled Free-Masonry, is made up of brotherhoods that began in medieval times with groups of stone masons. Freemasonry is the oldest known non-religious brotherhood still in existence, with records and traditions from the 14th century. Modern Freemasonry includes three main traditions:

Each of these traditions has changed over time from their early forms. All three can call themselves Regular and refer to other Grand Lodges as Irregular. The basic, local group in Freemasonry is called a Lodge. These private Lodges are usually overseen by a Grand Lodge or Grand Orient at the regional level. There is no single worldwide Grand Lodge that controls all of Freemasonry. Instead, each Grand Lodge operates independently and may not recognize others as official.

The degrees of Freemasonry are based on the three levels of medieval stone mason guilds: Entered Apprentice, Journeyman or Fellow of the Craft, and Master Mason. Members of these degrees are gradually taught the meanings of Freemasonry symbols and given special signs, gestures, and words to show they have been initiated. The degrees include both stories with moral lessons and lectures. These three levels form Craft Freemasonry, and members are called Free-Masons, Freemasons, or Masons. After completing the Craft degrees, a Mason may join other groups called "Concordant bodies" that offer more degrees. These groups are usually managed separately from the Grand Lodges that handle the Craft degrees. The extra degrees vary depending on the area and rules of the region. In addition, there are other organizations outside the main traditions of Freemasonry that require someone to be a Master Mason before joining.

Throughout its history, Freemasonry has faced criticism and opposition for religious, moral, and political reasons. The Catholic Church, some Protestant groups, and certain Islamic countries or groups have opposed or banned Freemasonry membership. Some opposition has been linked to prejudice against Jewish people or beliefs about secret plans. Freemasons have also been persecuted by governments that control power tightly.

Lodge activities and meetings

The Masonic Lodge meets regularly to perform various activities. While practices differ based on the area, Rite, and local traditions, there are common elements shared by all Freemasons.

In many areas, Lodges handle the typical formal tasks of any small group during regular meetings. This includes reviewing meeting notes, choosing new members, assigning officers and receiving their reports, discussing letters, checking financial statements, and planning social and charitable events.

However, in some Lodges, Rites, and areas, an opened Lodge is considered a sacred space where non-religious or non-sacred tasks are not allowed. In these traditions, administrative tasks are usually handled before the Lodge is officially opened, during a separate meeting, or by special groups outside of Lodge meetings.

Whether business is handled during an opened Lodge or not, all Masonic meetings include ritual work and educational activities such as:

At the end of the meeting, the Lodge may hold a formal dinner, called an Agape or festive board, which sometimes includes toasting and singing. These events are usually held in a Masonic temple, though other places may be used occasionally.

Most Masonic rituals involve ceremonies for different degrees. New members are introduced to Freemasonry in the degree of Entered Apprentice. Later, they are moved to the degree of Fellow Craft, and then to the degree of Master Mason. In each ceremony, the candidate must accept the responsibilities of the degree and is given secret knowledge, such as passwords, signs, and grips (secret handshakes), specific to their new rank. While these symbols and gestures are considered private, they are often found in public sources, including those published by Masonic organizations.

Another ceremony is the annual appointment of the Lodge's Master and his officers. In some areas, a Master is chosen, sworn in, and given the role of leading the Lodge. This position is sometimes seen as a special rank with its own secrets and unique title and symbols. After a full year in this role, the Master passes on the position to the next person and becomes a Past Master, gaining certain privileges in the Lodge and Grand Orient. In other areas, this rank is not recognized, and no new secrets are shared during the appointment of a new Lodge Master.

Most Lodges organize social events where members, their partners, and non-Masonic guests can meet. These events often include efforts by members and the Lodge to support charity, such as through donations, subscriptions, and fundraising. Contributions may be organized at the local Lodge level, a regional or district level, or at the Grand jurisdiction level. Masons and their charities help in many areas, such as education, health, and support for the elderly.

Private Lodges are the basic and most independent units in Freemasonry. They have the authority to choose new members and admit others, often with local rights that allow them to serve members in their area. This supports the independence and community-based nature of Masonic membership. Some Lodges meet for specific purposes, such as hobbies, sports, research, business, professions, military groups, or colleges. The rank of Master Mason allows members to explore additional degrees, which are separate from the basic Craft or "Blue Lodge" degrees, but usually follow a similar structure and meeting format.

There is a lot of variety and little uniformity in Freemasonry because each Masonic area operates independently and sets its own rules. Grand Lodges have limited control over their member Lodges, which are ultimately private groups. Details like the wording of rituals, the number of officers present, and the layout of the meeting room differ between areas.

Almost all Lodge officers are elected or appointed each year. Every Lodge has a Master, two Wardens, a treasurer, and a secretary. There is also always a Tyler, or outer guard, outside the Lodge's door, who may be paid to protect its privacy. Other roles vary depending on the area.

Each Lodge operates according to its own rules and the guidelines of its Grand Orient or Grand Lodge. These rules do not have a single, universal definition and differ based on the area.

Organisation

Grand Lodges and Grand Orients are independent and self-governing groups that manage Freemasonry in specific countries, states, or regions (called a jurisdiction). There is no single worldwide organization that controls all Freemasonry; relationships between different jurisdictions depend only on agreements between them.

In the early 21st century, estimates suggested that Freemasonry had between two million and six million members worldwide.

Freemasonry is organized into separate Grand Lodges (or sometimes Grand Orients), each responsible for managing its own jurisdiction, which includes local or member lodges.

The largest jurisdiction by membership is the United Grand Lodge of England, which has local groups called Provincial Grand Lodges. Together, these groups are estimated to have about 175,000 members. The Grand Lodge of Ireland reports having approximately 19,000 members.

In the United States, there are 51 Grand Lodges (one for each state and the District of Columbia). Together, these lodges have a total membership of about 875,000, according to the Masonic Service Association of North America.

Grand Orient de France, the largest jurisdiction in Continental Freemasonry by membership, claims to have over 50,000 members.

Other degrees, orders and bodies

Blue Lodges, also called Craft Lodges in the United Kingdom, provide only the three traditional degrees of Freemasonry. In many areas, members may also earn the rank of past or installed master within Blue/Craft Lodges. Master Masons can continue their Masonic learning by joining additional degrees in other approved or related groups.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is a system with 33 degrees, including the three Blue Lodge degrees. This system is managed by a local or national Supreme Council and is common in North America, South America, and parts of Europe. In the United States, the York Rite, which has a similar number of degrees, manages three groups within Freemasonry: the Royal Arch, Cryptic Masonry, and the Knights Templar.

In Britain, separate organizations oversee each group. Freemasons are encouraged to join the Holy Royal Arch, which is connected to Mark Masonry in Scotland and Ireland but is separate in England. In England, the Royal Arch is closely linked to the Craft, sharing many leaders, including Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who serves as both Grand Master of the Craft and First Grand Principal of the Royal Arch. In England, the Knights Templar and Cryptic Masonry share offices and staff with the Mark Grand Lodge at Mark Masons' Hall in London. The Ancient and Accepted Rite, similar to the Scottish Rite, requires members to declare belief in the Trinitarian Christian faith and is managed from Duke Street in London. In contrast, the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia is a separate secret organization that requires members to be Master Masons of the United Grand Lodge of England.

In the Nordic countries, the Swedish Rite is the most common. A version of this rite is also used in parts of Germany.

Ritual and symbolism

Freemasonry calls itself a "beautiful system of morality, hidden in stories and shown through symbols." These symbols mostly come from tools used by stonemasons, such as the square and compasses, the level and plumb rule, the trowel, and the rough and smooth ashlars. Each tool is connected to a moral lesson, though the meanings are not always the same. The symbols are taught through rituals, lectures, and writings by individual Masons who share their own interpretations.

According to scholar Jan A. M. Snoek, Freemasonry is best described by explaining what it is not, rather than what it is. All Freemasons start by joining the "craft" and go through three steps called "initiation," "passing," and "raising" to become part of the three degrees of Craft, or Blue Lodge Masonry. During these steps, members learn about Masonic symbols and are given signs, words, and tokens to show others which degrees they have completed. The ceremonies use stories and involve the building of the Temple of Solomon and the life and death of its main builder, Hiram Abiff. The degrees are called "Entered Apprentice," "Fellowcraft," and "Master Mason." While different lodges may have slightly different versions of these stories and rituals, all Freemasons recognize the main ideas.

In some places, the lessons of each degree are shown through painted pictures called tracing boards. These are displayed in the lodge and explained to members to help them understand the symbols and stories of each degree.

The idea of Masonic brotherhood may come from a 16th-century legal term for someone who promises to help another person. Freemasons promise to support and protect their fellow members. In most lodges, this promise is made while holding a book that contains religious teachings, such as the Bible in some areas. In some places, other books are allowed, which has caused disagreements between groups.

History

Since the middle of the 19th century, Masonic historians have looked for the origins of Freemasonry in a group of similar documents called the Old Charges. These documents range from the Regius Poem, written around 1425, to the early 1800s. They were written for members of groups called operative masons' lodges. These documents describe the craft based on stories about its history, the duties of different levels, and how oaths are taken when joining. The 15th century also shows the first signs of ceremonial clothing and symbols used in lodges.

There is no clear way to explain how these local trade groups became today's Masonic Lodges. The earliest known rituals and passwords from operative lodges near the start of the 1700s show a connection to the rituals later developed by accepted or speculative Masons. These were members who did not practice the physical craft but still joined lodges. Records from the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No. 1 in Scotland show a connection from an operative lodge in 1598 to a modern speculative Lodge. This lodge is believed to be the oldest Masonic Lodge in the world.

In 1803, a German professor named J. G. Buhle suggested that Freemasonry might have developed from a group called Rosicrucianism. This idea was later supported by Thomas De Quincey.

The first Grand Lodge, called the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, was later renamed the Grand Lodge of England. It was founded on St. John's Day, June 24, 1717, when four existing London Lodges met for a joint dinner. Over the next ten years, most of the Lodges in England joined this new group, which then began to grow and expand. New lodges were created, and the fraternity became larger.

During the 18th century, as aristocrats and artists joined the organization, Freemasonry became popular throughout Europe and the American colonies.

Between 1730 and 1750, the Grand Lodge supported several changes that some lodges did not agree with. A rival Grand Lodge was formed on July 17, 1751. It called itself the "Antient Grand Lodge of England" to show it believed in older traditions and rejected changes made by the first Grand Lodge. The Antient Grand Lodge insulted the first group by calling them "modern." Historians now use "Premiere Grand Lodge" and "Antient Grand Lodge" to describe the two groups. These two Grand Lodges competed until the Premiere Grand Lodge reached an agreement with the Antient Grand Lodge to return to a shared ritual. They reunited on December 27, 1813, to form the United Grand Lodge of England.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland were created in 1725 and 1736, respectively. However, neither group convinced all existing lodges in their countries to join for many years.

During the Enlightenment in the 18th century, Freemasons formed an international network of men who shared similar ideas. They often met in secret and followed ritualistic programs at their lodges. They promoted the ideals of the Enlightenment and helped spread these values across Britain, France, and other places. British Freemasonry had its own set of myths, values, and rituals. It encouraged new codes of conduct, including ideas about liberty and equality. Scottish soldiers and Jacobite Scots shared ideas of fraternity that came from the English Revolution, not local customs. Freemasonry was especially common in France, where between 50,000 and 100,000 French Masons existed by 1789, making it the most popular Enlightenment group.

Jacob argues that Masonic lodges likely influenced society by creating a model for self-government with rules, elections, and representatives. This was especially true in Europe, where lodges were seen as a threat by some governments. For example, a Parisian lodge in the 1720s was made up of English Jacobite exiles. Many lodges in Europe referenced the Enlightenment, such as French lodges that used the phrase "As the means to be enlightened I search for the enlightened" in their initiation rites. British lodges aimed to "initiate the unenlightened." Many lodges honored the Grand Architect, a term for the divine being who created the universe.

However, historian Robert Roswell Palmer noted that lodges operated independently, and Masons did not act together politically. American historians mention that Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were leading Masons, but the role of Freemasonry in the American Revolution is debated. Daniel Roche argues that lodges were not truly equal, as they mainly included men from similar social backgrounds.

In the long term, Norman Davies says Freemasonry was a powerful force in Europe from about 1700 to the 20th century. It spread quickly during the Enlightenment, reaching nearly every European country, as well as colonies in the New World and Asia. Davies states that Freemasonry became closely linked to Liberalism in the 19th century and later. In Catholic countries, it was anti-clerical and faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church. In the 20th century, it was suppressed by Fascist and Communist regimes. Freemasonry attracted royalty, aristocrats, politicians, businessmen, intellectuals, artists, and political activists. Davies lists prominent members like Montesquieu, Voltaire, Sir Robert Walpole, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. Steven Bullock notes that in the late 18th century, English lodges were led by the Prince of Wales, Prussian lodges by King Frederick the Great, and French lodges by royal princes. Napoleon, as Emperor of France, chose his brother to be the Grand Master of France.

English Freemasonry spread to France in the 1720s, first through lodges of expatriates and exiled Jacobites, and later through distinct French lodges that followed the rituals of the Premier Grand Lodge of England. From France and England, Freemasonry spread to most of Continental Europe during the 18th century. The Grande Loge de France was formed under the leadership of the Duke of Clermont, who had limited authority. His successor, Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, reorganized the central body as the Grand Orient de France in 1773. French Freemasonry briefly declined during the French Revolution but grew again in the following century, led by Alexandre Francois Auguste de Grasse, Comte de Grassy-Tilly.

In the 18th century, liberal French politicians met in Masonic lodges to develop ideas that influenced the French Revolution of 1789. Avner Halpern notes that French Freemasonry played a major role in creating France's first modern political party in 1901, the Radical Party. This party used two Masonic ideas: the "civil leadership model" developed in late 19th-century France and local Masonic congresses organized by the Grand Lodge.

Anti-Masonry

Anti-Masonry, also called Anti-Freemasonry, refers to the opposition to Freemasonry. It includes individuals or groups who criticize or disagree with Masonic beliefs. There is no single, unified anti-Masonic movement. Critics have come from religious groups, political groups, and people who believe in conspiracy theories, especially those involving Freemasonry or the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory. Some anti-Masons, like Nesta Helen Webster, only criticized "Continental Masonry" and considered "Regular Masonry" to be a respectable organization.

Many books, articles, and reports about Freemasonry have been published since the 18th century. Some of these lack proper context, are outdated, or are hoaxes, such as the Taxil hoax. These materials often form the basis for criticism of Freemasonry, which can be religious, political, or based on suspicion of secret or corrupt activities. The term "Anti-Masonry" became widely used in the United States after the American "Morgan Affair" in 1826. Today, the term is still used by both Freemasons to describe their critics and by critics to describe themselves.

Freemasonry has faced criticism from theocratic governments and religious groups that believe it competes with religion or has beliefs and practices that differ from religious teachings. It has also been the subject of conspiracy theories that claim Freemasonry is an occult or evil organization.

The Catholic Church has the longest history of opposing Freemasonry. The Church argues that Freemasonry teaches a belief in a god without religious teachings, which conflicts with Church doctrine. It also criticizes the use of blood oaths in Masonic rituals. Some Catholic priests who perform exorcisms believe these oaths can harm the descendants of Freemasons, though this idea is debated within the Church.

Over 600 official statements from the Pope have been issued against Freemasonry. The first was in 1738 by Pope Clement XII, and the most recent was in 2023 by Pope Francis. The 1917 Code of Canon Law stated that joining Freemasonry automatically led to excommunication and banned books that supported Freemasonry.

In 1983, a new Code of Canon Law was created. It did not specifically name Freemasonry among groups it condemned but warned against joining organizations that oppose the Church. This caused confusion, as some believed the ban on Catholics joining Freemasonry might have ended. However, the Church later clarified that Freemasonry remains forbidden. Pope Francis reaffirmed this in 2023, stating that Freemasonry is incompatible with Catholic teachings.

Freemasonry has never opposed Catholics joining their organization. Some groups claim Freemasonry does not replace a member's religion. However, certain rituals require members to reject the papacy, and some Freemasons in government have limited the religious freedom of Catholics.

Protestant criticism of Freemasonry often focuses on claims that it involves mysticism, occult practices, or even Satanism. Albert Pike, a Masonic scholar, is sometimes cited by Protestants, though his views were personal and not official Masonic positions. In 1993, the Southern Baptist Convention said some aspects of Freemasonry are not compatible with Christianity, while others are. This remains a topic of debate within the group.

The Free Methodist Church founder, B.T. Roberts, opposed Freemasonry in the 1800s, calling it an "alternate" religion. He encouraged his church to avoid supporting ministers who were Freemasons.

Many bishops in the Church of England have been Freemasons, including Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher. However, in recent years, some Anglicans have grown more cautious about Freemasonry, possibly due to the influence of the evangelical wing of the church. Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, apologized to Freemasons in 2003 after saying their beliefs were incompatible with Christianity.

In 1933, the Orthodox Church of Greece declared that being a Freemason is a form of apostasy, meaning turning away from the faith. Until a person repents, they cannot participate in the Eucharist, a religious ceremony involving bread and wine.