The mysteries of Freemasonry

By George Limlosuy .

I AM sure many of you have heard of the Freemasons. All over the world, you may notice their temples including in the Philippines. But I am equally sure that many of you don’t know what Freemasons stand for and what it is all about. Is it like the Rotary club or the Lions? Is it a religion?

Freemasonry originated in England and has existed for more than 300 years. Yet it is one of the most misunderstood and maligned organizations in the world. Masonic conspiracy theories are so entrenched within popular culture that otherwise educated and rational people hold surprisingly strange views on the organization. In this article, I would attempt to dispel some of the misconceptions surrounding this long-established organization.

When the famous book, “The Lost Symbol” written by fiction author Dan Brown was released on 15th September 2009, it sold 6.5 million copies in its first release and was on the top of the New York Times bestsellers list for six consecutive months in that year.

In his previous best-selling novel, the “Da Vinci Code”, Dan Brown used the Opus Dei of the Catholic Church as the backdrop. Opus Dei was cast as a secretive cult that resorted to murder to defend a fictional catholic church coverup. Of course, it was further than the truth. In “The Lost Symbol”, Dan Brown picked on another easy and popular target, the Freemasons. Why? Because Freemasonry retains a powerful sense of mystery. It is supposed to be an international secret society with an agenda to rule the world. It is such an intriguing subject.

In the prologue, Dan Brown began with this sentence “The Secret is how to die”. He then proceeded to describe the ritual of a Mason initiation. He wrote “The thirty-four-year-old initiate gazed down at the human skull cradled in his palms. The skull was hollow, like a bowl, filled with bloodred wine. Drink it, He told himself. You have nothing to fear”. What a dramatic scene to start a novel! It sounds like a ritual of witchcraft.

I have been a member and a past master of Prince of Wales Masonic Lodge#1338, an English lodge in New Zealand for the past 16 years and I can tell you that Dan Brown sensationalized the real mason initiation ritual in his novel. In a real mason initiation, there is no human skull or bloodred wine. In fact, a freemason is taught how to live. He is taught that if he lives his life honestly, ethically, and in the genuine service to his community, he should not be afraid to die.

Rumors and legends have followed Freemasonry since its formal beginning in England in 1717. Some people said that Freemasonry is a powerful conspiracy to rule the world; others said it is a huge corrupt old-boys network. Still, some even claim that it is cult descended from the Knight Templars. There are hundreds of other theories about the Freemasons but mostly untrue. In reality, the truth about the Masons is something altogether simpler yet esoteric.

Freemasonry is a society with some secrets but it is not a secret society. Mason lodges worldwide are listed in phone books, many have websites, their rituals and histories are published widely and available to the public. There is even a book called “Freemasons for Dummies” written by a mason. The only real secret about the Freemasons is the means with which one mason identifies another. That’s it! Of course, like any private organization, only members are allowed to attend their meetings and their ceremonies. That cannot be considered secretive.

At its simplest level, Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest fraternal societies. It is not a religion but members are concerned with developing themselves morally and spiritually. Moral lessons are taught through a series of ritual dramas, rather like pre-written medieval plays that make use of ancient words, actions, and settings.

Apart from being a fraternal organization, Freemasonry is also one of the world’s largest charitable organizations. In the UK, members contribute over three million-pound sterling annually to non-Masonic charitable causes while in the USA, the number is much larger. It is estimated that US masons contribute over US$1 billion a year to local and international charities. In New Zealand, masons have contributed generously to education, hospitals, rest homes, and medical research, and other charitable causes. Freemason lodges in the Philippines have raised millions of pesos in charity to help victims of natural calamities over the years.

Membership of the Freemasons comes from all walks of life. But throughout history, there have been many prominent people who were masons. Eleven of the founding fathers of America. People like George Washington Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, the actor John Wayne, the famous musician Mozart, the French Philosopher Voltaire, England King Edward VII, Winston Churchill, and the Duke of Kent who is currently the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England.

In the Philippines, the freemasons played a very important role in the Philippine revolution against the oppression of the Spanish colonial government. Notable masons were Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini, Juan Luna, and 10 of the 13 martyrs who were executed in Bagumbayan in 1896. The first president of the Philippines Manuel L Quezon was also a freemason. Currently, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines is Most Worshipful Bro. Agapito S. Suan Jr, a native of Cagayan De Oro

In Freemasonry, there are several important cardinal virtues. These include Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, Justice as well as Charity and Benevolence. These are taught to new members on their way to the first level of freemasonry called the Entered Apprentice. If you think about it, these are very akin to Christian values. Surprisingly, one of the main criteria required of a mason is that he has to believe in God.

Although Dan Brown in his novel” The Lost Symbol” sensationalized the story of Freemasons, there is really nothing so sinister about this organization. It has one mission; that is, “To make good men, better men.” It is a harmless and well-intentioned fraternity that offers the opportunity for men to join together in fellowship, to develop themselves morally and spiritually, and to help their fellow human beings through charitable work. It is one of the few organizations in the world where men of all colors, religions, ethnicities, social classes, and occupations can sit together and enjoy each other’s company in harmony and friendship. And that is what Freemasonry is about.

(George Limlosuy was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro, George Limlosuy was educated at the University of the Philippines where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. After working in Hong Kong in the Human Resources field for 25 years, he moved to New Zealand in 1999 where he is now semi-retired. A member of Freemasons since 2004, he was the past Master of the Prince of Wales Lodge No.1338 under the United Grand Lodge of England and First Principal of the Auckland Royal Arch Chapter 1338.)