Freemasonry in Belgium
Encyclopedia
Freemasonry in Belgium consists of a wide range of Masonic obediences: A Grand Orient of Belgium, a Grand Lodge of Belgium, a Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, and a Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium.
(French: Grand Orient de Belgique, Dutch: Grootoosten van Belgie G.O.B.) is for men only and works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry.
It was founded in 1833, three years after the independence of Belgium, and joined the Grand Orient of France and other Continental jurisdictions in not requiring initiates to believe in a Supreme Being.
In 1989 the Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium and the Belgian Federation of Le Droit Humain signed an agreement of mutual recognition.
van België, G.L.B.) is for men only, and works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry. It was founded in 1959 by 5 lodges of the Grand Orient of Belgium in order to regain recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England. When in 1979 this recognition was lost again, 9 lodges founded the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium. In 1989, the Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium and the Belgian Federation of Le Droit Humain signed an agreement of mutual recognition.
on 20 April 1974, followed by three more in Liège
, Brussels and Charleroi
. The Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium was founded on 17 October 1981.
exist in Belgium. The oldest is the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite under the leadership of the "Supreme Council of Belgium". Another is the Souverain Collège du Rite écossais pour la Belgique, founded in 1962.
History
Freemasonry began in Belgium whilst the region was ruled by Austria, and later came under influence from Freemasonry in France (following the area's annexation) and the Netherlands (in the period between 1815 and 1830). When the state of Belgium was formed in 1830, Freemasonry there expanded greatly, but faced dramatic changes and challenges over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.Grand Orient of Belgium
The Grand Orient of BelgiumGrand Orient of Belgium
The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium (French: Grand Orient de Belgique, Dutch: Grootoosten van Belgie (G.O.B.) is a Belgian cupola of masonic lodges which is only accessible for men, and works in the basic three symbolic degrees of freemasonry.-History:...
(French: Grand Orient de Belgique, Dutch: Grootoosten van Belgie G.O.B.) is for men only and works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry.
It was founded in 1833, three years after the independence of Belgium, and joined the Grand Orient of France and other Continental jurisdictions in not requiring initiates to believe in a Supreme Being.
In 1989 the Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium and the Belgian Federation of Le Droit Humain signed an agreement of mutual recognition.
Grand Lodge of Belgium
The Grand Lodge of Belgium (French: Grande Loge de Belgique, Dutch: Grootlogevan België, G.L.B.) is for men only, and works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry. It was founded in 1959 by 5 lodges of the Grand Orient of Belgium in order to regain recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England. When in 1979 this recognition was lost again, 9 lodges founded the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium. In 1989, the Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium and the Belgian Federation of Le Droit Humain signed an agreement of mutual recognition.
Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium
The Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium (French: La Grande Loge Régulière de Belgique, Dutch: Reguliere Grootloge van België, R.G.L.B.) is for men only and works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry. It was founded on 15 June 1979 by 9 lodges after the Grand Lodge of Belgium lost its recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England. Today it has nearly 50 lodges throughout Belgium.Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium
The Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium (French: Grande Loge Féminine de Belgique, Dutch: Vrouwengrootloge van België) is a Masonic obedience for women only which works in the first three degrees of Freemasonry. The Grande Loge Féminine de France founded its first lodge in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on 20 April 1974, followed by three more in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, Brussels and Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
. The Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium was founded on 17 October 1981.
Other Masonic Rites
Various iterations of the Scottish RiteScottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
exist in Belgium. The oldest is the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite under the leadership of the "Supreme Council of Belgium". Another is the Souverain Collège du Rite écossais pour la Belgique, founded in 1962.
See also
- Co-FreemasonryCo-FreemasonryCo-Freemasonry is a form of Freemasonry which admits both men and women. It began in France in the 1880s with the forming of Le Droit Humain, and is now an international movement represented by several Co-Masonic administrations throughout the world...
- Freemasonry in Brussels
- International Secretariat of the Masonic Adogmatic PowersInternational Secretariat of the Masonic Adogmatic PowersThe International Secretariat of the Masonic Adogmatic Powers is an international organization of Masonic jurisdictions of masonic lodges...
- Regular Masonic jurisdictionsRegular Masonic jurisdictionsRegularity is the process by which individual Grand Lodges recognise one another for the purposes of allowing formal interaction at the Grand Lodge level and visitation by members of other jurisdictions.-History:...
Sources
- Leo ApostelLeo ApostelLeo Apostel was a Belgian philosopher and professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Universiteit Gent. Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact science and humanities.- Biography :Leo Apostel was born Antwerp in 1925...
, Freemasonry, a philosophical essay, VUB, 1985. - Hugo De Schapheleire, Roger Desmed, Els WitteEls WitteEls Witte is a Belgian historian. She was professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and honorary rector of the university. Els Witte was the first female rector of a Belgian university. She was a member of the Coudenberg group, a Belgian federalist think tank....
, Maur. A. Arnould, Een eeuw vrijmetselarij in onze gewesten 1740-1840, Brussel 1983 - Hervé Haquin (ed.), Visages de la franc-maçonnerie belge du XVIIIe au XXe siècle, Ed. ULB, Bruxelles, 1983