continental Freemasonry

E332226

Continental Freemasonry is a branch of Freemasonry, prevalent mainly in Europe, that is generally more liberal and secular in its practices and requirements than the traditions followed by regular Anglo-American Masonic bodies.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
continental Freemasonry canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Masonic tradition
branch of Freemasonry
alsoKnownAs Continental Freemasonry
surface form: Latin Freemasonry

Continental Freemasonry
surface form: liberal Freemasonry
contrastedWith Anglo-American Freemasonry
regular Freemasonry
doctrinePosition does not generally require reference to the Great Architect of the Universe
often interprets Masonic symbols in humanist or philosophical terms
geographicDistribution Belgium
France
Italy
Latin countries
Portugal
Spain
mainly Europe
parts of Latin America
hasCharacteristic frequently mixed-gender or open to women in some obediences
more liberal than Anglo-American Freemasonry
more secular than Anglo-American Freemasonry
often allows discussion of religion and politics in lodge
often does not require belief in a Supreme Being
often emphasizes freedom of conscience
often emphasizes humanist and Enlightenment values
often emphasizes separation of church and state
often non-dogmatic in religious matters
often recognizes atheists and agnostics as eligible
often supports principles of laïcité and secularism
tends to be progressive in social and political views
historicalDevelopment emerged from conflicts over religious requirements in Freemasonry
grew after the Grand Orient de France removed the requirement for belief in a Supreme Being in the 1870s
historicalOrigin 19th century France
ideologicalInfluence Enlightenment philosophy
French republicanism
secular humanism
membershipPolicy often admits women in mixed or female obediences
often open to people of all religious or non-religious convictions
notRecognizedBy Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America
surface form: Conference of Grand Masters of North America

United Grand Lodge of England
organizationalForm federation of independent obediences
uses grand orients and grand lodges
recognizedBy many liberal and adogmatic Masonic obediences
ritualPractice often adapts rituals to local cultural and political contexts
uses variants of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
uses variants of the French Rite
typicalObedience Grande Loge de France
surface form: Grand Lodge of France

Grand Orient de France
Grand Orient of Belgium
Grand Orient of Italy
Grand Orient of Portugal
Grand Orient of Spain
European Masonic Alliance
surface form: International Masonic Order Delphi

Le Droit Humain

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Regular Freemasonry contrastsWith continental Freemasonry
CLIPSAS hasCharacteristic continental Freemasonry