History of Freemasonry in France
From About Freemasons
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The Tenor of French Freemasonry
While Freemasonry in much of the world recognizes the idea of a Grand Architect or God, French Freemasonry in the 19th century chose to strike religion from its purpose. On 13 September, 1877, the Grand Orient of France erased a paragraph which established God as a basic tenet of Freemasonry. This paragraph had been in the Constitutions since 1854. Instead, the following paragraph was added to the Constitutions: “Freemasonry, an essentially philanthropic, philosophic (naturalist, adogmatic) and progressive institution, has for its object the search after truth, the study of universal morality, of the sciences and arts and the practice of beneficence. It has for its principles absolute liberty of conscience and human solidarity. It excludes none on account of his belief. Its device is Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
On the surface, this paragraph aligned French Freemasonry with Freemasonry in other parts of the world. Most Freemasons believe strongly, for example, in philanthropic activity and in pursuit of the truth. However, most Freemasons in the English-speaking world follow these aims through lodges which have strong Christian and religious allegories. By striking the idea of God from the Constitutions, the Grand Orient of France in fact changed the basic tenor of French Freemasonry.
As well, the Grand Orient of France expressed an interest in accepting everyone or excluding none, whereas most English-speaking lodges asked that members believe in some God or Architect of the Universe. Instead, the Grand Orient of France introduced “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as the device of French Masonry. Significantly, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was the rallying cry of the French Revolution, which overthrew the Church as a key structure of the state. Therefore, instead of using the model of Christian brotherhood, like many English-speaking lodges (which often use a Bible in lodge meetings), French Freemasonry separated itself from the idea of a religious ideal, no matter how inclusive, and established its goals as very generally humanistic.
By 10 September, 1878, the Grand Orient has gone even further, removing from lodge proceedings and Rituals all allusions to religious symbols and ideas. Thus, the idea of the Grand Architect, the Bible, and all such references were removed, further making French Freemasonry about human interaction and not religious ideals. As a result of this move, however, French Freemasonry developed rifts with Anglo-American and German lodes, who disagreed with the removal of the religious symbolism. The rift suggests that to many Freemasons, belief in God and duty to God is one of the basic tenets of Freemasonry, while for French Freemasonry that loyalty is to fellow men and not to a Grand Architect.
French Freemasonry in the Ancien Regime
The system in France prior to the Revolution was known as the Ancien Regime and was based on a hierarchy involving a King, nobles, and a powerful Church. It was under this monarchy that French Freemasonry was first established and fostered. It is believed that the first lodge in France was open in 1688, when James II of England went into exile in France. However, the first lodge of which there is evidence dates back to 1725. This lodge was established in Paris by some Englishmen living in the city and was based on the English lodges. By 1728 Freemasons deemed the Duke of Wharton as "grand-master of the Freemasons in France".
Over the years, French Freemasonry gradually began to thrive and to take on a more French flavor. In 1738, Pope Clement XII spoke out against Freemasonry, sparking some anti-Masonic sentiment in Europe. In France, however, this was not the case, since the Pope’s words were rejected for political reasons. Possibly as a result of this situation, French Freemasonry became largely Catholic in membership until the Revolution. In the 1740s, French Freemasonry started to include women, as aristocrats created what was known as the "Masonry of Adoption."
The French Revolution and French Freemasonry
Not surprisingly, the French Revolution of 1789 and its ideas had a profound impact on the development of early French Freemasonry. As early as 1746, a former ex-Mason wrote a work entitled "La Franc-Maçonnerie, écrasée.” This book was based on travels to lodges in England and France and outlined a French Freemasonry program which was similar to the beliefs and actions of the French Revolution.
There has been some confusion in the past about the role of French Freemasonry in the Revolution itself. After the revolution, some anti-Masons claimed that the Revolution itself was a Masonic plot and that French Freemasonry had played a key role in the revolution. However, historical records show that Freemasons took part on both sides of the conflict. Some of the aristocrats who were beheaded or exiled were Freemasons and some of the revolutionaries were Freemasons as well.
French Freemasonry itself underwent changes during the revolution. In 1789, the Grand Orient declared that French Freemasonry was aligned with democratic government, and not the ancien regime. Despite this, during the Terror (1793-1796), French Freemasonry came to a standstill as Freemasonry was seen as suspicious and the Grand Orient was forced to cease its activities. When Revolution broke out in 1789, there were almost 1000 lodges in France. By 1800, when lodges were no longer outlawed, only 75 could still regroup after the devastation of the Revolution.
When France Invaded Egypt in 1799, all things Egyptian became popular in France and this, too, affected French Freemasonry. In 1810, “Egyptian” French Freemasonry appeared, with the Rite of Misraïm. It was first popular among French troops in Egypt and then spread when the army moved to Italy. When soldiers started to return to France in 1814, this new type of French Freemasonry became popular in France as well.
French Freemasonry and Napoleon
When Napoleon became emperor after the French Revolution, French Freemasonry was immediately affected. Napoleon declared his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France. Napoleon also ensured that administration of French Freemasonry was overseen by Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, effectively ensuing that Napoleon had full control over the fraternal order. Napoleon himself seems to have thought little of French Freemasonry. While he acknowledged that Masons “carried out good actions from time to time” he also described Freemasonry as a group of “imbeciles who assemble for good cheer and for the execution of many ridiculous follies.” Under Napoleon, the Grand Orient de France was controlled by political forces but was also given new powers as a result and was able to gather all lodges under its power. As well, the number of lodges during the Napoleonic reign grew to 1,200, largely due to a large influx of military lodges.
