GLNF Grand Master Jean-Pierre Servel
According to a lengthy report from a Brother who attended the annual communication of the Grande Loge Nationale Française two weeks ago on December 3rd, the assembled brethren voted to withdraw amity with the Grand Lodges of both Georgia and Tennessee. I'm sure there may have been a slight hesitancy to do so, since the GLNF suffered its own spate of massive worldwide condemnation not all that long ago. In the wake of actions by their former GM François Stifani, by 2012 the sole regular, recognized jurisdiction in that masonically diverse country had lost a third of its members, and almost the entirety of the world's regular grand lodges had withdrawn recognition before he finally stepped down (CLICK HERE to read that entire saga). However, the recent controversies over rules and suspensions concerning private sexual matters in Georgia and Tennessee was a bridge too far for the voting French brothers.
On the other hand, they also extended recognition to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas.
The blog Le Myosotis du Dauphiné Savoie - Le Blog de Fidèle d'Amour writes that the GLNF's External Affairs Committee reported (via my own rusty translation, with the assistance of Google Translate):
On the other hand, they also extended recognition to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas.
The blog Le Myosotis du Dauphiné Savoie - Le Blog de Fidèle d'Amour writes that the GLNF's External Affairs Committee reported (via my own rusty translation, with the assistance of Google Translate):
"For the GLNF, the choice of Regularity is the origin of the existence of our Grand Lodge. Such was the explicit will of its founders in 1913 who wished to restore to Masonry the Masonic Regularity, lost since 1877 as a result of the decisions taken by the Grand Orient. Since then, we are inextricably linked to the universal family of the Regular Masonic Powers...
The inseparable triptych of "Regularity - Recognition -Territorialy" implies duties and vigilance at all times, both on our territory and against the World Masonic landscape on these topics of regularity. "
[snip]
"It is not our role to change society..."
He then presented a proposal to suspend relations with the American Grand Lodges of Georgia and Tennessee.
In order to ensure that the vote was carried out in a transparent and, above all, informed manner, he presented to the delegates of the lodges the whole dossier prepared by the members of the External Affairs Committee and the Committee of Wise Persons as follows:
First, he presented the situation by explaining the context of the edict passed by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Georgia in October 2015, with a view to completing their constitutions in order to be able to go into disciplinary council, excluding those of their members who are gay, considering this as "an offense to the moral law." For accuracy, the article of the Masonic code that was changed already provided a similar penalty of exclusion for masons guilty of adultery or fornication with the wife, widow, mother, daughter or sister of a master Mason (Author's note: with those companions or apprentices, that would be less serious ...!?). The amended section even specified that this act increased the offender's guilt by breaching a Masonic obligation, noting that the woman's lack of chastity was not an excuse for the offender.
For its part, [the Grand Lodge] of Tennessee, neighboring northern Georgia, had for its part, decided to exclude a couple of brothers claiming their homosexuality, having just married and having published on a social network photos of their marriage.
[Grand Chancellor Roi] then described how the GLNF reacted, according to the timetable...
[snip]
Without calling into question the sovereignty of a Grand Lodge, given the discriminatory nature posed by the two Grand Lodges denying the quality of Masonry towards homosexual Freemasons, it seems impossible to remain neutral because it is a principle of identity that is called into question.
Following the recommendation advocated by the Foreign Affairs Committee a letter signed by the Grand Master was sent June 13, 2016 by the Grand Chancery to the Grand Masters of the two grand lodges concerned that essentially says "It is universally asked of Masons to 'Call for the respect for others, quality of heart, open-mindedness. These [are the qualities that make up] fraternal harmony and the search for Truth, belief in God, the Grand Architect of the Universe and His revealed Will."
Recalling that the brothers struck by these edicts do not ask for any distinctive treatment, the Grand Master Jean-Pierre Servel warned that these discriminatory positions are at the opposite of the ideals of Fraternity and respect that the Masons of the GLNF have sworn to [abide by], before warning that if they persisted, it would call into question our bonds of friendship.
The letters to the two Grand Lodges having not received a reply, at the proposal of the Grand Master, the Sovereign Grand Committee members voted in September 2016 suspension of friendship with the Grand Lodge of Georgia and Tennessee.
Once this stage had been reached, the Grand Master could ask the Grand Lodge of France to do the same.
The vote took place last Saturday during the Grand Lodge [communication] and the result was overwhelming, only 2 brothers voting against and 10 abstaining...
Thus the GLNF joins the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium and the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in the process of suspending the ties of friendship with these Grand Lodges who have a very curious reading of the Bible as Masonic principles.
The next point was more sympathetic and aimed at deciding on the request for recognition by the GLNF requested by the Grand Lodge Prince Hall of Texas (USA).
The Grand Chancellor recalled that the GLNF is already in recognition, in addition to the 51 Grand Lodges of State, with 7 Grand Lodges Prince Hall: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina.
As the Grand Lodge of Prince Hall, Texas, accompanied its application with documents attesting to its full compliance with the criteria of regularity and the list of Grand Lodges having already recognized it, the GLNF wrote to request the agreement of the Grand Lodge of Texas with which we already have ties of friendship to ask them for their agreement on the division of territory between these two Great Lodges (Texas and Prince Hall of Texas), knowing that there was an agreement of recognition between the two Grand Lodges since 23 April 2007 (According to the recognition standards in force at the Grand Loge Nationale Française, when a Grand Lodge abroad requesting recognition is located on the same geographical territory of a Grand Lodge already recognized by the GLNF, we write to ask it whether it sees no objection to this recognition, and whether there is a mutual agreement on division of territory or a treaty to that effect).
The request for recognition of the Grand Lodge Prince Hall of Texas was presented to the vote of the Sovereign Grand Committee of September 30, 2016 which agreed.
Consequently, ratification was proposed to the vote of the lodges of the Grand Lodge French National during this same Grand Lodge [communication]: this one was pure and without blemish, unanimous, with a thunderous applause.
There were 2,000 brethren present.
For the updates and links to the entire Georgia and Tennessee imbroglio, READ HERE.
