Freemasonry is a secret society.
Masonry o freemasonry, del francés francmaçonnerie, es una organización de caracter secreto que reúne a individuos agrupados en entidades conocidas como lodges bajo un precepto de fraternity. La institución se autodefine como philanthropic, philosophical, symbolic and non-religious, de propiedad iniciática y con la finalidad de impulsar el progreso moral e intelectual de las personas.
Lodges of Freemasonry act as grassroots organizations and are usually grouped under a higher entity, known as a Grand Lodge . Each lodge has signs and emblems that identify it.
Origins of Freemasonry
Freemasonry is believed to have emerged on the European continent in the late 17th century . Its objective is to train its members to develop the capacity for reflection and dialogue , encouraging these members to transmit the values acquired to those around them.
The origin, activities and organization of Freemasonry are often the subject of debate since, due to the secret nature of the association, it is difficult to access verified and official information. Generally a distinction is made between two currents of Freemasonry: regular Freemasonry (which follows certain traditional rules) and liberal or adogmatic Freemasonry (which is not based on an already established regular standard).
It should be noted that among the most famous Freemasons in history are Napoleon Bonaparte , Winston Churchill , Simón Bolívar and Abraham Lincoln .
Napoleon Bonaparte was a member of Freemasonry.
Different degrees and currents
The first of the aforementioned Masonic currents, the regular one, is one that is based on the following beliefs: there is only one God or Supreme Being, the inclusion of women in this type of lodges is not allowed, the oaths must be carried out about a Bible or holy book, and discussions that revolve around religion or politics are prohibited.
The second current, adogmatic Freemasonry, is based on the fact that it recognizes and accepts the role and presence of women in their lodges, there is the principle of absolute freedom of conscience of each of its members, and the social participation and debate on all types of issues, including politics and religion.
Masons are divided into three different degrees: apprentices (the elementary degree, made up of those who are initiated), companions (the second degree, with the Mason dedicated to learning) and masters (the degree number three, which involves greater participation in all the dimensions of Freemasonry).
Freemasonry in literature
In recent years, thanks to the world of literature, great interest has been awakened in the world of Freemasons. Specifically, it has been achieved thanks to two books by Dan Brown that have also been brought to the big screen with enormous success around the world.
The first of these works is the novel "The Da Vinci Code" which takes as its starting point the murder of a curator at the Louvre Museum named Jacques Sauniere. His granddaughter Sophie and the symbology professor Robert Langdon will be the ones to start an investigation parallel to the official one to try to discover what is hidden behind that death since everything seems to indicate that the deceased was the Grand Master of a lodge that protected a secret that puts in danger to Christianity.
The second novel is "Angels and Demons" and in it the aforementioned professor will face another important lodge in history: the Illuminati.