The events connected to Confederation Maçonique Française (CMF) and to the Grand Loge Nationale Françoise have fully occupied the European Masonic scenario in the last three months. It is worth to briefly summarize them for the benefit of most careful readers.  All starts back in 2012 when five European Grand Lodges (Grand Lodge of Austria, the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, Regular Grand Lodge of Germany, Grand Lodge of Luxembourg and the Grand Lodge Alpine of Switzerland), all of them recognised by the UGLE (United Grand Loge of England), subscribed at Basilea on June 10th a Declaration by which, after the facts that torment the Grand Loge Nationale Française (GLNF) and that  brought to the suspension of their legitimacy by the UGLE in 2011, they declared their interest in the Grand Loge de France (GDLF) as it shall have a decisive role to bring the prestigious French Masonry to a “brave re-composition of its Masonic panorama”.  After the “Declaration of Basilea”, four French Grand Lodges (the Grand Loge de France – GLDF, the Grand Loge Traditionelle et Symbolique Opéra – GLTSO, the Grand Loge Universal de France – GLUDF, and the Grand Loge de l’Alliance Maçonique Françoise – GLAMF ), in response to the appeal of Basilea, signed  in June 2013 a “Traité Fontdateur” of a Confederation of Grand Lodges, nominated Confédération Maçonique Française (CMF), sharing  those principles  of Universal Masonic brotherhood as listed below:

Invocation to the GAOU

The presence into the Lodge of the three Lights, of Book of the opened Sacred Law with square ruler and compass on top.

The exclusive sovereignty on Symbolic Grades

The Independence from any Higher Grades Masonic structure

The non-promiscuity in ritual Works

The prohibition of any discussion on politics and religion.

The progressive and spiritual character of initiatic path

The statute of CMF was then executed in Paris on 14 November of the same year, without the presence of GLTSO, as in the meanwhile they had withdrawn from the Founder Treated.  On first December 2012 The GLNF elected as new GM br. Jean-Pierre Servel and started an intense effort towards re-composition and re-construction. Those efforts saw their peak on 11 June 2014 by way of a renewed legitimacy by UGLE of GLNF. After this last event, the five Grand Lodges of Basilea reunited again in Berlin on 23 July 2014 and, having taken note of the renewed legitimacy of GLNF and of the constitution of CMF, after having examined the documents of THE three GL members and noticed that the approach from GLNF to CMF is to be considered premature, they declared that: “Being convinced that there must be no blurring of the line between regular and irregular Grand Lodges, it should have became possible to extend the boundaries of the  internationally recognised French Masonry, it will be asked to their respective decision-making bodies in the Grand Lodges to recognize the GNLF and the CMF at the same time, should the above changes be adopted in the next convent of GLDF". As a matter of fact, the five Grand Lodges violate the general rule of the uniqueness of legitimacy of a Grand Lodge for each State. The reactions arrived soon. The CMF expressed her satisfaction on 25 July by the words of its high representative Jean Jacques Zambrowski. On 23 August a joint comment by UGLE, Grand Lodge of Ireland (GLDI) and the Grand Lodge of Scotland (GLS) on the “Declaration of Berlin” was issued. In this note it is said that, although the reactivation of legitimacy to GLNF from the five GL of Basilea is noted, it is reiterated that the principle of the singleness of legitimacy for each State must be considered still valid. Furthermore the “legitimacy” of a Confederation it’s possible only if all GL that compose it respond to the Policies and Principles for the legitimacy of a Grand Lodge. So they declare they don’t have the intention to recognise others French Grand Lodge outside the GLNF itself. In the end they affirm that the confederation is a way to reunite the Regulars Grand Lodges of France (as for the United Grand Lodge of Germany) but that a French Confederation, without the GLNF, should not expect to represent the Regular French Masonry. Is it a subtle move to restore order inside the Anglo-Saxon Masonry? Or is a subtle overture to new scenarios? The next events will give us more information. Meanwhile, every one can form his own opinion, by simply reading the attached documentation. The Masonic sensibility of each of us will supply on what has not been written.

Horus