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7/7/2025, 9:21:36 AM
>>509721639
"After becoming Emperor, Napoleon remained closely involved in Masonic matters. At the place of execution of King Louis XVI, he ordered to install an obelisk with a Masonic symbol – a five-pointed star. When creating a personal imperial heraldry one of the symbols of freemasons – a bee was used, which became Napoleon’s family symbol.
Shortly after Napoleon came to power, on June 22, 1799, a memorandum of nine articles was signed between the two largest French Masonic Branches, establishing specific general rules. In particular, the Worshipful Masters were stripped of their exclusive privileges. A system for the election of officials was made mandatory for all freemasons, establishing a fully democratic order. Only a few Lodges in the Scottish Rite refused to join the memorandum.
Thus, a very assorted French Freemasonry became a united and homogenous system, which was entirely in Napoleonic spirit. Soon was published “The Freemasons’ Regulator” – a set of rules and rituals for the Lodges of the Grand Orient of France. The Lodges of the Scottish Rite also made appropriate amendments to their rules – it took them three years, however. As a result, the rituals still did not become identical, but there was a single Supreme Council of the 33rd degree, the decisions of which became binding for all. The Emperor could influence any decision, since, by that time, the Supreme Council was headed by his elder brother Joseph, who had become the Grand Master.
The 33rd degree Supreme Council, created at the initiative of Napoleon, continues its work today.
The “Freemason’s Regulator”, which unified the activities of freemasons, has become a document that organically continued Napoleon’s reforms, along with the Constitution, the Civil Code, the system of universal education, a single state award system (the Order of the Legion of Honour), etc."
"After becoming Emperor, Napoleon remained closely involved in Masonic matters. At the place of execution of King Louis XVI, he ordered to install an obelisk with a Masonic symbol – a five-pointed star. When creating a personal imperial heraldry one of the symbols of freemasons – a bee was used, which became Napoleon’s family symbol.
Shortly after Napoleon came to power, on June 22, 1799, a memorandum of nine articles was signed between the two largest French Masonic Branches, establishing specific general rules. In particular, the Worshipful Masters were stripped of their exclusive privileges. A system for the election of officials was made mandatory for all freemasons, establishing a fully democratic order. Only a few Lodges in the Scottish Rite refused to join the memorandum.
Thus, a very assorted French Freemasonry became a united and homogenous system, which was entirely in Napoleonic spirit. Soon was published “The Freemasons’ Regulator” – a set of rules and rituals for the Lodges of the Grand Orient of France. The Lodges of the Scottish Rite also made appropriate amendments to their rules – it took them three years, however. As a result, the rituals still did not become identical, but there was a single Supreme Council of the 33rd degree, the decisions of which became binding for all. The Emperor could influence any decision, since, by that time, the Supreme Council was headed by his elder brother Joseph, who had become the Grand Master.
The 33rd degree Supreme Council, created at the initiative of Napoleon, continues its work today.
The “Freemason’s Regulator”, which unified the activities of freemasons, has become a document that organically continued Napoleon’s reforms, along with the Constitution, the Civil Code, the system of universal education, a single state award system (the Order of the Legion of Honour), etc."
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