The presence of Freemasonry in Brazil is mentioned in several documents from 1797 onwards. Banned several times throughout its history,

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

experienced rapid growth in the country between these bans and spread to

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

. The first obedience to be created was the '' Grande Oriente do Brasil'' in 1822, by three French lodges. Strongly opposed by the

Catholic clergy The sacrament of holy orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders: bishops, priests, and deacons, in decreasing order of rank, collectively comprising the clergy. In the phrase "holy orders", the word "holy" means "set apart for a sacred ...

, it united in 1883 after a long period of division until 1927. Brazilian Freemasonry is the largest in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

in terms of membership. In 2017, all the obedient currents were present on its territory.

History

Claimed to have existed since 1797 with the creation of a

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

at the end of the 18th century, Brazilian Freemasonry is recognized as a Masonic power of major importance in South America. However, in 2017, some historians differ on the veracity of this existence before the beginning of the 19th century, while others place the first documented creations around 1801. However, it was banned for the first time between 1806 and 1819 by the viceroy, Count dos Arcos. When

Peter I of Brazil '' Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1831 (under the name of ...

was proclaimed emperor in 1822, three French lodges founded the Grand Orient of Brazil. José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, Patriarch of

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

, was Grand Master for a time. He gave way to the emperor, who again banned Freemasonry for fear of their political activities. After his abdication and from 1831 onwards, lodge activity resumed. At this time, Brazilian Freemasonry took on a highly political character, becoming involved in sedition movements aimed at Brazilian independence. From then on, the Grand Orient of Brazil was reconstituted and began to expand significantly, extending its influence as far as

and

. However, the situation of Freemasonry remained unstable, with many divisions, until 1883, when a majority of lodges rallied to obedience in the face of the hostility of a

very active in

anti-Masonry Anti-Masonry (alternatively called anti-Freemasonry) is "avowed opposition to Freemasonry",''Oxford English Dictionary'' (1979 ed.), p. 369. which has led to multiple forms of religious discrimination, Religious violence, violent Religious persec ...

. This alliance lasted until 1927. A schism between high-grade jurisdictions and symbolic lodges led to the creation of 22 Grand Lodges, whose sovereignties were based on the borders of Brazil's constituent states. The 22 Grand Lodges were recognized by the vast majority of American and Canadian obedience. At the same time, the Grand Orient of Brazil, the historic obedience, retained the recognition of English, Scottish, and Irish Grand Lodges, most notably that of the

United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales, and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic Grand Lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron ...

, which granted it exclusive recognition in 1935.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Cite book , last=de Keghel , first=Alain , others=Preface by Pierre Mollier , year=2017 , title=L'amérique latine et la Caraïbes des Lumières: Une franc-maçonnerie d'influence , language=fr , trans-title=Latin America and the Caribbean of the Enlightenment: A Freemasonry of Influence , publisher=Dervy , isbn=979-10-242-0218-1 , location=Paris , page=450 Freemasonry in Brazil

History

See also

References

Bibliography