The Freemasons did it!

Secret societies have been at the heart of conspiracy theories since the dawn of time. But the king of them all is a not-so-secret society at all. The Freemasons have been accused of causing revolutions, protecting the Holly Grail and creating a New World Order. VANESSA BUENDIA investigates the secrets behind Freemasonry.

The Freemasons did it!

WHILE I was walking up the stairs of Nottingham’s Grand Lodge my mind kept imagining an obscure shadow running out at night with highly confidential documents. Obviously these papers would change the future of mankind and hide the most strange and unbelievable facts from the world.
Men with aprons and secret handshakes would meet the courier at the end of his journey. He would then deliver the package and be greeted as the saviour of the New World Order.
By the time I actually walked into the reception and was greeted by the Provincial Grand Secretary, Bill Bradbury, I thought that maybe I had read way too many Dan Brown novels.
He was just a regular guy. The kind of guy I could imagine my father sitting down with to discuss the latest football match. He made it hard for me to include him in my knights’ templar fantasy. To tell you the truth I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
For more than 400 years the Freemasons have functioned as a fraternity in which only men are allowed to participate. For a long time they decided to keep whatever happened behind closed doors a secret. The new members had to promise secrecy upon punishment of bodily harm – though no-one really knows of anyone who has ever broken the promise and then had his legs broken because of it.
For this reason and the fact that many historical figures have belonged to the Craft is why many conspiracy theorists have blamed its members of the most outrageous events.
Who instigated the American Independence? The Freemasons. Who started the French Revolution? The Freemasons. Who protects the Holly Grail? The Freemasons. Who created the New World Order – whatever that is? The Freemasons. Who have overthrown governments, attacked the Catholic Church, dictate how the international financial markets work and posses a secret knowledge to dominate the world? The Freemasons.
Dan Brown has proven these theories not only to be appealing to the masses but profitable as well. By September this year he will release his new book entitled The lost symbol which according to him: “is set deep within the oldest fraternity in history…the enigmatic brotherhood of the Masons.”
Mr Bradbury said: “It’s a very easy thing to accuse the Freemasons and for a while we took it all on the chin. For a long time the word from London was that it doesn’t matter what people say we don’t respond.”
However the lack of response backfired and people believed more in the conspiracy theories than the truth. Therefore the Freemasons have now decided to open up to the public and anyone can come visit a lodge and inquire about what the Craft really is.
According to Mr Bradbury the fraternity started when a group got together in the 1700s when moral standards were so lenient that honest people found themselves wanting to meet others of similar backgrounds and interests.
That principle still stands today. “We are looking basically for men who are people of high moral standing, are working in the community and have good character. Race or creed are not a problem for us” he added.
Nevertheless as soon as the fraternity started congregating they found themselves a powerful and unexpected enemy: The Catholic Church.
Friar Michael Brown from St Barnabas Church said: “The Vatican thought that Freemasonry was anti-clerical. Alternatively they believed Freemasonry to be a naturalistic religion which means that the revelations come through natural things in the world and not directly from God.”
However Freemasons have stated that they are anything but a religion. According to their own literature “Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It demands of its members a belief in a Supreme Being but provides no system of faith in its own.”
Nonetheless tension between both organisations prevails to this century. Friar Brown stated that strain amongst them could still be found in the continent, especially in Italy. While in the UK the relationship between them has grown.
Friar Brown said: “In this country they reckon (The Vatican) Freemasonry isn’t quite as anti-clerical or anti-Christianity or atheist as in the continent.”
In fact according to Freemasons religion isn’t even a topic of conversation within the lodges. Mr Bradbury said: “We have two strict rules inside a lodge. You do not discuss politics or religion.”
So what is Freemasonry after all?
According to Mr Bradbury the Craft has three clear objectives: to bring like-minded people together, raise money and enjoy themselves while doing it. He said: “There are a lot of charities around who would be in a terrible state without the Freemasons.”
However secret handshakes, odd costumes, peculiar rituals and unusual symbolism are all part of any lodge and have been the basis for conspiracy theories. Seemingly they are all part of the secrets Freemasons don’t want to share so they can continue ruling the world. However Mr Bradbury explained that all of it including the ceremonies are just symbolic explanations for what they stand for.
In fact the Freemasons have opened themselves to the public so much that according to Mr Bradbury the only thing he was forbidden to tell me are the recognition symbols. In other words I’ll never know what the secret handshakes are all about.
Furthermore true to his word Mr Bradbury gave me a complete tour of the lodge. He even showed me the Grand Hall and old handcrafted aprons. Every symbol was just as exciting as I had imagined. The only difference now was that I finally knew that Freemasons were just a group of men who were not much different than the group of boy scouts they once were.
(All names correct)