The Grand Lodge of Slovenia

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is Freemasonry a secret organisation?

In the legal sense the Freemasons in Slovenia function as a association that is registered, has members, a statute, transactional account and agencies. Things are similar in other democratic countries. Freemasonry is therefore not a secret organisation. Although it is true that it keeps the secrets of ancient masons and philosophers for centuries. Only members have access to those secrets.


Why is the list of members not public?

Freemasonry is regarded as something private, very much like religious, political and sexual preferences are. In a democratic country the publication of such data would be an invasion of privacy. That is regulated by the Personal Data Protection Act. Each Freemason can make a public declaration of himself being a Freemason. Quite a few of our brothers have decided to make such a step.


Is Freemasonry a religious sect?

No, not at all. Ancient duties and the Constitution forbid the Freemasons to deal with question of religion during their activities. That is why brothers of different religious and political preferences can meet in Lodges. Even masonic rituals have nothing to do with religious rituals. They are much more like tedious meetings than rituals that we associate with the word ritual.


Are you atheists then?

No, Freemasonry is open to believers of all religions and even to those who do not consider themselves members of any religion as long as they believe in the Supreme Being, referred to also as the Grand Architect. A belief is a prerequisite to becoming a Freemason.


Is it true that Freemasons are banished from the Church?

Soon after the foundation of the first Grand Lodge in 1738 did Pope Clement XII condemn Freemasonry as satanism in an encyclical letter because 'meetings in secrecy contain a suspicion that the fraternity is about corruption and rambling since Freemasonry unites members of all religions and sects' etc. The same view of Freemasonry prevailed in Catholic countries in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the first Slovenian Freemasons and our first dramatist Anton Tomaž Linhart was not allowed to be buried on sacred ground. Therefore, we still do not know where his grave is. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came across similar difficulties. However, we do know where his grave is. The Code of Canon Law, Can 2335, very explicitly excluded Freemasons from the Church in 1917. In the 20th century the view gradually began to change. In 1983 Can 2335 was changed. Exclusion of Freemasons from the Church was withdrawn from the Canon Law. Cardinal Koenig answered on 22nd April 1983 in a letter to a question of Mr. Kurt Baresch on how to interpret the change in the Canon Law. He wrote that 'there was no exclusion of Freemasons in the new Canon Law and thereby the Code of Canon Law was no longer valid.' Freemason have always had many very deeply religious people that have felt affiliation to the Church.


Why not anyone can become a Freemason?

Any man of good reputation can become a Freemason. However his own opinion of himself is not enough. A wider circle of people must think of him like that, including Freemasons. Freemasons then give an invitation to such a man of good reputation to their fraternity. Social status, education, religion and race are not important. What counts are proven moral qualities. Honesty, tolerance, stability, freedom of the spirit, charity, creativity and humanity. To become a member without these qualities and an invitation is not possible.


Is there any other way to become a member if I would like to join but no Freemason knows me?

You can send us an e-mail...


Is Freemasonry a political organisation under the cover of humanism?

No. Politics is the second subject Freemasons are not allowed to discuss according to the ancient rules. Those who set the rules 500 years ago knew well that politics does not belong in the fraternity of the Freemasons. Politics is a matter of each individual, the same as religion. Brothers with different views meet in Lodges but they do not discuss politics. The fact that Freemasonry survived in an unchanged form for many centuries, in many countries, through different rulers, revolutions and changes in the social communities proves the fact that Freemasonry has no political agenda.


Is not Freemasonry only an excuse for socializing of powerful people who then stick together to protect their interests?

Most men of good reputation do no enter the fraternity because of egotism. Not just because the rules of the fraternity and the admission procedure do not allow that, it is that men of good reputation cannot be egoists, otherwise they would not be considered to have good reputation. However, we have to admit that some people who do not belong in the fraternity become members because they themselves and other brothers realise that when it is too late. These people are the sources of troubles that damage the fraternity and are exaggerated by the enemies of Freemasonry.


Who are the enemies of Freemasonry? Why did Freemasonry use to be forbidden?

Freemasonry encourages tolerance and freedom of the spirit. Therefore, it is a thorn in the flesh of absolute rulers and totalitarian regimes. Freemasonry was forbidden by Francis I in 1795 in our region because he was afraid of modern views of the French Revolution entering the country through Freemasons. The more the system is undemocratic and intolerant, the more it attacks Freemasonry. In the times of Nazism and Communism was Freemasonry strictly forbidden. All Freemasons in the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union wound up in concentration camps and prisons. Freemasonry was forbidden even in Yugoslavia after 1945. Freemasons from before the war were persecuted. Some of them were trialled in political courts.


You talk about equality and tolerance. Why women cannot become Freemasons?

The trade of masonry used to be physically very demanding. Therefore, only men were members when Freemasonry became a guild. That has become a tradition in the course of time. A vast majority of masonic associations include men only. There is a women's masonic organisation Eastern Star that is common in the USA.


What about young people? Is Freemasonry for older people?

To become a Freemason you need a certain wisdom and tolerance that most get only with age. You also have to devote some of your free time and older people tend to have more of that than the younger ones. But there is practically no age limit (at least 21 years to become a member) and Freemasons include many young people. What attracts them? The same as anyone else and is justly called the secret of Freemasonry.


I can see on the internet that some countries have more than one Grand Lodge. Is Freemasonry not unified? Which Grand Lodges are the right ones?

It is unfortunately true that some fractions have split from the unified masonic body and have gone on to create their own Lodges and even Grand Lodges. This is still going on. The reason for splits is mostly a disagreement with the traditional rules of Freemasonry or a wish for personal recognition. Both reasons do not suit Freemasonry and, therefore, these fractions are not considered regular. That means they do not respect the rules that were introduced by the United Grand Lodge of England (established in 1717 as the first in the world) and all Grand Lodges that originate directly or indirectly from it and are in mutual recognition. Freemasonry joined on the traditions of the United Grand Lodge of England represents 95 percent of all the Freemasons in the world. They are brothers who visit each other and exchange experience. The remaining 5 percent of 'Freemasons' are members of irregular Lodges and do not have access to our brothers. Ancient rules forbid for regular members to associate with irregular members. Irregular Lodges pay for their independence by their isolation from the worldwide society of Freemasons.


Where does the Grand Lodge of Slovenia belong to? To 95 or to 5 percent?

To 95 percent because we are in a mutual recognition with the Grand Lodge of England.


Is Freemasonry not some kind of historical anachronism in the times of globalisation and information society? Does it not belong to the past?

Freemasonry began in the Renaissance as a spiritual movement based on the freethinking and moral values of the Western civilisation. Modern man needs as much of spiritual support, pondering, conversation in a friendly environment as in the past. Freemasonry offers him just that. Does the world need Freemasonry? Let us ask ourselves whether the world still needs tolerance, striving for equality, freedom and fraternity, striving for humanism, values, human rights and enlightenment or does the world already have enough and to much of this?


Does a man have any benefits at all of being a Freemason?

There are no material benefits. However, he has the knowledge that many other respected men think of him as a free man of good reputation. He discovery new wisdoms of life in their company and in the company of reflections offered by Freemasonry. Some have a higher regard for that than any material benefits.


Can I ask one more thing?

Of course. Click here.