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The first known Freemasons in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
were the
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
John Coustos and two other
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
members of his lodge, who were arrested by the
Portuguese Inquisition The Portuguese Inquisition (Portuguese: ''Inquisição Portuguesa''), officially known as the General Council of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Portugal, was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of its king, John III. ...
and questioned under torture in the 1740s. Coustos wrote a book detailing his sufferings under the Inquisition and pointed to 1728 as being the year of the first Lodge, although nothing is known of the first years of this Lodge and it was not then recognised by the Grand Lodge of England. Today there are several Masonic Obediences in Portugal.


Grande Oriente Lusitano

The "Grand Orient of Lusitania", founded in 1802, is the oldest Masonic Obedience in Portugal. It is recognized by the
Grand Orient de France The Grand Orient de France (GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonry, Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly ab ...
and also belongs to CLIPSAS. The Grand Orient of Portugal is part of the liberal or continental Freemasonry tradition, proclaiming the absolute liberty of conscience and dogmatism.


Rites

Under the auspices of the Grande Oriente Lusitano there are lodges of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and of the French Rite. These Rites are administered by the respective philosophical Potences with which the Grande Oriente Lusitano has a treaty to confer the symbolic degrees: *The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Portugal and its jurisdiction *French Rite of Portugal (Rose-Croix)


Grémio Lusitano

The three potencies are represented in civil society through the Grémio Lusitano, a cultural, recreational and philanthropic society whose headquarters are situated at the Rua do Grémio Lusitano, number 25, in Lisbon. This building, the Masonic Palace, also hosts the Portuguese Masonic Museum, which is open to the general public.


Grande Loja Regular de Portugal

The "Regular Grand Lodge of Portugal" (GLRP) was established in 1991 by the
Grande Loge Nationale Française The Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF) is a French Masonic Grand Lodge. It was founded in 1913, by two lodges, "Le Centre des Amis" Lodge splitting from Grand Orient de France and "L'Anglaise" lodge, an independent lodge based in Bordeaux. GL ...
(GLNF), in an attempt to introduce regular organised Freemasonry into Portugal. Following internal disagreement, the organisation split in 1996. The founding French authority has since withdrawn recognition, and the residual GLRP enjoys very little international recognition.


Grande Loja Legal de Portugal/GLRP

Following a dispute over the legality of an election to the Grand Mastership of GLRP, the party disputing the election took control of the civil association under which the Obedience had legal existence. In 1996 a large majority of the members of that body created a new civil association under the name "Grande Loja Legal de Portugal/Grande Loja Regular de Portugal" (GLLP/GLRP). The GLLP/GLRP considers itself to be entirely continuous with the Grand Lodge founded in 1991, and unconnected with the body which holds legal title to the original name, and which it considers to be a clandestine organization. This position is upheld by the regular Masonic world, which is acknowledged by 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 T ...
which prints the date "1991" in its annual Year Book after the entry for the GLLP/GLRP. Almost all
Regular Masonic jurisdiction :''This article deals with organization in ''Craft'' or ''Blue Lodge'' Freemasonry. See the appropriate article for information on organization in appendant Masonic bodies such as York Rite and Scottish Rite.'' In Freemasonry, regularity is one ...
s worldwide recognise the GLLP/GLRP as the only (native) regular masonic authority in Portugal. These include the three Home Grand Lodges, which are the three original and oldest Grand Lodges in Freemasonry, 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 T ...
, the
Grand Lodge of Ireland The Grand Lodge of Ireland is the second most senior Grand Lodge of Freemasons in the world, and the oldest in continuous existence. Since no specific record of its foundation exists, 1725 is the year celebrated in Grand Lodge anniversaries, as ...
, and the
Grand Lodge of Scotland The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland is the governing body of Freemasonry in Scotland. It was founded in 1736. About one third of Scotland's lodges were represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge. Histor ...
. As the rather cumbersome legal name exists chiefly for legal reasons, the Grand Lodge is often known in English as simply "The (Legal) Regular Grand Lodge of Portugal". This is the name used by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and by the United Grand Lodge of England, although it is further shortened to just "Grand Lodge of Portugal (Legal)" on the UGLE website.


Le Droit Humain

The Portuguese Federation of
Le Droit Humain The International Order of Freemasonry ''Le Droit Humain'' is a global Masonic Order, membership of which is available to men and women on equal terms, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnicity. History The Order is founded on the an ...
(Portuguese: Ordem Maçónica Mista Internacional Le Droit Humain - Federação Portuguesa) was founded in 1923 by
Adelaide Cabete Adelaide Cabete Adelaide Cabete (25 January 1867, Elvas – 14 September 1935), was a Portuguese feminist and republican. In 1909, with Ana de Castro Osorio she created the Republican League of Portuguese Women. She was the founder of the Portug ...
. After the coup d'état of 28 May 1926 the dictatorial regime Estado Novo forbade masonry in the country and the order fades away. In 1980 a new lodge is opened and a new era for the Portuguese Federation of Le Droit Humain begins.


United Grand Lodge of England

On 17 April 1735 Lord Weymouth, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England received a petition from Brethren residing in Lisbon. This was granted and a Provincial Grand Lodge was created. The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is in amity with the GLLP/GLRP, which it recognises as fully regular. However, owing to the sizeable British ex-patriate community in Portugal, there are also several UGLE lodges warranted and operating in the country. These use English rituals, and work in the English language. They are controlled directly from London, and the UGLE appoints a local Grand Inspector for day to day supervision of these English lodges.


Other jurisdictions

There are several small Co-Masonic groups in Portugal including a small unrecognised jurisdiction named Grande Loja Nacional Portuguesa.


External links


The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women, LE DROIT HUMAIN - Portuguese FederationGrande Oriente LusitanoGrande Loja Legal de Portugal


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freemasonry In Portugal Co-Freemasonry