The Rectified Scottish Rite, also known as Order of Knights Beneficent of the Holy City or Knights Benefactor of the Holy City (french: Chevalier bienfaisant de la Cité sainte) is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Masonic rite In Freemasonry, a Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority. In many cases, such as the York Rite, it can be a col ...

founded in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) in 1778.

Origins of this Rite

The Rite was mainly elaborated by

Jean-Baptiste Willermoz Jean-Baptiste Willermoz (10 July 1730 – 29 May 1824) was a French Freemason and Martinist who played an important role in the establishment of various systems of Masonic high-degrees in his time in both France and Germany. Biography Jean-B ...

. This famous Mason reformed the French branch of the

Rite of Strict Observance The Rite of Strict Observance was a Rite of Freemasonry, a series of progressive degrees that were conferred by the Order of Strict Observance, a Masonic body of the 18th century. History Baron Karl Gotthelf von Hund (1722–1776) introduced a ...

at the Congress of Gauls in 1778, including some items coming from the Elect Cohen Order and denying the

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

legacy. This date may be considered as the birth of the Rectified Scottish Rite. It came from several initiatory systems of the 18th century: * The Order of Knight Masons of the Elect Cohens of the Universe, of

Martines de Pasqually Jacques de Livron Joachim de la Tour de la Casa Martinez de Pasqually (1727?–1774) was a theurgist and theosopher of uncertain origin. He was the founder of the l'Ordre de Chevaliers Maçons Élus Coëns de l'Univers - Commonly referred to as ...

, * The Templar Strict Observance, Knight Masonry born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in the middle of the 18th century then spread in the rest of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, * Scottish Masonry (all the existing higher degrees, when it was not yet structured), * Craft Masonry in 3 degrees (entered apprentice, fellowcraft, master mason) as it was in use in French

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

(

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 ...

) at this time and that became the

French Rite The French Rite is a Rite of Freemasonry that was founded in France, in 1786. History The French Rite is intimately linked to the birth of Freemasonry in France and was founded in France in 1786. British exiles brought the Modern rite to France ...

. It might be noted that during this period, the Grand Orient of France was still in regularity and amity with English Freemasons, and there exists some evidence to suggest that English Masons, living in France, may have also introduced or practised some early ritual forms of degrees which are now constituted in the York Rite. In fact, many Grand Orient lodges practised at least the Mark Master and Royal Arch degrees, either as "side degrees" or as portions of the second and third craft degrees respectively. (UGLE Series Lecture, 22 OCT 1997) If these were present, they ceased to be included with historical Rectified Scottish Rite practices after the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, when the rite took its sojourn in Switzerland. The evolution and transformation of this system during the 1778 (Lyon) and 1782 (Wilhelmsbad) congresses created the Rectified Scottish Rite in 1782. Since then,

ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

s have remained the same, except the possible removal of the "York" influences just seven years later as mentioned above. It is a Christian rite which contains the doctrine of the ''

Traité de la réintégration des êtres The ''Treatise on the Reintegration of Beings into Their Original Estate, Virtues and Powers both Spiritual and Divine'' (french: Traité de la Réintégration des êtres dans leurs premières propriétés, vertus et puissance spirituelles et divi ...

'', Martines de Pasqually's major book.

Organization of the Rite

Structure of Masonic appendant bodies in England and Wales

* Blue or Craft Lodges (lodges of St John) ** Entered Apprentice ** Fellow Craft ** Master Mason * Green Lodges (Lodges of St Andrew) ** Scottish Master of St Andrew * Inner Order ** Squire Novice ** Beneficent Knight of the Holy City (''Chevalier Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte'') or CBCS, sometimes used as a short name for the rite * Secret Class ** Profes ** Grand Profes

The RSR in the World

In England and Wales, the Rectified Scottish Rite is administered from

Mark Masons' Hall, London Mark Masons' Hall in London is the headquarters of The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales, which is also responsible for the Royal Ark Mariner degree. It is located in 86 St James's Street in the central London district of St ...

Origins of this Rite

Organization of the Rite

The RSR in the World

See also