INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY of the V º ORDER of the MODERN RITE: The Dutch Chapter of the Modern French Rite: De Roos
We are happy to offer this innovative work by Brother Jean van Win on the degree of continuity within the Orders of Wisdom of the French Rite, that is the first to be translated into Castilian (and now English) in an thoughtful manner, and it is appropriate to examine some theories that argue, for example from the article by Paul Leblanc and others, defending the continuity of the Orders of Wisdom through the Chapter of the Roos patent.
This is a question that the Brother and member of the International Academy Of Modern Rite V° Union of Universal Masonic Modern Rite, addresses directly in his work including correspondence with the leaders of the French Rite in France.
We will let you dear readers, draw your own conclusions: ...
Victor Guerra. Director of the Academy.
Several authors have claimed in numerous places that the awakening of the Orders of Wisdom of the French Rite, occurred in Europe through the Channel in the Netherlands.
This beautiful, romantic and seductive story was summarized by the Most Illustrious Brother Pierre Petitjean on July 37th 2006 issue of La Chaine d 'Union [1], page 79 et seq, and the content will analyze and comment during the this study.
I. History and Legend
The standard account.
"By the mid-nineteenth century, Chapters working in the French Rite, disappeared ... The reawakening will take place one hundred years later, thanks to the tenacity of fifteen brothers belonging to the Grand Orient of France ... Who joined the Chapter De Roos in The Hague (Netherlands), the last French Chapter in Europe, and requested a Letter Patent to establish in Paris on November 30, 1963, a new chapter to be called Jean-Théophile Desaguliers... "
Here are the most significant excerpts of the column recorded taken in opening this chapter:
"In the year 1963, the 30th of the eighth month of the True Light 5963, on the feast of St. Andrew of Scotland (30 November of the Christian era) fifteen Eagle Knights,Freemasons Perfect and Perfect Sovereign Princes of the Rose Croix, met in the Valley of Paris, Oriente de Heredom , which corresponds to the Zenith, in a very strong, very remote, well covered in which Faith, Hope and Charity reigned (13 villa des Acacias, 9 Bd Jean Mermoz in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at 10 am in the morning).
"These fifteen Knights, members of the Sovereign Chapter De Roos, Valley of The Hague, are, in alphabetical order of their names the Brothers Paul A., Edouard F., Serge D., Pierre F., Jean F.; Jacques G., Pierre M., Vincent P., Pierre R, Albert R., Hartmut S., Christian V., all initiated within that Chapter, Rene and Jacques M. Guilly, regular members within this Chapter; Henri van Praag, Perfect Master Founder [2] and support of this Chapter. Also present are the H. CJR, visiting fellow at the Sovereign Chapter De Roos, Valle de la Hague. The Throne of Wisdom is occupied by the Most Illustrious Brother van Praag, the oldest [3]. "
"The Most Wise and Perfect Master Henri van Praag states that it has received a formal request emanating from the fifteen knights present that day, and members of the Sovereign Chapter of Roos in the Valley of The Hague, expressing their desire to practice in the Valley of Paris and within a Sovereign French Chapter, under the distinctive title of Jean-Théophile Desaguliers, four degrees which were dear to them: the Elus, Scottish Knight of the East, and Sovereign Prince Rose Croix ....
The Most Wise and Perfect Master, under the ancient privileges of the Sovereign Princes of the Rose Croix, Knight of the Eagle, Perfect Freemasons, then declares formed in the Valley of Paris, the day of Saint Andrew of Scotland, the Sovereign Chapter Jean Théophile Desaguliers'.
"The importance of this creation can only be understood by placing it in the context of the long history of the French Rite. As he said later, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of this Chapter, the BAF [4] Roger Dachez: "What may seem like the beginning of an adventure is really the termination of a long journey" That adventure- it was, and we expect it will be forever, lasted for about ten years, and originated, it is obvious, within the so-called historical cradle of the French Rite, ie in the Grand Orient of France "[...].
"For the Brothers of the Restored French Rite Modern, with its beginnings in the sixties, many of whom had reached the 18 degree ∞ of the AASR, and would only be satisfied with similar titles through any available source through the awakening of the High Grades of the French Rite regardless of their place of origin. For the GODF, that seemed difficult to accept Masonically speaking."
The imaginary myth
It appears then that Providence, of which Chamfort said there was nothing more than the baptismal name of chance ... The contacts were incidental to it [5] with the Most Wise and Perfect Master of a Chapter, which we can only call a "Masonic fossil" the Chapter De Roos, which the French had established under the first Empire annexed in Holland, when The Hague was the capitol of the department of Bouches-de-la-Meuse, unaware of the authority of the Grand Masonic Orient of France.
"That French Chapter French survived, time had not destroyed it and it still existed in the mid-twentieth century, never having ceased to exist, unaware that he had become the latest conservatory of the High Grades of the French Rite."
"As was said at that time, the educated elite of the Netherlands, was very fond of talking and cultivate the French language. The Very Wise himself served as professorto the chapter. The link was established easily[6] and the rest continued without difficulty, and the brothers were received in the fourth order in The Hague a few months later. The Sovereign Jean Théophile Desaguliers French Chapter was founded in Neuilly, immediately assuming the natural function as a 'Metropolitan Chapter for France "and from that time took the tough task of bearing for many years, the flame and flag of the Orders of the Chapter of the French Rite. "
"Chapter De Roos, for a long time haD not worked more than on the Fourth Order, giving the first three orders by communication, which the Brothers of the Sovereign Jean-ThÈophile Desaguliers Chapter evidently did not want to do."
This story, totally mythical as we will endeavor to demonstrate, is inconsistent with the version recounted by the two main protagonists at the time: Rene Jacques Martin [7] and RenÈ Guilly. In particular, the contacts made by chance, and the link made easily, ans we have outlined above, indicate the establishment of a recent relationship.
I've had the good fortune of having known and visited with the two authors, and have exchanged with each of them extensive correspondence which allows us to see beyond the myth, and establish the historical reality of the these important events and to clarify the actual facts concerning the Renaissance of the Modern French Rite in Europe.
Note first of all, a significant gap in the story of Brother Roger Dachez. Nothing has been said about the existence of a Chapter De Roos founded in Medan, in the Dutch East Indies, in which Henri van Praag was a member, and of the Rose Croix degree.
We will reeturn to this matter in some detail below.
Additionally, nothing is said of the case of the uncertain identity of "the Frenchman" who founded De Roos under the French empire in the Netherlands. Most of the lodges in that country proudly wore distinctive titles in French, or Latin, and it is surprising that, under the Empire and although the chapters were part of a symbolic lodge, the French would have preferred to give it such a distinctively Dutch title!
We have here some examples, and you will see that in many lodges and chapters in that time spoke French like today, because the author of these lines was in 1995 an official Dutch Chapter of the Rite in Leyden, Netherlands, working in French.
Examples of distinctive titles, in French, of Dutch lodges of the eighteenth and nineteenth include Les Amis Réunis, L'Aurore, La Charité, La Bien-Aimee, Concordia Vincit Animos; La Constance; Credentes Vivent ab Illo, L'Espérance ; Mutua Fides, Frédéric Royale, Guillaume aux Dix-Sept Flèches Dix-Sept, La Paix, La Parfaite Union; La Philanthrope; Le Profond Silence; Ultrajectina; L'Union Frédéric, L'Union Provinciale, L'Union Royale.
The Vertu; vicit Vim Virtus [8].
Finally, databases of various Masonic Dutch institutions that were consulted do not indicate the existence of any Lodge or Chapter carrying the name of De Roos, with the exception of a Chapter not working in Medan recognized in the Dutch East Indies, and without a lower initiation constitution, as I will show in the course of this work.
Sometimes a military lodge was created by a French regiment of occupation, which has left its mark in France or Holland, which never had any documentary evidence whatsoever to support or sustain the various claims made about it.
Let us now examine how a masonry of Higher Degrees developed in the Netherlands. We will give the floor to the main protagonists of the Modern French Rite Renaissance in Europe.
Birth and Development of the High Grades Modern French in the Netherlands.
Extract from an A4 sheet, three parts, two sides folded, published in Dutch by the Supreme Council of the Order of Freemasons under the Chapter of the High Grades of the Netherlands. (Literal translation by Jean van Win).
"After the appearance of Freemasonry in the Netherlands, around 1730, other forms of Masonic works quickly arrived, mostly from France.
Shortly after the establishment of Blue Masonic lodges in our country, there arrived the practice of what later would be known as the High Grades.
In the traces left of the five founding Lodges that participated in the creation of the Order of Freemasons, it is mentioned that the September 12, 1756, the lodge worked in the course of one afternoon, "in the Scottish" ( this qualifier has nothing to do with Scotland or the Scottish Rite, its origin must be sought in Stuart (Jacobite) groups which had emigrated to France), as that booklet indicated.
"A Scottish lodge bearing the same name as his mother lodge and consisted of the same members as before. There was no uniformity in the work or the organization of the Scottish lodges. Since 1774, various efforts were made to locate the Scottish lodges under the authority of a senior management (hoofdbestuur). [9] At that time there were 24 Scottish lodges in our country. Some days after the meeting of the Grand Lodge of symbolic lodges, these 'workshops' were convened on May 20, 1776 another meeting in The Hague.
The purpose of this meeting was the establishment of a Scottish Grand Lodge, which should help to "sustain and revive blue Freemasonry, which every day became more and more weakened and debilitated." The meeting concluded with the creation of a regulation (Wetboek: Volume of law) which spoke of both Elus and Scots.
The second meeting of the Scottish Grand Lodge was held on May 19, 1777, the first records make reference to the "chapters Scots." The third meeting of the Grand Lodge of Scotland is May 18, 1778, and the fourth and final is June 5, 1786.
"The constituent assembly was to erect the Grand Chapter of the High Grades (Hoge der Hoodfkapittel Graden) met on October 15, 1803. That jurisdiction, regardless of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands, received the sovereignty over the following degrees:
Master Elect-Elect or
-Knight of St. Andrew (formed by the degrees of Scottish Apprentice, Scottish-Fellow and Scottish Master)
-Knight of the Sword or of the East
-Sovereign Prince of Rose Croix.
At first there were more than three degrees, and the degree of Rose Croix was conferred by communication. This degree, however, was taking its content a growing importance, so much so, that the work of Chapter were limited to that level while the other three were conferred by communication (1854).
The ritual of the degree of Rose Croix designed in 1803 expressed in the opinion of many brothers, some dogmatic Christian halo in which some brothers could not be very comfortable. Over the years, this ritual was questioned by many other chapters who came sometimes to suppress it.
During revision of the ritual in 1937, the revisionists departed from the idea which considered that the religious character of the Rose Croix degree would be acceptable to the religious sentiment of the time and that it was universal in nature and did not referred to any cult in particular.
The historic High Grades. Dutch roots of our ritual.
[...] "It is by analogy with the series of 7 degrees of the French or Modern Rite, the Grand Chapter of the High Grades at the time of its formation in 1803, that its structure was formed around seven degrees."
"Because of the reformer plan of 1786, resulting from the work of the ad hoc committee of the Grand Orient of France, the French or Modern Rite Rite in direct relation to the three symbolic degrees was composed as follows:
First Order: Master Elect
Second Order: Scottish Master
Third Order: Knight of the East
Fourth Order: Knight Rose Croix
[...]
These three orders were called, since 1854, "Historical High Grades." Intermediaries were the three degrees of the Order of Freemasons under the Grand Chapter of High Levels of the Netherlands.
The fourth order is that which comes from the degree of Sovereign Prince of Rose Croix (Prins van het Soeverein Rozekruis) ".
This same text is found in full in the booklet Dutch entitled 'Rituaal go Graad will Soeverein Prins van het R +, 1937 ", reprinted in 1992 by the Order of Freemasons under the Grand Chapter of Higher Degrees in the Netherlands, which contains a foreword by the Most Worshipful Brother J A Veening, Grand Master of the Order.
Conclusion:
It is clear from these official documents that the High Grades of the Netherlands never worked the Modern French Rite, although they were made by analogy to that system. But it also shows that there was never a patent much less that it was adopted by the Grand Orient of France. According to the highest Masonic authorities of Batavia, as Professor Dr. Jan Snoek noted, the Netherlands has always practiced these Dutch High Grades according to their specific needs and with total independence.
The stories published in France on the issue of Dutch Freemasonry are contradictory, dark and unreliable. They are also partial and incomplete. The existence of a "fossil Chapter " of the French Rite, has never been proven and unless identifiable, obviously the rest of their claims do not have any basis.
It is time now to give a voice to those who lived through these events and have left an authoritative and definitive record.
II. List of events as the main witnesses and actors.
Autograph letter from Most Worshipful Brother to Brother Jean Jacques Martin will Win, dated February 5, 1989 (excerpts):
"The secularization of the rituals of the Grand Orient of France was back in the 60's, some Brothers to interrogate about the past of his beloved ritual and thus on its future. The rite was called "Modern French Rite Restored." The formulation should be scrupulously respected. Modern: to indicate affiliation with the Grand Lodge of Modern London (1717), French: French to highlight the contributions further as the fellowship and the four higher orders: First Order: Chosen Secret, the Second Order: Grand Elect Scottish, the Third Order: Knight of the Sword, the Fourth Order: Sovereign Prince Rose-Croix. Restored: to take account symbols "disappeared".
The first lodge was the distinctive title "Du Devoir et de la Raison" (From Duty and Reason), East of Paris, GODF. Encountered some difficulties with those found in the bosom of his obedience, the Brothers of GODF migrated to a lodge of the GLNF-Opera "Les Forgeron du Temple." Transformed the distinctive title became "Jean Theophile Desaguliers." A second lodge to the east of Lille, founded by me, entitled "James Anderson" and installed on May 10, 1964 by Pierre Guilly Ribaucourt and Rene, who was then the VM Desaguliers.
Rene did receive Guilly Sovereign Princes Rose Croix of Paris some Brothers through the heading 'De Roos' (The Rose), working in the Rite Dutch. Indeed, it is the same rite.
Chapter Rose Croix 'De Roos' was chaired by a professor at the University of Djakarta who had been imprisoned by the Japanese which kept the worst memory: Hendrik (Henri) van Praag. This brother had a [10] elderly in 1963 (1)
On November 30, 1963, the heading 'De Roos' Very Wise made his van Praag, two brothers Dutch and French members, regularly opened the work installing the Most Wise RenÈ Guilly and officers and consecrated the new chapter under the title distinctive 'Jean ThÈophile Desaguliers' in the temple town of Acacias to the east of Neuilly-sur-Seine. French Brothers joined the Rosicrucians and, like myself (I had been received by the Chapter Rose Croix "La Lumiere du Nord" Lillem Valley under the obedience of the Grand College of Rites).
That day was initiated Rosicrucian Brothers Ribaucourt Pierre, the notary Pierre Mariel, Bob Royaut, Vincent Planque, Hartmut Stein (...). Brother forgot Fano, future Grand Master of the GLNF-Opera. The Sovereign Grand Commander of the College of Rites, Francis Viaud, because of its functions could not attend to the taken, but appeared a little later when the meal.
In 1968, the workshops 'French' left the Opera GLNF monitoring the case, Louis Pauwels [11], but that's another story. They founded a federation that was named after French National Lodge (LNF), installed their shops primarily in Paris and Lille.
The LNF is split in 1975 into two trunks: Paris and Lille. Then an old Venerable J.T. Desaguliers, journalist Roger d'Almeras, separated from RenÈ Guilly and make the French chapter entitled, if my memory does not betray me, "La Chaine Dunion." In 1976 I created my own French Rite chapter entitled "La Rose et le Lys' practicing the four Orders. Also contacted the rite to the Brothers of the South, especially to Brother Jean Abeille is now the Regent of the Rectified Scottish Rite Grand College of Rites. "
Shortly after receiving that letter I was encouraged to enter the relationship with RenÈ Guilly, he exchanged correspondence with me one of the highest interest, among which is this letter in particular that is most relevant for this case:
Autograph letter of October 26, 1991, Jean Rene van Guilly Win. (Document that we can not doubt the accuracy and fidelity, as it were 8 months old).
"Through a personal friend [12], the brother Hendrik van Praag, a professor of French, Very Wise in 1940 of chapter" De Roos "in Medan (unknown location) [13], Rose-Croix since 1932 in the Sovereign Chapter Srogol (Java), grade 33 of the Supreme Council of the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (Batavia), initiations to the degree of Rose-Cross took place in The Hague under the heading 'De Roos' [14] revived Table of the Supreme Council and the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands, formed by the Onderdenwijngaard brother after the incident with the Grand Orient of the Netherlands, the issue of LUFM (4) (date to be specified, by 1960 ?).
Hendrik van Praag, profoundly Francophile in the best sense of the term, disagreed at that time the Dutch government's guidance.
I held several interviews with him about it. The year 1956 should be the date of retirement and return to the Netherlands. Having lived the Japanese occupation of the Netherlands East Indies, not without great suffering.
These initiations, six in number, took place in The Hague on 31 March to 27 October 1963. I can testify to its highest level.
Furthermore, in a chapter taken exceptional "De Roos" in the Valley of Paris, six brothers were initiated on 30 November 1963. The twelve Rosicrucians to which were joined by two more original Rosicrucian Grand College of Rites, Brother Hendrik van Praag himself, were (in a total of fifteen) members founders November 30, 1963 the Sovereign Chapter French Jean-ThÈophile Desaguliers No.1.
It is true that the French Rite in four orders, rightfully belongs to the Dutch tradition [15] and we had been reported in The Hague and Paris when they made those initiations. But as you can see the continuation of this letter is no longer exclusively a matter for us. What seems equally important is the undeniable presence of three Rosicrucian Grand College of Rites and the Supreme Council of the Netherlands. So is the initiation, which could not be more regular, twelve other brothers to the degree of Rose Croix.
Indeed, if we start in 1963 with the idea of
the French Rite of GODF 1786, our thinking has evolved considerably since more than thirty years of ritual and archival research.
(Here follows a detailed justification Traditional French Rite, whose elements are now well known and have been published on several occasions).
And RenÈ Guilly instructive concludes this long letter, while writing about his intentions and the spirit of his work of "restoration":
"The restoration of the Traditional French Rite, above the third grade, must rest on these simple principles:
(1) The authority and the privileges of the Sovereign Princes Rose Croix, and the double descent of the French Rite and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish for that grade (the French Rite, 1786, especially in the first and last order, not may represent for him a sufficient affiliation).
(2) A truly scientific scholarly work, which consists of detecting and implement for each grade, the older versions and the most authentic.
At that time we reject the patent Ondernwijngaard offered us, considering that the privileges of the Sovereign Princes Rose Croix could not be subordinated to a document that nature. It was about a certain purity, from the standpoint of historical information, but could be wrong. However the French Rite must be assumed and define itself, to be clear, without any other Masonic body that help or sponsorship contribution. It's better that way. "
Jean van Win
[1] Journal of Masonic studies, philosophical and symbolic-run quarterly and published under the auspices of the Masonic Institute of France, chaired by Roger Dachez, and as such journal is the Grand Orient of France.
[2] Underlined by us
[3] Born in 1893, the H. van Praag was therefore 70 years.
[4] Beloved Brother in French: "Frere Bien Aimé"
[5] Emphasis added
[6] Emphasis added.
[7] A personal friend and "partner" of RenÈ Guilly at the time. After a dispute is withdrawn to the north of France where it will become Grand Master of the GLISRU (Grand Lodge Initiatory Rites and Symbolic States). Case in Lille, Boulevard de la Liberté, a Rose Croix Chapter mixed Modern French Rite, where the author of these lines was part around 1990.
[8] Geschiedenis van het Hoofdkapittel Hoge der Graden in Nederland, door PJ van Loo, 1953, p. 117 (Histoire du Grand Chapitre des Hauts Grades aux Pays Bas).
[9] means: Central.
[10] was about 70 years.
[11]
[12] is not a chance encounter "since the links were established" as Roger says Dachez: Guilly van Praag and undoubtedly were known because of their common interest in LUFM (Universal League of Freemasons).
[13] Medan is the capital of the province of North Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies. The city is today the center of rubber cultivation and the Delhi region, famous for his snuff.
[14] After Guilly can be seen that there were two chapters De Roos, an irregular and posthumous in Medan, and a revived, irregular in The Hague.
[15] Universal League of Freemasons.
Gracias a Victor Guerra.
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