Freemasonry and Spiritism

There are many Masons in the spirit field which implies that there are many Masons among spiritists. Only the proportions are certainly different.

Persecuted for centuries forcefully and systematically by the Church of Rome, the Freemasonry found within the Spiritism a reception that was the case in reverse, so the relations between one and another is old and fraternal.

In a time not too far, there was a Catholic journal in Rio de Janeiro which used to highlight the following sentence:”Behold our enemies”, then it come three names: Freemasonry, Spiritism and Communism; which it contributed also to many activists of communism in Brazil maintain close relations with our brothers, as fellow common-sufferers who look for meeting to join forces.

We read in the Spiritist Magazine 1864 (Edicel, pages 121 to 126) three communications by Kardec who commented on the relationship between Spiritism and Freemasonry.

In the first, Guttemberg (Spirit) says that every initiate Mason is led to believe in immortality of the soul and the Divine Architect and be benefactor, devoted, sociable, decent and humble.

In societies that it belongs, practices for equality in the larger scale, thus giving them an obvious affinity with Spiritism.

Asserting that many Masons are spiritists and work a lot on the propaganda of this belief, Guttemberg predicts that in the future spiritism study will get as a complement into the trials opened in stores.

In the second message, Jacques de Molé’s spirit declares that Masonic institutions were a referral to happiness to society.

At a time when every liberal idea was considered a crime, the men needed a force that was emancipated by their beliefs, their institutions and the unity of its teaching. “At that time – says Molé – religion was still not a comforting mother, but that despotic power, the voice of his ministers, ordered, hurt, everything was bowing to his will.

Concluding his thoughts, Jacques de Molé prophesies: “Spiritism has made progress, but the day it has given its hand to freemasonry, all difficulties will be overcome, every obstacle removed, the truth will be clarified and the highest moral progress will be made and have implemented the first steps of the throne, which is soon to reign.

In the third message, the Vaucanson Spirit observes that Guttemberg was monk’s contemporary who invented gunpowder – invention that transformed the ancient art of battle – while the press brought a fresh incentive to the expression of ideas, allowing the emancipation of the masses and the development of intellectual of the individuals. 

Freemasonry, against which they both cried out, against the Roman Church did not have enough anathema and that by no means left to survive, it opened pair by pair the doors of its temples to worship the idea of emancipation. “In his heart – he says – all the more serious issues were raised, and before that Spiritism had appeared, the venerable grand masters knew and professed the soul is immortal and the visible and invisible world intercommunicates.”

According to Vaucanson, Spiritism will find within numerous Masonic lodges a compact phalange of faithful, serious, determined and steadfast in the faith, because Spiritism realizes all the generous and charitable aspirations of Freemasonry.

In fact, subscribing charity as the soul of Spiritism, Kardec showed clearly what direction the spiritists societies should take; direction that we, the followers of Spiritism, cannot lose sight of it if we want to effectively do justice to this title.