French Rite

The French Rite (French: Rite français) is one of the oldest masonic rites, one of the most spread around the world, dominant in France, Belgium and other french speaking countries and with a strong presence in Latin America with an historical presence in Brazil and Argentina. It is the direct heir and one of the best-preserved ritual of speculative Free-Masonry as practiced by the Premier Grand Lodge of London in the early 18th century. Today, it is the historical rite of the Grand Orient de France with approximatively 50,000 to 55,000 Masons, it is also one of the major rites of the Grande Loge Nationale Française and other French obediences, making it by far, the predominant rite in France, Belgium and other countries, it is worked and rapidly growing in many other masonic jurisdictions worldwide with an important presence in South America and Africa. The French Rite consists of seven steps: three "blue" or craft degrees (Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason) and four additional Orders of Wisdom (Ordres de Sagesse), which were codified between 1781 and 1786 by the Grand Orient de France which are not degrees but Orders or grades, reflecting the premiere Grand Lodge's spirit of only having three degrees. It is characterized by the depth and historicity of its ceremonies, its emphasis on both tradition and progressive philosophical thinking, and its strong maintenance of practices from early speculative premiere masonry, that have been modified or abandoned in other systems. Historically significant, the French Rite underwent several major transformations and declinations depending on where it was practiced, In France one of the major changes happened in 1877 with the removal of religious requirements, establishing the principle of absolute freedom of conscience while it was kept in its original form in Belgium and Brazil. It was then...