Grand Lodge of Spain: history and organization
The Grand Lodge of Spain is the main Spanish Masonic obedience by number of members and lodges, belonging to the Masonic current headed by the United Grand Lodge of England, from which it receives international recognition as the only regular Masonic power in Spain. It connects with the tradition of the ancient Grand Lodge of London, founded in 1717, through its unification with the Grand Lodge of the Antients, created in 1751. It extends its jurisdiction over the first three degrees of symbolic Masonry within the territory of the Kingdom of Spain.
Regulatory Principles
The Grand Lodge of Spain requires its members to be men, free and of good morals, and to profess belief in a supreme principle, called the Great Architect of the Universe. It does not admit women into its lodges. Masonic work is carried out before the Three Great Lights: the square, the compass, and the Volume of the Sacred Law.
The obedience advocates for the religious and political freedom of its members in the private sphere, but expressly prohibits the discussion of politics or religion within the lodge, as well as any institutional positioning on these matters. This separation between the personal sphere and Masonic activity constitutes a fundamental principle of its operation.
Rites Practiced
The Grand Lodge of Spain practices several Masonic rites, the most widespread being the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. In addition, the following ritualistic systems are worked:
- Emulation Rite
- Rectified Scottish Rite
- Schroeder Rite
- French or Modern Rite
- York Rite
These rites correspond to different historical traditions within Freemasonry, and their practice coexists under the authority of the Grand Lodge.
The obedience maintains relations with various high-degree bodies, which complete Masonic initiation beyond the first three symbolic degrees. Among these are the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Spain of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the Royal Arch, the French Grand Chapter, the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, the Rectified Grand Priory, and the Masonic Order of the Temple.
Territorial Organization
The Grand Lodge of Spain structures its jurisdiction into eight Provincial Grand Lodges, each with its established seat:
- Andalusia (headquarters in Fuengirola)
- Balearic Islands (headquarters in Palma de Mallorca)
- Canary Islands (headquarters in Santa Brígida)
- Castile (headquarters in Palencia)
- Catalonia (headquarters in Barcelona)
- Madrid (headquarters in Madrid)
- Murcia (headquarters in Torrevieja)
- Valencia (headquarters in Jávea)
This territorial division allows for the administration and coordination of lodges in their respective demarcations.
History
First Lodges in Spain (1728-1751)
The documented presence of Freemasonry in Spain dates back to 1728, when the lodge “Las Tres Flores de Lis” or “Matritense” was founded in Madrid, registered with the Grand Lodge of England under number 50. It was made up exclusively of British citizens. The Duke of Wharton, a former Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, participated in its creation. According to more precise sources, the lodge was constituted on February 15, 1728, on San Bernardo Street in Madrid, with Charles de Labelye as its first Master, and the patent was granted on March 29, 1729.
That same year, 1728, the Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem was constituted in Gibraltar, registered under number 51 with the Grand Lodge of England. In 1731, Captain James Cummerford was appointed Provincial Grand Master for Andalusia, with jurisdiction over Gibraltar and adjacent places.
The reaction of the Catholic Church was not long in coming. In 1738, Pope Clement XII issued the bull In eminenti apostolatus, condemning Freemasonry. In Spain, the Inquisitor General published an edict on October 11, 1738, demanding denunciations under penalty of excommunication and a fine. In 1748, a military lodge was founded in Barcelona, originating from Nice, which was reported to the Inquisition in 1750 and closed; reorganized in 1776, it again suffered repression. On July 2, 1751, Ferdinand VI decreed the prohibition of Freemasonry, and the following year, the Franciscan friar José Torrubia published Centinela contra francmasones, an anti-Masonic propaganda work.
The Grand Lodge of Spain and the Grand Orient (1767-1800)
In 1767, the Grand Lodge of Spain, also called the Spanish Grand Lodge, was formed, declaring itself independent from England. Its first Grand Master was the Count of Aranda, minister of King Charles III. In 1780, the organization changed its name to the Grand Orient of Spain, adopting the French Masonic system. Around 1800, under the direction of the Count of Montijo, the Grand Orient came to have four hundred lodges.
19th Century: Prohibition, Legalization, and Divisions
During the Napoleonic invasion (1808-1813), Bonapartist lodges emerged, such as the “Faithful Friends of Napoleon” in Barcelona, alongside “patriot” lodges that recognized Ferdinand VII. The Bonapartist lodges disappeared with the withdrawal of French troops in 1813. In those years, anti-Masonic newspapers appeared, such as El Sol de Cádiz (1812-1813).
With the restoration of absolutism in 1814, Ferdinand VII intensified the persecution. The new Inquisitor General, Mier y Campillo, issued edicts in 1815 accusing Masons of conspiring against the throne and religion, ordering confiscations and expulsions.
Freemasonry was legalized in Spain in 1868, after the Glorious Revolution. The United Grand Orient of Lusitania, based in Portugal, sponsored about fifty lodges in Spain. In the 1870s, this obedience obtained recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England as the only regular Masonic power for the Iberian Peninsula. In 1877, it broke relations with the Grand Orient of France after the latter removed the belief in God from its statutes.
In 1889, the Grand Orient of Spain was founded, becoming the most important obedience in the country until its banning in 1937. However, it remained outside the recognition of the regular English powers.
20th Century: Illegalization and Restoration
Freemasonry was banned in Spain in 1937, during the Civil War. With the consolidation of Franco’s regime in 1939, all Masonic activity was prohibited. Four years after Franco’s death in 1975, in 1979, the prohibitions against Freemasonry were declared unconstitutional.
The current Grand Lodge of Spain was consecrated in 1982, internationally recognized as the only regular obedience in Spain. Luis Salat i Gusils played a fundamental role in this process as a promoter of regular Freemasonry after the return of democracy. Initiated in 1935 in the Hermes Lodge of the Grand Orient of Spain, Salat first went into exile in France and later in Colombia, where he was Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Colombia.
Context and Significance
The Grand Lodge of Spain represents the continuity of the regular Masonic tradition in Spain, linking back to the first lodges of the 18th century and to the international current headed by the United Grand Lodge of England. Its recognition as the only regular power in the country positions it as the main interlocutor of world Freemasonry, within the principles of fraternity, tolerance, and human improvement that characterize the institution. Its history reflects the vicissitudes of freedom of association in Spain, from inquisitorial persecution and Bourbon prohibitions to Francoist suppression and democratic restoration.