Last September some of our Filipino brothers — seven separate lodges, each over 100 years old — formed the new Most Worshipful Independent Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands (IGLPI).The details and their reasons for forming a new grand lodge can be read on their website or in an article published on the Burning Taper in September.
As you might expect, after seeing similar occurrences in the United States, specifically Georgia, with the formation of the United Grand Lodge of America, many of the Filipino brethren were "excommunicated" through five separate edicts of M.W. Grand Master Yu of their former grand lodge. Of course, the first step the Grand Master took was to proclaim the brothers "clandestine," despite the fact they were all made Masons in regular lodges 100+ years old.
Yesterday, IGLPI posted on their site six reasons why their actions were Masonically proper, and the Grand Master's actions improper.
- The brethren mentioned in the Edicts are not clandestine Masons.
- The ground for the issuance of the subject Edicts is erroneous.
- It is the inherent power of Lodges to form a Grand Lodge.
- The Grand Master cannot issue an Edict declaring Masons under his jurisdiction as clandestine masons.
- Edict No. 232 and its sub-Edicts are discriminatory.
- The Grand Master has no authority to issue orders to appendant bodies.
Masons | Filipino Freemasons | Small Town Freemasonry | Freemasonry | Most Worshipful Independent Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com
freemasons practicing freedom?
ReplyDeleteunheard of since the 1700's!
what has gotten into the fraternity
ideals to practice freemasonry freely?
preposterous
This is an response to the Brother who posted his commnets.
ReplyDeleteSince when does Free Masonry not a freedom loving society?
That is why since 1700 we FREE MASONS has been forming Grand Lodges all over the world. Have you ever wondered? Why? Because FREE MASONS as we call ourselves are freedom loving people. The formation of the United States of America by FREE MASONS only is proof enough. Take the Philippine Independence, it was created, funded, executed by filipino FREE MASONS (our heros). And you say never heard off. Why do you think other united states Grand Lodges were formed? Take for example The forming of the Grand Lodge of America (in Georgia), The formation of the Grand Lodge of Nevada (from the Grand Lodge of California), if I am not mistaken. My Brother we are in the 21th century, please think and ask yourself, with this kind of question why can we not form another Grand Lodge in the Philippines? America and other countries in the world have been doing it since 1700.
Brother with this kind of thinking of yours, have you ever ask yourself if you are still relevant to the society of FREE MASONRY?
WM Butch Laplap
Pilar Lodge 3 (IGLPI)
sa nangyayaring kaguluhan sa GLP nawala na rin ba ang pagkakaisa at kapatirang ipinaglaban ng ating mga kapatid na bayani.
ReplyDeletenakakatuwa tayo, wala na rin tayong pinagkaiba sa makasariling at bulok na pulitiko sa ating bansa na pansariling kapakanan lamang ang iniisip at hindi ang pagkakaisa at ikabubuti ng lahat.
marahil sa darating na bukas, magigising na lang tayo sa balita na may itinatag na Grand Lodge of manila, grand lodge of Bicol, etc...etc.
Philippine Masonry... Saan ka Patutungo..............?
Certainly, these so-called IGLPI 'masons' do not understand Masonic tradition, where the one who wears the hat and the gavel of authority can basically do whatever he wants, that's why he was chosen to be the Master -- what more if he's the Grand Master. Freemasons may have fought for freedom, but there's a fine line between freedom and democracy, and these IGLPI people claiming to be masons certainly do not understand that simple concept. One can be free without practicing democracy - try to understand that people of the IGLPI. The heroes who fought for Philippine Independence cried 'freedom'. The concept of Democracy was indtroduced later by the American colonizers. What you IGLPI people want is a democratic system in the administration of a Grand Lodge, which has never become a part of Masonic tradition. In one Tagalog line - "pasok kayo ng pasok sa isang organisasyon, hindi niyo naman pala talaga naiintindihan kung ano ito". Yes, good thing you formed your own "grand lodge" if you want to call it that way. We don't need people like you in the fraternity who do not understand simple concepts of tradition anyway!
ReplyDeleteSo mote it be.
"These so-called IGLPI masons"? So that is how you call brethren of different ideology now huh?! I respect your opinion but Since when did freemasonry phohibits the practice of free thinking and freedom of expression? By the way you speak and the way you think, Mason ka ba talaga? Mukha kasing hindi. Clearly you have forgotten the concept of universal brotherhood. The brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God pala ha?
ReplyDeleteI do not question the concept of masonic tradition, pero maitanong ko lang kaya sayo, E KUNG IKAW KAYA ANG MAEXPEL NG WALANG DUE PROCESS, TATANGAPIN MO NA LANG BA? Masonic tradition ba gawan ng injustice ang kapatid mo? Masonic tradition ba na iexpel sila ng walang trial? Kase kung ganitong tradition ang papairalin natin, me magmamason pa kaya? Siguro nasasabi mo lang yan kase di ka naman apektado o d ka naapektuhan, but for those who labored for the craft and recieved the unfair judgement,that is a different story.
Yan ang hirap sa tin e, pag me naiba ng opinion o pananaw kaagad natin kino condemn. Nasan ang pagiging mason mo sa ganyang line of thinking? Ano nangyari sa natutunan mong masonic vitues ng TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE, PRUDENCE, at JUSTICE? o baka talagang di mo yun natutunan kuyang? Without these virtues reflected on, it is not the craft of masonry na nakilala natin. Baka ibang organisasyon napasukan mo? We dont need to lecture it again kase supposedly natutunan mo na yan dati pa.
If you dont agree with other brother's opinion on how the grand lodge should be run, or how your worthy brother should be treated, irespeto mo na lang ang mga kapatid mo, and do not condemn your brethren because of their different belief...
brotherly love, relief and truth.
May the GAOTU steer our path...
"If you dont agree with other brother's opinion on how the grand lodge should be run, or how your worthy brother should be treated, irespeto mo na lang ang mga kapatid mo, and do not condemn your brethren because of their different belief..."
ReplyDeleteI will always have respect for a brother mason, whithersoever dispersed. You obviously belong to the IGLPI, and last time I checked, you ain't my brother. You're clandestine, remember? You belong to a so-called "grand lodge" not recognized in any part of the world, in planet Neptune perhaps it is. I don't even know why i'm even exchanging commentaries with you, in a public website at that. Go ahead and take the final word, this is my last message since the rules say I shouldn't be rubbing fraternal elbows with clandestine 'masons' like you. And the thing you said that "kung ako kaya ang ma-expel without due process"? That's the big difference between us, I know the rules, and these are the same rules I'm trying to follow for me not to get expelled. Unlike you obviously. Too bad. Enough said.
...and what if i tell you that im not from IGLPI? It just so happen that i dont believe in that treatment. like you said, enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteKawawang Pilipinas, pati mga Mason naghihiwalay na...sila pa naman ang inaasahan na muling mag-aahon sa inang bayan na katulad ng ng mga bayaning mason na nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay.
ReplyDeleteHindi tuloy ako magtataka kung bakit hati-hati ang mga pictures sa main page ng grand lodge of the Philippines website...siguro talang hati-hati na sila.
Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na baka kaya maulit muli ang hindi pagkakasunduan ni Aguinaldo at Bonifacio na nagbunsod upang ang isang kapatid na mason ay mag-utos upang ipapatay ang kapwa mason.
Nakakatakot isipin...
On my own humble opinion, hindi po nakatutulong sa kahit kanino pa man na siraan ang isa't isa. Naniniwala ako na hindi kumo lumipat ng Grand Lodge Jurisdiction ang isang kapatid e warrant na itong maituturing upang lapastanganin at insultuhin ang kanyang pagkatao. Kung magbago p man ang pagturing mo dahil sa iyong sariling pananaw, WAG MO NANG IPANGALANDAKAN pa sana maraming tao. Nagmumukha po kasi kayo lalong walang natutunan sa masonerya, tapos tatawagin nating mason ang sarili natin samantalang ni di natin maisagawa ang turo nito.
ReplyDeleteSa aking palagay, nagmason po tayo upang matutunan ang tenets nito at sa pagkatuto, maisabuhay ito. We joined Freemasonry not because of our concerns to exalt our Grand Lodge, but to exalt Freemasonry and its teachings as a whole, and to not insult or belittle our fellow men in a way you are doing now.
"What you IGLPI people want is a democratic system in the administration of a Grand Lodge, which has never become a part of Masonic tradition. In one Tagalog line - "pasok kayo ng pasok sa isang organisasyon, hindi niyo naman pala talaga naiintindihan kung ano ito"."
ReplyDeleteIs it right that we masons do not practice democracy? Then why is it then that we hold elections in the blue lodges at the end of each masonic year to elect the next set of our officers? Why do we then convene on an Annual Communication to elect our Grand Line officers? Why is it then that whenever a very important decision has to be decided upon or made in a blue lodge stated meeting, the Worshipful Master has to ask "What is the pleasure of the brethren?" and then most of the time proceed to division of the house for voting? Now correct me if Im wrong my brethren, arent these all a practice of democracy? And why is it then that there is a provision in our constitution that a Grand Master can be impeached by a certain number of votes? Am I wrong here my brethren? Or has our brother who harshly commented on this here didint know that? Sino ngayon ang pasok ng pasok sa isang organisasyon ng hindi naman pala naiintindihan kung ano ito? Kuya wala po tayo sa military, Masonerya po ito...
As another posting had said,
"Freemasonry is not dictatorial institution therefore, NO ONE has an absolute power and that includes the Grand Master. The day when a mere mortal start thinking of himself as a monarch of the Fraternity and the time when members accept that illusion--- the organization they are in is no longer the Craft we knew."
Freemasonry teaches about the freedom of though and expression, a very much opposite of the ideas you posses. On your incling, you believe that this Fraternity has to be ruled through how? Dictatorship? Isn't it that dictators hated freemasonry so much? I thought the heroes of yesteryears had fought and vanguished the dictators of the past. Yet in our own system, we harbor the people who believe that dictatorship has to be tolerated and imposed.
It was not the Americans who brought the concept of democracy in our country. It was the very same ideology that our herous have fought for in the revolution. A concept they learned from Europe and was brought here to fuel the patriotism of many filipinos among whom most of which belong to the craft. It was the same concept embraced by the americans as they established the United States. Thought it was first practiced during the time of the american occupation, the concept was very much alive in the time of revolution.
Throwing garbage on someone else's face wont help unify the fragmented state of philippine masonry. I believe that we became masons not to exalt ourselves, our lodges or even our Grand lodges. But our mother fraternity, which is Freemasonry. Let us stop acting holier than thy thou and start acting as masons as we claim we are.
fraternally yours,
bro.s.e.f.
It is the inherent power of Lodges to form a Grand Lodge. – The IGLPI is not and cannot correctly be declared “irregular and clandestine”. The forming of a Grand Lodge is an inherent right of a Lodge and there is no need to consult anyone on this point. All the Grand Lodges in the civilized world have been formed by independent action. (Please see minutes of the proceedings on the formation of the Grand Lodge of South Australia.) Even the GLP invoked this time-honored principle when it was organized. This is apparent from the Joint Resolution of Manila Lodge 342, Cavite Lodge No. 350 and Corregidor Lodge No. 386 dated November 17, 1912, which reads in part that “ . . . it is the inherent prerogative of any three subordinate Masonic Lodges in a territory, like the Philippines, Masonically free, to organize through their representatives, a Grand Lodge”. Furthermore, the Basic Principles of Recognition, found on page 240 of the GLP Constitution, 2005 Edition, clearly provides that a Grand Lodge has regularity of origin when it is established either by a Grand Lodge or BY AT LEAST THREE SUBORDINATE LODGES. Considering that the IGLPI was established by seven (7) subordinate Lodges, it indisputably has regularity of origin.
ReplyDeleteIt's my understanding that the United Grand Lodge of America recognizes the new Grand Lodge in the Philippines along with the new Grand Lodge of All England at York.
ReplyDeleteI think these new Grand Lodges are the future of the Craft. They represent the need for changes that have never come and never will come in mainstream Freemasonry.