The Lost Symbol and Masonry, Part 1: The Scottish Rite Likely to be Slammed by Dan Brown

As readers of this blog know, my attention lately has been entirely taken up with Dan Brown's forthcoming novel, The Lost Symbol, especially since his publisher began posting clues regarding the content of this novel to Twitter. (I have my own book coming out, Discovering The Lost Symbol: Dan Brown's Novel and the Truth About the Freemasons; it is thus my business to stay on top of every legitimate scrap of information about Brown's novel.) After looking over the 42 clues that Doubleday has issued about the novel (which I considered in detail in my blog, Key to The Lost Symbol Clues), I have come to several conclusions:

1. Freemasonry is going to be featured prominently in Dan Brown's novel, The Lost Symbol.
2. The Scottish Rite in particular is going to be featured prominently in this novel.
3. The Scottish Rite in general, and Albert Pike in particular, are going to take it in the chops.
   

More precisely: it is my belief that the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry -- in both the Southern and the Northern Masonic Jurisdictions -- are going to be the "bad guys" in the novel. In addition, I believe that brother Albert Pike, the seventh Sovereign Grand Commander of the AASR, SJ (serving 1859-1891), is going to be portrayed as a conspirator with the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC), a group of Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War era, using the Scottish Rite before, during, and after the Civil War to help the KGC conceal a vast trove of stolen gold to be used for nefarious purposes in our day.

In the remainder of this post, I lay out my evidence for these beliefs. In a future post or posts, I will explain why Freemasons in general (North and South; Blue Lodge, York Rite, and Scottish Rite) ought to do something about this; and, what it is that we might do.

The Evidence

The Lost Symbol will be Dan Brown's third novel to feature Robert Langdon, a "symbologist" at Harvard University who has a talent for getting involved in the investigation of murder mysteries involving centuries-old conspiracies. The previous novels in the series are Angels & Demons (book, 2000; film, 2009) and The Da Vinci Code (book, 2003; film, 2006).

Judging from his earlier two novels, Brown is consistent in using one or more secretive societies to drive his plot. In Angels & Demons, the "bad guys" were supposedly the Illuminati (although those who have read the novel or seen the movie know that, in Brown's story, the Illuminati were merely taking the rap for another person's secret agenda). In The Da Vinci Code, the true "bad guys" are a secret Council of Shadows, working within the Vatican; they use an operative from Opus Dei as an assassin.

In The Da Vinci Code, Brown introduced a new wrinkle: a secret society of "good guys," in this case the Priory of Sion. The medieval Knights Templar are portrayed in a positive light, as well.

I know that many of us had hoped that Brown would feature the Freemasons as the "good guys" of his new novel. Judging from the clues issued by Brown's publisher, Doubleday, it is not going to be as simple as that.

Freemasonry in The Lost Symbol

[Note: below, when I refer to "Clue #x," I mean the xth clue from the bottom of the list appearing on the Twitter clue website. Please ignore the numbers on the left-hand side of the website.]

That Freemasonry will be featured in the novel is certain. The clues include the use of an initial-letter cipher, such as Masons often use to conceal the text of rituals in ritual books (Clue #1). Some clues focus on the Illuminati (Clue #5) or the founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, Adam Weishaupt (Clue #33). Other clues focus on historical personages who are prominent in the real history of Freemasonry -- such as William Wirt, the presidential candidate of the Anti-Masonic Party (Clue #6) -- or who have long been rumored to have been Masons, such as Francis Bacon (Clue #7), the German artist Albrecht Durer (Clues #9 and #22), and Isaac Newton (Clue #17). The symbol of the eye in the pyramid is popularly thought to be a Masonic symbol, of course; this symbol shows up, directly or indirectly, in some clues (including Clues #10, #12, and #35). Freemasonry is often thought by popular opinion to be deist in its religious outlook; deism is featured in Clue #37. Several of the U.S. Founding Fathers who were Freemasons are mentioned or suggested in the clues, including Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Paul Revere.

The Scottish Rite in The Lost Symbol

Beyond this, it is clear that the Scottish Rite will figure quite prominently in The Lost Symbol. Imagery of some Scottish Rite (SJ) degrees shows up in the clues, including the word "INRI" (Clue #18), Jacques de Molay (Clue #23), and the Rose Croix (Clue #25). The biggest indication that the Scottish Rite will show up, of course, is the fact that the newly unveiled cover art of the novel features, right in the center, a blob of red wax with the impression of a seal of a double-headed eagle, a crown, and the number "33" within a triangle -- in other words, a version of the seal of the Scottish Rite Supreme Council (see cover, above, and Clue #31).

Albert Pike and the Scottish Rite Portrayed as Confederate Spies After the War


So far, so good. However, some of the most recent clues have unfortunate implications for the way the Scottish Rite is portrayed in the novel.

A couple of the recent clues make reference to the activities of the Knights of the Golden Circle, or KGC, an actual organization which supported slavery before the Civil War, and supported the South during the war itself (hinted at very subtly in Clues #34 and #36). If the KGC sounds vaguely familiar, that is because they are featured in the film, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007, also known as "the second National Treasure film," or, "the one that wasn't so good").

The problem here is that the only half-way serious book on the KGC claims that they were aided in a conspiracy to prepare for a second Civil War, funded by stolen gold -- and assisted by Albert Pike, using the resources of the Scottish Rite. I am referring to a book by Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, titled Shadow of the Sentinel (2003) and issued in paperback as Rebel Gold (2004). Getler and Brewer served as consultants on National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and the impression I have is that they are looking to The Lost Symbol to revive interest in their theories.

I say this because someone claiming to be Warren Getler has posted two brief but provocative comments on my blog regarding The Lost Symbol. In relation to Clue #18, he stated the following (posting as "getler99"):

It seems that Albert Pike will be a central figure in The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown said to me back in 2003, while discussing my non-fiction book, Rebel Gold (Simon & Schuster): "My next book will be about Albert Pike."

There is, of course, no way to verify this. As if this were not enough, though, in a comment on Clue #33, the person posting as Mr. Getler mentioned the following, in relation to the book cover:

Notice in the word "CODE" there's a dot in the middle of the letter O. This is the alchemy [sic] symbol for gold. And.....if we take a close look, that symbol for gold lies on top of the zodiac circle in the faint background. This might be a reference to The Knights of the Golden Circle, a Scottish Rite Masonic and Confederate secret society that is the core subject matter for my non-fiction book, Rebel Gold. [Boldface-plus-italics emphasis added.]

Another commenter and I each took "gettler99" to task for claiming that the KGC was in any way connected with Scottish Rite Freemasonry. However, that is what he claims in his book -- with no real evidence, lots and lots of conjecture, and great enthusiasm.

I have since obtained a copy of Shadow of the Sentinel. I plan to publish a brief review of it on this blog, and I shall submit a more detailed review for publication. However, my initial impression is that, as regards the authors' take on Freemasonry and the Scottish Rite, the authors have done an extraordinarily poor job of research. They take possible connection for plausibility, and then for proof itself. They misunderstand the structure, purpose, and nature of Scottish Rite rituals.

However, if Dan Brown is using their book as a central source, he will definitely paint Albert Pike as a KGC secret officer, and the Scottish Rite -- both in the North and the South! -- as an important source of KGC power. Getler and Brewer specifically state that, following the Civil War, Pike used the Scottish Rite, in both the North and the South, to further KGC purposes and prepare for a second Civil War. Of course, this portrays Pike as a treasonous scoundrel, and the Rite as a vehicle of conspiracy.

We need to do something about this. More next time. However, now is the time to reserve your lodge and valley buildings for open houses in late September or early October. It will be an opportunity for us to get the truth out about the Order.

The Cover of Dan Brown's Novel Is 'Centered' on the Scottish Rite

This morning, Doubleday released the cover art of Dan Brown's forthcoming novel, The Lost Symbol. The center of this cover shows a wax seal. If you click on the cover image above, you'll see a larger version of the image; enlarge that, and you'll see that the seal is actually a version of the seal of an organization that is familiar to many of you: the Scottish Rite.

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I go into this in detail on another blog of mine, "Key to The Lost Symbol Tweets," found here. (Should you be reading this a bit down the road, a link to the specific post involved is here.) Enjoy.

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(And, no, I haven't abandoned the series. Be back soon.)

Announcing the "Key to The Lost Symbol Tweets" Blog

The Twitter tweets being generated by the publishers of Dan Brown's forthcoming novel, The Lost Symbol, are generating a good deal of interest. In order to address the subjects raised by these tweets without having them overwhelm this blog, I have founded a new blog, "Key to The Lost Symbol Tweets," at http://lostsymboltweets.blogspot.com . Please drop by, and leave your comments / queries / civil criticisms; even become an official "follower," if you like.

The First Tweet Decyphered for The Lost Symbol

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Special Note: I now provide a comprehensive key to the Twitter tweets sent out by Dan Brown's publishers to promote The Lost Symbol in a new blog, "Key to The Last Symbol Tweets," available here.

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The first tweet on the Twitter page for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol had mystified me:

Codes of ethics? T 10 C; 6 P O T SOD; 12 S O T Z

However, Chris Hodapp, in commenting tonight in response to other comments on his blog regarding a post announcing the Lost Symbol website, laid it all out:

The 10 Commandments; 6 points of the Star of David; 12 signs of the Zodiac.

A tip of the hat to Chris.

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Will Feature Freemasonry

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Special Note: I now provide a comprehensive key to the Twitter tweets sent out by Dan Brown's publishers to promote The Lost Symbol in a new blog, "Key to The Lost Symbol Tweets," available here.

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(Your correspondent, following the Residential Move From Heck as scheduled by the Nostradamus Moving Company, is just now returning to the Internet. We will resume our ongoing series on the Roman Catholic Church and Freemasonry shortly. However, some late-breaking news in another part of the Masonic world requires our immediate attention.)

The imminent release of the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's forthcoming novel, The Lost Symbol, brings up one special question for Freemasons and many others: to what extent will this novel feature Freemasonry? Although Brown had once stated explicitly on his official website that the sequel to The Da Vinci Code would be placed in the world of Freemasonry, that website (http://www.danbrown.com/) has now been replaced by a website counting down the seconds to the release of The Lost Symbol (http://www.thelostsymbol.com/). Is Brown distancing himself from his earlier statement about depicting Freemasonry in his novel?

Not at all.

Brown is just creating a bit more mystery. His publishers have provided clues that demonstrate all but conclusively that The Lost Symbol will indeed be placed in the world of the Freemasons. This is shown in the Twitter page that Brown's publisher, Random House, has just created to promote the forthcoming book.

As of the composition of this post, the Twitter page for The Lost Symbol includes 9 'tweets' issued between 6 a.m. on June 23rd and about 6 p.m. on June 25. Several of these tweets name individuals and groups, for whom the only connecting link is a real or purported association with Freemasonry. These include the following:

"Unbroken codes ... mystery continues to shroud the cipher at the Rosslyn Chapel."

This 3rd tweet, sent out at 3:49 p.m. on June 23rd, mentions Rosslyn Chapel, the famous site in Scotland, figuring prominently in The Da Vinci Code. Several authors, such as Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh in The Temple and the Lodge (1989), have stated that Masonic imagery can be found in Rossyln Chapel. Although this claim has been disputed by scholars (most recently by Robert L. D. Cooper in The Rosslyn Hoax?, reviewed here), Dan Brown has always shown a propensity to give controversial rumor a serious hearing in his fiction. For Brown, to mention Rosslyn is to point to Masonry.

"Before they were Illuminati, they were Perfectibilists."

This 5th tweet, sent out at 1:45 p.m. on June 24th, states a simple fact: the Bavarian Illuminati (the revolutionary group founded in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt) were originally called the Perfectibilists, after their belief that humankind could be perfected through rational (not supernatural) means. In real life, the Illuminati infiltrated perhaps dozens of Masonic lodges in Europe to further their interests, before the Illuminati were crushed by various governments around 1790. To the wild-eyed fringe of the conspiracy community, the Illuminati and Freemasonry are connected to this day.

"Who stole William Wirt's skull?"

This 6th tweet, sent out at 3:36 p.m. on June 24th, refers to William Wirt (1772-1834). Wirt was Attorney General for the United States during 1817-1829. Today, he is mostly remembered for the work he did helping to prosecute Aaron Burr for treason in 1807. However, he is a footnote to history for something he did after resigning as Attorney General. In 1832, he accepted the nomination for U.S. President running for the first national 'third party' and single-issue party in American politics: the Anti-Masonic Party, the sole plank of whose public platform was the elimination of secret societies. (He carried Vermont, received seven electoral votes, and a popular vote of over 33,000 voters.) Of course, the second-weirdest aspect of all this is that Wirt was himself a Mason, and delivered a pro-Masonic speech at the nominating convention. (The party was actually more anti-Andrew Jackson than anything else, one suspects.)

The very weirdest aspect of Wirt's history is that, indeed, his skull was stolen, and many years later returned under mysterious circumstances (2005); read about it here.

So: we have a prominent 19th century Mason--an associate of some of the American Founding Fathers--who ran for President under the anti-Masonic Party, and who then had his skull stolen. Why wouldn't Dan Brown write about this?

' "If we begin with certainties, we shall end in doubts; but if we begin in doubts, and are patient in them, we shall end in certainties." '

This 7th tweet, sent out around 9 a.m. this morning (June 25), is a famous quote from Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), noted English philosopher who laid the foundations of what we know today as the scientific method. In his utopian work New Atlantis, he writes of a fictional community that included a scientific institution known as "Solomon's House." On the one hand, this institution was said to be the inspiration for the British Royal Society, founded in 1660, perhaps the oldest scientific society now existing in the world. On the other hand, the connection to Solomon, for some writers, is a connection to Freemasonry.

Was Bacon a Freemason? We have no direct evidence to indicate that, although Bacon's Masonic membership has been speculated at least since the time of Christopher Friederich Nicolai (1733-1811). (Read about the dispute here.)

However, what is indisputable is that a number of early Freemasons of the pre-Grand Lodge and early Grand Lodge era were prominent in the Royal Society:

• Sir Robert Moray, the first person initiated on English soil (1641, in a Scottish military lodge), was the acting founding president of the Royal Society (1660-1662). (Some have claimed that these were two separate people.)


• Elias Ashmole, long known for his 1646 diary entry being the first documentation of initiation into an English Lodge, was a member of the Royal Society.


• John Theophilus Desaguliers, the third Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England (1719-1720), had become a member of the Royal Society in 1714.


• Seven other early Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of England were members of the Royal Society. (See p. 73 of Alain Bauer's Isaac Newton's Freemasonry: The Alchemy of Science and Mysticism.)

In sum, mentioning Bacon's quote brings up the long-standing mystery of his association with Freemasonry, as well as the connection of early Freemasons with the Royal Society--a scientific enterprise that, in the world of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, was probably a cover for the Illuminati as Brown conceived them.

"Albrecht Durer, whose father was a goldsmith, was trained as a metalworker at a young age."

This 9th and most recent tweet, sent out about 5 p.m. today (June 25), references the famous artist Durer (1471-1528). Because some of his pieces contain compasses (Melencolia, above, which contains other esoteric symbolism, and Astronomer), and one shows someone holding a square (Portrait of an Architect), some have speculated that Durer was some sort of very early Mason.

Conclusion

Out of 9 tweets on the Twitter page for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, 5 involve a site or individuals with either a documented or reputed connection to Freemasonry. If that does not very strongly suggest that Freemasonry will be featured in The Lost Symbol, I don't know what would, short of an ad in The New York Times where Dan Brown says "Yes, it does feature Freemasonry, folks!" I'll continue to follow those tweets from time to time, and report them here.

A Brief Hiatus

For the next week, I am bound to focus entirely upon the task of packing my possessions and moving my residence. Thus, I shall have to suspend new entries to the blog and the current, ongoing series for this period. Assuming that all goes well and my Internet access is properly restored in my new residence, I hope to be back up and running with the series on or about Monday, June 15. I look forward to getting back to this important subject.

Incidentally, it has been very gratifying to hear from a number of you through my various e-mail connections regarding the series. Any reader is also welcome to leave reflections or questions through the Comment feature at the conclusion of any post.

Part 7: Masonic Rituals. (Series: The Roman Catholic Church and Freemasonry)

(See Part 1 for the context of this presentation.)

In his lecture on "The Catholic Church and Freemasonry," the Rev. Mr. John J. McManus quotes an article by Monsignor Ronny E. Jenkins, which in turn refers to a document generated by the German [Roman Catholic] Bishops' Conference in about 1980. In that document, the bishops state that membership in the Catholic Church is incompatible with membership in Freemasonry. The German Bishops' Conference apparently reached this conclusion on the basis of twelve areas of Masonic teaching or practice that, they said, conflicted with Catholic teaching. The seventh of these areas is the following, as the bishops put it:

The Masonic Rituals: The rituals of the first three Masonic grades have a clear sacramental character about them, indicating that an actual transformation of some sort is undergone by those who participate in them.

At first glance, a Mason unversed in the intricacies of Catholic doctrine might be inclined to agree with this statement. My Masonic obligations preclude my posting a public statement or picture illustrating any of the details of the first three degrees of Freemasonry, but there are public Masonic ceremonies that will serve just as well to illustrate this point.

Even in a public Masonic ceremony, such as the installation of lodge officers, one can observe a great deal of ritual. Such an installation is depicted in the photo above (click for a much larger image; the photo is described in great detail at the conclusion of this post). Even in just this single photo, one observes an altar, a holy book carefully positioned on that altar, ceremonial clothing (the aprons), ritual objects (the baton, the electric light standing in for a taper or candle), and ritual stances (standing at attention on one side of the altar). Isn't this kind of 'sacramental'? After all, it certainly is ceremonial and ritualistic.

In addition, of course, many people know that one way to describe the purpose of Freemasonry is the time-honored phrase, "to make good men better." Surely, the point of Freemasonry and its rituals is to transform men, right?

The problem with that position is that it assumes that the bishops and the casual reader are using the same language. However, this is not the case. The terms "sacrament" and "sacramental character" each have a technical meaning within Catholic doctrine. As we become aware of these meanings, and how these concepts relate to the term "transformation," we will see that the statement of the German Bishops' Conference is actually grossly inaccurate.

The Meaning of "Sacrament" and "Sacramental Character" in Catholic Teaching

The sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church are not merely rituals or ceremonies, nor even just very important ones. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (online edition here), the seven sacraments were specifically instituted by Jesus Christ (paragraphs 1114 and 1117), and include Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist (that is, Holy Communion), Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders (that is, ordination to the priesthood), and Matrimony (par. 1113). (In all the quotations from the Catechism below, italics are in the original, and internal footnotes have been omitted.) As noted in the Catechism, some specific characteristics of the sacraments include the following:

• Sacraments are meant to bestow spiritual sanctification upon the recipient. "The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men ..." (par. 1123). In turn, sanctification involves a thoroughgoing transformation into a state of holiness through supernatural means: "The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the 'inner man,' justification entails the sanctification of his whole being" (par. 1995).

• Sacraments confer grace, a special blessing from God that transforms the recipient by divine power, thus sanctifying the recipient. "... the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is ... he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament [that is, in the portion of the sacramental ceremony in which God is invoked], expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power" (par. 1127). 'Grace' is also a special term, of course: "Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us" (par. 1996). "The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is the sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism. It is in us the source of the work of sanctification" (par. 1999).

• Sacraments bestow a spiritual transformation that is necessary for salvation. "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments ... are necessary for salvation. 'Sacramental grace' is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful [into] partners in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with ... the Savior" (par. 1129).

• The term 'sacramental character' means that an action places an indelible spiritual seal, lasting forever, on the soul of the recipient. "The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or 'seal' by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible, it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church" (par. 1121).

• The power behind the sacraments is the power of God. "... [The] sacraments act ... by virtue of the saving work of Christ, accomplished once for all. It follows that 'the sacrament is ... wrought ... by the power of God.' From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it" (par. 1128).

• The sacraments involve a special connection between the recipient and God. The sacraments "manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communication with ... God" (par. 1118).

Now, which of the above characteristics of the Catholic sacraments in any way resembles either the rituals of Freemasonry in general, or the initiatory rituals of the first three degrees in particular? None at all. Consider this:

• The rituals of Freemasonry do not pretend to bestow spiritual sanctification upon the initiate. The ritual may inspire a man to live a better life--we certainly hope this--perhaps even a holier life, but there is nothing about the ritual that says it bestows a supernatural blessing of sanctification upon the candidate.

• Masonic ritual does not pretend to confer transformative grace, as this is defined in Catholic teaching. Of course, Masons ask for the blessing of God upon their endeavors, including their efforts to become better men. However, there is no place where the ritual says it calls power from heaven (or anywhere else) to work some sort of spiritual transformation upon a man.

• Masonic ritual does not make any reference to having any effect upon salvation. Masonic ritual is spiritual, in the sense that it is meant to focus the mind of the participant upon his spiritual duties. However, there is nothing in the ritual that pretends to have any effect on the initiate's eternal salvation.

• There is absolutely, positively nothing about Masonic ritual that has a 'sacramental character,' as this is defined in Catholic teaching. There simply is no part of the ritual that pretends to put some kind of spiritual seal on the soul of the participant.

• The Masonic rituals do not pretend to have the power of God behind them. The rituals say nothing about being backed by or founded upon divine power. Yes, it is publicly known that Masons take their solemn obligations on the Holy Bible, but Masons do not pretend that they conduct these rituals through some special divine power bestowed by God or God's representatives, or that the ritual puts participants in some sort of spiritual communion with God.

Thus, contrary to what the German Bishops' Conference states, the rituals of Masonic initiation--either the three basic degrees in the Blue Lodge, or the high degrees--do not have a "sacramental character" about them at all. This is true, whether we understand "sacramental character" in the technical sense described in the Catechism, or in the more general sense of meaning "like a sacrament."

In addition, although through Freemasonry we seek to become better men, this is not remotely like some kind of transformation wrought by spiritual powers, to which the bishops are making reference when they mention that "an actual transformation of some sort is undergone by those who participate in them [that is, the first three degrees of Freemasonry]."

Freemasonry simply has different goals and means than sacramental religion. Sacramental religion seeks for eternal salvation through grace and divine power that thoroughly transforms a man into a different kind of being. Freemasonry seeks to make good men better, through exposing them to important principles and symbolic teachings; it is these men's own pondering upon these principles, teachings, and symbols that helps to change their lives.

Of course, in reading this, it is important to understand that Freemasonry is not proposing itself as some kind of substitute for sacramental religion. As in all things religious, Freemasonry leaves the choce of a religion to the conscience of the individual Mason; however, Masonry does not propose itself as a potential candidatefor a personal religion.

In sum, there is nothing in Masonic ritual that poses the kind of problems that the Conference report says it does. Sacraments involve rituals, it is true, but by far most rituals are not sacraments. Masonic ritual, in particular, does not pretend to be sacramental in nature.

Next time (Part 8): The Perfection of Humankind.


[The image above shows (l.-r.) Mark E. Koltko-Rivera and W:. John E. Devlin, PM, at the installation of officers at Winter Park Lodge #239 Free and Accepted Masons (Grand Lodge of Florida), December 29, 2007. W:. Bro. Devlin is serving as Marshal for the installation ceremony; he carries the Marshal's baton in his left hand, and wears the ornate apron of a Past Master of the lodge. Bro. Koltko-Rivera is being installed as the regular Marshal of the lodge--the most junior of lodge officers--for 2008; he wears the Marshal's apron, with the crossed batons that are a symbol of the Marshal's office. These brethren are standing west of the altar, facing east, where the presiding Installing Officer stands outside the frame of the picture. Friends and family are visible in the background on the left; the annual Winter Park Lodge installation of officers, like perhaps all such ceremonies in Florida, is a public event. Atop the altar on the left, an open copy of the Holy Bible represents the Volume of Sacred Law. Just to the right of the Bible is an electric light bulb on a post, standing in for a ritual taper or candle. The table covered with a white cloth on the right holds a variety of ritual objects, including an ornate ceremonial collar that Br. Koltko-Rivera will wear as Marshal of the lodge. Photo by Bro. Ricardo Parente of Winter Park Lodge.]