76-77 Freemasonry in France

Freemasonry in France (pages à 281 du livre)

April 5, 1965

France; namely atheism and political activity. They only paid insincere service to the Great Lights in order to retain their internal relations with some regular Great Lodges.
A third Grand Body is the Grande Loge Nationale Française, which has a record of faithful adherence to the Ancient Landmarks, displays the Great Lights upon its altars and requires a belief in a Supreme Being, usually called the Grand Architect of the Universe. Most regular Grand Lodges in the world recognize it as regular and legal. It is strongly supported by the conservative Masonic element in France.
It was in the Lodges of the Grand Lodge in France that Members of the Supreme Council had their basic Masonic membership. Richard Dupuy was the Grand Master and was reelected in 1963 by a majority of only two votes because he had leaned too far toward regularity status and lost votes from those who wanted an alliance with the Grand Orient. On September 17, 1964 the Grand Lodge of France ratified by 140 votes for and 92 against a Treaty of Alliance with the Grand Orient of France, which, at its recent General Assembly, had reaffirmed its political purposes. Many French politicians belong to it, and it plays quite a part in French politics. The Treaty of Alliance will permit dual membership and inter-visitation between the Grand Lodge and the Grand Orient of France.
On the next day, September 19, 1964, the Supreme Council for France, with all 21 members present, under the leadership of Crand Commander Charles Riandey, voted unanimously to break all relations with the Grand Lodge of France because it had become irregular by its treaty with the Grand Orient. Many Lodges and members left the Grand Lodge and sought membership in the Grande Loge Nationale Française, the only regular Grand Lodge in France. It opened wide its doors to all members of the Grand Lodge of France who wished to return to the regular practice of Traditional Freemasonry.
Grand Commander Riandey convened the Supreme Council on November 23, 1964, and proposed a motion, which carried 15 to 6, stating that all brethren who had not handed in their demits from the Grand Lodge of France by January 31, 1965, would be stricken from the Register of the Supreme Council. This was to stimulate the members to become regularized.
On December 19, 1964, the Supreme Council again convened. Instead of proceeding to regular business, immediately a motion was handed in by Grand Treasurer Merigeault, signed by 12 members, which stated that

(a) It condemned the attitude of the Grand Commander.

(b) It reproached the Grand Commander for having encouraged the brethren to leave the Grand Lodge of France.

(c) It reproached the Grand Commander for having made contacts with the Grande Loge Nationale Française.

(d) It desired to reopen relations with the Grand Lodge of France.

(e) It demanded that the Sovereign Grand Commander, Charles Riandey, hand in his demission from his title and function.

(N.B. Riandey had just been re-elected for a period of 9 years on September 18, 1964!)

Riandey refused and left the meetings, as the motion was carried by a majority of 13 against 7. Grand Secretary General and Grand Chancellor Henri Bittard was the 13th to vote against Riandey.
On January 11, 1965, the Supreme Council convened again - this time at the call of Lieutenant Grand Commander Marcel Flouret - and they elected Stanislas Bonnet as Sovereign Grand Commander and Flouret installed him. They then had a session and abrogated the decisions adopted on November 23, 1964, in which they declared the Grand Lodge of France irregular and ordered that the names of all brethren who had not left the Grand Lodge of France by January 31, 1965, be struck from the Register. These decisions constituted the death sentence of the regularity of the Supreme Council for France and all its Members.
Fraternal relations with the Supreme Council for France were suspended on January 14, 1965, by the Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., and notice was sent to all Sovereign Grand Commanders of regular Supreme Councils. Immediately, the Grand Commanders of The Netherlands, Dominion of Canada, and the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A., did likewise; and subsequently the Supreme Councils of Belgium, Turkey, The Dominican Republic, and others have done the same.
Since the Supreme Council was hopelessly irregular, France was unoccupied Scottish Rite territory, and in order to again bring “Order Out Of Chaos” Grand Commander Hofman of the Supreme Council of the Netherlands, Grand Commander Bushnell of the Supreme Council for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Grand Commander Derby of the Supreme Council for the Dominion of Canada, acting through his representative, Immediate Past Grand Commander Berkinshaw, and the Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., urged Brother Charles Riandey and his loyal members of the Supreme Council for France to get regularized and to reorganize the Supreme Council for France on a firm basis of regularity in accordance with the Grand Constitutions of 1786. These brethren (except Grand Commander Hofman) and Grand Master E. Van Hecke of the Grande Loge Nationale Française came to Washington and held a conference in the office of the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., in the House of the Temple on February 23, 1965, and after thoroughly canvassing the facts and coming to a complete understanding of the situation, the idea of re-establishing the Supreme Council for France with Brother Riandey as Sovereign Grand Commander was unanimously approved, and the Grand Commanders of the Supreme Councils of The Netherlands, Dominion of Canada, and the two Grand Commanders of the Supreme Councils in the U.S.A., deputized Brother Riandey, whose address is - 71 Avenue Henri Martin, Paris XVI, France - to proceed accordingly and fulfill the assignment to re-establish the Supreme Council for France with himself as Grand Commander.
Pursuant to the authority of his deputation, Brother Charles Riandey, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, has, according to the provisions of the Grand Constitutions of 1786, crowned George Huzam, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, and they, and their subsequent additions, have crowned Robert Salgues, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, and they, and their subsequent additions, have regularly crowned eleven additional Sovereign Grand Inspectors General in France from among true and lawful brethren in possession of the Symbolic Degrees conferred in regular and legitimate Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grande Loge Nationale Française and those of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite conferred by the Supreme Council, 33rd, of The Netherlands.
Brother Riandey is promptly and faithfully going forward with the work assigned to him, and when completed will issue a Manifesto to all regular Supreme Councils in the World and fraternally request that the reorganized Supreme Council be recognized as the regular and legitimate Supreme Council for France. Our Supreme Councils will promptly grant his request and fraternally recommend that all regular Supreme Councils do the same.

Fraternally,

Sovereign Grand Commander for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

Sovereign Grand Commander for the Dominion of Canada

Sovereign Grand Commander for The Netherlands

Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.
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ANNEXE No 16
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THE SUPREME COUNCIL (MOTHER COUNCIL OF THE WORLD) THIRTY-THIRD AND LAST DEGREE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTT1SH RITE OF FREEMASONRY, SOUTHERN JURISDICTION, U.S.A.

March 3, 1965

IN RE: Reorganization or The Supreme Council, 33rd', for France

TO: Illustrious and dear Brother Charles Riandey

We, the undersigned Sovereign Grand Commanders of our respective Supreme Councils, 33rd, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite or Freemasonry, as shown below, hereby jointly deputize you as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General, residing in France, to reorganize the Supreme Council, 33rd, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for France from among regular and duly qualified Masons of regular Blue Lodges in that nation according to the provisions of the Grand Constitutions of 1786, under which the Supreme Council for France was created in 1804 by a Sovereign Grand Inspector General acting under authority of the mother Supreme Council of the World at Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A., and to do and perform any and all things necessary to complete the reorganization of the Supreme Council for France.

Fraternally,

Sovereign Grand Commander of The Netherlands

Sovereign Grand Commander for The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

Sovereign Grand Commander for the Dominion of Canada

Sovereign Grand Commander of The Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.