Its founders wanted it to be democratic, that is to say operating on the principle of elections. Thus our Most Respectable Grand Master is elected for a period of 3 years.
One of the characteristics of our obedience is that the Grand Lodge has authority over the high degrees; thus the jurisdiction of the Sovereign College of France and Malta is subject to the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge. It is in fact one and the same association whose President is statutorily the Grand Master who cannot be a Grand Officer of the Sovereign College.
The Convent is the legislative authority of the Grand Lodge. No decision impacting the life of the obedience can pass oout of the Convent which is usually held on a Saturday in June. As our Brothers and Sisters are generally “active” in the sense that they have a professional activity, our convent is organized in such a way that it lasts half a day. It is followed by a fraternal banquet during which the spouses and husbands are invited.
Our Constitution presents our vision of Masonry as well as our way of functioning. It is supplemented by the general regulations for symbolic lodges. Concerning higher-degrees, the Sovereign College has got its own regulations.
Preamble
The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge was founded in Béziers on February 19, 2019 by the Worshipful Masters of the Lodges:
- Matfre Ermengo #1
- Myrddhin #2
- John Scott Eriugena #3
The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge works to the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe. To this end, it requires its members to believe in an ideal that is superior to them.
The Volume of the Sacred Law is open in all lodges of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge. It is a spiritual or religious book linked to ancient Traditions. It is on this volume that the oaths are taken. The Volume of the Sacred Law is opened in the presence of the square and the compasses. These are the three Great Lights of Freemasonry.
The members of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge are free beings of good morals, enamored of traditions and spirituality, concerned with doing good and doing it well. The Franco-Maltese Grand Loge does not make distinctions of gender, race, political or philosophical opinion, or religion. It leaves it up to each member to believe in their own ideal and to have their own ideas.
The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge exercises its undivided jurisdiction over the degrees of Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Mark Fellow Craft and Master Mason. It considers the Mark Fellow Craft degree as the second part of the Fellow Craft.
Discussions of a political or religious nature are strictly prohibited in the lodge.
The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge considers that the ancient usages and Landmarks of the Masonic order must be strictly observed.
Section 1: Definition of Freemasonry
Freemasonry is an ancient initiatory order based on the three values which are brotherly love, the search for truth and relief.
Freemasons are free and moral people of all creeds, religions, races and ethnicities.
Freemasonry aims to improve the individual through the transmission of immemorial initiatory traditions.
The Freemasons of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge do not admit any hindrance in achieving this objective.
Freemasons respect the laws of the country in which they reside. They are responsible and enlightened beings who live according to their ideals and their means.
The Freemasons of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge respect the traditional rules of the Masonic order. In this, they meet in Lodges which themselves are united in Grand Lodge.
Section 2: Sovereignty of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge
Art. 1. – The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge is a sovereign and independent Masonic obedience practicing the Modern Rite of Scotland. It exercises without sharing its exclusive jurisdiction over the following degrees:
Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Mark Fellow Craft and Master Mason.
This sovereignty and its independence are exercised by the universal suffrage of the Worshipful Masters gathered in Convent.
Art. 2. – The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge is a Federation of Lodges. Each Lodge has its own autonomy, respecting the Masonic tradition, the Constitution and the General Regulations of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge.
Art. 3. – The sovereign, constitutional and legislative powers of the Federation are vested in the Convent of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge.
Art. 4. – The Convent is composed of all the Worshipful Masters of the Lodges of the Federation and meets in Uniform at the Master Mason degree.
Art. 5. – Each lodge has one vote.
Art. 6. – Each Worshipful Master can only represent one Lodge.
Art. 7. – The powers of the Worshipful Masters are verified by the Grand Chancellor who, in case of difficulty, refers to the Federal Council, which decides sovereignly.
Art. 8. – The Convent of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge meets at least once a year on Convocation of the Federal Council. All the attributions of the Convent are defined in Title III of the General Regulations of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge.
Art. 9. – The Bureau of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge is made up of the College of Grand Officers. The Grand Master of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge presides over the Convent. The Grand Officers occupy their respective offices.
Art. 10. – The convent of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge is done at the Master Mason degree, unless it decides otherwise.
Art. 11. – Only the Federal Councilors and the Worshipful Masters of the Lodges of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge can take part in the debates.
Art. 12. – There is no quorum; only the lodges present or represented take part in the votes. Voting takes place by acclamation[1], except for elections.
Art. 13. – For a vote to be acquired, it must obtain an absolute majority of the votes cast, with the exception of amendments to the Constitution and the General Regulations which require a two-thirds majority.
Art. 14. – Executive power is exercised by the Federal Council of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge, usually sitting in Béziers.
Art. 15. – The Federal Council is governed by Title II, Chapter 1 of the General Regulations as well as by Title III, Section III of the same regulations.
Art. 16. – The College of Grand Officers of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge is defined in Title III, Section III of the General Regulations of the obedience. Deputy Grand Officers may be appointed.
Art. 17. – The Grand Master and the Grand Provost are elected by the Convent for a period of 3 years. (1 year renewable twice consecutively)
Art. 18. – The other Grand Officers are chosen by Grand Master from among the members of the Federal Council.
Art. 19.- The Grand Master and the Federal Council may designate delegates in territories outside metropolitan France.
Art. 20. – The Federal Councilors are responsible to the Convent for the execution of their mandate.
[1] Freehand.
Section 3: Financial Control
Art. 21. – Financial control is exercised by an independent accounting firm. The expert report is presented annually by the Grand Provost to the Convent.
Section 4: Masonic Justice
Art. 22. – Judicial power is vested, in ordinary matters, in first instance with the Lodges and on appeal, with the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge.
Art. 23. – The judicial powers of the Lodges are exercised by the Judicial Committee; those of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge by the Masonic Chamber of Justice.
Art. 24. – The sentences of the Judicial Committees are subject to appeal before the Chamber of Justice of the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge.
Art. 25. – The judgments of the Judicial Committees as well as the judgments of the Chamber of Justice must be reasoned.
Section 5: Masonic Traditions
Art. 26. – Each Lodge must conform to the Rituals of the Modern Rite of Scotland submitted by the Sovereign College of France and Malta to the Federal Council of the Obedience.
Art. 27. – It is expressly forbidden to provoke or initiate political or religious discussions in the lodge.
Art. 28. – The Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge works in accordance with the Modern Rite of Scotland. The constituent Lodges of the federation use the same rite.
Section 6: Revisions
Art. 29. – Any proposal for modification of this Constitution must, in order to be able to be examined by the Convent, emanate either from the Federal Council, or from at least twenty percent of the lodges of the Federation within the prescribed time.
Art. 30. – Any decision taken by the Franco-Maltese Grand Lodge outside the constitutional forms is null and void and will not be promulgated.
Art. 31. – Any modification to the Constitution which will have been rejected cannot be submitted again to the deliberations of the Convent before a period of two years.