HISTORY
There are several opinions as to the origin of Freemasonry as a society.
The architect who built the Temple of Solomon 3,000 years ago is generally remembered as the first Mason.
The “Regius Poem”, or the “Regius Manuscript” contains the earliest known written reference to Freemasons and was published in 1390. It described the usages of English Masons.
In the beginning Freemasonry was “operative”, represented by the medieval guild of skilled mason builders who built cathedrals and castles. It was a secret society like all guilds, in order to preserve their professional knowledge. The term “Masonic Lodge” meant their quarters built near construction sites.
After the Gothic period, they saw a decrease in the number of large construction projects and to survive, the active members accepted other members who were not masons, but who were attracted to this guild by their prestige, their intellectual traditions, their secrets and their brotherhood.
After the gradual acceptance of members who are not Masons, these change Freemasonry into its “speculative” form, a society of free and accepted Masons who no longer have any connection with Masonry as a profession. This modern Freemasonry begins with the merger of four lodges in London in 1717.
In the territory of present-day Canada, in the beginning there were Masons among the British soldiers in service. The first Masonic lodge formed by civilian members was that of Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia in 1738. In Quebec, the first lodge received its patent in 1764.
Freemasonry has become an ancient and vast movement of thoughts with various currents over time, according to which several rites have developed.
It bears the imprint of several influences: the wisdom of ancient Egypt, Greece, the Knights Templars, the Rosicrucians, the builders of cathedrals, etc.
Contemporary Freemasonry is a discreet society, formed by free people, of all faiths and from all social backgrounds, who seek to improve themselves from the moral and spiritual point of view.