April 20, 2010
Ancient and Accepted Rite at Downside Abbey
If you’ve ever come across an Old Boy of Downside, the Benedictine school near Bath in England, you’ve probably encountered a well-spoken gentleman with a kind of debonair Anglo-European panache. That’s been my experience in any case, and there’s also no denying the serene beauty of Downside Abbey and the rarity of the incunabula in its octagonal monastery library.
I do wonder about the wideness of the liturgical traditions now embraced there, particularly after having stumbled across the following item in a magazine we used in the research for our book (The Square):
“Saturday 28 May 2005: Demonstration of A&A 4th and 5th degrees. Downside Abbey, Stratton on the Fosse, Somerset.”
Could this be a remarkable misprint?
“A&A” refers to the Ancient and Accepted (ie, “Scottish”) Rite of freemasonry, which for its members in England & Wales periodically offers “demonstrations” of Masonic degrees not normally performed in full ceremonies. The diary note in this magazine appears to suggest that the ceremonies were to take place in the Abbey church, or at least within its precincts. (It almost goes without saying, but the irregularity of this, should it have happened, takes one’s breath away.)
Can anyone enlighten us as to this story?
Part of it may be attributable to the visit of the Marquess of Northampton to the school, when he was pro-grand master of English freemasonry. In 2005, he made the following startling public remarks:
“I was invited two years ago to address some of the senior boys and monks at Downside, the Roman Catholic boarding school. I spoke for nearly an hour on Freemasonry, its symbols and its principles. I quoted passages from the charge after initiation to give an idea of what a candidate is taught in the rituals. I explained the working tools and how we moralise their uses in building our temple, not made with human hands. I stressed that freemasonry was just a system without dogma and doctrine which leads us through its three ceremonies on a progressive path from ignorance to enlightenment. I pointed out the benefits of the psychological changes that happen to a man as he passes from being an entered apprentice through the various offices to the Master’s chair – how he develops his intellect, leadership qualities, self confidence, tolerance, kindness, compassion, service to others, open heartedness, social responsibility, temperance and above all self awareness. By the time I had finished and taken questions I left them in no doubt that Freemasonry is a force for good in the world. Even the headmaster remarked how different my version of the Craft was from what he had been led to believe it was like.”
Readers of this blog are invited to comment on (or indeed investigate) the curious events at Downside.
I am very sceptial about there being any degree workings taking place in the presence of non Freemasons. I have never heard of this ever taking place in this country or abroad.
There is nothing to stop the discussion regarding the philosphy of Freemasonry and the history of Freemasonry.
I take the view that people should have the right to make up their own minds about the organisations they decide to join.
Freemasons in the United Kingdom when Joining the Lodge or Royal Arch degrees are required to believe in a Deity. This is a condition of membership that must be accepted without compromise.
The Freemasons have been a part of our sociey in Scotland for over 400 years and will continue to contribute to the well being of society for many more years to come.
As Freemasons we do not discuss politics or religion when we meet as Freemasons but enjoy the pleasure of meeting as Freemasons.
GJ O’Donnell
“There is nothing to stop the discussion regarding the philosphy of Freemasonry and the history of Freemasonry.
I take the view that people should have the right to make up their own minds about the organisations they decide to join.”
I assume the point is that from the point of view of freemasons, there is nothing stopping them from talking about freemasonry in general terms in the company of non-freemasons.
However, it should be argued that from the point of view of a Catholic parent sending/ entrusting their son or daughter to a Catholic school for the purposes of a Catholic education, they might expect an open discussion of freemasonry to be an unnecessary – or even antipathetic – element of their child’s Catholic education.
It is common, however, for it to be thought that every perspective needs to be heard in order for ‘young people’ to ‘think for themselves’ and ‘make their own decisions’.
Pope Benedict’s words to the English bishops might be relevant here: ‘In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate.’
We do not know whether the implicit dissent from Catholic beliefs – indifferentism, deism – that are inherent in freemasonry were highlighted at this event, but that the Marquess of Northampton was able to say that ‘by the time I had finished and taken questions I left them in no doubt that Freemasonry is a force for good in the world’ does cause some concern.