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82-525: He was initiated as Freemason around 1886 in Madrid's Vetonica lodge of the Grand Orient of Spain, but his activity was limited, among other reasons due to his disillusion with the prospects this membership offered to his immediate purposes. Lerroux agitated as a young man in the ranks of the radical republicans, as a follower of Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla . He practised a demagogic and aggressive journalistic style in

164-541: A Freemason to explore Masonry further through other degrees, administered separately from the basic Craft or "Blue Lodge" degrees described here, but generally having a similar structure and meetings. There is much diversity and little consistency in Freemasonry because each Masonic jurisdiction is independent and sets its own rules and procedures while Grand Lodges have limited jurisdiction over their constituent member Lodges, which are ultimately private clubs. The wording of

246-514: A Mason, he is qualified to join various "Concordant bodies" which offer additional degrees. These organisations are usually administered separately from the Grand Lodges who administer the Craft degrees. The extra degrees vary with locality and jurisdiction . In addition to these bodies, there are further organizations outside of the more traditional Rites of Freemasonry, that require an individual to be

328-714: A Master Mason before they can join (such as the Rosicrucian Society of England ). Throughout its history, Freemasonry has received criticism and opposition on religious and political grounds. The Catholic Church, some Protestant denominations, and certain Islamic countries or entities have expressed opposition to or banned membership in Free-Masonry. Opposition to Freemasonry is sometimes rooted in anti-Semitism or conspiracy theories , and Freemasons have historically been persecuted by authoritarian states. The Masonic lodge

410-503: A cancelled route, leading to his further discreditment. In the elections of 1936, Lerroux was not elected as a deputy. The same year, the Spanish Civil War broke out and he fled to Portugal . He returned to Spain in 1947. Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry ) or simply Masonry includes various fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from

492-644: A foreign policy controlled by The Crown . At the beginning of the reign of Philip V , in 1705, the King created the Office of First Secretary of State , a kind-of Prime Minister entrusted with foreign relations and the Marquess of Grimaldo was appointed the first Secretary. This is considered by some to be the origin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but most consider the initial date to be on 30 November 1714 because in this day,

574-645: A given country, state or geographical area (termed a jurisdiction ). There is no single overarching governing body that presides over worldwide Freemasonry; connections between different jurisdictions depend solely on mutual recognition. Estimates of the worldwide membership of Freemasonry in the early 21st century ranged from about two million to more than six million. The fraternity is administratively organised into independent Grand Lodges (or sometimes Grand Orients), each of which governs its own Masonic jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or constituent ) Lodges. The United Grand Lodge of England remains

656-504: A lecture, which is usually on some aspect of Masonic history or ritual. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Lodge may hold a formal dinner , or festive board , sometimes involving toasting and song. The bulk of Masonic ritual consists of degree ceremonies. Candidates for Freemasonry are progressively initiated into Freemasonry, first in the degree of Entered Apprentice . At some later time, in separate ceremonies, they will be passed to

738-547: A precedent for "shared jurisdiction" between mainstream and Prince Hall Grand Lodges, effectively modifying the traditional interpretation of Exclusive Jurisdiction. By 2024, most U.S. Grand Lodges have recognized their Prince Hall counterparts, establishing a new norm where two Grand Lodges can legitimately operate within the same geographical area, provided they maintain mutual recognition and amity. The evolution of this practice demonstrates how traditional Masonic principles can adapt to accommodate social progress while maintaining

820-467: A republic. Under the republican regime, Lerroux regained a leading political role, being appointed prime minister three times between and occupying the distinguished ministerial portfolios. He was part of the coalition of leftists that supported the reforms of Manuel Azaña 's government during the first biennium (1931–1933), during which time he served as Minister of State between 14 April 1931 and 16 December 1931. From 12 September to 9 October 1933, he

902-471: A working lodge, that every member professes belief in a Supreme Being , that no women be admitted, and that the discussion of religion and politics do not take place within the lodge; and Continental Freemasonry , which consists of the jurisdictions that have removed some, or all, of these restrictions. The basic, local organisational unit of Freemasonry is the Lodge . These private Lodges are usually supervised at

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984-508: Is 18, but university lodges are given dispensations to initiate undergraduates below that age.) Additionally, most Grand Lodges require a candidate to declare a belief in a Supreme Being (although every candidate must interpret this condition in his own way, as all religious discussion is commonly prohibited). In a few cases, the candidate may be required to be of a specific religion. The form of Freemasonry most common in Scandinavia (known as

1066-476: Is Regular and what is Irregular (and the definitions do not necessarily agree between Grand Lodges). Essentially, every Grand Lodge will hold that its landmarks (its requirements, tenets and rituals) are Regular, and judge other Grand Lodges based on those. If the differences are significant, one Grand Lodge may declare the other "Irregular" and withdraw or withhold recognition. The most commonly shared rules for Recognition (based on Regularity) are those given by

1148-457: Is a historically African-American branch of Freemasonry that maintains its own separate Grand Lodge system parallel to the state Grand Lodge system. Together, these two systems - the conservative Grand Lodges and Prince Hall Grand Lodges make up for a total of 97 UGLE recognized Grand Lodges, sharing jurisdictions in the United States. They represent the main bodies of Masonic governance in

1230-664: Is a system of 33 degrees, including the three Blue Lodge degrees administered by a local or national Supreme Council. This system is popular in North America, South America and in Continental Europe . In America, the York Rite , with a similar range, administers three orders of Masonry, namely the Royal Arch , Cryptic Masonry , and Knights Templar . In Britain, separate bodies administer each order. Freemasons are encouraged to join

1312-621: Is composed for more than 215 diplomatic missions around the world, including embassies , consulates , and other facilities. Not including the 48 cooperation units of the AECID and the 87 Cervantes Institute centers. The MAEUEC, created in 1714, is headed by the Foreign Minister, who is appointed by the Monarch at request of the Prime Minister . The minister is assisted by five main officials,

1394-521: Is in amity with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut, the principle of Exclusive Jurisdiction does not apply, and other Grand Lodges may recognise both. Likewise, the five distinct kinds of lodges in Germany have nominally united under one Grand Lodge in order to obtain international recognition. The concept of Exclusive Jurisdiction has been significantly challenged in the United States with

1476-456: Is not allowed. There are many reasons one Grand Lodge will withhold or withdraw recognition from another, but the two most common are Exclusive Jurisdiction and Regularity . Exclusive Jurisdiction is a concept whereby normally only one Grand Lodge will be recognised in any geographical area. If two Grand Lodges claim jurisdiction over the same area, the other Grand Lodges will have to choose between them, and they may not all decide to recognise

1558-434: Is progressively taught the meanings of the symbols of Freemasonry and entrusted with grips, signs, and words to signify to other members that he has been so initiated. The degrees are part allegorical morality play and part lecture. These three degrees form Craft (or Blue Lodge) Freemasonry, and members of any of these degrees are known as Free-Masons , Freemasons or Masons . Once the Craft degrees have been conferred upon

1640-476: Is that each candidate must be "free and of good reputation". The question of freedom, a standard feudal requirement of mediaeval guilds, is nowadays one of independence: the object is that every Mason should be a proper and responsible person. Thus, each Grand Lodge has a standard minimum age, varying greatly and often subject to dispensation in particular cases. (For example, in England the standard minimum age to join

1722-453: Is the annual installation of the Master of the Lodge and his appointed or elected officers. In some jurisdictions, an Installed Master elected, obligated, and invested to preside over a Lodge, is valued as a separate rank with its own secrets and distinctive title and attributes; after each full year in the chair the Master invests his elected successor and becomes a Past Master with privileges in

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1804-424: Is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. The Lodge meets regularly and conducts the usual formal business of any small organisation (approve minutes , elect new members, appoint officers and take their reports, consider correspondence, bills and annual accounts, organise social and charitable events, etc.). In addition to such business, the meeting may perform a ceremony to confer a Masonic degree or receive

1886-432: Is upon candidates to ask to join; while they may be encouraged to ask, they may not be invited. Once the initial inquiry is made, a formal application may be proposed and seconded or announced in open Lodge and a more or less formal interview usually follows. If the candidate wishes to proceed, references are taken up during a period of notice so that members may enquire into the candidate's suitability and discuss it. Finally,

1968-609: The Holy Royal Arch , which is linked to Mark Masonry in Scotland and Ireland, but completely separate in England. In England, the Royal Arch is closely associated with the Craft, automatically having many Grand Officers in common, including H.R.H the Duke of Kent as both Grand Master of the Craft and First Grand Principal of the Royal Arch. The English Knights Templar and Cryptic Masonry share

2050-537: The Landmarks of Freemasonry , which elude any universally accepted definition. Candidates for Freemasonry will usually have met the most active members of the Lodge they are joining before being elected for initiation. The process varies among Grand Lodges, but in modern times interested people often look up a local Lodge through the Internet and will typically be introduced to a Lodge social function or open evening. The onus

2132-497: The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No. 1 in Scotland show a continuity from an operative lodge in 1598 to a modern speculative Lodge. It is reputed to be the oldest Masonic Lodge in the world. Alternatively, Thomas De Quincey in his work titled Rosicrucians and Freemasonry put forward the theory that suggested that Freemasonry may have been an outgrowth of Rosicrucianism . The theory had also been postulated in 1803 by German professor; J. G. Buhle . The first Grand Lodge,

2214-585: The Nordic countries , the Swedish Rite is dominant; a variation of it is also used in parts of Germany. Freemasonry describes itself as a "beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols". The symbolism is mainly, but not exclusively, drawn from the tools of stonemasons – the square and compasses , the level and plumb rule, the trowel , the rough and smooth ashlars , among others. Moral lessons are attributed to each of these tools, although

2296-833: The Palace of Santa Cruz . A year later the Palace of Viana in Madrid was established as the official residence of the Foreign Minister and in 1942, the Diplomatic School was created. During the Spanish transition to democracy , the Foreign Ministry was a fundamental institution, since it was in charge of transmitting to the world the political change that Spanish society was living and promoting relations with Ibero-America and other priority regions for Spanish foreign policy. Other important role that

2378-717: The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs , the Secretary of State for the European Union , the Secretary of State for International Cooperation , the Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The current Foreign Minister is Mr. José Manuel Albares , former Spanish ambassador to France. As of 2019, Spain had 215 diplomatic posts worldwide. Of these, 115 were embassies , 89 consulates and 11 other types of diplomatic representations, not counting

2460-535: The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) was created and in this sense in 2004 the Ministry was renamed «Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation» with the aim of highlighting the role of Spain as a country committed to supporting the most disadvantaged peoples through cooperation for development . In 2000 the headquarters were moved to a 50,455 square meters building in Madrid but because of environmental and conditioning problems led to

2542-473: The Swedish Rite ), for example, accepts only Christians. At the other end of the spectrum, "Liberal" or Continental Freemasonry , exemplified by the Grand Orient de France , does not require a declaration of belief in any deity and accepts atheists (the cause of the distinction from the rest of Freemasonry). During the ceremony of initiation, the candidate is required to undertake an obligation, swearing on

Alejandro Lerroux - Misplaced Pages Continue

2624-622: The Tragic Week in Barcelona (1909). After returning to Spain, Lerroux agreed to join the Republican–Socialist Conjunction , and he was elected as a deputy again in 1910. Afterwards, he was involved in a series of scandals that moved him away from his Barcelona electorate, with corruption accusations forcing him into a change of district, appearing for Córdoba in 1914). From 1919 he was on the payroll of Barcelona Traction , part of

2706-588: The United Grand Lodge of England . The Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland were formed in 1725 and 1736, respectively, although neither persuaded all of the existing lodges in their countries to join for many years. The earliest known American lodges were in Pennsylvania . The collector for the port of Pennsylvania, John Moore, wrote of attending lodges there in 1715, two years before

2788-737: The United States , Masonic membership is organized in two systems, first through 51 Conservative Grand Lodges - one for each state plus the District of Columbia . While these Grand Lodges once boasted over 4 million members in 1957, membership has declined sharply. According to the Masonic Service Association of North America, current combined membership across these jurisdictions stands at approximately 875,000 members. Additionally, there are 46 Prince Hall Grand Lodges in amity with UGLE, operating across various U.S. states. Prince Hall Masonry

2870-500: The attempted revolution of October 1934 , he fell out of favor due to the Straperlo affair (a case of corruption bound to gambling legalization), which completely broke his alliance with the right and even weakened his position within the party. This was followed by the Nombela scandal , where he participated actively by signing a contract paying a private company 3 million pesetas to perform

2952-524: The second world war from 33,000 in 1960 to 53,000 in 2023. Relations between Grand Lodges are determined by the concept of Recognition . Each Grand Lodge maintains a list of other Grand Lodges that it recognises. When two Grand Lodges recognise and are in Masonic communication with each other, they are said to be in amity , and the brethren of each may visit each other's Lodges and interact Masonically. When two Grand Lodges are not in amity, inter-visitation

3034-520: The "Emperor of the Paralelo ". In 1898 and 1899, he organized through his newspapers a campaign for the judicial review of the Montjuic trial in which forced confessions through torture had led to the execution of some of the suspects for the 1896 Barcelona Corpus Christi procession bombing . This contributed to his rise as a left-wing political force in Barcelona. In 1906, Lerroux rallied his followers with

3116-404: The "craft" by being progressively "initiated", "passed" and "raised" into the three degrees of Craft, or Blue Lodge Masonry. During these three rituals, the candidate is progressively taught the Masonic symbols, and entrusted with grips or tokens, signs, and words to signify to other Masons which degrees he has taken. The dramatic allegorical ceremonies include explanatory lectures and revolve around

3198-531: The 48 cooperation units of the AECID or the 87 centers of the Cervantes Institute . Diplomacy was born with the first Nation-States , being Spain one of the oldest Nation-States that continues to exist today. The first diplomatic relations of Spain as a unified entity began to be carried out with the Catholic Monarchs , but strengthened by Charles I and Philip II because of the need to protect

3280-642: The Anglo-Canadian Traction, Light, and Power Company. Under the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–30), his party was debilitated when its left-wing, led by Marcelino Domingo , left to form the Radical Socialist Republican Party in 1929. However, he continued to be active in politics, attending the revolutionary committee that produced the Pact of San Sebastián with the intention of overthrowing King Alfonso XIII and proclaiming

3362-467: The Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, later called the Grand Lodge of England , was founded on St John's Day , 24 June 1717, when four existing London Lodges met for a joint dinner. Over the next decade, most of the existing Lodges in England joined the new regulatory body, which itself entered a period of self-publicity and expansion. New lodges were created, and the fraternity began to grow. During

Alejandro Lerroux - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-552: The King created four specific secretariats : State (foreign affairs), Justice, War and Navy and Indies. There was a fifth body created this day, the Veeduría General , responsible for finance and treasury affairs. The position of First Secretary of State remained unchanged until the first third of the 19th century. After the Napoleonic Wars, the international relations changed and do so the foreign relations of Spain. In 1833

3526-583: The Lodge and Grand Lodge. In other jurisdictions, the grade is not recognised, and no inner ceremony conveys new secrets during the installation of a new Master of the Lodge. Most Lodges have some sort of social functions, allowing members, their partners, and non-Masonic guests to meet openly. Often coupled with these events is the discharge of every Mason's and Lodge's collective obligation to contribute to charity. This occurs at many levels, including in annual dues, subscriptions, fundraising events, Lodges and Grand Lodges. Masons and their charities contribute for

3608-427: The Lodge takes an officially secret ballot on each application before a candidate is either initiated or rejected. The exact number of adverse ballots ("blackballs") required to reject a candidate varies between Masonic jurisdictions. As an example, the United Grand Lodge of England only requires a single "blackball", while the Grand Lodge of New York requires three. A minimum requirement of every body of Freemasons

3690-750: The Mark Grand Lodge offices and staff at Mark Masons Hall. The Ancient and Accepted Rite (similar to the Scottish Rite), requires a member to proclaim the Trinitarian Christian faith, and is administered from Duke Street in London. Conversely, the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia is a fully independent esoteric organization that requires members be United Grand Lodge of England Master Masons . In

3772-543: The Ministry assumed during this period was managing entry into the European Community . During the short period of 1979-1981 the responsibilities on foreign affairs were share between the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry for Relations with the European Communities (which mainly focused on the negotiations for the entry) and after 1981 the second merged into the first Ministry as a Secretariat of State . In 1988

3854-536: The Office was modified and renamed Ministry of State , with Francisco Cea Bermúdez as minister. With this change, Spain was endowed with an analogous institution to which the rest of European nations had in which two new bodies worked on, consular officials and the diplomats, who would eventually merge in 1928. It was precisely in 1928 that the Ministry of State merged with the Office of the Prime Minister returning to

3936-543: The Premiere Grand Lodge had adopted. As an insult, the self proclaimed "Antient Grand Lodge" coined the term "modern" to designate the Premiere Grand Lodge (historians now use Premiere Grand Lodge and Antient Grand Lodge – to differentiate the two bodies). These two Grand Lodges vied for supremacy until the Premiere Grand Lodge made a compromise with the antient Grand Lodge to return to a ritual that worked for both Grand Lodges. They re-united on 27 December 1813 to form

4018-522: The Radical Republican Party (1908) and headed the struggle against increasing Catalan nationalism . There is some evidence that both Francisco Ferrer and Lerroux may have participated in the hatching of two different plots to assassinate king Alfonso XIII in 1905 and 1906. He had to go into exile on several occasions, first to escape condemnation dictated by one of his articles (1907) and later fleeing from governmental repression in response to

4100-629: The United Grand Lodge of England in 1929: Blue Lodges, known as Craft Lodges in the United Kingdom, offer only the three traditional degrees. In most jurisdictions, the rank of past or installed master is also conferred in Blue/Craft Lodges. Master Masons are able to extend their Masonic experience by taking further degrees, in appendant or other bodies whether or not approved by their own Grand Lodge. The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite

4182-454: The United States, though both have experienced significant membership declines since their mid-20th century peaks. Grand Orient de France , the largest jurisdiction in Continental or Liberal Freemasonry in terms of membership, is over 53,000 members spread across approximately 1,381 lodges for an average of 38 members per Lodges. The Grand Orient de France has been growing in membership since

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4264-414: The assignment is by no means consistent. The meaning of the symbolism is taught and explored through ritual, and in lectures and articles by individual Masons who offer their personal insights and opinions. According to the scholar of Western esotericism Jan A. M. Snoek: "the best way to characterize Freemasonry is in terms of what it is not, rather than what it is". All Freemasons begin their journey in

4346-501: The construction of the Temple of Solomon , and the artistry and death of the chief architect, Hiram Abiff . The degrees are those of "Entered apprentice", "Fellowcraft" and "Master Mason". While many different versions of these rituals exist, with various lodge layouts and versions of the Hiramic legend, each version is recognizable to any Freemason from any jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions,

4428-588: The course of the 18th century, as aristocrats and artists crowded out the craftsmen originally associated with the organization, Freemasonry became fashionable throughout Europe and the American colonies . Between 1730 and 1750, the Grand Lodge endorsed several significant changes that some Lodges could not endorse. A rival Grand Lodge was formed on 17 July 1751, which called itself the " Antient Grand Lodge of England " to signify that, in their opinion, these lodges were maintaining older traditions and rejected changes that

4510-487: The degree of Fellowcraft ; and then raised to the degree of Master Mason . In each of these ceremonies, the candidate must first take the new obligations of the degree, and is then entrusted with secret knowledge including passwords, signs and grips ( secret handshakes ) confined to his new rank. Although these symbols and gestures are nominally secret, they are readily found in public sources, including those published by Masonic organizations themselves. Another ceremony

4592-563: The diverse publications that he directed ( El País , El Progreso , El Intransigente and El Radical ). From the 1890s onwards Lerroux radicalized his discourse. His populist and anticlerical speeches, as well as his intervention in diverse campaigns against the governments of the Restoration , made him very popular among workers in Barcelona , who later constituted the base of a loyal electorate. A prominent anti-catalanist , he became known as

4674-540: The end of the 14th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. Freemasonry is the oldest fraternity in the world and among the oldest continued organizations in history. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of two main recognition groups: Regular Freemasonry , which insists that a “volume of sacred law”, such as the Bible , the Quran , or other religious scripture be open in

4756-515: The first Masonic lodge in Canada at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia . Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation ( MAEUEC ) is a department of the Government of Spain in charge of planning, managing, carrying out and evaluating the country's foreign and international cooperation for development policies, paying special attention to

4838-457: The first evidence of ceremonial regalia. There is no clear mechanism by which these local trade organisations became today's Masonic Lodges. The earliest rituals and passwords known, from operative lodges around the turn of the 17th–18th centuries, show continuity with the rituals developed in the later 18th century by accepted or speculative Masons, as those members who did not practice the physical craft gradually came to be known. The minutes of

4920-407: The following exhortation: "Young barbarians of today: enter and sack the decadent civilization of this unhappy country, destroy its temples, finish off its gods, tear the veil from its novices and raise them up to be mothers to virilize the species, break into the records of property and make bonfires of its papers that fire may purify the infamous social organization. Enter its humble hearths and raise

5002-406: The fundamental aims of regular Freemasonry. Some jurisdictions have formalized this arrangement through written agreements that specifically outline the terms of shared jurisdiction. Regularity is a concept based on adherence to Masonic Landmarks , the basic membership requirements, tenets and rituals of the craft. Each Grand Lodge sets its own definition of what these landmarks are, and thus what

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5084-448: The increasing recognition of Prince Hall Grand Lodges , a branch of Freemasonry created for African Americans. Historically, many "mainstream" or conservative U.S. Grand Lodges refused to recognize Prince Hall Grand Lodges operating in their states, citing Exclusive Jurisdiction. However, this began to change in 1989 when the Grand Lodge of Connecticut extended recognition to its Prince Hall counterpart. This initial recognition created

5166-672: The interests of the Empire . International relations are born with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which, in addition to supposing the end of the Thirty Years' War , meant the reinforcement of the Nation-State as a sovereign entity in its internal affairs and with sovereignty to maintain international relations. The ambassadors already existed and little by little they were reinforcing their duties, placing themselves as essential pieces of foreign policy,

5248-431: The international treaties which Spain is part of. The Foreign Ministry is the nationwide department who oversees the Foreign Action of the Spanish regions and other administrations as well as overseeing the Foreign Action of the constitutional bodies. In this sense, from the Ministry depends the State Foreign Service, the set of individuals, bodies and institutions with competence in foreign matters. The Foreign Service

5330-419: The largest Masonic jurisdiction worldwide. However, its membership has declined dramatically - from about 500,000 members in the 1960s to approximately 175,000 in 2021. The organization is structured into various Provincial Grand Lodges at the local level. Similarly, the Grand Lodge of Ireland has experienced a steep decline, with membership falling from 100,000 in 1960 to around 19,000 members currently. In

5412-442: The law. In most Lodges, the oath or obligation is taken on a Volume of Sacred Law , whichever book of divine revelation is appropriate to the religious beliefs of the individual brother (usually the Bible in the Anglo-American tradition). In Progressive continental Freemasonry, books other than scripture are permissible, a cause of rupture between Grand Lodges. Since the middle of the 19th century, Masonic historians have sought

5494-447: The legions of proletarians that the world may tremble before their awakened judges. Do not be stopped by altars nor by tombs. Fight, kill, die." He was elected as a member of the Congress of Deputies for the first time in 1901 and again in 1903 and 1905, as a member of the Republican Union Party that he had helped to form with Nicolás Salmerón . The defection of Salmerón to the Catalan Solidarity coalition in 1906 led Lerroux to form

5576-536: The main themes of each degree are illustrated by tracing boards . These painted depictions of Masonic themes are exhibited in the lodge according to which degree is being worked and are explained to the candidate to illustrate the legend and symbolism of each degree. The idea of Masonic brotherhood probably descends from a 16th-century legal definition of a "brother" as one who has taken an oath of mutual support to another. Accordingly, Masons swear at each degree to support and protect their brethren unless they have broken

5658-478: The manner they find most satisfying. Some will simply enjoy the dramatics, or the management and administration of the lodge, others will explore the history, ritual and symbolism of the craft, others will focus their involvement on their Lodge's sociopolitical side, perhaps in association with other lodges, while still others will concentrate on the lodge's charitable functions. Grand Lodges and Grand Orients are independent and sovereign bodies that govern Masonry in

5740-497: The ones in relation to the European Union and Ibero-America , as well as coordinating and supervising all actions done in this areas by the other Ministries and Public Administrations . Likewise, it is responsible for promoting international economic, cultural and scientific relationships, taking part in the proposal and application of the migration policy, promoting cross-border and interterritorial cooperation, protecting Spaniards abroad and preparing, negotiating and processing

5822-413: The origins of the movement in a series of similar documents known as the Old Charges , dating from the Regius Poem in about 1425 to the beginning of the 18th century. Alluding to the membership of a lodge of operative masons , they relate it to a mythologised history of the craft, the duties of its grades, and the manner in which oaths of fidelity are to be taken on joining. The 15th century also sees

5904-554: The putative formation of the first Grand Lodge in London. The Grand Lodge of England appointed a Provincial Grand Master for North America in 1731, based in Pennsylvania, leading to the creation of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania . In Canada, Erasmus James Philipps became a Freemason while working on a commission to resolve boundaries in New England and, in 1739, he became provincial Grand Master for Nova Scotia ; Philipps founded

5986-434: The regional level (usually coterminous with a state, province, or national border) by a Grand Lodge or Grand Orient. There is no international, worldwide Grand Lodge that supervises all of Freemasonry; each Grand Lodge is independent, and they do not necessarily recognise each other as being legitimate. Lodges are found around the world and on all populated continents; however due to anti-Masonry and laws that effectively ban

6068-533: The relief of need in many fields, such as education, health and old age. Private Lodges form the backbone of Freemasonry, with the sole right to elect their own candidates for initiation as Masons or admission as joining Masons, and sometimes with exclusive rights over residents local to their premises. There are non-local Lodges where Masons meet for wider or narrower purposes, such or in association with some hobby, sport, Masonic research, business, profession, regiment or college. The rank of Master Mason also entitles

6150-404: The religious volume sacred to his personal faith to do good as a Mason. In the course of three degrees, Masons will promise to keep the secrets of their degree from lower degrees and outsiders, as far as practicality and the law permit, and to support a fellow Mason in distress. There is formal instruction as to the duties of a Freemason, but on the whole, Freemasons are left to explore the craft in

6232-519: The return to the Palace of Santa Cruz in 2004–5. In 2016 the Government approved the reform of the old headquarters of the Ministry and the move it is planned to early 2020. Currently, the employees of the department work on two buildings, the central headquarters at the Santa Cruz Palace and the Ágora Towers, two rented towers in the north of Madrid. The last change took place in 2018, becoming

6314-519: The ritual, the number of officers present, the layout of the meeting room, etc. varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Almost all officers of a Lodge are elected or appointed annually. Every Masonic Lodge has a Master, two Wardens, a treasurer and a secretary. There is also always a Tyler , or outer guard, outside the door of a working Lodge, who may be paid to secure its privacy. Other offices vary between jurisdictions. Each Masonic Lodge exists and operates according to ancient principles known as

6396-402: The same one. (In 1849, for example, the Grand Lodge of New York split into two rival factions, each claiming to be the legitimate Grand Lodge. Other Grand Lodges had to choose between them until the schism was healed. ) Exclusive Jurisdiction can be waived when the two overlapping Grand Lodges are themselves in amity and agree to share jurisdiction. For example, since the Grand Lodge of Connecticut

6478-490: The times when the First Secretary of State was a king-of Premier with foreign affairs responsibilities. This just lasted two years because in 1930 the offices were split again. In spite of the continuous Spanish political instability, international relations and the Ministry remained stable, suffering the biggest change in 1938 when it was renamed Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the current headquarters are established in

6560-656: The tradition, it does not have a presence in every country. In the spirit of brotherhood and hopefulness, however, Freemasons usually presume that clandestine lodges may nonetheless exist in those countries in which it is banned, even if they may not actually exist. The degrees of Freemasonry are the three grades of medieval craft guilds : Entered Apprentice , Journeyman or Fellow of the craft (now called either “Fellowcraft” or “Fellow Craft” in English speaking jurisdictions, and “Companion” in non-English speaking jurisdictions), and Master Mason . The candidate of these three degrees

6642-570: The «Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation», thus emphasizing the Europeanist vocation of Spain and the primary importance that Spanish foreign policy grants, through this Ministry, to the European Union . In January 2022, the ministry opened its new main headquarters in Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is organised in

6724-647: Was Prime Minister. After the victory of the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA) in the elections of autumn 1933, Lerroux again became prime minister, mainly because the President did not wish to appoint CEDA leader José María Gil-Robles y Quiñones . As such, he served from 16 December 1933 to 28 April 1934 and again from 4 October 1934 to 25 September 1935. He also served as minister of war (1934), state (1935) and foreign affairs (1935). After

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