Talk:Rite of Memphis-Misraim/Archive 1

Archive 1

Merge

I suggested a merge of these two articles. Adding will give credibility. Any thoughts? Zos 22:43, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Ok well, I merged the two and added the tags for cleanup and no citations. Have fun. Zos 22:48, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

Still needs sources, which I for one cannot provide. I'm working on cleanup, though. MSJapan 23:42, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

Separate Page for Philadelphians?

If the two pages are to be merged would it make sense to create a separate page for the Philadelphians, as it coincerns to a greta extent their political involvement?Harrypotter 21:40, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Rite vs. Lodge

1. It would be helpful for a reader to find a definition of the topic in the first line of the article.

2. Was there a lodge in France called "Memphis-Mizraim"? I thought that "rite" does not refer to a particular lodge, but then I found a link (http://www.loge-carpediem.de/carpediem/infos/uebersicht_europaeischen_logen.htm) mentioning "Feminine Großloge Memphis Misraim" and "Alter und Primitiver Orientalischer Ritus Memphis Misraim" in the list of European Grand Lodges. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Max Shakhray (talk • contribs) 17:12, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Degree system - edit removed

An anonymous contributor added this section:

The Degrees of the Rite of Memphis-Misraïm

Lodge
1º Apprentice
2º Companion
3º Master

College
4º Secret Master
5º Perfect Master
6º Intimate Secretary
7º Provost and Judge
8º Intendant of the Buildings
9º Master Elect of Nine
10º Illustrious Elect of Fifteen
11º Sublime Prince Elect
12º Grand Master Architect
13º Royal Arch
14º Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Master

Chapter
15º Knight of the East (Knight of the Sword)
16º Prince of Jerusalem
17º Knight of the East and West
18º Knight of the Rose-Croix

Senate
19º Grand Pontiff
20º Knight of the Temple
21º Patriarch Noachite
22º Knight of the Royal Axe
23º Chief of the Tabernacle
24º Prince of the Tabernacle
25º Knight of the Brazen Serpent
26º Prince of Mercy
27º Commander of the Temple
28º Knight of the Sun (Prince Adept)
29º Knight of St. Andrew

Areopage and Tribunal
30º Grand Elected Knight of Kadosh
31º Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander
32º Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret
33º Sovereign Grand Inspector General

Consistory
34º Knight of Scandinavia
35º Knight of the Temple
36º Sublime Negociant
37º Knight of Shota (Sage of Truth)
38º Sublime Elect of Truth (The Red Eagle)
39º Grand Elect of the Aeons
40º Sage Savaiste (Perfect Sage)
41º Knight of the Arch of Seven Colors
42º Prince of Light
43º Sublime Hermetic Sage (Hermetic Philosopher)
44º Prince of the Zodiac
45º Sublime Sage of the Mysteries
46º Sublime Pastor of the Huts
47º Knight of the Seven Stars
48º Sublime Guardian of the Sacred Mount
49º Sublime Sage of the Pyramids
50º Sublime Philosopher of Samothrace
51º Sublime Titan of the Caucasus
52º Sage of the Labyrinth
53º Knight of the Phoenix
54º Sublime Scalde
55º Sublime Orphic Doctor
56º Sage of Cadmia
57º Sublime Magus
58º Prince Brahmine
59º Grand Pontiff of Ogygia
60º Sublime Guardina of the Three Fires
61º Sublime Unknown Philosopher
62º Sublime Sage of Eulisis
63º Sublime Kawi
64º Sage of Mythras
65º Guardian of Sanctuary (Grand Installator)
66º Grand Architect of the Mysterious City (Grand Consecrator)
67º Guardian of the Incommunicable Name (Grand Eulogist)
68º Patriarch of Truth
69º Knight of the Golden Branch of Eleusis
70º Patriarch of the Planispheres
71º Patriarch of the Sacred Vedas
72º Sublime Master of Wisdom
73º Patriarch of the Sacred Fire (Doctor of the Sacred Fire)
74º Sublime Master of the Stoka
75º Knight Commander of the Lybic Chain

Sublime Council
76º Interpreter of Hieroglyphics (Patriarch of Isis)
77º Sublime Knight (Sage Theosopher)
78º Grand Pontiff of the Thebiad
79º Sage of the Redoubtable Sada
80º Sublime Elect of the Sanctuary of Mazias
81º Patriarch of Memphis (Intendent Regulator)
82º Grand Elect of the Temple of Midgard
83º Sublime Elect of the Valley of Oddy
84º Patriarch of the Izeds
85º Sublime Sage (Knight of Kneph)
86º Sublime Philosopher of the Valley of Kab
87º Sublime Prince of Masonry
88º Grand Elect of the Sacred Curtain
89º Patriarch of the Mystic City
90º Sublime Master of the Great Work

Grand Tribunal
91º Grand Defender
92º Grand Catechist
93º Regulator General
94º Prince of Memphis (Grand Administrator)
95º Grand Conservator
96º Grand and Puissant Sovereign of the Order
97º Deputy International Grand Master
98º International Grand Master
99º Grand Hierophant

This was promptly reverted by MSJapan in this edit without any edit summary. Obviously this list comes with no attested references, but we often allow inclusions to remain in articles simply tagging the questionable material with {{fact}}. I am placing the text in question here and requesting that it be commented on. __meco (talk) 11:27, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

AFAIK this is correct, though I don't have a reference to hand. Would be good to add this in - can someone please find a reference? --Rodneyorpheus (talk) 11:54, 27 April 2011 (UTC)

More than 2 years later - still no references? I will proceed to remove it - keep it here until someone gets a source. Truther2012 (talk) 21:35, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Done. Truther2012 (talk) 21:43, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

Please note that this is English Wikipedia...

To the IPs making changes: Changing a source in the article and an external link from the English language site that has the information to a Portuguese one that does not is considered vandalism, and Wikipedia is not the place to advertise your group. Stop changing the links. MSJapan (talk) 19:29, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

Fringe

Recently, MSJapan reverted the removal of the phrase fringe, adding it back, with the edit summary prove it isn't fringe., and we can change it Fringe is an added descriptive term, and not neutral - it portrays this Rite as being beyond the pale of accepted Masonry. However, as seen here, the National Grand Lodge of Romania works this Rite, and is recognized by UGLE (among others), and was recommended as meeting the requirements for recognition by COGMINA.--Vidkun (talk) 14:11, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

I could not find any references to GL of Romania practicing this at the link provided. If these claims are indeed true, you should include them in the article (with proper references).Truther2012 (talk) 21:41, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Please see the following, from the provided link: Internally, Work has begun on the Swedish Rite and the Memphis and Misraim Rites, the construction of the York Rite is completed, and the Scottish Rite has continued its ascendant trajectory begun in 1993. The Eastern Star and DeMolay bodies have been installed. The Romanian Masonic landscape is almost complete.--Vidkun (talk) 19:34, 15 April 2014 (UTC)

Memphis-Misraim in Modern American Freemasonry

As far as I know, MM is totally irregular to all GLs in the US, and a google search proves this, while Scottish rite is not irregular at all, so I have changed the section accordingly. MSJapan 23:05, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

However, your edit says ALL GLs, not all US GLs, and there are GLs that are in mutual recognition with GLs that are in mutual recognition (friend of friend) with UGLE wherein: AAPRMM is NOT deemed irregular; or is deemed regular; or is not addressed (there are SOME GL's that do not have a GL Constitutional clause like GLMA's 700-701 stating what is and isn't a regular appendant body, and simply deem GLs to be what GLs should discuss regarding regularity) . . .--Vidkun 15:33, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Fair enough. On further reflection, as this Rite is not confined to the US, there's no real need to have a US-specific section, so I've just removewd it entirely -- there's too many unsubstantiated statements for my liking. MSJapan 21:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

No doubt MM have their own Grand Lodges, however small. As far as I know, they're considered irregular by all the Grand Lodges recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England. Regarding the strange sounding claim that the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite is itself irregular, the claim was based on the strong possibility (the likelihood, some Masonic historians say) that the Rite's Grand Constitutions of 1786 were not actually signed by Frederick the Great. If Frederick's supposed sponsorship of the Rite in the Constitutions of 1786 was actually a fabrication, then, some would argue, the whole subsequent organization is illegitimate. But what should this matter if we're doing good work? Best not to get too hung up on who officially recognizes whom and get on with the work of Masonry, I think. 66.167.48.61 20:35, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

When arguing whether the Rite of Memphis-Misraim is regular or not, one should probably clarify "which" Rite of M-M he is talking about. For instance, the Grand College of Rites in the U.S. (which is legitimate and recognized by most, if not all, grand lodges that are in amity with the greater family of grand lodges recognized by the parent grand lodges of Europe) owns and controls the original Rite of M-M. Therefore, any group that attempts to "gin up" a new, different and separate Rite of M-M will, of necessity, be considered spurious and irregular by the grand lodges that share recognition with the parent grand lodges of Europe. As for the regularity of the A. & A. Scottish Rite, it does not base its regularity on the authenticity of the signature of Frederick the Great on the Constitutions of 1786. In fact, the Scottish Rite did not exist in 1786, nor did the Constitutions of 1786 "create" the Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite did not come into existence until 1801.PGNormand 20:37, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

Grand Lodge of Romania and the Grand Orient of Italy (both of which are recognized by GLMA) both allow M+M (aka AAPRMM). GCR did not have the right to claim exclusive ownership of extant rites. http://www.masonicforum.ro/en/nr22/memphis.html --Vidkun 20:36, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, "which" Rite of MM is of course an interesting question. Let's look at some of the history of how the MM got dealt with in the US: The Scottish Rite SJ, disapproved of degree sellers, people making a quick buck off of purported higher degrees. They also lumped a valid, yet different, Masonic Rite into that category.

When they did so, they called the Rite clandestine and spurious. This would lead me to believe that they, the SC of AASR SJ, felt NO ONE should pursue membership in that Rite (Memphis Misraim), that it never WAS a valid Rite.

Pike argued that certain members of the AASR NMJ, who were 33rds, had violated their 33rd obligations by joining the Memphis Misraim Rite, as the AASR 33rd obligation said you will not obtain, or recognize, any degree of masonry higher than the 33rd.

Yet, even after Pike said that, members of the AASR pursued and obtained MM rituals, performed them on their own, and claimed charter lineage for the MM groups. After they did so, they met, as Memphis-Misraim for the sole purpose of closing MM and folding it into the GCR. The GCR was not formed to propagate the rituals of MM, but to suppress them.

The men who formed the GCR claimed that MM was never valid, then went on to make it their own and close it.

Now, if it was never valid, how could they validly claim membership in it?

If it was valid (which their seeking suggests they truly thought it was), and they were already 33rds in AASR, they were forbidden, BY THE AASR obligations, to seek anything beyond the 33rd. They broke that obligation, in order have the rights and benefits of the Memphis Misraim Rite. What benefits and rights did they seek? The right to shut it down.

But, it is suspicious, that when the AASR made itself up from whole cloth, out of the 25 degree rite that had already existed, creating newer higher degrees, and automatically claiming authority over the all other degrees of their rite by fiat, they then turn around and say that another degree granting body doesn't have the same right to do so.

I ask: why wasn't anyone else allowed to do that at the time? What gave them the right to dictate to other groups "hey, don't recognize this other group that did what we did ... we did it first, so we are better, and we will continue to support you, if you do not recognize them."

William L. Cummings, 33°, of the GCR, said

"These very cases furnish evidence on the spurious rites to be discussed in this article. Although the Memphis and Misraim rites have been practically dormant for long period, there are several parties who claim more or less doubtful authority over them, and it is not at all improbable that attempts may again be made to propagate them in the United States. For this reason we present to the American Masonic Craft, through the columns of the Masonic press, positive evidence of the history of these rites and their ***illegal and illegitimate nature.*** In every case the activities of these rites are tainted in their diffusion because they have been promoted, mainly, either by those who had no legitimate or recognized Masonic status whatever or who have been expelled or excluded from the Craft of Freemasonry because of unworthy acts."

The asterisks are added by me. Cummings contends that from the start, MM is illegal and illegitimate. Again, quoting:

"The Rite in the United States rests upon a foundation which was unsound from the very inception."

So, someone from the GCR, and also a member of the AASR, said the Rite was illegal, illegitimate, and unsound.

Now let's look at some historical info:

"Proceedings held in the matter of the organization of the Sovereign Sanctuary of the United States of America, its Dependencies and Territories of the Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis.

Brother Henry V.A.Parsell of New York,N.Y.,holding Patent of the 95th Degree, dated April 24, 1906, signed by Harvey G.Goodale, 96°, M. I. Sov.Grand Master General, John S. Phillips, 95°, Grand Chancellor General and Edgar F. Stewart, 95°,Grand Secretary General, acting as Grand Hierophant 96° of the Sovereign Sanctuary for the United States of America, etc., conferred the 45° on J. Raymond Shute II of Monroe,North Carolina, Feb. 10, 1931.

...

A meeting was held at Washington, D.C. on October 22, 1931, being called to order at 11 o'clock a.m. for the purpose of reviving the Sovereign Sanctuary of the Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis. Brother H.V. A. Parsell, having called said meeting, acted as Chairman.

...

On November 14, 1931, the said Henry V.A.Parsell,Grand Hierophant, 96° elevated and invested Brother Harold V. B.Voorhis of Red Bank,N.J. with 18°, 45°, 90° and 95°.

...

On May 12, 1932 the Sovereign Sanctuary of the E. M. R. of M. was opened at 2400–16th Street,N.W. at Washington,District of Columbia—9:35 p.m. The Grand Hierophant, Henry V. A. Parsell, 96° presided and the following other members of the Sovereign Sanctuary were present: J. Edward Allen John H.Anderson Luther T.Hartsell, Jr. William B.Hodge Kennon W. Parham J. Raymond Shute II J.Hugo Tatsch Harold V. B. Voorhis

It was regularly moved and carried unanimously that the Sovereign Sanctuary surrender the Sovereignty of its three Rites for the purpose of being absorbed by the Grand College of Rites for the United States of America about to be formed."

...

"THE GRAND COLLEGE OF RITES for the United States of America Minutes of Convocation – May 12, 1932 The formation meeting of the Grand College of Rites convened at 2400–16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. at 9:25 p.m. on the above date. Present: J.Edward Allen, N.C. Kennon W. Parham,N.C. John H.Anderson,N.C. Luther T.Hartsell, Jr., N.C. William B.Hodge,N.C. Henry V. A. Parsell, N.Y. J. Ray Shute, N.C. J.Hugo Tatsch,N.Y. Harold V. B. Voorhis,N.J.

Thereupon Brother Henry V. A. Parsell was elected Chairman and Brother Harold V. B.Voorhis, Secretary of the Convention by unanimous consent. It was resolved that it was expedient to form the Grand College of Rites, which resolution was unanimously adopted. The proposed Constitution was then read for adoption by articles and after various changes had been made, it was regularly moved and carried that the Grand Registrar be granted authority to write the Preamble to the Constitution. It was regularly moved and carried that the rank of Past Grand Chancellor be conferred upon Brother Henry V. A. Parsell in recognition of his services to the establishment of this Grand College of Rites. It was regularly moved and carried that the Grand Registrar cast one ballot when there was but one nomination in the election of officers. Election resulted in the following selections: Grand Chancellor J. Edward Allen Grand Vice-Chancellor J. Raymond Shute II Grand Registrar Harold V. B.Voorhis Grand Prelate Henry V.A. Parsell, P.G.C. Grand Redactor-General J. Hugo Tatsch Grand Archivist Luther Hartsell, Jr. Grand Seneschal William B. Hodge Grand Marischal John H.Anderson"

So, senior members of the AASR deemed Memphis Misraim to be illegal and invalid, and a few of those leaders said that any AASR 33rd taking MM degrees was violating his 33rd obligation ... yet, a number of AASR men managed to claim the degrees, and used those claims to fold the Rite into the GCR.

From the Grand Lodge of BC and Yukon's webpage about Memphis:

"Today, the non-masonic Grand College of Rites in France claims authority to revive the Rite of Memphis, while its corresponding (and derivative) body in the USA, the Grand College of Rites(USA) continues to suppress the rite. Other individuals and bodies claim authority and lineage to practice Memphis-Misraim rites."

To see a much more in depth, and, to my mind, telling explanation of what happened with MM in the US, look at the article in Heredom (journal of the Scottish Rite Research Society) [1]

Repeatedly the article says MM always was illegitimate. But it also goes on to show that a number of masons from the AASR, claimed the right to open a MM body, for the sole purpose of surrendering its sovereignty to the GCR. I'll also point out that some jurisdiction, among them some of the oldest in the US, do not recognize the GCR. Massachusetts is one of them. It is not in the list of organization in section 700-701 of the GL Constitution, so, therefore, MA Masons should not be considered bound by the rulings of the GCR. Heck, because AAPRMM is left out, MA Masons are not allowed to join; this would mean that because GCR is left out, they're not allowed to join that, either. However, most of the men running GCR are also in the AASR, and the clauses regarding which organizations are recognized by MA were put in during the Cerneau AND MM issues ... you draw your own conclusion.--Vidkun 20:39, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

Vidkun, I agree, and I do not like the wording in the first sentence that says "The Rite of Memphis-Misraim is a masonic rite", as it is NOT a Masonic rite, it is a rite based on Masonic rituals, and is an irregular lodge. The operating MM in the US do so without the Masonic grand lodges blessing, and I think the sentence should be changed to, "The Rite of Memphis-Misraim is based on masonic rites". To me, it is no better than the OTO as far as being irregular.--Craxd (talk) 19:34, 28 August 2014 (UTC)