View source for Freemasonry in Mexico

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{{Multiple issues|{{More footnotes|date=June 2022}}
{{Original research|article|date=June 2022}}}}The history of [[Freemasonry]] in Mexico can be traced to at least 1806 when the first [[Masonic lodge]] was formally established in the nation.

Many presidents of [[Mexico]] were Freemasons. Freemasonry greatly influenced political actions in the early republic, as holders of conservative ideas gathered in lodges of the [[Scottish Rite]], while reformists choose the [[York Rite]]. Hence ''escoceses '' became synonymous with Conservatives, and ''yorkinos'' with Liberals. [[Antonio López de Santa Anna|Santa Anna]] was a Scottish Rite Mason.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/santa-annas-masonic-membership-confirmed-201453311.html Santa Anna's Masonic Membership Confirmed] March 29, 2016.</ref>

==History==
Freemasonry arrived in colonial Mexico during the second half of the 18th century, brought by French immigrants who settled in the capital. However, they were condemned by the local Inquisition and forced to desist. It is probable, though no written evidence exists, that there were itinerant lodges in the Spanish army in New Spain. Freemasons may even have been able to participate in the first [[autonomist]] movements, then for independence, conveying the ideas of enlightenment in the late 18th century. Some historians, both Freemasons and non-Freemasons,  including [[Leon Zeldis Mendel]] and [[José Antonio Ferrer Benimeli]] have emphasized that Freemasonry in Latin America had built its own mythology, well away from what history records.<ref>(1997) León Zeldis, Las canteras masónicas, Madrid.</ref> The distinction between Patriotic Latin American Societies and Masonic lodges is tenuous. Between the late 18th and early 19th century, their operative structure was very similar, as is indicated by the historian [[Virginia Guedea]].<ref>(1992) Virginia Guedea, En busca de un gobierno alterno. Los "Guadalupes" de México, México</ref>

The first [[Masonic Lodge]] of [[Mexico]], ''''Arquitectura Moral'''', was founded in 1806. The year 1813 saw the creation of the first Grand Lodge of Mexico, [[Scottish Rite]]<ref>Naudon 1987, p. 201</ref>

[[Jose Maria Mateos]], a leading Liberal politician of the late 19th century, stated in 1884 that some illustrious autonomists and independentists, such as [[Miguel Hidalgo]], [[Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon]] and [[Ignacio Allende]], were Freemasons. According to Mateos, they were, for the most part, initiated in the lodge Arquitectura Moral (now Bolivar No. 73), but it is true that there are no documents to prove his point. However, there are documents that seem to prove that the first Governor of independent Mexico the emperor [[Agustín de Iturbide]], and the Dominican friar [[Servando Teresa de Mier]], were both Freemasons. But it is true that it was common for the Inquisition to use the charge of belonging to Freemasonry in order to attack autonomists and independentists, which guarantees the impossibility of proving the innocence of the accused, due to the clandestine nature of the Orders. Thus, the archives of the Inquisition don't eliminate the uncertainties on this subject.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

From the [[Mexican War of Independence|independence]] in 1821 until 1982, it is believed that many of the leaders of Mexico belonged to Freemasonry. When political independence came about, the few existing lodges came out of hiding and multiplied. With the arrival of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States [[Joel Roberts Poinsett]], the young Mexican Freemasonry was divided into two political movements, without really being defined. Poinsett promotes the creation of the Lodge of [[York Rite]], close to the interests of the United States. Meanwhile, conservative Freemasons of the Scottish Lodge of the young [[Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite]], headed by the last viceroy doctor from Barcelona, [[Manuel Codorniu]], manifested their opposition to the realization of the interventionist theory [[Manifest Destiny]] in the newspaper "El Sol". Thus, Freemasons who support American-style liberalism met around the lodges of the York Rite, while Freemasons who would be seen as "conservatives" remained close to the Scottish lodges, although they considered themselves heirs of Spanish liberalism. Soon, those Freemasons who did not identify with the existing alternatives would choose a third way in founding in 1825 a national rite called the [[National Mexican Rite]], which would aim to create a political model for, and a clean government in, Mexico.

During the French military occupation that placed [[Maximilian I of Mexico]] on the throne in 1864, various French military lodges, dependent on the [[Grand Orient de France]], arrived in Mexico, but disappeared when the French left the country. Thus, it is very likely that these Itinerant Lodges of the [[French Rite]], due to their status as being perceived as invaders, left no influences of ritual. At the museum of Masonic Grand Orient of France, one banner of one of those lodges is preserved.

During the nineteenth century Freemasonry was being heralded as a means of removing the influences of the Catholic Church. Several of the men who were masons had expressed a desire to free women from the church's grasp through education, and they approached [[Laureana Wright de Kleinhans]] to help spread freemasonry. Though she was totally committed to the education of women, she ultimately rejected the organization because they refused to acknowledge the equality of men and women and in fact had an initiation oath which declared "never admit to their ranks a blind man, a madman, or a woman".<ref name=Masons>{{cite journal|last1=Martínez Moreno|first1=Carlos Francisco|title=Auge y Caída de la Masonería en México en el Siglo XiX. La Exclusión de la Mujer bajo la mirada del Discurso Masónico de Laureana Wright González|journal=Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería|date=December 2012 – April 2013|volume= 4|issue= 2|pages=130–155|url=http://www.revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/REHMLAC/article/viewFile/12188/11471|access-date=27 May 2015|publisher=Universidad de Costa Rica|location=San Pedro Montes de Oca, Costa Rica|language=es|issn=1659-4223}}</ref>

==Major Rites==

===National Mexican Rite===
{{Empty section|date=May 2010}}

===Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite===

The [[Scottish Rite]] bodies in Mexico are:

Supreme Council of México, 33rd Degree for the Masonic Jurisdiction of the united states of México. 
The Sovereign Grand Commander:

*IPH Alfonso Sierra Chacon

Supreme Council of México, 33rd Degree for the Masonic Jurisdiction of the North, South and Center of the United States of México. 
The Sovereign Grand Commander:

*IPH Jorge Alejandro Aviles Reyes

===York Rite===
The [[York Rite]] bodies in Mexico are integrated into two bodies that practice Royal Arch Masonry as recognized internationally:{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

*The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons Unified of Mexico (Gran Capítulo de Masones del Real Arco Unificado de México)
*The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of Mexico (Gran Capítulo de Masones del Real Arco de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos)

The next degree-conferring bodies are:

*The Grand Council of Cryptic Masons Of México
*The Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of México

The York Rite bodies have a horizontal structure, as opposed to the vertical Scottish Rite where the philosophical degrees commence with the 4th to the 33rd degree. However, entrance has always been through the Royal Arch degrees, which enable all Master Masons who have taken the Royal Arch degrees to continue their path in search of further light in Masonry with the Cryptic and Commandery degrees. These last two degrees can be chosen separately and in no particular order.

In Mexico the Regular York Rite bodies with international recognition are the Royal Arch Chapters, the Councils of Cryptic Masons and The Grand Commanderies of the Knights Templar.

As a result, the General Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons International only supports and acknowledges two Royal Arch Grand Chapters in Mexico:

'''*The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Unified of Mexico'''
'''(Gran Capítulo de Masones del Real Arco Unificado de México)'''

Located in CDMX, and presided (2020–2022) by:

M.E.C. José de Jesus Andrade Hidalgo as Grand High Priest;

M.E.C. Martín Juárez Ibarra as Grand King;

M.E.C. José Julian Cholula Muñoz as Grand Scribe;

M.E.C. Daniel Vázquez Dosal as Grand Secretary;

M.E.C. Amado Ovidio Gil Villarello as Grand Treasurer.

The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons Unified of Mexico have next constituent chapters:

Michoacán (Mich) No. 1

Estado de Mèxico (EDO MEX) No. 3

[http://pvescabi.wix.com/quintana-roo Quintana Roo No. 4]

Nayarit (NAY) No. 5

Sinaloa Culiacán (SIN) No. 6

Tijuana (BC) No. 7

Mexicali (BC) No. 8

Caballeros del Real Arco (CDMX) No. 9

Tetelictic (Pue) No. 10

Kodesh L'Adonai (Querétaro) No. 11

Green Dragon (CDMX) No. 12

Gihon (CDMX) No. 13

San Luis Potosí (SLP) No. 17

Génesis 1:28 (SLP) No. 18

Constructores del Tabernáculo (NL) No. 19

Novus Ordo (CH) No. 20

Paso del Norte (CH) No. 21

Coahuila (Coahuila) No. 22

Annubis (BC) No. 25

'''*The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of Mexico'''
'''(Gran Capítulo de Masones del Real Arco de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos)'''

Located in the city of Guadalajara, state of Jalisco, and presided (2014–16) by:

M.E.C. Juan Ramón Negrete Marín as Grand High Priest;

M.E.C. Christian Martinez Sandoval as Grand King;

M.E.C. Mario Tanús Herrera as Grand Scribe;

M.E.C. Joaquín Vega Antúnez as Grand Secretary;

M.E.C. Ricardo Preciado Ploneda as Grand Treasurer.

Both Grand Chapters have Ambassadors as appointed by the General Grand Chapter:

*Grand Chapter of Mexico - Ambassador - Manuel del Castillo Trulín- Deputy Ambassador - Jaime Pérez-Velez Olvera PGHP.
*Grand Chapter of the USM - Ambassador - Ricardo Ruíz Guillén

'''*The Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of México'''
Located in the city of Guadalajara, state of Jalisco

'''*The Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of México'''
Located in Teteles, state of Puebla, and Presided (2019–2021) by:

SK Omar Ali Gúzman Castillo as Eminent Grand Commander;

SK José Jaime Lovera Centeno Deputy Grand Commander;

SK Luis Eduardo Luna Arredondo as Grand Generalissimo;

SK Carlos Manuel Rudametkin Barajas as Grand Captain General;

SK Javier García Cardoso as Grand Recorder;

SK Ruben Jeronimo Escobedo as Grand Treasurer;

SK Augusto Rodrigo Cervantes Gutiérrez as Past Grand Commander (2017-2019);

SK Marco Enrique Rosales Gutierrez as Past Grand Commander (2011-2017);

SK Jaime Rios Otero as Past Grand Commander (2008-2011).

The Grand Commandery of Mexico has 21 constituent Commanderies:

*Al Aqsa No. 1
*Caballeros de Magdala No. 2
*Provincia de la Vera Cruz No. 3
*Aridoamericana No. 4
*Hugues de Paynes No. 5
*J.B de Molay No. 6
*Orden de la Veracruz No. 7
*Fabian Guzmán Castillo No. 8
*Guardianes del Santo Sepulcro No. 9
*Rosslyn No. 10
*Simonem Cyreneum No. 11
*Santo Grial No. 12
*Monte Moriat No. 13
*Ora et Labora No. 14
*Raza Purepecha No. 15
*José Magallanes Caldera No. 16
*Estado de México No. 17
*San Bernardo UD
*Capital City UD
*Caballeros de Payns UD
*Coxala UD
*Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, U.S.A - Ambassador - SK Luis Eduardo Luna Arredondo

There are additional honorary or invitational degrees available as well as para-masonic national organizations.

- Pelotón de la Muerte

==Mexican Masonic Organisation==

===Confederations===

====Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of the United Mexican States====
The Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of the Mexican United States, Spanish: ''Confederación de las Grandes Regulares Logia de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos'', brings together the Regular Grand Lodges in Mexico since 1932. It is headed by the '''Masonic National Council''', Spanish: ''Consejo Nacional Masónico'', consisting of grand masters of the grand lodges members of the confederation.  Each of the Grand Lodges is recognized by some of the State Grand Lodges in the United States, but no US State Grand Lodge recognizes all of them.
The confederation includes the Grand Lodges of 30 states of the 31 states that constitute the United Mexican States:
* Aguascalientes, "Profesor Edmundo Games Orozco"
* Baja California,
* Baja California Sur,
* Campeche,
* Chiapas,
* Chihuahua, "Cosmos",
* Coahuila, "Benito Juárez",
* Colima, "Sur Oueste",
* Durango, "Guadalupe Victoria"
* Guanajuato,
* Guerrero,
* Hidalgo,
* Jalisco, "Occidental Mexicana",
* Estado de Mexico,
* Michoacán, "Lázaro Cárdenas",
* Morelos,
* Nayarit,
* Nuevo León,
* Oaxaca, "Benito Juárez García",
* Puebla, "Benemérito Ejército de Oriente",
* Querétaro,
* Quitana Roo, "Andrés Quintana Roo",
* San Luis Potosí, "Soberana e Independiente del Potosí",
* Sinaloa del REAyA
* Sonora, "Pacífico",
* Tabasco, "Restauración",
* Tamaulipas,
* Veracruz, "Unidad Mexicana",
* Yucatán, "La Oriental Peninsular,
* Zacatecas, "Jesús González Ortega".

===Federal Grand Lodges===

====York Grand Lodge of Mexico====
This Grand Lodge claims jurisdiction over all of Mexico and has thirty-six lodges in different parts of the country.  It is the only Grand Jurisdiction in Mexico to be recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England and all the US State Grand Lodges.

====Grand Lodge Valle de Mexico====
The Grand Lodge Valle de Mexico consists of 260 lodges. Its lodges work in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. This Grand Lodge no longer operates as a regular Grand Lodge. Since the 1990s, it has been accused of invading the territorial jurisdiction of a number of state Grand Lodges in Mexico, as well as the territorial jurisdiction of Grand Lodges in the United States of America. Also, the Grand Lodge Valle de Mexico is guilty of permitting the discussion of partisan politics in its lodges. The political parties in Mexico have been covering the resolutions and the elections of Grand Masters since 2001. As a result of these problems, the member Grand Lodges of the Confederation of Regular Mexican Grand Lodges and the Grand Lodge Valle de Mexico have terminated Masonic relations with each other.

===State Grand Lodges===
* Grand Lodge of Baja California
* Grand Lodge of Baja California Sur
* Grand Lodge of Campeche
* Grand Lodge of Chiapas
* Chihuahua: Grand Lodge Cosmos
* Coahuila: Grand Lodge 'Benito Juarez' (Note: As the result of a schism in 1977, there are now two grand lodges in Coahuila using the same name, "Gran Logia 'Benito Juarez' del Estado de Coahuila." The original grand lodge, which is regular, operates out of offices located at Bahia de Ballenas #933; Colonia Nueva California; Torreon, Coahuila C.P. 27089. It is a member of the Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of the Mexican United States.) <ref>Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of the Mexican United States, see website at: https://www.confederacion-ggllrr.org/organizacion</ref>
* Colima: Grand Lodge Sur-Oeste
* City of Mexico: Grand Lodge of the City of Mexico (G.L.C.M.). Regular jurisdiction established in 2010, under the standards of Recognition: Legitimacy of Origin, Exclusive Territorial Jurisdiction, except by mutual consent and/or treaty, and     Adherence to the Ancient Landmarks (Belief in God, the Volume of Sacred Law, and the prohibition of the discussion of politics and religion).<ref>http://www.glcm.org.mx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425082735/http://www.glcm.org.mx/ |date=2012-04-25 }} www.glcm.org.mx</ref>

[[File:Sello GLGV 2400 transparente color.png|thumb|150px|Seal of the Grand Lodge "Guadalupe Victoria" of Durango State]]
* Durango: Grand Lodge Guadalupe Victoria. The Grand Lodge "[[Guadalupe Victoria]]" (the first president of Mexico) of Durango State is a federation of Masonic lodges of the [[Durango|State of Durango]] in [[Mexico]]. It was created in 1923, but before that date, the lodges of the state depended on the Grand Lodge of the State of [[Coahuila]]. His lodges practice exclusively the [[Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite]]. The Grand Lodge is located in the capital of the State, [[Durango, Durango|Durango]]. It is a founding member of the Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of the United States of Mexico. As such, it has an important role in the Mexican Freemasonry.<ref>see [http://www.elsiglodedurango.com.mx/noticia/203819.actividades-para-la-gran-logia.html article published March 23, 2009, in the newspaper El Siglo]</ref> Each year it participates to the seminars of Grand Lodges of Mexico to synthesize the work on the society facts done in its lodges. The symposium ends with sending the summary of its analysis to the Government of the Mexican Republic.
* Grand Lodge of Hidalgo
* Jalisco: Grand Lodge Occidental Mexicana
* Michoacana: Grand Lodge Lazaro Cardenas
* Grand Lodge of Nayarit
* Grand Lodge of Nuevo León
* Oaxaca: Grand Lodge Benito Juarez Garcia
* Grand Lodge of Querétaro
* Grand Lodge of Quintana Roo
* San Luis Potosí: Grand Lodge El Potosi
* Grand Lodge of Sinaloa REAyA
* Sonora: Grand Lodge Del Pacífico
* Tabasco: Grand Lodge Restauración
* Grand Lodge of Tamaulipas
* Veracruz: Grand Lodge Unida Mexicana
* Yucatán: Grand Lodge Oriental Peninsular

===Le Droit Humain===
The International Order of Freemasonry [[Le Droit Humain]] is a global Masonic Order, it is also present in Mexico through its Mexican Jurisdiction which has 6 lodges<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://droithumain-mexico.blogspot.com/p/le-droit-humain-en-mexico_19.html|title = Le Droit Humain en México}}</ref>]. 

==Notes==
<references />

==Further reading==
* Bastian, Jean-Pierre. "Protestants, Freemasons, and Spiritists: Non-Catholic Religious Socabilities and Mexico’s Revolutionary Movement, 1910–1920" in Matthew Butler, ed., ''Faith and Impiety in Revolutionary Mexico'' (London: Palgrave, 2007), pp.&nbsp;75–92.
* Camp, Roderic A. ''Mexico's Leaders, Their Education & Recruitment'' (University of Arizona Press, 1980)
* Davis, Thomas Brabson. ''Aspects of Freemasonry in modern Mexico: an example of social cleavage'' (Vantage Press, 1976)
* [[Robert Freke Gould|Gould, Robert Freke]]. ''Freemasonry in Mexico'' (Kessinger Publishing, 2003)
* Racine, Karen. "Freemasonry" in ''Encyclopedia of Mexico''. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997, pp.&nbsp;538–540.
* Rich, Paul. ''"[https://njfreemason.net/masonic-articlespublications/freemasonry-in-latin-america/ Problems in the Historiography of Mexican Freemasonry, Part I]"''
* Smith, Benjamin. "Anticlericalism, politics, and freemasonry in Mexico, 1920–1940." ''The Americas'' 65.4 (2009): 559-588. [http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tam/summary/v065/65.4.smith.html online]
* Weisberger, Richard William, Wallace McLeod, and S. Brent Morris, eds. ''Freemasonry on both sides of the Atlantic: essays concerning the craft in the British Isles, Europe, the United States, and Mexico'' (East European Monographs, 2002)

===In Spanish===
*Cobos Alfaro, Felipe Amalio, "La masonería en la Revolución de Independencia" in ''1810, 1910: Reflexiones sobre dos procesos históricos. Memoria,'' Cristina Gómez Álvarez, Josefina Mac Gregor Gárate, Mariana Ozuna Castañeda (coordinators) México, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, 2010, pp.&nbsp;63–91 [http://felipecobosalfaro.blogspot.com/2011/03/la-masoneria-en-la-revolucion-de.html Felipe A. Cobos Alfaro "La masonería en la Revolución de Independencia"]
* Martínez Zaldúa, Ramón. "Historia de la Masonería en la legislación reformista de la primera generación de liberales en México." In ''Masonería española y América''. vol. 1. Zaragoza: Centro de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Española, 1993.
*Zalce y Rodríguez, Luis J. ''Apuntes para la historia de la Masonería en México''. 18th edition. Mexico City: Banca y Comercio 1983.

==External links==
*[http://droithumain-mexico.blogspot.com/ The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women — Mexican Federation]
*[https://ledroithumain.international/?lang=en The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women, LE DROIT HUMAIN]
*[http://www.mrglvm.org Grand Lodge of the Valley of Mexico]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074954/http://granlogiadebajacalifornia.org/ Grand Lodge of Baja California State]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120301140554/http://www.granlogiadurango.org/ Grand Lodge Guadalupe Victoria of Durango State]
*[http://www.ramint.org The General Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons International]
{{Freemasonry in the Americas}}

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