The Grand Orient de France (GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe. The Grand Orient de France is generally regarded as the "mother lodge" of Continental Freemasonry.
The French Rite is one of the oldest masonic rites, and the most widely practiced in France and Belgium. It is the direct heir and one of the best preserved ritual of speculative masonry as practiced by the Premier Grand Lodge of London in the early 18th century. Today, it is primarily practiced by over 900 lodges of the Grand Orient de France with approximatively 45,000 Masons and also by the Grande Loge Nationale Française and other French obediances, making it the predominant rite in France, it is also worked in several other masonic jurisdictions worldwide.
Freemasonry in France has been influential on the worldwide Masonic movement due to its founding of Continental Freemasonry.
Grande Loge de France (G∴L∴D∴F∴) is an independent Masonic obedience based in France. Its conception of Freemasonry is spiritual, traditional, and initiatory. Its ritual is centred on the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. It occupies a unique position in the landscape of French Freemasonry but maintains its closest relationships with obediences belonging to Continental Freemasonry, and shares its motto Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité with the French Republic.
With 84 lodges and 3’350 members, the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland (GLAS) is a Swiss Masonic obedience founded in 1844.
Freemasonry in Belgium comprises several Masonic obediences, a federation and a confederation. These include Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Belgian Federation of Le Droit Humain and Lithos Confederation of Lodges.
Continental Freemasonry in North America is relatively rare, but there are a few continental-style organizations active.
The history of Freemasonry in Belgium reflects the many influences on what is now Belgium from the neighbouring states.
The Women's Grand Lodge Of France is the Grand Lodge of France's women-only Masonic lodges.
The Primitive Scottish Rite is a Masonic Rite. According to Robert Ambelain, an esotericist who "awakened" it in 1985, it was the rite used by the St. John of Scotland Lodge in Marseille, which was introduced to France in Saint-Germain-en-Laye from 1688; these claims are disputed by historians.
CLIPSAS is an international Masonic organization that serves as the primary coordinating body for Liberal and Adogmatic Freemasonry worldwide. Established in 1961 through the historic Strasbourg Appeal, CLIPSAS represents an alternative to Conservative Anglo-Saxon Masonic recognition systems, emphasizing absolute freedom of conscience and inclusive Masonic practices.
Jean-Marie Ragon de Bettignies was a Freemason, author and editor.
The International Masonic Association founded in 1921 and dissolved in 1950, was an international grouping of Masonic obediences. Based in Geneva, the home of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland, the international was directed along the lines of Continental Freemasonry and heavily influenced by the Grand Orient de France. The organisation was involved in political activities in Europe between the First World War and the Second World War.
Freemasonry under the Second Empire was founded under the tutelage of Napoleon III's authoritarian Empire. The Second Empire saw Freemasonry and Freemasons as a threat and aimed to either control them or wipe them out. Refusing to submit to imperial rule, some Freemasons chose exile and embarked for England. To survive, the Grand Orient de France, the main Masonic obedience, and French Freemasonry in general - as they had during the revolutionary and First Empire periods - had to accept major concessions. To avoid dissolution, they opted for the "prince's protectors" solution, who were responsible for taking control. The authoritarian period saw the banning of political debate and the fading and downsizing of the lodges, which suffered from low membership levels, before experiencing new dynamics and a new boom during the liberal period of the Second Empire.
French Freemasonry under the Second Republic experienced a period that ranged from euphoria over the advent of the Republic to rapid disillusionment. The implementation of many of its ideals, such as the abolition of slavery, and the large number of Freemasons in national bodies, fueled hopes of a “Masonic republic”, which were quickly extinguished by the workers' riots of June 1848. The law of July 1848 regulated club activity and increased pressure from the authorities, prompting the Grand Lodge to exercise caution.
Freemasonry during World War I upheld its universalist principles, yet Freemasons in countries at war served their respective nations without restriction, thereby challenging the Lumières-derived principles of universal fraternity that have governed Freemasonry since its inception.
The Ordre Initiatique et Traditionnel de l'Art Royal is a Liberal and Adogmatic Masonic Order, established in France in 1974. Distinguished by its exclusive practice of the Rite Opératif de Salomon, OITAR represents a unique approach to Masonic tradition that emphasizes spiritual development, symbolic work, and oral transmission of knowledge. As of 2023, the order comprises approximately 90 lodges organized into 11 territories, with a membership of nearly 2,000 Freemasons.
Freemasonryin Latin America has a prominent presence, with many Masonic lodges and members across the region. In terms of membership, it is the most densely populated geographical area after the United States. It manifests in many different forms, and as of 2017, its overall history remains to be fully established. Nevertheless, Freemasonry is frequently referenced in the historical accounts of these countries, particularly concerning the considerable number of Freemasons who played a role in the independence movements against Spain and Portugal.
Freemasonry in the French Third Republic played a significant role in France's political and social life. It played a pivotal role within the ideological and institutional framework of the Republican camp, with its members demonstrating a profound affiliation with the Radical Party. Freemasonry frequently exerted influence over public life, whether directly or indirectly. A constant in political life during this period, Freemasonry enjoyed significant support among the electorate, earning the nickname "Church of the Republic." Its positions were frequently endorsed and implemented. Freemasonry was divided into two closely aligned yet competing obediences, both of which refrained from supporting the admission of women into masonic lodges, despite the creation of the first mixed-gender obedience in 1893. Additionally, it encountered new developments and schisms driven by more traditional or spiritual currents.
