The California Masonic Candidate Mentor Program — Regularity and Recognition

Regularity and Recognition

One of the most complicated areas of Masonic jurisprudence, or law, relates to the standards a Grand Lodge must follow in order to be considered regular. Each Grand Lodge has its own set of standards, and since there is no central governing authority within Freemasonry, determining regularity is difficult at best.

Masonic Law is based in part on Anderson's The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, originally published in 1723. This book was written just six years after the formation of the first Grand Lodge and lists the commonly accepted rules of the time for a Grand Lodge, Lodge, and individual member. Space does not permit a comprehensive list of all the relevant issues, but some examples include: acceptance of candidates, irrespective of their personal religious beliefs; the Holy Bible, Square, and Compass displayed upon the Altar at all times; the acceptance of men only; the Hiramic Legend as an integral part of the Third Degree, and so on. 

In the late 19^th Century, Albert Mackey published a list of 25 Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry. A Landmark is supposed to be an integral part of the Craft and can never be changed. Mackey's list has served as the basis of regularity since its publication, but confusion arises, because each Grand Lodge determines its own set of Landmarks. Some jurisdictions use all 25 Landmarks as presented by Mackey. Others have a shorter list. Still others, like California, refer to the Ancient Landmarks but do not define them.

Regularity is, therefore, a subjective term. It depends on the perspective of the one making the determination. Furthermore, a Grand Lodge may be considered regular by one jurisdiction and irregular by another!

In contrast to regularity, the concept of recognition is purely objective. Recognition refers to the state of amity between two Masonic jurisdictions. The relationship is similar to that between Nation States, and since each Grand Lodge is sovereign, it decides for itself which Grand Lodges it will recognize and which it will not.

When two Grand Lodge share recognition, their members are permitted to visit one another and, in most cases, hold dual membership across jurisdictional lines. The only Brethren permitted to visit our Lodges are those from recognized Masonic jurisdictions. Brethren from unrecognized jurisdictions may not visit a Lodge in our jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of the Master, or his designee, to make this determination and to ensure that all visiting Brethren are from a recognized Lodge. The book List of Lodges Masonic is published annually and includes a comprehensive list of every Lodge in the world which is recognized by the Grand Lodge of California. Every Lodge Secretary should have a copy of this book in his office.

The term Clandestine is often misused and should be avoided as much as possible. A Clandestine Lodge is simply one that is not working with a legitimate charter from a Grand Lodge. It may have been in possession of such a charter at one time, but for any number of reasons, it no longer possesses one, and thus, it is considered Clandestine, or “in the dark.” This term is not the same as irregular.