Freemasonry in Mexico


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. Santa Anna was a Scottish Rite Mason.

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. 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.
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
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, 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.
From the 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".

Major Rites

National Mexican Rite

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite

York Rite

The York Rite bodies in Mexico are integrated into two bodies that practice Royal Arch Masonry as recognized internationally:
The next degree-conferring bodies are:
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 Masons of Mexico
'
Located in Tepic state of Nayarit, and presided by:
M.E.C. Alberto Ruíz Mitre as Grand High Priest;
M.E.C. Pedro Alejandro Villanueva Escabi as Grand King;
M.E.C. José de Jesus Andrade Hidalgo as Grand Scribe;
M.E.C. Carlos Alberto Curiel Zarate as Grand Secretary;
M.E.C. Gerardo Medina Cárdenas as Grand Treasurer.
The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Mexico have 12 constituent chapters:
Michoacán No. 1
Estado de Mèxico No. 3
Nayarit No. 5
Baja California No. 7
Baja California No. 8
Sinaloa No. 9
Green Dragon No. 12
*The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of Mexico
'
Located in the city of Guadalajara, state of Jalisco, and presided by:
M.E.C. Hector Manuel Alemán Ambríz as Grand High Priest;
M.E.C. Leobardo Castellanos as Grand King;
M.E.C. Armando González Reyna as Grand Scribe;
M.E.C. Eduardo Velasco Briseño PGHP as Grand Secretary;
M.E.C. Heriberto Rodríguez Luna as Grand Treasurer.
Both Grand Chapters have Ambassadors as appointed by the General Grand Chapter:
*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 Ensenada, state of Baja California, and presided by:
SKT Augusto Rodrigo Cervantes Gutiérrez as Eminent Grand Commander;
SKT Omar Ali Guzmán as Eminent Deputy Grand Commander;
SKT José Jaime Lovera Centeno as Grand Generalissimo;
SKT Jesus Antonio Cano Nicolas as Grand Captain General;
SKT Miguel Rojas as Grand Recorder;
SKT Daniel Alberto Vazquez Dosal as Grand Treasurer.
The Grand Commandery of Mexico have 12 constituent Commanderies:
Al Aqsa No. 1
Caballeros de Magdala No. 2
Provincia de la Veracruz No. 3
Aridoamericana No. 4
Tierra Santa No. 5
Sociedad del Real Secreto No. 6
Orden de la Veracruz No. 7
Fabian Guzmán Castillo No. 8
Guardianes del Santo Sepulcro No. 9
Rosslyn No. 10bd
Simonem Cyreneum No. 11
Santo Grial No. 12
There are additional honorary or invitational degrees available as well as para-masonic national organizations.

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:

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