Dear Brethren, and all those who aspire to become Brethren!
It is my privilege to bring you the sincere and fraternal greetings of the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia – of the Free and Accepted Masons of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite – who have done me the great honour of permitting me to represent them.
I shall put a number of questions, to you and to myself, for questions have been and remain man’s oldest tool – the tool which, in the seeking of answers, has driven him to explore himself and the world about him.
Why has Freemasonry remained vital, relevant and current throughout its long history, while other social organisations gradually fell behind in their development and – vanished into the mists of history? Why does it matter today? And why will it still matter in the turbulent, insecure and chaotic social whirl of today and tomorrow, in which impermanence becomes – permanence, irresponsibility counts for more than principle, and chaos is a daily companion in life?
Because Freemasonry always has been, is today and will be tomorrow – centred upon man as an individual; upon his spiritual world.
Man was, and remains – imperfect
Because throughout his long history man has been, and remains, a being burdened with the same personal imperfections and dilemmas – among them knowledge and ignorance, understanding and incomprehension, love or rejection.
That insecurity and that burden are ever more apparent today, in a fast-changing daily environment in which consideration, courtesy and tolerance have become a currency in ever shorter supply, and technology – a new deity, which the world uses uncritically, at the peril of man and technology exchanging roles. This is one of the reasons why our fellow citizens, the younger generations above all, are leaving for abroad – particularly for the more developed countries of Europe – in search of “something better” than what their homeland offers them, without attempting to think and act positively and proactively so as to change first themselves, and then the people around them. Their departure brings the familiar consequence – a drastic decline in population, which has not ceased but continues to this very day. Most ruinous of all is the loss of the intellectual strength and substance of society, upon which the stability, development and prosperity of our community depend.
What happens when there are appreciably fewer young people – those on whom, as we like to say, the world depends – than there are today?
What happens when only – the least courageous remain? What happens when we lose the professional, intellectual and scientific foundation of our society? Do we not need heirs and new leaders, such as our history has given us in, to name but a few, the members of the Drašković family, Faust Vrančić, Ruđer Bošković, Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, Ivan Meštrović, Slavoljub Penkala, Andrija Štampar, Ivo Andrić, Nikola Tesla, Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog? The whole world, our country and our local community cry out for as many good men as possible – men of good heart and breadth of understanding; in other words, for a lasting and systematic measure of human knowledge and skill, and of empathy, ethics and feeling alike.
Care for man – that is our focus
Care for man is our focus, our path and our furthest horizon – and this at a time that promises less and less and gives ever more cause for concern. What do we do differently from others?
“The only man who truly achieves what he wants is he who can achieve it alone. That is why liberty, and not power, is the greatest good. That man is truly free who desires only what he is able to do, and who does what he desires,” said Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
And so, in keeping with our teachings, we do good for the personal satisfaction of it and not because we deem it a duty; we do not do unto others what we would not have others do unto us. We respect our elders and help the young; we care for our families; we love our country and honour its laws. We are immoderate in nothing. We are tolerant towards those who err or go astray, supporting them in the effort to recognise what they have done – and then to make the best of themselves. And in doing so we teach them to love the people around them unconditionally, seeking nothing in return for what they give. We unite; we do not divide. Thus, through our own personal conduct, we become the change we wish to see in the world, as Mahatma Gandhi put it.
In this way we are helping – and shall go on helping – to turn unfavourable social trends around, step by step, and to bring to life an environment worthy of respect, one in which every generation may remain and thrive. An environment worthy, too, of your personal involvement in what we do. And yes, we are careful in making promises, for those who take longest to venture a promise are the most reliable in keeping it.
Are we infallible and perfect? No, by no means – nor do we claim to be!
Do we all think alike? No, for when everyone thinks alike, no one is thinking!
Our aim is to strive for constant improvement: to go on smoothing the rough edges of our imperfection, to seek more Light, to show more brotherly love, and to help others to learn and grow.
The perfectly shaped man is an aspiration, not a goal.
It can never be achieved – but it can always be attempted!
Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia,
Grand Master,
Brother Damir
Zagreb, A.L. 6025.