VRLH

Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia

The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia

In 2023 the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia adopted a Resolution setting out the fundamental principles of its work:

  • The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia is permanently committed to conducting its Labours exclusively in the spirit of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, in the First, Second and Third Degrees, with the invocation of the Great Architect of the Universe;
  • Every Lodge working takes place in the presence of the Three Great Lights (the Volume of the Sacred Law, open upon the Altar of Obligation, with the Square and Compasses);
  • The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia exercises exclusive sovereignty over the symbolic Degrees (the First, Second and Third Degrees);
  • The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia is independent of any other Masonic body;
  • In the Labours of the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia and of its workshops it is committed to the progressive, spiritual Masonic principle, and it forbids all discussion of political and religious questions;
  • The mixing of the sexes at Labours is forbidden; that is to say, women have no access to Masonic Labours within the VRLH.
  • At all Labours of the VRLH the motto of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, “ORDO AB CHAO” (Order out of Chaos), is in use.

A Brief History of the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia

The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia arose upon the foundations of a historic schism within Freemasonry in the former Yugoslavia in 1919 (then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). The Light that returned to Zagreb in 2017, to the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia, descends from that era, whereas all the other Lodges formed in Croatia over the past 30 years received their Light from Austria or Italy. Our Light is thus the original Light, restored to Croatia after almost a hundred years.

  • 28 January 2017 – A group of some twenty men were entered into the Craft in Belgrade and formed the first Lodge.
  • 24 March 2017 – The first ritual in the First Degree was held in Croatia, at which 48 Brethren were entered into the Craft.
  • 25 March 2017 – The Light was brought to what was then the Grand Orient of Croatia.
  • During 2017 – 14 rituals in the First Degree were held, and the book “Uvod u zanatske tajne” (An Introduction to the Secrets of the Craft) was published. A Temple was fitted out in which the rituals were performed.
  • 12 May 2021 – The name was changed from the Grand Orient of Croatia to the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia – VRLH for short.
  • 18 June 2022 – A Charter of Cooperation and Recognition was signed between the Grand Lodge of France (GLdF) and the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia (VRLH).
  • 28 June 2022 – The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia fitted out its permanent Temple, “Svjetlost” (Light), in which the rituals are performed to this day.
  • 19 June 2023 – The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia was admitted to full membership of the International Confederation of United Grand Lodges (ICUGL).

Admission of New Members

Every Lodge has its own ritual for the initiation of new members, which it keeps secret so that the act of initiation – an important ritual in the work of Freemasons – may be an impressive and memorable beginning to the candidate’s knowledge of himself and of the Freemasons’ system of values, and so that the newly accepted Freemason may truly keep the promises he gave at his initiation. The Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia admits to membership men of full age, the minimum requirement being that they are free men of good repute.

Masonic Lodges

The Lodge is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge and the individual Lodge are two distinct levels within Freemasonry, each with its own functions and responsibilities.

The Grand Lodge is the supreme central body of Freemasonry in a given country, region or jurisdiction. As a rule, it has authority over the Lodges within its territorial jurisdiction.

A Grand Lodge usually has its own leadership, including the Grand Master and other Officers, who direct the organisation at the higher level. It is responsible for setting standards, regulating the rules, granting warrants for the founding of new Lodges and maintaining the hierarchy within Freemasonry.

The individual Lodge is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry and, as a rule, brings members together at local level. Each individual Lodge has its own leadership, including the Worshipful Master and other Officers, who direct the Lodge. The principal purpose of an individual Lodge is to carry out rituals, ceremonies and Masonic activities, to teach ethical lessons, and to foster fellowship and mutual understanding among its members. Individual Lodges often have particular interests, themes or traditions that reflect their own distinctive culture and purpose.

In short, the Grand Lodge represents the highest level of government and oversight of Freemasonry within a given jurisdiction, while the individual Lodges are concerned with the day-to-day activities, rituals and fellowship within the Craft.

Degrees in Freemasonry

The three basic Degrees of Freemasonry are those of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. Together they make up the Degrees of the Blue Lodge (the St John’s Lodge, or Lodge of St John). All the other Degrees of the Scottish Rite – 33 in all – are supplementary to the Degree of Master Mason and serve to enrich and deepen one’s understanding of Freemasonry. There are also Research Lodges, whose purpose is to spread Masonic learning.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite thus consists of 33 Degrees, including the three Degrees of the Blue Lodge. The Scottish Rite is the most widespread Rite among Masonic Lodges throughout the world, and it is the Rite in which the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia works. The York Rite has fewer additional Degrees and governs three bodies, comprising Royal Arch Masonry, Cryptic Masonry and the Commandery of Knights Templar.

Regular and Continental Freemasonry

Regular Freemasonry requires that every member profess belief in the Great Architect of the Universe; women are not admitted to membership; and discussion of religion and politics is forbidden. Continental Freemasonry is the term for a “liberal” approach that removes certain of these restrictions. Within that framework there are mixed and adogmatic Lodges which impose no religious requirement and admit both men and women to membership.

The terms operative, speculative and symbolic Freemasons can cause confusion in understanding Masonic organisations. Operative Freemasons refers to the masons of the Middle Ages, with their guilds and lodges, who practised practical crafts such as stone-cutting. Speculative Freemasons are associated with the period when the operative masons began to admit members from other walks of life, such as merchants and carpenters. The term symbolic Lodge of Freemasons is used in modern Freemasonry to denote Lodges whose members come from a variety of occupations but which, among other things, draw upon the tradition and symbols of the operative masons.