Grand Lodge De France Federal Council Responds to the Declaration of Basel

     I received this yesterday, but it appears that that the Grand Lodge de France had a tiled meeting to discuss the results of the Declaration of Basel and it's intended path forward. The Grand Master has in essence said that he completely agrees with Declaration of Basel and feels that the GLdF has always been and always be the only regular form of Freemasonry in France. GLdF also believes that in France is the only one that has a sound tradition of the Scottish Rite.

    While to the outsider it would be reasonable assumption that the GLdF may become the only recognized form of Freemasonry in France, it is not that simple. The GLdF and UGLE haven't had a great history together and splinter groups from the GLNF are fighting each other for both control of name of GLNF and more importantly UGLE's recognition. French Freemasonry has been a place of contention and confusion for most Western Freemasons.

 While I would like to be optimistic regarding the future of both the GLdF and French Freemasonry, history has dictated otherwise. Below is the translated document from the GLdF:

 STATEMENT OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FRANCE 

The Federal Council of the Grand Lodge of France, in its formal meeting of Wednesday, June 13, 2012, -- after learning of the "Basel Declaration", co-signed June 9, 2012 by the Grand Lodges of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, and -- heard the Most Worshipful Grand Master Alain-Noël Dubart report on the exchanges of views started in accordance with the mandate he was given on September 9, 2011, 

 • notes the withdrawal of the recognition of the French National Grand Lodge by these Jurisdictions and the break of their Masonic relations. 

 • welcomes the fact that the views of these five Grand Lodges concerning the Grand Lodge of France appears to conform to the reality concerning the quality of the latter’s Brothers and the regularity of their work. 

 • reminds everyone that the Grand Lodge of France has always been, since its origins dating back nearly three centuries, in the purest tradition of universal Freemasonry and the fundamental principles of the Scottish Rite. 

 • notes that it is from now on possible to engage the necessary reflections concerning the recomposing of the French Masonic landscape. 

 • gives mandate to the MW Brother Alain-Noël Dubart and the RW Brothers Alain Pigeau and Jean-Jacques Zambrowski, current Grand Master, Grand Orator and Grand Chancellor, to continue the current exchanges and achieve, under the authority of the next Most Worshipful Grand Master, the restoration of the historical ties reuniting the Grand Lodges working in accordance with the Universal Masonic Tradition. 

 • endorses the will of the Most Worshipful Grand Master not to exclude any Brother from this restructuring, whatever the latter’s practice and Grand Lodge. 

 Signed, 

Jean-Noël Dubart