The case of Universidade Moderna

The court trial of Universidade Moderna case expose to profanic eyes what can be perceived as a deviation from masonic principles by men who regard themselves, as masons. UM case would not be the last one in which people who reivindicate being masons get involved in ilegal activities. There is a sense in the public that the truth of these events was not taken to open air and justice, after all, have not prevailled. Anyone who knows a little bit of juridicial procedures understands that the proof of any crime is difficult and those who are related to corruption, nepotism and criminal association even harder to achieve. But somehow - at the end - some sort of Justice has been achieved uin this case. We, members of the Grand Legal Lodge of Portugal, know how much this process has contributed to some negative views on freemasonry and regular freemasons, in Portugal. The habitual enthusiasts of the conspirancy theory have, nevertheless, find in this legal procedure arguments of power manouevering that never existed in the scale they presume. Freemasonry is a society with secrets but not a secret society involved in conspiracy. Freemasonry, as an institution, regards the law of the land as the yardstick of our activities. But Freemasnory as such cannot respond to members that fall in the darkness of wrong civil behaviour and betray their vows. As those accused and condemned in this court procedure. Those men who chose to be associated with the criminal activities under the umbrella of Universidade Moderna are no more among us and not recognized as such by Universal Freemasonry. Masonic Justice is by definition severe but just.