Mr. António Reis, the Grand Master, is a well-known politician and member of the Parliament belonging to the Socialist Party group. His statement looks to lecture the government for not coming into negotiations with the major party of opposition (PSD); and throughout it Mr. Reis looks to speak for freemasonry. This presumption is wrong as Mr. Reis represents a fraction of Portuguese Freemasons.
Portuguese freemasonry has been constituted along its history of three centuries by different Obediences and groups which reflect the proper evolution of the Craft and its rich history. Mr. Reis is part of what we can name irregular freemasonry (or liberal freemasonry) a laic and atheist form of freemasonry that rejects the divinity and the 12 Landmarks of universal freemasonry, debates politics and religious issues in the Lodges and accepts women as members of the Craft. The orientation of this sort of Freemasonry is French and GOL, as other irregular Grand Lodges (or Grand Orients), is not recognized by the larger Obediences in the world, that is the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodges of North and Southern Jurisdiction of the United States and consequently by the masonic world.
Through this type of statement it becomes clear that Mr. Reis looks to gather the masonic brotherhood in support of its political party (and unique party in government) what excludes Brothers that are members of other political parties or aren't sympathetic with the current Portuguese government. One of the major tenures of Freemasonry is unity and harmony as Freemasons by tradition (and oath) reject any sort of division that may antagonize Brethren, and preach otherwise cohesion and human perfection (in unity). Freemasons are not a bunch of stupid or illiterate people that don't have an opinion or disregard what happens in their communities and country but guard their opinions to themselves and make their choices without coercing (or manipulating) others. The reason for not speaking out their own opinions (within the Craft) is simple: they don't want to be a cause of division, hate and antagonism.
Of course Mr. Reis has its own right for a personal oppinion, but when he speaks people read in it the oppinion of freemasons although he just represents a fraction. There has been a consistent policy of regular freemasons not to comment such a sort of statements and not to give any attention to them.
The writer opinion is otherwise.
GAMA
