Breaking the Ice

The Grand Master of the Grande Oriente Lusitano, the oldest masonic Obedience in Portugal, made a statement these days saying that there is no reason to amend the Constitution and that the proposal of the political party (PSD) is a way that the new directory of the party to affirm itself in the Portuguese society. The remark is odd and can be interpreted as an interference of Freemasonry in the profane affairs.
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

Pope's visit to Portugal and the laicity of State. Some statements.

Pope's visit to Portugal has been a success and an opportunity for the Portuguese people to reconcile with its past and the way he traditionaly sees religion and a general promotion of the image of the country. The visit gathered the applause of all political parties, social groups and institutions of the State. The President of the Republic, the Maire of Lisbon and the Prime Minister were present in several public (and private) events and namely in the public mass that took place at Terreiro do Paço, a symbolic spot in central Lisbon. Diverging from the general tone, the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Portugal has echoed a statement to the press where he criticizes strongly the Prime Minister for being present at the mass. The tone and the arguments advanced are astonishing and improper and advance basicaly that is unacceptable that the Prime Minister was present in a ceremony chaired by the Pope. Below, readers may find the original statement of Mr. António Reis and the comments of two important figures of Portuguese Regular Freemasonry, R:.Past-Grand Master of GLLP, Luis Nandin de Carvalho and R:. Bro:. Equus Peregrinus, Past Grand Prior of the Grand Priory Independent of Lusitanian, the system of High Degrees of the Christian Regular Freemasonry in Portugal.
It is the privilige to Luz do Oriente to have the comments of such important Grand Officials of our Order.

The initial remark.
O Grão-Mestre do Grande Oriente Lusitano – Maçonaria Portuguesa, António Reis, afirmou esta tarde à Antena 1 que o primeiro-ministro não deveria estar presente na missa celebrada esta tarde pelo Papa Bento XVI no Terreiro do Paço. António Reis lembrou que o primeiro-ministro espanhol também não esteve presente na missa aquando da visita do líder católico a Espanha.
Via RTP (Portuguese public TV chanel)

From Bro:. Luis Nandin de Carvalho
"Alem do mais é uma intromissão intolerável na esfera intima dos cidadãos e viola por esta tutela ilegítima espúria os direitos constitucionais (artº 41º) de liberdade de culto, consciência e convicções que a VERDADEIRA MAÇONARIA UNIVERSAL SEMPRE DEFENDEU E QUIS PROTEGER".
(Besides it is an intolerable intrusion on the intimate sphere of citizens and violates, through illegitimate spurious arguing, constitutional rights (article 41. of the Portuguese Constitution) of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and freedom of religious belief that the TRUE UNIVERSAL FREEMASONRY  ALWAYS WANTED TO PROTECT AND DEFEND).

From Equus Peregrinus
"Estes tiques de republicanismo ateu e radical, com que o GOL por vezes brinda a opinião pública revela uma total ausência de espírito maçónico. Certos I irregulares - felizmernte apenas alguns - ainda não compreenderam a verdadeira essência do fenómeno religioso; todavia, o maçon é convidado a compreender tudo. O ataque às instituições que representem a transcendência significa, neste caso, que a Maçonaria irregular se situa na esfera da imanência o que, para uma organização iniciática corresponde a estar do lado errado da sua presumível natureza. Sem qualquer simpatia por J. Sócrates, quer como pessoa quer como PM, julgo a sua presença numa celebração religiosa incluída no conjunto da visita papal foi adequada à hospitalidade que o governo deve aos visitantes ilustres e uma necessidade protocolar de Estado."
(These tics of republicanism and radical atheism, how often the GOL offers public opinion shows a total lack of Masonic spirit. Some irregular Brethren- hopely just a few - have not understood the true essence of the religious phenomena; however, each Freemason is invited to understand everything. The attack on the institutions that represent the Transcendence means in this case, that Freemasonry uneven lies in the realm of immanence, which for an initiatory organization (as freemasonry) to being on the wrong side of their presumed nature. Without any sympathy for J. Socrates, both as a person and as a PM, I believe his presence at a religious celebration included in the program of the papal visit was appropriate for the hospitality that the government owes to distinguished visitors and a necessity of State protocol.)