Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain
The Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain (Gran Logia Simbólica Española as per Spanish) is one of the main grand obediences (federations of several masonic lodges) in Spain. It is one of group of obediences included in CLIPSAS, and can be defined as a mixed or egalitarian, liberal and non-dogmatic Grand Lodge. Definition. The GLSE belongs to the French or continental tradition of world Masonry. It differs from English tradition, itself called “regular”, in that the latter obliges masons to believe in a revealed god and in soul immortality; also, women access is forbidden. As  many other masonic organisations around the world, the GLSE does not embrace any of those two conditions. Its condition of being mixed or egalitarian means that, representing the essential principle of Equality, it accepts men as well as women to become members of its lodges, without any difference either in rights or in duties. The term liberal, in this context, means there are no positions for life on the GLSE: every representative is freely chosen by all masons for a fixed period which is only to be renewed once. Non dogmatism, coming also from the tradition of European continental masonry , means GLSE members are not forced to be theistic or deistic; on the contrary, the GLSE considers that religious believes, or the lack of them, are part of every single mason's privacy. Therefore, the GLSE embraces the secularism, meaning that no one can impose their faith on the others and considering that defending a common and civil cohabitation space, a space in which all these believes, or the lack of them, may live together with equality, full freedom and with no privilege for anyone, is a critical matter. Furthermore, the GLSE is not only part of CLIPSAS, but also  of the Masonic Mediterranean Union (MMU), European Masonic Alliance (EMA), "Contribution des Obédiences Maçonniques Libérales et Adogmatiques à la Construction Européenne (COMALACE)" and is a founder of the Espacio Masónico de España (EME). History. After Francoist Dictatorship, Freemasonry was legal again in Spain by a National High Court's judgement of 19 May 1979. This judgement set aside a decision of the Ministry of Interior (ruled by Rodolfo Martín Villa) pretending to keep Freemasonry underground. The Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain was established the next year, on 15 May 1980. Its headquarters was built in Barcelona, at Avinyó Street. Its  name comes from another Obedience established in Catalonia in 1920. The GLSE was created as a federation of lodges for men, as custodian and as representative of the identity signs and archetypes from Spanish historical freemasonry, since the GLSE embrace Spanish Grand Orient principles (a federation virtually extinguished after its persecution during Francoist Dictatorship). Just as it had happened in London 263 years before, the GLSE included lodges which started out in secrecy even before Franco’s death. A number of GLSE’s sponsors became from European and American exile. Some of the first lodges were Minerva i Lleialtat, in  Barcelona, Spain, founded in February 1977; Justicia, also in Barcelona, and shortly afterwards Hermes-Tolerancia, in Madrid. The first GLSE’s Grand Master (1980-1987) was Rafael Vilaplana Fuentes. From its beginnings, GLSE’s official masonic rite was the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, although some years later French Rite was embraced too. In August of 2018 two more rites were incorporated: the Ancient and Primitive of Memphis-Mizraïm and the Emulation rite, of English origin. Shortly afterwards, in 1983, GLSE was welcomed in the Centre of Liaison and Information of Masonic Powers Signatories of Strasbourg Appeal of 22 January  1961, or CLIPSAS. CLIPSAS is the world great liberal Freemasonry organisation. The closest international relationships were held, from the beginning, with the Grand Orient of France, the Belgic Droit Human Federation, the Grand Orient of Belgium and the Grand Lodge of Italy. Close relationships were also held with the Lusitanian Grand Orient (LGO), in Portugal, from 1986 to today. In 1990 the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain agreed to declare secularism as one of the key values. Women’s Admission. Another decisive moment in GLSE history took place in 1992, under the command of the second Grand Master, Roger Leveder  Le Pottier. In 1990, the discussion about “mixticity”, or women's admission, had already begun. This discussion was concluded at the General Assembly of 27 June 1992, held in Barcelona under the approval of a key amendment of the organisation's regulations. The GLSE has allowed, since then, mason women as members with full right and completely equal to mason men. This was called the “triple option”. The first woman entering in a GLSE's lodge was Josefina Saló. She was introduced in the Respectable Lodge Justicia #7, in Barcelona, on 14 November 1992. In 2000, the first woman (Ascensión  Tejerina) was appointed as a Grand Master. In 2012, Nieves Bayo, from Aragon, was also appointed as a Grand Master. Both of them were reappointed for a second command. Intern and International Consolidation. In 1986, three years after being admitted to the organisation, the GLSE hold the CLISPSAS's Yearly General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, which led to the recognition of the Spanish masons’ international effort by world freemasonry. However, ultimate support to that effort came in 1998, when CLIPSAS met again in Spain (then, in Barcelona) and the fourth GLSE's Grand Master was appointed its president, Javier Otaola  Bajeneta, Basque writer and lawyer. Otaola led CLIPSAS between 1997 and 1999. Since then, the GLSE went on enhancing its relations with other obediences and masonic organisations all around the world. Currently, the GLSE maintains mutual recognition relations with 43 masonic obediences from Europe, Africa, Asia and America, and its footprint has reached every major forum in world freemasonry. In April 2005, the GLSE hold the Masonic Mediterranean Union (MMU) Meeting in Tarragona, Spain; and the GLSE did it again in Toledo, Spain, in 2016. Today, the UMM includes representatives from ten coastal countries and it works promote the dialogue , cohabitation and collaboration among all these countries. On the 9 May 2009, during the Grand Master Jordi Farrerons's command, the GLSE was involved in the Espacio Masónico de España (EME) foundation, coordinating the four major freemasonic obediences with a footprint in Spain –the GLSE, Le Droit Humain, the Feminine Grand Lodge of Spain and the Grand Orient of France. On the 1 October 2016, the new GLSE's headquarters was established at Vallès Street, in Barcelona. The old temple in Avinyò Street was abandoned. On October 29, 2019, Grand Master Xavier Molina presided the inauguration of the new and  extensive Madrid headquarters, owned by the GLSE and located on the Belianes Street, in whose temples works Lodges of several Masonic organizations. Nowadays at 2022, the Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain includes 64 active lodges in four countries (Spain, France, Belgium and Sweden), in which more of 900 men and women works. National and International Organisations. The Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain is affiliated with the following masonic organisations: Treaties of Amity. The Symbolic Grand Lodge of Spain signed Treaties of Amity and Mutual Recognition with the following masonic organisations: Europe. Austria: Belgium: Croatia: France: Greece: Italy: Luxembourg: Portugal: Poland : Romania: Slovenia: Spain: Switzerland: Turkey: Africa. Congo: America.  Argentina: Brazil: Canada: Chile: Colombia: Ecuador: Peru: United States of America: Uruguay: Mediterranean. Lebanon: Malta: Marocco: