Below you will find detailed information of how the Rectified Scottish Rite works.
The III° Reformed and Rectified Province is a male masonic obedience.
It practices exclusively the Rectified Scottish Rite and abides by the Code of the united and rectified lodges as well as the Code of the CBCS of 1778 confirmed in Wilhelmsbad in 1782.
Occitania is the third rectified Province of the Order. Its coat of arms shows a silver galley on the field gules with the motto “PROSPERO MOTU” – “Moving to Prosperity”. It is governed by the Grand Provincial Master who has authority over the relations between the three constituent structures of the Province.
The structures
The Third Rectified Province is divided into three sovereign and interdependent structures. This means that there is an organic connection between them but they are prohibited from acting on each other. The link between all the three is the Rectified Scottish Rite since the Province of Occitania practices it in its entirety from the first to the last grade.
The Scottish Grand Lodge (GLERRO)
It represents the so-called “Saint John”, or “blue” lodges of the Province of Occitania. These are the lodges that practice the following Masonic degrees:
– Apprentice,
– Companion,
– Master Mason.
It is governed by the Deputy Master General of the lodges of Saint John elected by the Venerable Masters, assisted by the College of Grand Officers. At the head of the lodge is the Venerable Master, a privileged link between the lodge and the obedience. In accordance with the Code of united and rectified lodges of 1778, the Venerable Master is imperatively a Scottish Master of Saint Andrew.
The principles of the Grand Lodge are:
– Belief in God, the Grand Architect of the Universe;
– Compulsory presence of the Bible, the Square and Compasses in view during the works of the Lodges; the obligations of the members are taken on the Bible that is opened at the St. John’s prologue;
– Initiation of men who, after becoming Brothers, gather in free and sovereign Lodges with respect to their commitment to the Order;
– Prohibition of debates concerning political or religious convictions during the Works;
– Respect of harmony and collegiality of decisions;
– Application of the Code of the reunited and rectified Lodges of 1778, confirmed in 1782.
The Scottish Directory (DERRO)
This organization administers exclusively the “green” lodges of Scottish Masters of Saint Andrew (in reference to the color of the grade’s regalia). It is headed by the President of the Directory (who is the Grand Prior) and the Deputy Master General (who is the Deputy Master General of the Lodges of Saint John), assisted by the Deputy Masters under the authority of the Provincial Grand Master. The lodges of Saint Andrewé Lodge are headed by Deputy Masters elected by the Knights Beneficent of the Holy City. The Scottish Master of Saint Andrew is the last of the symbolic class of the Rectified Scottish Rite.
The lodges of Saint Andrew are somehow built over the lodges of Saint John. The Lodges of Saint Andrew of the Scottish Directory sometimes accept as members Brothers coming from other obediences or other Masonic structures, who wish to improve themselves in this particular path while continuing in their rites of origin.
The Grand Priory (GPERRO)
This is the highest instance of the structure. The Grand Priory is divided into Prefectures that include several Commanderies of the same geographical area (usually a department), each. It is governed by the designated Grand Prior, proposed to the Capitulars for his election.
A Commandery is a Lodge that works the grades of:
– Squire Novice,
– Knight Beneficent of the Holy City.
The Commanderies are headed by designated Commanders elected for a period of three years.
Like the Scottish Directory, the Grand Priory hosts within its structure Brothers from different backgrounds who do not necessarily belong to the Grand Scottish Reformed and Rectified Lodge of Occitania.
Provincial College of the Profession
Beyond there, there is a Provincial College of the Professed submitted to the authority of the Metropolitan College of the Grand Professed (international), very discreet, with no other power or duty than that of council and almost secret guide, because its members are unknown (they are co-opted among the Beneficent Knights of the Holy City, and their names are kept secret). We could consider it to be a circle of research and aloft studies on fundamental subjects such as the meaning of life, the ancient ways of initiation, the art of meditation, etc.
Masonic relations
The Grand Scottish Reformed and Rectified Priory of Occitania (GPERRO) is a French obedience that has relations with other obediences both nationally and internationally. There are different levels of relationships: fraternal relationships, more affective than official, and official relationships.
Freemasons of the Third Province of the Order
The structures of the Grand Priory welcome candidates in search of inner perfection, loving spirituality and humanism. Candidates for initiation in this structure must respect the Christian symbolism of the Rectified Scottish Rite, without dogmatic or cultual spirit.
The purpose of this path is above all
– Individual development through work that every man must do on himself,
– Exercise of active and enlightened beneficence towards all men, whatever their nationality, their political, religious opinions and their civil status.
Thus is established the union of universal and traditional Freemasonry with chivalry, Christian in its roots, and generous, according to the teachings of the Volume of the Sacred Law.