( Note: further evidence showing that Quebec politicians are on the side of the Grand Orient of France. Reminder: Jean Drapeau in 1975 received a medal GODF. 1985, same thing for René Lévesque. 1987: Jean Doré received the Grand Master GODF. )
On Thursday, March 20, 1952, the newspaper Le Canada "reported that a" philosopher "French, a Marius Lepage, will travel to Montreal to give books as" luxury "to the mayor of Montreal Houde.
Probably the most insignificant news ever published in a newspaper.
In reality, the "philosopher" in question was a Freemason of the 33rd degree French official mission to Montreal to try to restore the links between Freemasonry English and French. The books of "luxury" offered Mayor Houde was the work of Masonic history, another "detail" that the newspaper "Le Canada" forget to inform us.
Source: Brochure of the Grand Lodge of Quebec, "Masonic Light" May-June 1952.
CANADA - MONTREAL, Thursday, March 20, 1952
BOOKS OF LUXURY FOR THE MAYOR OF MTL.
is April 3, during the morning, Mr. Marius Lepage arrive by air from France to Montreal (Dorval) will be received by a group of French-Canadian friendship. The journalist and philosopher, director of Cahiers du Symbolism ", give some talks in Montreal where he spent only four days en route to Detroit, where another group has organized for her speaking tours in French and English , United States.
He will give a press conference during his stay in Montreal.
Lepage's visit to America was made personally, but he will use his visit to Montreal to give the mayor of this city, SHM Houde, two deluxe editions. The first book was written by the prefect of Mayenne, Edmond Dauphin, in collaboration with its sponsor, former prefect of Mayenne. This book tells the story of the chateau of Rambouillet, where he has already been sub-prefect. You know it's at Rambouillet, a few miles from Paris, that is the country home of President Republic, where there are superb game preserves, known as the "from Rambouillet. The second art book tackles "Chouannerie. It was printed by the Mayor of Laval, SH Mayor Albert Goupil, old-master printer of great taste, printer of the diocese, whose brother is a Jesuit.
Mr. Marius Lepage will present these two books in a personal capacity, MM. Edmond Dauphin and Albert Goupil, headed in the Mayenne, everything concerning the effective life of the department. He supported trade sections of agriculture, industry. He also directs the roads, waterways and truck traffic and, in addition police.
He will also use his short stint as staff to visit the offices of the Montreal police, those of the provincial police, as well as our public buildings and homes of higher learning.
Back from his tour in the U.S., it will switch back to Montreal for the plane going back into his country.
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MASONIC LIGHT MAY-JUNE 5952 (ie 1952)
Wor. Bro. Marius Lepage 33 ° of France Visits Canada.
We Were, Indeed, Pleased to Receive the visit, Both at Our board and our Home, of Worcester. Bro. Marius Lepage, editor of The French Masonic periodical, "Le Symbolisme", who is a 33° mason and the Wor. Master of the "Volney" Lodge of Laval, in the old province of Maine, France. This 11th century town is the native city of the First R.C. bishop of Canada, Mgr. Montmorency-Laval.
Bro. Lepage is a colleague of ours in the Philalethes Society in which we both hold fellowships. He apparently gave us the preference over many prominent Montrealers to whom he held letters of introduction (including Mayor Houde) — and spared us two evenings and an afternoon for the exchange of views on things masonic here and on the European continent, where I lived for many years.
When we know that Bro. Lepage was the Secretary of that eminent occultist, Bro. Oswald Wirth, and a contemporary French Masonic historian, Albert Lantoine, whose 33° decoration he wears and that he has just completed a volume on the history of Freemasonry in Mayence. we realize that he is more than the average casual Masonic visitor.
One of the purposes of his visit to America was to discover why fraternal relations cannot be restored between our jurisdictions and his "obedience" (the Grand Orient de France), which is accused, falsely claims Mr. Lepage, of being atheistic, whereas the worst that it can be accused of is being neutral in its attitude towards Divinity, due mostly to the fact there are Moslems and Buddhists, as well as Christians, in the ranks of the Grand Orient. An initiate can, if he so desires, be obligated on the Bible, the Koran, the, Bagdavagista or any other Sacred Book he desires, all of them being available in the leading Temples.
Incidentally, Bro. Lepage left with us a copy of a book by his master, Wirth, entitled: "Qui est régulier?" suggesting that the Grand Orient adheres more closely to Anderson's constitution than we do, notably as regards the attitude towards colored adepts of the Prince Hall fraternity. Of course, I explained, we in Quebec entertained no race prejudice - - - - in-so-far as our colored Brethren are concerned!
Bro. Lepage, although he speaks excellent English, preferred contacting French-speaking Masons of this jurisdiction, thinking that since Manitoba officially recognizes the Grand Orient, it should be comparatively easy to restore the fraternal relations that once existed between our jurisdiction and his own. We were sorry we had to undeceive him, telling him the unfavorable publicity his "obedience" had received in French-Canada since 1910, would certainly react against we, "regulars". We also informed Bro. Lepage that we had received assurances from Bro. Viaud, President of the Council of the Order, (which is the continental equivalent to Grand Master) and General Meunier, Grand Secretary of the G.O. that no attempt would be made to revive the Grand Orient in this jurisdiction. The then G.M. of our jurisdiction? M.W. Bro. Leslie Boyd, has copies of the correspondence exchanged at the time.
We also placed before Bro. Lepage the letters we had received from the
late Bro. Roumilhac, F.P.S., relative to the possibility of the G.O. entering into communication with the then Premier of England, Winston Churchill, for the purpose of having fraternal relations between France and England restored. At the time, I had advised that the then Premier of France and mayor of Lyons. Mr. Herriot, should take up the question with Hon. Winston Churchill - - but was informed, to my surprise, that the French Premier was not and had never been a Mason. I therefore advised Mr. Lepage that possibly that eminent French statesman, Mr. Paul Boncours, who IS a Mason, should correspond on this subject with Mr. Churchill. Mr. Lepage stated he would certainly follow up this possibility on his next visit to the Paris headquarters of his "obedience".
• In view of the fact that no masonic body throughout the wide world has suffered as much as the French for the crime of being Mason: - - - imprisonment in concentration camps, confiscation of property, extermination in the gas chambers of Dachau and Buchenwald, execution by firing squads, etc.; the views of England might possibly be altered, specially since the G.O. had greatly modified its own views as to the volume of the Sacred Law. Belief in a Supreme Being seems also to have undergone a change and I suggested Bro. Lepage should insist on the fact that at the time relations were broken between the G.L. of England and the G.O. of France, the G.M. of French Masonry was Rev. Mr. F. Desmons, a Protestant minister who certainly was no atheist and could not have countenanced atheism.
As a proof of the changed attitude of French Masonry, Bro. Lepage showed me several documents, summons, etc.. bearing as a headline the abbreviations (A.L.G.D.G.A. de l'U) "To the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe". He also left with me photographs of the interior of "Volney" Lodge over which he presides, showing the altar at the foot of the Master's seat in the East, this being the position it occupies in English Lodges, and the big "G" hanging from the ceiling, as in our own Lodges.
Who knows, possibly because of Bro. Lepage's visit to us, a rapprochement may result between the strictly deistic Lodges such as we have in English-speaking countries and those of France. Germany seems to have fallen into the line, why not France?
C. H.
Editorial Note:—We have been informed that no less than five American Grand bodies and one Canadian (Manitoba) have extended recognition and entertain fraternal relations with the Grand Orient of France. If we understand American Jurisprudence correctly, all "Regular" Grand Bodies are enjoined not to extend fraternal relations to those Grand Bodies who have recognized bodies that do not make the belief in T.G.A.O.T.U. compulsory; the resulting situation would therefore seem quite complicated, more so than in the case of Negro Masonry of Prince Hall affiliation, which holds the same views as do the "regular" Grand bodies" relative to the G.A.O.T.U.
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