Encyclopedia Masonica

A Court or Tribunal especially established in the twelfth century by Innocent III, to apprehend and punish heretics or persons guilty of any offense against orthodoxy. Freemasonry has always been the subject of much disapproval by the Roman Catholic Church and the Fraternity has been victimized by Papal pronunciations and Bulls issued by one after the other of the popes. Although Freemasonry makes a subscription to a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being a necessity yet the Roman Church chooses to regard its teachings as atheistic and as such has pursued, tortured, imprisoned and burned the Brethren of the Order at every period during the entire course of the Inquisition. Llorente, everywhere regarded as a reliable authority as he was secretary of the Inquisition at Madrid from 1789 to 1791, having access to the original documents and records, says in his History of the Inquisition:

The first severe measure against Freemasons in Europe was that decreed on December 14, 1732, by the Chamber of Police of the Chatelet at Paris: it prohibited Freemasons from assembling, and condemned M. Chapelot to a penalty of 6000 lives for having suffered them to assemble in his house. Louis IV commanded that those peers of France, and other gentlemen who had the privilege of the entry, should be deprived of that honor if they were members of a Masonic Lodge. The Grand Master of the Parisian Lodges, being obliged to quit France, convoked an assembly of Freemasons to appoint his successor. Louis XV, on being informed of this declared that if a Frenchman was elected, he would send him to the Bastille.

The Encyclopedia Masonica exists to preserve the wealth of information that has been generated over the centuries by numerous Masonic authors. As Freemasonry is now Speculative and not Operative, the work of a Mason is now conducted in the quarries of symbolism, literature, history and scholasticism. Freemasonry encourages intellectual exploration and academic achievement in its members and many Masons over the years have taken up this calling. The result has been that an incredible amount of philosophy, symbolic speculation and academic insights have been created. However, as Freemasonry teaches, human knowledge is frail and fragile. It is easily lost in the turnings of the ages and unforeseen catastrophes can result in great setbacks to human knowledge.

For too long these great works have sat on forgotten shelves, gathering dust and concealing the light that could be shed on the darkness of our ignorance. The Encyclopedia Masonica has been created to act as an ark, sailing through time, to ensure that future generations of Freemasons have access to the same knowledge that inspired the Brethren that came before them. It will contain the works of such Masonic Luminaries as Albert G. Mackey, Manly Palmer Hall, G.S.M. Ward, Albert Pike and many others. The Encyclopedia Masonica is a living work and the volunteers of Universal Co-Masonry will continue to labor until the most comprehensive Masonic reference work the world has ever seen has been created. The Encyclopedia Masonica is open to any who wish to use it and will remain open so that the treasures contained within may increase the wealth of all those who seek its wisdom.