Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society –– Volume 1 –– Number 1 –– Spring 2013
Commentary on Albert Pike ’ s “ Interesting Masonic Ceremony ”
Pierre Mollier
A lbert Pike spoke , or at least read several languages , including French . We know that in his work he is often inspired by French authors . Thus , some parts of the Scottish Rite rituals repeat , word for word , pages of “ Dogma and Rituals of High Magic ” ( 1854 ) by Eliphas Levy ( Alphonse Louis Constant , 1810-1865 ). This curious Masonic ceremony is a further testimony of French sources used by Pike . Probably surprising for an American or British historian of the Order , this “ masonic baptism ” is familiar to the French masonic scholar .
After the Revolution and during all the XIXth century , the gap between Masonry and the Roman Church ( the dominant church in France ) became larger and larger . Masons were more and more anticlerical . With some sources in the new religions created during the Revolution , Masons shaped ceremonies for the main stages of life . Following Riebesthal ( 1826 ) some XIXth century masonic authors , such as Ragon , published such rituals . In European Catholic countries such as Belgium , France , Spain – sometimes – " masonic weddings " or " masonic funerals " still work today for families which have no other " spirituality " than masonry .
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