Freemasonry facts for kids

Freemasons' Hall, London, the main building for Freemasons in England.

Freemasonry is a very old organization. Its members, called "Freemasons" or "Masons," believe in being like a family and helping each other. They also help people in need. You can find Freemasons all over the world. There are about 6 million Freemasons today.

Freemasonry has local groups called "lodges." Larger groups, like those for a whole country, are called "Grand Lodges." These Grand Lodges work on their own. Most "regular" Freemasonry is only for men. But there are also groups for both men and women, or just for women. These groups are not always recognized by the "regular" ones. All Masonic groups believe in "brotherly love, relief, and truth." They do a lot of work for charities. For example, they might run schools for orphaned children. There's even a special hospital for older members and their families.

What is a Mason?

The word "mason" means a person who works with stone. They are also called "stonemasons." Freemasonry started from groups of stonemasons in the Middle Ages. These skilled workers built big buildings like cathedrals. They were called "freemasons" because they were free. This means they were not tied to one rich lord, like many workers back then.

Stonemasons often moved from one town to another for work. This was different from other craftspeople who usually stayed in one place. Stonemasons tried to keep their building skills secret. This might be why Freemasons today have special handshakes and passwords. They promise to keep these things secret.

How Freemasonry Started

Around the year 1650, stonemason groups started letting people who were not stonemasons join them. In 1717, the first "Grand Lodge" was formed in England. It became the main group for Freemasonry in England. Later, in 1813, it joined with another group. Now it is called the United Grand Lodge of England.

Why Some People Don't Like Freemasonry

Freemasonry has faced some disagreement. The Catholic Church does not support Freemasonry. However, Freemasonry itself does not stop Catholics from joining. Also, some political groups have spoken against it. For example, in Britain, the Labour Party has suggested laws to limit Masonry.

Images for kids

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  A lodge room in Palazzo Roffia, Florence, set up for a French ritual.

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  A print from 1870 showing George Washington as the leader of his Lodge.

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  Freemasons' Hall, London, around 1809.

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  Ottoman noble Ahmad Nami in his Masonic clothes in 1925.

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  An example of Masonic symbols in Szprotawa, Poland.

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  A diagram showing the structure of Freemasonry and its symbols.

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  The Goose and Gridiron pub, where the first Grand Lodge in England was founded.

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  A room at the Masonic Hall in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, in the early 1900s.

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  Erasmus James Philipps, the first Freemason in what is now Canada.

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  A Masonic initiation ceremony in Paris, 1745.

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  The Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the few Masonic temples that survived the Franco dictatorship in Spain.

See also

In Spanish: Francmasonería para niños