Grande Loge Nationale Française
The Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF)[1] is a French Masonic Grand Lodge. It was founded in 1913, by two lodges, "Le Centre des Amis" Lodge splitting from the larger and older Grand Orient de France and "L'Anglaise" lodge, an independent lodge based in Bordeaux.[2] GLNF is based on monotheism and the 1929 precepts of regularity issued by the United Grand Lodge of England.
The all-male Grande Loge traditionnelle et symbolique Opéra split from the GLNF in 1958, as did the National French Lodge in 1968, and more recently the Grand Prieuré des Gaulles.[3]
[edit] Rites
The GLNF was originally founded to allow the practise of the Rectified Scottish Rite, whose Christian and theist characteristics were unacceptable to the Continental obediences. Following the influx of a large number of English and American expatriates during the world wars, the Emulation Rite and York Rite (a term which, in the French context, refers to the blue lodge degrees as worked in America) were added to the lodge, primarily the former.
Following an influx of a large number of brethren from the Grande Loge de France breaking away in protest of that obedience's treaty with the GOdF, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite became the most prevalent rite, even in the blue lodge degrees.
Following the research of a number of the brethren into the history of the Rectified Scottish Rite, interest grew in restoring the French Rite to regular freemasonry in France. This led ultimately to a patent being obtained in 1989 from the Supreme Council of the Modern Rite for Brazil, which traced its ancestry back to France from before the Great Schism of 1877, and which had always remained regular. The French Rite has grown considerably in the GLNF in the last 20 years and is now practised by about 15% of its lodges.
Recently, lodges have been added that work the Standard Scottish Rite, bringing to six the total number of rites worked in the jurisdiction.
[edit] Current situation
Since 2009, GLNF is facing serious troubles (financial issues leading to bankruptcy, governance conflicts).
In January 2011 Miss Monique Legrand has been designated by French legal authorities to manage the situation leading to a major internal crisis.
Following the publication of the suspension of the Recognition by most of the "Regular" European Grand Lodges[4] the UGLE decided on 2011-07-19 to suspend relations with the GLNF.[5]
