Opinion index

ANNUAL COMMUNICATION

ROME, 22-23 MARCH 1997

ETHICS CULTURE LIBERTY

ADDRESS BY THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER

BROTHER VIRGILIO GAITO

Dear Brothers, Lieber Brüder, Chers Frères, Queridos Hermanos, Queridos Irmãos, Filatoi Adelphoi, Dragii Fratii, Draga Bracio, Carissimi Fratelli,

I transformed myself into a ram for your happiness,
You reached the road of the Laws, for your well-being,
Therefore accept my true unique nature,
I am the sign, I am immortality,
I am the centre of the world, that was and will be,
I am You, I am You and me. Know that You are me.
You will not be assailed by the doubt that Your too simple soul instils.
All that exists on this earth belongs solely to me ...

And so, through the metamorphosys of a ram, the wise Indra teaches the Doctrine of the Uniqueness of the Supreme Principle (the Brahman) according to an ancient Vedic text.

In fact, Aries, a fire sign, under whose constellation this Grand Lodge is being held, is regarded as the symbol of strength, fertility, power, so much so, that in ancient times it was considered the sacrificial animal par excellence.

However, according to modern psychology, its power of penetration, if not sublimated, remains an ambivalent power : it can fertilise, but also destroy.

Even in the symbol of a "V", characteristic of twisted horns, the zodiac sign of Aries takes on a value of aperture and initiation, closely tied to the nature of the original fire : it explodes in an uncontrolled manner from a central point and vamps out in all directions. At the same time it is creator and destroyer, blind and rebel, confused and prolix, generous and sublime.

This fiery sign, compared to primitive vitality, is like a word whose sonority is in red and gold, in affinity with Mars and with the Sun, an essentially aggressive Word that corresponds to an impetuous, tumultuous, seething and feverish nature.

It is the same powerful force which, after the torpor of winter, is released into nature with the coming of spring, coincident with the equinox, which in being celebrated in the month of March, symbolises virility, energy, independence and courage, that corresponds to the ascent of the sun, to the movement from cold to warmth, from darkness to light.

However this season of reawakening, that propitiates all the positive activities of man, risks being swept away and mislead by a similar, overbearing need of creation.

But the Initiate knows how to restrain his own passions and exalt them towards his own improvement and towards the good of all, because he is guided by an ethical imperative that, for the Mason in particular, does not concede deviations nor short cuts.

And so, at the blossoming of spring this year, which is so full of activity and ferment, this ethical imperative aimed at the search for Truth, Beauty and Light, presses more than ever in our souls. There is a strong desire to transmit our unlimited desire for Good to all those in the four corners of the world, who like us, intend to favour "the need to be" over "being".

On the 10^th March 1872, Giuseppe Mazzini died in Pisa under a false name, an exile in the Nation that he so strongly yearned for and which finally became reality. He was a man with a superior ethic vision, and he had made his duty the creed of his life and had launched a farsighted look towards all people, in a longing for true brotherhood, which projected him in a dimension of universal man, revered throughout the world.

One hundred and five years from that sad day, the 8^th March 1997, we Masons found ourselves alone at the cemetery of Staglieno to commemorate the man who was not only the true spiritual Father of our Nation but also the Apostle of dignity and freedom of man throughout the world.

The mass media featured our celebration prominently as it was an isolated event in the worrying indifference shown by public figures and men from the world of culture and information.

We must therefore ask ourselves how is it possible that such a great man with an indisputable sense of State, of public and private rectitude, of respect for the fundamental values of Humanity could be banished to the dusty notice-boards of museums.

Is it perhaps because today, and not only in Italy, the moral question that Mazzini chose as the reason of his life and that true Masons have always placed at the heart of their work, is not felt ?

This cannot be true because there are debates, activities, parliamentary bills that are trying to stem, on the one hand, corruption by lobbies that are hungry for power at any price, and on the other hand, the commercialisation of even the most noble of sentiments to satisfy purely materialistic interests.

But all of this activity, all this frenetic agitation, reveals a basic ignorance of history - defined by the Latin people as Magistra vitae - and consequently, a refusal that is not always unconscious to consider the cathartic lesson given to us by illustrious men such as Giuseppe Mazzini, and by Masons Giuseppe Garibaldi, Simon Bolivar, Benito Juarez, Abraham Lincoln, and Gandhi, who have become the symbol of courage and the symbol of farsighted affirmation of the highest ethical principals upon which modern-day society has been built.

In truth, these giants of lay thought, are feared by the immense herds of little men who do their best to imitate them today, but end up by burying their expensive shoes in the dust, while trying to follow the indelible footprints impressed on the road of civilisation and progress by such champions of the Ideal.

And so, looming in this so-called society of consumerism, there is the serious danger of the fall of these essential values, among which there is that of respect for one's own dignity and that of others and the cult of liberty, with the progressive insensibility and incapacity to defend them.

It is disastrous that such a society, no longer scoured by the creative turmoil of the fight against injustice, intolerance oppression, despotism, and exploitation of the weak, falls back upon itself becoming prey of the culture of the dead, that is associated with the desire to assure a future dominated by eugenics and by happiness that is the result of the removal of every anguished problem, rather than the reconciliation of the diversities in a world that is not flattened out by conformism but alive in its infinite realities and traditions.

And it is precisely in this light that this society is ready to accept the possibility of cloning, even that of human beings. Quickened by Man's particular inexhaustible desire for knowledge and dominion of creation, genetic engineering, has advanced very quickly in comparison to the other branches of science. It has conducted us to the brink of the reproduction of a series of perfectly identical individuals to the original and amongst themselves, without any limit in time.

The debate among scholars, scientists, theologians, jurists, sociologists, philosophers who discuss whether it is licit or opportune that Man places himself on the same level as God will continue for some time.

We cannot foresee whether the present aversion that is more or less unanimous, not only among the various religions, but also among Governments and international organisations, will always persist, or whether under the pressure of eugenic or utilitarian considerations, man will indulge in more and more exceptions forgetting those ethic values that must preside over human life.

The cloning of animals that are substantially regarded as a mere instrument for our well being and pleasure, has already aroused our repugnance and preoccupation as Masons : and so much more drastic and extreme will our opposition be to the cloning of human beings.

The reasons behind our opposition are not of a theological of philosophical nature, but rather practical and above all, ethical.

If the objective of cloning is that of creating replicas of the finest individuals, immune from defect and illness, the advantage would soon be lost in that viruses and parasites are in continual evolution and new types are always evolving, capable of successfully attacking individuals that up to that moment were insensitive to disease. Therefore it is necessary that nature defends itself by maintaining the variation which comes about with every sexual reproduction with a mixing of the hereditary patrimony of both parents.

From an ethical point of view, cloning could on the one hand, bring about the pernicious racism that Hitler so desired, and on the other hand, it could cause the desolating levelling out of entire populations of "doubles" with the certain victory of technology over individual liberty, morality and the future.

A Mason, educated to respect himself and others, who guards the patrimony of universal and eternal values that must be handed down to future generations, must be on the alert so that the presence of Man on this planet does not betray the divine project of his destination to the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe.

We are meteors that move through space giving off that light that must mark our passing, and at the same time, illuminate the road for those who follow, so that they do not lose their way in the labyrinth of error - destroyer of the Great Work predestined for Mankind who will be happy if nurtured by Love.

And it is precisely the act of love, generator of life, that is annulled by cloning with the intolerable aggravating circumstance of the insertion of a third element - violator of that sacrality of creation - into the intimate and marvellous relationship between father and mother.

And what could tomorrow's world possibly be like, populated by individuals without roots, knowing - as Hans Jonas so acutely observes - that they are a copy of a creature that already existed in a living form and therefore, forced to suffocate the authenticity of one's being, that is, the freedom to discover oneself, to surprise oneself and others with what is innate in each of us ?

However Masons will fight with all their strength against such distortions of the laws of nature and, at the same time they will fight against the destruction of a planet where true Men must live, both consignees and custodians of a marvellous habitat that our forefathers entrusted to us and that we have the duty to improve and not to violate nor desertify, above all morally.

And with this in mind, and with our profound love for one's neighbour, we wish to gather around us all those who have the intellect of Love, so that the following Principle can be inserted into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10^th December 1948 and in the Constitutions of all the Countries in the world : "All human beings have the duty to respect and guard our planet preserving it for the benefit of future generations, whose right to life according to nature must be guaranteed for the respect given to freedom, dignity and the authenticity of Man".

And so we have come to the other fundamental mission of Freemasonry, and in particular that of the Grand Orient of Italy, called to diffuse culture as the search for oneself and as the light and guide, especially for future generations to be taught the cult of liberty.

The great Pythagoras would conclude his superb teachings by exhorting the disciples of the famous Schola in Crotone to look to the sky, meaning that all human knowledge must be sublimated in a spiritual transcendental vision that necessarily leads one to interiorize the scientific achievements in one's conscience.

In order that our body, the precious involucre of the soul, infused by divine inspiration, be worthy of a conscience, the supreme acquisition of the initiatic work, Pythagoras said : above all, have respect for yourself.

To respect oneself also means to gain awareness of the presence of one's fellow man and respect their dignity, so that it becomes imperative to moderate our egoism to make space for the higher and more legitimate aspirations of others.

And so, from this indispensable cultural enrichment, the concept of liberty is born, based on respect for oneself and for others - non-antithetical but specular facets of a value that is essential for a healthy and harmonious growth of human society.

Therefore, culture is the matrix of liberty, but at the same time, liberty is seen as the guaranty of culture.

To alert observers of the day to day reality as we Masons are, the alarming phenomenon of the levelling out of fundamental values of modern society - easy prey for shrewd manipulators of the news subordinated to squalid social-political-economic powers where ethics is severely banished - do not escape us. And all of this while the culture of ignorance spreads like humus for an easier control of the masses.

For Masons who have always worked for the good and progress of Mankind, the moment has come to concretely contribute to the defence and diffusion of culture by forming those true men, champions of liberty for all, who can successfully face the challenges of the Third Millennium.

And, as the Initiate, according to Pythagoras, must have a panoramic vision of the various phenomena and problems, we believe that the concept of Universitas, as a place delegated to the study of the various branches of human knowledge, must be reconsidered in the light of the rapid globalisation of needs, trends and language, as well as the incredible spread of the means of communication.

Therefore we have developed the project of a new University, characterised by the interdisciplinary character of culture, that makes it possible to integrate classical with scientific studies, enriched by an irreplaceable ethic substrate and by a deep knowledge of the anthropological, traditional, linguistic roots of all the populations, in particular those in the Mediterranean basin.

And where should this university be located, if not in following the footsteps of Pythagoras, in the city of Crotone - one of the pearls of the Magna Graecia - that has remained famous for the Schola that formed wise and learned men as well as competent and honest administrators ? These very men, combining ethics with politics and economy, will be capable of leading Humanity to liberty along the road of understanding, harmony, peace, and cultural and moral growth.

At first, this project of ours which was received with unconditional enthusiasm by the most qualified exponents of the academic and professional Italian and foreign world, will be set up at the Pythagoras Study and Research Centre University whose courses will attract an ever increasing number of students from all over the world, as has been happening for some time at the free Masonic Universities of Lovanio in Belgium and of Santiago in Chile. The University in Crotone will be second to none and will revive the glory of the Pythagorean School in the Third Millennium.

We are therefore sure of the active consensus of all those, Brothers and profane, who believe in the binomial Culture - Liberty for Mankind that needs to be purified and saved.

We have an appointment of world-wide importance this November with all the foreign Brothers, with whom we have an indissoluble bond of collaboration to carry out these projects and for the triumph of common Ideals, when we meet in Rome to discuss the theme of "Liberty and Freemasonry in a changing Society", that is preparatory to the World Congress of Grand Masters that will be held in New York in May 1998.

Therefore under the sign of Aries, with ardour but also with wisdom we shall head off in the Light of spring guided by Ethics and Culture towards Liberty, pilasters upon which the true Initiate, aware of the uniqueness of the Supreme Principle, shall construct the City of the Sun, of Truth.

Even this year numerous foreign delegations have honoured us with their presence. In expressing our heartfelt thanks and in the knowledge of the identical points of view which bind us, we wish to unite the following dear brothers in an fraternal chain of union : Sever Frentiu, Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge of Romania, with the Grand Treasurer Manole Josiper, the Pro Grand Master Corneliu Simion, the Senior Grand Warden Dan Nicolescu and the Grand Representative Leo Taroni; Novak Jaukovic, Grand Master of the Regular Grand Lodge "Yugoslavia", with the Senior Grand Warden Novica Jovovic, the Grand Secretary for foreign affairs Bozo Sibalic with the Grand Representative Giovanni Cecconi ; Christos Maneas, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Greece with the Grand Representatives Stefano Colaghis and Luigi Carlucci ; Claudio Moreira de Souza, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Rio de Janeiro ; Antonio Vergara Lira, Vice Grand Master of the Grand Equinox Lodge of Ecuador with the Grand Representative Giovanni Parapini ; Fiorello Sodi, Grand Representative and delegate of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Argentina Eduardo A. Vaccaro; Renato Baroni, Grand Representative and delegate of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Chile, Marinho Pizarro Pizarro ; Joaquin Piriz Jorge, delegate of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Uruguay Carlos Bolaña with the Grand Representative Giulio Corvino ; Fabio Giuli, delegate of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Austria Heinz Scheiderbauer with the Grand Representative Lamberto Scalabrino ; Hans Jörg Werth, Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodges of Germany accompanied by Brother Ivan Stravrev representing the Bulgarian Lodges under UGLG jurisdiction, as well as the Grand Representative Roberto Innocenti ; Robert Kalb, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Illinois with the Grand Chancellor Howard L. Graff ; Ross Van Bayer, the Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey with the Grand Representatives Cesare Perondi and George Stallone.

To the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe.

VIRGILIO GAITO

GRAND MASTER

Rome, 22^nd March 1997