The First World War in the <i>Official Bulletin of the Spanish Grand Orient</i>, 1914-1918

Abstract

Although World War I began on July 28, 1914, the official Bulletin of Spanish Grand Orient, with a single exception, didn’t mention it officially until May 31,1915 in a call for a meeting of representatives of the Great Assembly. This was presided by Alberto de Lera y Álvarez, venerable master of the Jovellanos Lodge of Gijón. After this meeting, references to the war in the bulletin are classified as follows: 1) translated articles from the masonic press abroad, 2) news and notices about, amongst others, the failure of pacifism and of Freemasonry; Belgium GM ‘s initiative towards the German Lodges, and 3) the general assemblies of 1915 to 1918 with messages from presidents, from Grand Masters and proposal about war and peace. The bulletin concludes with masonic festivals to honor peace and the allied forces, a well as with a proposal to unify all freemasonries for international peace.