(This
pamphlet has been adapted from one published
by the Church Lodge Committee of The Grand Lodge
AF & AM of Kansas.)
An Open Letter Concerning . . .
MASONIC FUNERALS
Published by
THE MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION
8120 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
This is an open letter to clergy
of all faiths concerning "Masonic Funerals."
It was written to encourage and foster understanding
between the Masonic Fraternity and Ministers
who may not *be members of the Masonic Lodge.
While this letter is primarily addressed to
the' clergy, we hope it will be helpful to others
who may have questions about Masonic Funerals.
Other Lodges, some veterans' organizations,
and various societies, as well as Freemasonry,
have funeral services, but this letter is primarily
concerned with those of the Masonic Institution.
To start, it may be well to point out that Freemasonry
is not a religion, although it is religious.
That is, the Fraternity does not believe itself
to be an instrument of God for the purpose of
reconciling men to Himself, but teaches that
men do need such reconciliation and should seek
it through loyal involvement with the religious
faith of their preference. The lodge has no
"plan of salvation" or way of atonement
to offer its members. Rather, it teaches the
Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God.
The participation of the Masonic Institution
in a funeral service is an expression of its
fraternal affection for the deceased and for
his family rather than the exercise of a priestly
ministry representing God.
Masonry includes many appendant
groups, bodies, "rites," orders, and
auxiliary organizations. The basic unit is the
Lodge, often called the "Blue Lodge."
It is this group which will, most often, conduct
the Masonic Funeral because every Mason belongs
to such a Lodge whether or not he belongs to
any other bodies in Masonry. On occasion one
of these other bodies will hold a funeral service.
For example, the Order of the Eastern Star,
which includes women as well as men, sometimes
officiates at the funerals of its women members.
No one is ever Obligated to have
a Masonic Funeral. It is not a requirement of
the Fraternity that a member have his funeral
service conducted, either in whole or in part,
by the Masonic Order. Any member who was in
good standing at the time of his death may have
a Masonic Funeral if he requested it or if his
family so requests. Any participation in tire
service, other than the attendance of individual
Lodge members as a part of the general congregation,
is always by request to the Fraternity.
Freemasonry has no wish to displace
or hinder any Minister of God in the pastoral
care of his charge. If the fraternity is requested
to participate in a funeral, it desires to cooperate
with the clergy in any way possible.
We understand that different religious
groups have differing requirements and regulations
concerning funerals and we wish to respect the
convictions of all the clergy involved.
When Masonic participation is
requested in a funeral, we would suggest that
the presiding officer of the group involved
get in touch with any clergy who are going to
serve as quickly as possible, well before the
hour of the service. In most cases it will be
the "Worshipful Master" of the Blue
Lodge who will conduct the Masonic portion of
the service. If the minister is uncertain about
what the Lodge intends to do, it is quite in
order for him to contact the Master of the Lodge
and suggest that the two of them get together
to discuss the situation.' The "Worthy
Matron" of the Eastern Star Chapter or
the "Eminent Commander" of the Knights
Templar would also be happy to consult with
you when their groups are going to serve at
the funeral.
Except for a few groups, the Knights
Templar being one, Masonic bodies are composed
of individuals who profess different religions.
Some Masons are Christians, some Jews, some
Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, and some are of
other faiths. The general Masonic funeral services
are intended to be suitable for persons of any
faith. The Knights Templar are all Christians
and their funeral service is specifically Christian
in nature.
Masonic involvement in a funeral,
may range from conducting the entire service
to simply attending in a body while someone
else conducts the service. As the minister in
pastoral relation to the family involved, it
is your prerogative to suggest to the family
the type of involvement you think proper and
helpful in a specific situation. In general,
the Lodge will' do as much or as little as you
and the family agree they should do. As the
Pastor to the family, it is your right and duty
to guide them in the requirements of your faith.
If there are certain things which the tenets
of your faith require in funeral services, do
not hesitate to indicate to the family and the
presiding officer that it will be necessary
for you to perform particular portions of any
Joint service.'
In some cases problems have been
eliminated by having the Masonic Service the
evening before the funeral. Sometimes the Lodge
conducts the grave side services only, and sometimes
the Lodge provides a floral emblem and the pallbearers.
Whatever the Lodge does, it desires to cooperate
with you in every way.
There is no single Masonic Funeral
Service. Some Grand Lodges (the statewide organization)
have a prescribed service. Others permit several
services. Sometimes a few of the customs involved
may seem unusual to non-Masons. For example,
the presiding officer may wear a hat while doing
his part in the service, the Lodge members may
place sprigs of evergreen on the casket, and
a small white leather apron may be placed in
or on the casket. The hat is worn because it
is Masonic custom for the presiding officer
to have his head covered while officiating.
In some states the Grand Lodge has directed
that the hat not be worn at a funeral because
it seems strange to the non-Masons present.
-To Masons the sprig of evergreen is a symbol
of immortality. The white leather apron, called
a "lambskin," is the badge of a Mason
and it is his to wear, even in death. He wore
that apron when he was made a Mason, on the
day he received his first degree. It has symbolic
allusions to God's care which is provided for
us, but which we can not supply to ourselves.
Sometimes the wording of the Masonic
Services is a bit old, and may reflect the thinking
and values of an earlier day. Many of the services
are rather long, particularly when the Masonic
observance is to be a part of the service and
not the whole of it. As a minister, you are
quite free to discuss your feelings and offer
suggestions and direction to the person who
is going to conduct the Masonic portion of the
service.
We would be most happy for you
to become better acquainted with the Masonic
Fraternity's practices in this connection. If
you would like to do so, the Master of a nearby
Lodge would be glad to spend some time with
you, show you the Masonic Service used in your
locale, and discuss Masonic Funerals at greater
length with you before a particular service
arises. We would like to leave you with this
one bit of information. Masonry teaches that
our membership is never to interfere with our
obligations to God, our country, our neighbors,
our families, or ourselves. It is our desire
that there never be any conflict with the Church,
Temple, Synagogue, Mosque, or other religious
group to which our brother belonged concerning
his funeral service.
To contact someone who can discuss
this subject with you at greater length, telephone
and ask for a consultation:
Note: send an e-mail message to
wamorris@cox.net and we will try to put you
in touch with some one in your area.
The Masonic Lodge will be happy
to answer your request.
