The values
of the Freemasons

Freemasonry is the world's largest movement of free men who come together to work together for their intellectual improvement and in support of the moral foundations of humanity, chief among them honesty, equality and charity.

We observe the golden ethical rule of not doing unto others what we would not have them do unto us. We are convinced that the value of a person is not measured by his ethnicity, religion and social status, but by his dignity.

Freemasonry demands from its members unquestioning respect for the laws of the country in which they live and work. In this way, the principles and philosophy of Freemasonry help our brothers to fulfill their public and personal duties much more responsibly.

Freemasonry is an organization of brothers. The relations between the members of the lodges are fraternally frank and equal. Social status loses its meaning within the lodge life. Tolerance of each brother's views is the law.

Freemasons show charity not only to their loved ones, but also to the whole society by means of charity or personal assistance.

Every Freemason has affirmed his belief in God and in the immortality of the soul, and we firmly stand for complete freedom of religion.

Inasmuch as conversations about religion and politics not infrequently cause discord between people, these topics are forbidden for discussion within the Masonic lodge.

We, Freemasons, are people motivated by a desire for spiritual and moral improvement.

The Masonic understanding of spirituality as a whole is within the framework of social convention without, however, including prescriptions for the directions of development of inner spiritual peace. For us, however, it is a rule to give unconditional support to the pursuit of knowledge and perseverance in the search for the answers (and the meanings that arise from them) to the great philosophical and existential questions.

A Freemason is a free man of good morals, a friend to the poor and to the rich, if they are virtuous. In this expression "free man" we call one who, being dead to the prejudices of the trivial, has been reborn to the new life which Initiation gives. When we say that a Freemason is "a friend of the poor and of the rich, if they are virtuous" we emphasize that we value the individual qualities of people primarily according to their moral qualities. We choose above all Justice and Truth.