Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta: Encyclopedia II - Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta - The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta SGLoM

Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta - The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta SGLoM

Given the celebrations of 40 years of Malta independence, the 25 years of the closure of the British Base in Malta, and the anticipated admission of Malta in the European Union, the three Lodges of the Irish Constitution met on 5 September 2003 and resolved to form themselves into a Sovereign Grand Lodge. This historic move was supported by the one of the English lodges on the island, and at a special meeting held on 30 June 2004, Count Roger of Normandy Lodge No 9285 (EC) resolved to participate in the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta. A fourth IC lodge also agreed to participate.

Following these events, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, in consultation with United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Scotland, acceded to the petition of the five lodges. On 18 November 2004, these five lodges were instituted and consecrated by the Grand Lodge of Ireland into The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Malta (SGLoM).

The effect of having a Grand Lodge means that SGLoM is an absolute sovereign Masonic body in the Maltese islands having inherent power and authority to form a Constitution as its fundamental law, and subject only to the Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry to enact laws for its own government and that of its subordinate Lodges. For months, the representatives of the five founding lodges met and drafted a Book of Constitution which was adopted at the Constituting Grand Lodge Meeting on the 18 November 2004.

The first Grand Master of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta is M.W. Bro. Joseph Cordina. In April 2005, a research lodge was conscrated named Ars Discendi (The Art of Learning). In November 2005, a new lodge is to be consecrated named Flos Mundi (The Flower of the World). This latter lodge is to have Maltese and Italian brethren and will have its ritual in Italian.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta SGLoM", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki