The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta (SGLoM)
Given the celebrations of 40 years of Maltese independence, the 25 years of the closure of the British Base in Malta, and the anticipated admission of Malta into 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 one of the English lodges on the island, Count Roger of Normandy Lodge No 9285 (EC), and at a special meeting held on 30 June 2004 the lodge resolved to participate in the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta. A fourth Irish Constitution lodge also decided to participate.
Following these events, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, in consultation with the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Scotland, acceded to the petition of the five lodges. On 18 November 2004, with the Grand Master of Ireland presiding, 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 is that SGLoM has become the sovereign Masonic body for 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. Lodges of other constitutions may continue to meet in Malta, but new lodges may be founded only by the SGLoM. 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 (Art of Learning), and in November 2005 the lodge Flos Mundi (Flower of the World) was consecrated. This latter lodge is intended to attract Maltese and Italian brethren and works in the Italian language. A further new lodge was founded in 2010, named White Sea Lodge,. In April 2011 the lodge Mare Nostrum was consecrated taking the number of subordinate lodges to nine.
Read more about this topic: Freemasonry In Malta
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