When the French Gnostic Church was founded (or
revived) by Bishop Jules Doinel (Tau Valentin II), the secret orders were still
a matter of great interest and controversy. One of the Bishops consecrated by
Bishop Doinel was Dr. Girard Encausse, known by his literary pseudonym as
Papus. (His ecclesiastical name was Tau Vincent.) Papus was both a prolific
writer and the reviver-reorganizer of the Martinist Order. One of the later
leading figures of the Gnostic Church, Jean Bricaud (Tau Johonnes), a prominent
Martinist, established a formal association between the Martinist Order and the
Gnostic Church that, with some modifications, has endured to the present day.
T. Valentinus II (Julkes Doniel)
As it appears to an historian's eye, the close
association of the Gnostic Church in France with Martinism and also with
certain forms of Masonry, such as the Rites of Memphis and Mizraim, brought two
principal benefits to that Church. One of these was theoretical, the other
practical:
1) In
matter of theory, or theology, these associations brought certain ideologies to
the Gnostic Church which proved useful. One needs to keep in mind that at the
outset of the twentieth century very little reliable information about
Gnosticism was available. The book Pistis Sophia had just been translated by G.
R. S. Mead and its contents were utilized by the early French bishops, but
otherwise they had to rely on the hostile and confused writings of the Church
Fathers. Thus the Neo-Gnostic mythos of Martinez de Pasqually and the esoteric
Christian mysticism of Louis-Claude de St. Martin served as welcome theoretical
underpinnings for the sacramental practice of the Gnostic Church. In 1911 Papus
signed a treaty under which he recognized the Universal Gnostic Church as the
official Church of Martinism. By so doing, he linked the Order revived by him
to the secular Western doctrine.
2) The
practical benefits arising to the Gnostic Church by way of its Martinist and
Masonic associations were related to the ever turbulent political climate of
France. Throughout its modern history, France generally professed religious
freedom. Still, this freedom seldom extended to small heterodox religious
movements. These were usually called "Sects" (equivalent to
"Cult") and harassed or repressed. Masonic and Martinist lodges on
the other hand, always garnered a measure of respectability and acceptance. The sole exception to this rule being the period of the Vichy government
during World War II. This government persecuted the secret orders along with
"Sects" such as the Gnostic Church. One of the sad consequences of
this was the Martyrdom of Constant Chevillon (Tau Harmonius; International
Grand Hierophant of Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis Misraim) in 1944.] In
relatively normal times, however, the Gnostic Church enjoyed the protection of
the secret orders, conducting its services in Masonic Lodges (Memphis Misraim
Lodges) and similar places.
Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis+Mizraïm
When John Yarker died in 1913, Encausse was
elected as his successor to the office of International Grand Hierophant
(international head) of the Antient and Primitive Rite of Memphis and Mizraim.
By 1913, Papus was associated with the: OKR+C,
R+C de Orient, Martinist Order, Order of Elus Cohen, Memphis+Mizraim,
Rite of Swedenborg, O.T.O., Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, Gnostic Church
(Église Gnostique). l'Initiation, Encausse's journal, was the "Official Organ
of the Memphis and Mizraim Rites and the O.T.O. in France. Encausse and Reuss
engaged in a fraternal exchange of authority: Reuss receiving episcopal and
primatial authority in l'Église Catholique Gnostique and Encausse receiving
authority in the Rites of Memphis and Mizraim.
Tau Vincente (Papus)
In order to build up the Spanish Gnostic
Church, Tau Ogoade-Orfeo I moved to Spain in 1919, and in 1921 consecrated his
successor in Europe for the Spanish Gnostic Church-Rite of Memphis-Misraim
occult system. For under the combined influences of the O.T.O., Martinism,
Gnosticism, and Voudoo — not to mention the Fraternitas Lucis Hermetica—the
Spanish and Haitian branches of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim gave up entirely
their quasi-Masonic character and became completely esoteric and Gnostic orders
of magic, i.e., The Gnostic and Esoteric Order of Misraim, or of Egypt and the
Gnostic and Esoteric Order of Memphis, within the larger, totally occult and
much more ecclesiastical "Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraim."
This point must be emphasized because there are other branches of the Rite of
Memphis-Misraim which claim to continue a Masonic character, while this branch
is only interested in continuing the Gnostic and apostolic succession and the
magical currents of initiation. In 1930, "La Couleuvre Noire" and the
O.T.O.A. were made departments of the Rite of Memphis-Misraim, together with
the Gnostic Church and the Fraternitas Lucis Hermetica in Spain and Haiti. The
succession of the esoteric Voudooists and the O.T.O. successions were united by
Gnosticism, in the magical Rite of Memphis-Misraim.
Tau Ogdoade-Orfeo IV (Bertiaux)
Templar Church was also linked to the
Memphis-Misraim Rite and an Albigensian Church. Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose
Croix (the Cabalistic order of the Rosy Cross) (K.R.C.) was founded in Paris
1888, with Count Stanislas de Guaita as the first Grand Master. It co-operates
in some degree with the Order of the Rites of Memphis-Mizraim and the Martinist
Order.
Stanislas de Guaita
After Encausse's death in 1916, the Martinist
Order, and the French sections of the Rites of Memphis and Mizraim and the
O.T.O. were briefly headed by Charles Henri Détré (Teder) - International Grand
Hierophant. Détré died in 1918 and was succeeded by International Grand
Hierophant Bricaud. The successors of Papus were International Grand
Hierophants: Charles Detré (Tedér), Jean Bricaud, Constant Chevillon,
Charles-Henry Dupont and Robert Ambelain. In 1939, Jean Bricaud passed to the
Eternal East and was followed by Chevillon. At the death of Jean Bricaud, C.
Chevillon took up the torch and definitively cut the relation between the Rite
of Memphis Misraim and the Elus Cohen. In 1944, Chevillon was murdered by the
French collaborationists of nazional-socialism and was followed by Dupont. And,
in 1960, Ambelain succeeded Dupont.
T. Aurifer (Ambelain)
LVX
06/12/2019
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