dfreybur
Premium Member
Then the answer is yes? they can create a GL in this said country (middle east) for their no existing GL, right? because this PHAOK is a regular and recognized jurisdiction in the world, maybe there an exemption if the MM who travel don't know that kind of story or we can say less inform mason?
It looks like you are asking that question hoping there is a clear binary/integer yes/no answer. As suggested in the rest of the thread it's not completely clear cut. The answer is very much a floating point number in between yes and no.
MWPHGLofOK is regular in origin and nearly all of their practices, but they are a bit too aggressive in chartering lodges in places where Masonry is banned. The traditions allow chartering lodges in places where no Grand Lodge holds authority, but the traditions on chartering lodges where Masonry is banned are much more vague. OK PHA are just a little bit rogue. Just rogue enough that someone aggressive about Masonry like myself rather likes their practices. Just rogue enough that someone more conservative about Masonry like the brothers who give advice on recognition might not like their practices.
For a group of lodges in a region to form their own Grand Lodge that will get recognized worldwide, those lodges have to be from jurisdictions that are BOTH regular AND recognized. MWPHGLofOK is definitely regular. But recognition of MWPHGLofOK is far from worldwide. They have asked for and been granted recognition by many (most?) US GLs. They have not asked for recognition from the Untied Grad Lodge of England UGLE. Most GLs in the world follow the lead of UGLE for most recognition matters. Not all, but most. In general once UGLE recognizes so will almost everyone else.
I asked MWPHGLofOK brothers why they chose to not ask UGLE for recognition. I did not expect a formally authoritative answer. Sure enough the answer that was given was un-official and not authoritative. It was much as I expected - Thanks!
There is even more floating point between the yes and the no if lodges do want to form their own GL. The lodges chartered by OK PHA can turn in their charters and switch to a jurisdiction that is widely recognized, and then participate in forming a new GL. The lodges charted by OK PHA can wait while other recognized jurisdictions have enough lodges to form a GL and then the OK PHA lodges can switch. Either way it's more complex but it works.