The Red Cross of Constantine, or more formally the Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine and the Appendant Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and of St John the Evangelist, is a Christian fraternal order of Freemasonry. Candidates for the order must already be members of Craft Freemasonry (lodge) and Royal Arch Freemasonry (chapter); they must also be members of the Christian religion, and proclaim their belief in the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine is a three-degree Order of masonry, and with its "Appendant Orders" a total of five degrees are conferred within this system. Installation as a “Knight of the Red Cross of Constantine” is admission to the Order's first degree. There are two more degrees which follow, and also the two other distinct Orders of Masonry (both Christian in character) which are under the control of each national (or regional) Grand Imperial Conclave of the Order.
The Order of the Red Cross of Constantine
First Degree – Knight-Mason On admission to the Order a member becomes a Knight-Mason, or a Knight of the Red Cross of Constantine. This ceremony is known as installation, and is performed in a ‘Conclave’. A Conclave is the regular unit of this Order, and the name for any assembly of members of the Order's first degree. The ceremony is short and simple, but teaches valuable moral lessons to the candidate, based upon the story of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great,Details here of the basis of the ritual story, and the history of Constantine. and the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Second Degree – Priest-Mason (or Installed Eusebius) On election to serve as Viceroy (the second in command of a Conclave), a member must be admitted to the second degree, by which ceremony he becomes a Venerable Priest-Mason, or an Installed Eusebius. This ceremony is performed in a ‘College’ of Priests-Mason. A college is the name for any assembly of members of the Order's second degree. The ceremony is highly spiritual in nature, and incorporates more overtly religious symbolism and ritual. Having received this degree the Installed Eusebius or Priest-Mason is entitled to serve as Viceroy in his own, or any other, Conclave or College. In general this degree may only be conferred on those elected to serve as Viceroy of a Conclave, although exceptions are possible by dispensation.
Third Degree – Prince-Mason On election to serve as Sovereign (the leader of a Conclave), a member must be admitted to the third degree, by which ceremony he becomes a Perfect Prince-Mason. The ceremony is performed in a ‘Senate’ of Princes-Mason. A Senate is the name for any assembly of members of the Order's third degree. Having received this degree the Prince-Mason is entitled to serve as Sovereign in his own, or any other, Conclave or Senate. Except by dispensation, this degree is only ever conferred on those elected as Sovereign. As with all masonic degrees, it may only be conferred on a person once - therefore a person becoming Sovereign for a second time, or in a different Conclave, would be appointed and installed into office, and would not go for a second time through the full degree ceremony.
The Appendant Orders
Two additional Christian Orders of Masonry are under the control of the Grand Imperial Conclaves (national ruling bodies) of the Red Cross of Constantine. One is the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the other is the Order of St John the Evangelist. Each of these Orders consists of a single degree or ceremony, and although the two Orders are conferred separately, they are usually conferred on the same day, one straight after the other. It is a rule of most jurisdictions that a member of the first degree of the Red Cross of Constantine must subsequently take these two Appendant Orders, before he may be considered qualified to proceed to the second and third degrees of the Red Cross of Constantine.
The Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Masonic Order should not be confused with the identically named Order of the Holy Sepulchre within the Roman Catholic Church. Although both Orders recall the same historical events, there is no actual connection between them. The Masonic Order of the Holy Sepulchre has a long and complex ritual of symbolic meaning, based upon the legend of knights guarding the supposed place of burial of Jesus Christ. Both the Masonic and ecclesiastical Orders take the Jerusalem Cross as their symbol, but whereas the ecclesiastical Order displays this cross in red on a white shield,See the website of the Order . the Masonic Order displays the cross within a circle set at the centre of a Cross potent; on the jewel (medal) of the Order, this badge is further enclosed within a black and gold lozenge.Illustrated at this site. A meeting of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre takes place in a ‘Sanctuary’, and the presiding officer is called the 'Prelate'.
The Order of St John the Evangelist This Order is conferred in a short ceremony of an overtly Christian character; it is common for the Order of St John the Evangelist to be conferred on the same day as the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, one ceremony occurring straight after the other. A meeting of the Order of St John the Evangelist takes place in a ‘Commandery’, and the presiding officer is called the 'Commander'. The jewel of the Order of St John the Evangelist features a silver eagle with its wings extended, to which a crown is added in reference to the role of Commander, or any member of the Order who is a current or past Commander. The eagle is a traditional symbol of St John the Evangelist.See "art" section of his entry at The Catholic Encyclopedia on-line.
History
Since at least the 18th century, Freemasonry has incorporated symbols and rituals of several Medieval military orders in a number of Masonic bodies, most notably, in the "Red Cross of Constantine" (derived from the Military Constantinian Order), the "Order of Malta" (derived from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), and the "Order of the Temple" (derived from the historical Knights Templar), the latter two featuring prominently in the York Rite.
Tracing the precise origins of these Orders has proved problematic to historians, not least due to the large number of fraternal organisations whose titles include, or have historically included, the phrase "Red Cross". It seems likely that the Order of the Red Cross of Constantine was being worked in England by 1780, but following several re-organisations the earliest documented date of the Order in its present form is 1865, when its constitution was formally established by Robert Wentworth Little(These dates, names, and details are rehearsed on this history page, written by the Hampshire Division of the Order.) (who also founded the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia). In time it became one of the ten 'companion' Masonic Orders (or families of Orders) controlled from a common headquarters at Mark Masons' Hall, London. Following the establishment of Conclaves in overseas nations, a number of sovereign foreign Grand Imperial Conclaves or Grand Imperial Councils (ruling bodies) have been established.
International extent The Order of the Red Cross of Constantine operates around the world in almost 50 different nations. All regular jurisdictions trace their historical origin to the Grand Imperial Conclave for England and Wales. The following table shows the countries in which the Order is active, and the national or state jurisdiction responsible for the Order in that country.
CountryJurisdiction (Grand Imperial Conclave - "GIC")NotesGIC for AndorraEstablished 2021 (previously under the GIC for France).GIC for NSW and ACT GIC for Queensland GIC for South Australia GIC for Victoria GIC for Western AustraliaUniquely, Australia has separate State jurisdictions, for each mainland State, but not for Tasmania (see below). No national GIC exists.GIC of ScotlandTasmania DivisionGIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseas GIC of ScotlandJamaica Division (English conclaves)Caribbean Division (Scottish conclaves)GIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseas GIC of ScotlandEnglish Conclaves administered from London.Caribbean Division (Scottish conclaves)GIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseasBenelux DivisionGIC for BeninEstablished on 24 May 2017 out of the former Benin Division of the GIC for France.GIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseasConclaves administered from London.GIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseasConclaves administered from London.GIC of CanadaThere are also two Conclaves in British Columbia under the GIC of Scotland.GIC for CongoEstablished 2020 (previously under the GIC for France).GIC for CroatiaGIC for CyprusThere is also one Conclave (Akritas Conclave No 14, Nicosia) controlled by the GIC for Greece.See GIC for Greece List of Conclaves. The RCC is recognised as being controlled by the Swedish Rite Grand Lodge of DenmarkUnited GIC of the US, Mexico, & the PhilippinesDivision of Mexico, Guatemala, & El SalvadorGIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseasGIC for FinlandGIC for FranceGIC of Germany GIC of ScotlandThe German GIC has jurisdiction across the country. Additionally, there are (by mutual consent) three Conclaves still operating as a Division under the GIC of Scotland (one each in Sigillum, Berlin, and Bremen).GIC for Greece & its Conclaves abroadUnited GIC of the US, Mexico, & the PhilippinesDivision of Mexico, Guatemala, & El SalvadorGuinea (region)GIC for the Gulf of GuineaControls Conclaves throughout the region, from Togo to Gabon.Not currently recognised as regular by the GIC for England.GIC for England & Wales & its Divisions & Conclaves overseas