The Swedish Rite


The Swedish rite is truly progressive and continous. Each degree leads to the next and each sums up the contents of the preceeding degrees.

The system is grouped into three divisions as follows:

St. John's (Craft) degrees:

I

Apprentice

II

Fellow Craft

III

Master Mason

St. Andrew's (Scottish) degrees:

IV-V

Apprentice-Companion of St. Andrew

VI

Master of St. Andrew

Chapter degrees:

VII

Very Illustrious Brother, Knight of the East

VIII

Most Illustrious Brother, Knight of the West

IX

Enlightened Brother of St. John's Lodge

X

Very Enlightened Brother of St. Andrew's Lodge

On top of the system is

XI

Most Enlightened Brother, Knight Commander of the Red Cross

There are approximately 55 freemasons in Denmark currently holding the XIth degree. They are present or past members of the Grand Council or Grand Officers. In 1862 King Frederik VII established the Order Knight Commander of the Red Cross to Freemasons holding the XIth degree with the number limited to 33. It is, however, not a Masonic degree.

There is only one form of accepted ritual for each degree, and deviations are not tolerated. The presiding Master follows an accepted ritual manuscript when working a Lodge.

The Swedish Rite is worked in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. It is also, in a German variant, practiced in Grosse Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland (the Grand Lodge of All German Freemasons).

This page is mirrored from
http://www.ddfo.dk/english/swerite.html