The Declaration of Marseille

Marseille, April 11, 2026

Barcelona to Marseille: Continuity and Commitment of the Modern Rite

Gathered in Barcelona in June 2011, the Philosophical Bodies of the Modern Rite performed a foundational act by creating the Universal Masonic Union of the Modern Rite (UMURM). This act was not merely organizational; it forcefully affirmed a vision of Freemasonry grounded in absolute freedom of conscience, the sovereign independence of its constituent Bodies, and the determination to make the Modern Rite a living space for dialogue, mutual recognition, and initiatic universality. Barcelona thus established the bedrock, the framework, and the method: to unite without imposing uniformity, to coordinate without dominating, and to gather together without excluding.

Eight years later, in Porto—a city symbolically marked by the history of liberty—the UMURM reaffirmed this orientation, endowing it with both doctrinal and forward-looking significance. The Porto Appeal of 2019 served as a reminder that while direct persecution largely belongs to the past, dogmatism, ideological imperialism, and the temptation to retreat into identity-based isolation remain contemporary realities. In the face of these dynamics, free Freemasonry is called upon to strengthen its capacity for resistance, regeneration, and plurality. Porto underscored that initiatic work is not an abstraction, but a living praxis—that “the work is done in the doing”—pursued in a spirit that is humanist, cosmopolitan, and deeply committed to human dignity.

The Marseille Congress, taking place in April 2026, fits fully within this continuum. It represents neither a fresh start nor a rupture, but rather a stage of maturation. Marseille—a Mediterranean crossroads and a port open to diverse cultures and peoples—naturally embodies the UMURM’s vocation to build bridges. First and foremost, bridges between the Bodies practicing the Modern Rite, in order to strengthen the awareness of a shared lineage founded upon reason, ethics, liberty, and progress. Bridges between Freemasons, transcending territorial, linguistic, and Obediential boundaries. Finally, bridges with other Masonic Rites, in a spirit of attentiveness, mutual respect, and recognition of the diversity of initiatory paths.

Indeed, the UMURM asserts that the Modern Rite—by virtue of its history, its structure, and its values—is uniquely suited to play a role of mediation and dialogue within universal Freemasonry. It does so without hegemonic pretensions, without any desire to impose norms, but rather with the conviction that the plurality of Rites constitutes a source of richness when situated within a shared horizon of freedom of conscience and the pursuit of human self-improvement.

From Barcelona to Porto, and from Porto to Marseille, a single trajectory takes shape: to foster a Freemasonry that remains faithful to its heritage, clear-sighted in the face of the challenges of the contemporary world, and resolutely oriented toward the future. Marseille 2026 thus aims to serve as a time for reflection, convergence, and openness—dedicated to a universal Freemasonry that builds bridges rather than borders.

• To serve as a laboratory of thought capable of reflecting upon the meaning, philosophy, values, and ethics inherent to the Modern Rite.
• To become an Academy of the Rite which, beyond its work of research and dissemination, assumes the role of Conservatory of the Modern Rite, capable of advising any Supreme Council, Grand General Chapter, or Philosophical Body that may request its assistance.

This Academy shall operate without territorial or obediential limits, without any normative intent, and with absolute respect for the independence of its members.

It shall remain open to every Sovereign Power, Independent Chapter, as well as, on an individual and personal basis, to any holder of the Fifth Order of the Modern Rite who expresses the desire to become a member and can provide proof of his or her qualifications.

This Marseille Declaration is part of the continuity of the Barcelona Charter signed in 2011. The member jurisdictions of the Universal Masonic Union of the Modern Rite commit themselves to working within the framework of the Universal Academy of the Fifth Order and likewise to opening their work within the framework of a Sublime Council in order to address, in a ritual manner, all matters relating to the history and functioning of the Modern Rite.

And to always uphold the objectives of the Barcelona Charter:

1. To promote, disseminate, and encourage the customs and practices of the Modern Rite.
2. To facilitate relations and harmony among its members with a view to the practice of a truly universal Freemasonry.
3. To serve as a forum for dialogue and exchange, with the aim of creating a true Center of Union beyond territorial, obediential, and ritual particularities.
4. To contribute to closer relations between the Philosophical and Symbolic Bodies practicing the Modern Rite by facilitating their mutual recognition without discrimination.
5. To foster among its constituent Bodies a dynamic of cooperation and the selection of common themes for reflection.

The signatories of this Marseille Declaration, united through the Rite, commit themselves to working toward the objectives that inspire us.