The celebration was attended by nearly 600 Freemasons and family members, as well as representations from several lodges in the country.
HAVANA, Cuba – This December 5, the Cuban Freemasons commemorated the 166th anniversary foundation of the Grand Lodge of Cuba, the oldest of the fraternal orders on the Island, through a cultural gala at the “Benito Juárez” Theater of the Institution’s headquarters building in Havana.
Nearly 600 Freemasons and family members attended the event, in addition to representations from several lodges in the country and Freemasons from Mexico, Italy, Mali and Spain. The Grand Master, José Manuel Valdés Menéndez-Cuesta, and the Senior Officials of the Grand Lodge also participated, as well as the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for the Republic of Cuba, José Ramón Viñas Alonso.
“We filled the theater; rarely in the history of Freemasonry in recent years had something like this been seen. The Freemasons were happy, that was in the air and could be heard in the comments; we were not only celebrating our anniversary but also the recent victory after more than a year of fighting against the interference of the Cuban regime,” said one of those present.
The Mason was referring to the culmination of months of dictatorship of Mayker Filemawho was supported by the Ministry of Justice (MINJUS), an unprecedented event in the Order. With the democratic election and approval (by the MINJUS) of the new board of the Grand Lodge, the Freemasons recovered their autonomy.
The Freemason Yuniesky Carracedo Ortiz referred to this type of challenges and adversities in his speech. According to him, “each crisis has been an opportunity to strengthen our fraternity and reaffirm our mission.”
By celebrating the past of an Order linked to independence and libertarian processes on the Island, Carracedo Ortiz called to also look to the future, remembering that the Grand Lodge of Cuba, made up of around 20,000 Masons throughout the country, has “a fundamental role in the construction of a more supportive and educated society.”
“May this 166th anniversary be a call to action. May it inspire each of us to be agents of change in our communities. May we always remember the teachings of our predecessors and may we follow the example of those who fought for a better future for all,” he expressed.
Likewise, he noted that “Freemasonry is a constant invitation to improve not only our own lives, but also the lives of those around us.”
“Today ‘the Homeland contemplates us proudly’ and it is our duty to honor its memory, working together for a future where Masonic values prevail and a more just society is built for all. Aware of what it implies and what we will be willing to assume for Cuba and Freemasonry,” he concluded to the applause of all those present.
The Regla Municipal Band was in charge of the cultural spaces. At the end of the gala, Viñas Alonso presented the Grand Master with a portrait of him, the work of the plastic artist and freemason Eduardo Méndez Navarro, thus strengthening the alliance between the Supreme Council and the Grand Lodge of Cuba.
