“I ask you to be the ambassadors […] secularism ”. A few months before the 120th anniversary of the 1905 law of separation of the Churches and the State, Emmanuel Macron called on Monday May 5 the Freemasons to be the “lookouts” of secularism in the face of the “identity reading trap”.
“I ask you” to demonstrate that “it is not a law of exclusion but of meeting”, “to constantly repeat that the only word that agrees to secularism is that of freedom,” said the head of state during a speech to the Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of France. “Be the lookouts of this great law of 1905”, against those who “want to erase it, betray it or divert it,” he added.
“Identity reading”
It was the first visit of a President of the Republic to the Grand Lodge of France, a second Masonic obedience in France after the Grand Orient of France. It has 32,000 members, against 55,000 for the Grand Orient.
“Secular France is the natural girl of the Republic […] Let us be careful that those who would like to make the law of 1905 prepare an identity reading on the pretext of secularizing society, with the sole purpose of attacking religions, beliefs, in particular in the name of their alleged incompatibility with the values of the Republic, “said Emmanuel Macron.
Separation of Churches and State
The speech of the head of state comes as Bruno Retailleau, in the campaign for the presidency of LR, is accused of outbid on the questions of secularism in the face of Islam. The Minister of the Interior proposes in particular to extend the provisions of the 2004 law on the prohibition of religious signs to the accompanists of school outings and to sports competitions.
On December 9, 1905, the Republic – Horses Alsace and Moselle – emerged from the concordatory regime and the dominant Catholicity by promulgating, after harsh debates, the “law concerning the separation of the Churches and the State”. Two main principles are engraved in the marble of the law. First of all, “freedom of conscience”, that “the Republic assures”, as it “guarantees the free exercise of cults”, subject to compliance with public order (article 1). Then the neutrality of the State with regard to all religions, ensured by the mention that “the Republic does not recognize, does not pay or subsidize any worship” (article 2).
Approaching the 120th anniversary of the law, the Grand Orient of France launched a petition calling for the constitutionalization of these first two articles. For the time being, the Constitution affirms in its article 1 that “France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social republic”.
