Copyright 2021 Geoff Hadaway. All rights reserved.
SOUTH SHIELDS FREEMASONS'
FREEMASONS' HALL
Ingham Street, South Shields, NE33 2DQ
Reproduced by kind permission from the
Province of Nottinghamshire website
4. Is it true that Masons have to "swear to secrecy", supposedly on pain of awful physical penalties?
Yes it is - but it's not nearly as dramatic or sinister as it sounds!
Firstly, swearing to secrecy exists to remind Masons of the importance of preserving the concept of the "journey of self-discovery" and the unfolding Masonic story. It's rather like ensuring that no one reads the last chapter of a thrilling book without first having read carefully all the preceding pages. And the process can take many years!
Therefore a Mason is not permitted to get a "sneak preview" of what lies ahead, nor is he allowed to divulge them to anyone - otherwise there would be no journey, no unfolding story!
The notion of a physical penalty for "disclosure" is again purely symbolic - a legacy of the days of ancient ceremonies - but it does serve to place great emphasis on Freemasonry's reliance on the integrity of the individual to preserve the amazing way in which it works.
