MIRELA ELENA ENE
talking to
TXEMA OLEAGA
Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Spain
Good afternoon. Our guest today is the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Spain. Most Worshipful Grand Master Txema Oleaga, thank you for accepting this interview, because in this way we can make known the history and evolution of Spanish Freemasonry.
Thank you very much for this opportunity. I am very excited and it is an honour for me to be able to share with you and all your audience.
First, let’s talk about the origin and evolution of the Grand Lodge of Spain and about Masonic life in Spain. How many Masons and how many lodges are there? What rituals do you practice, are there lodges in other languages?
Well, two preliminary considerations must be made here. Freemasonry began in Spain in 1727, when the Duke of Wharton, who had been Grand Master of the Moderns Lodge came to Spain and founded a lodge in a hotel called Tres Flores de Lys, the lodge known as Matritense. This was the first lodge on Spanish soil. A few months earlier, a Masonic experience had taken place in the city of Brest, France, where a lodge was founded called La Reunificación Española (Spanish Reunification). But the first lodge on Spanish soil was Matritense. That lodge still exists today. When the Spanish war ended and Franco’s regime came in, Franco banned Freemasonry. Masons were forced into exile. Many of them were assassinated, others were sent to prison. So there was no Masonic activity in Spain until democracy was restored. Then, once democracy was restored, a new organization called the Grand Lodge of Spain (Gran Logia de España) was formed and started in 1979.
At this moment there are 180, almost 190 lodges. A new lodge document has even been issued. We are just over 3000 brethren. It has been very difficult for us to grow.
There are lodges that work, most of them logically, in Spanish, but there are also lodges that speak other languages. There is an important percentage of brethren who work in English, others in French and there are some who work in German, Swedish and even some of them in Norwegian. We work according to our constitution. The Grand Lodge of Spain allows any ritual that is practiced in a lodge to be incorporated in our country. The most widespread rituals are the Ancient and Accepted Scottish and Emulation.
The Grand Lodge of Spain is divided into eight Masonic provinces. The main province is Castilla, the one from which the others started. Every time a new Masonic province is constituted, it must coincide with the physical space of the autonomous communities that exist in our country. So, Catalonia has its own Provincial Grand Lodge, the Valencian Community has its own Provincial Lodge, Murcia has its own Lodge, Andalusia has its own Lodge, Madrid has its own Lodge. There are also the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, two autonomous communities that belong to the Spanish State and whose physical territory coincides with that of the Provincial Grand Lodges. The only one that has legal personality is the Grand Lodge of Spain, which has its headquarters in Barcelona.
In a short period of time, I hope it will be after the summer, as Spain has two autonomous cities called Ceuta and Melilla, on the African territory, we will create a lodge in the autonomous city of Ceuta. We are already with the procedures under way and we are very pleased that the whole Spanish territory has access to Freemasonry.
What was the role of Freemasonry in the evolution of Spanish society? What beneficial implications has it had for the evolution of Spanish society and at what historical moments have you played an important role? What problems did you face when Spain was under Franco’s dictatorship?
Freemasonry has always upheld the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. That in Spain has meant defending education for all citizens, universal health care, all these kinds of values. And it’s true that this historically brought it into clash both with the Inquisition, which was an institution that the Catholic Church used to repress all those who disagreed with it, and with all entities of a conservative nature. But Freemasonry was powerful. It is true that there was a serious problem, and that was when Freemasonry became associated with the leaders of independence movements in territories that were colonies. For example, José Rizal, who was one of the leaders of independence in the Philippines, was a Freemason initiated in Spain.
So it is true that there has been a certain attack from more reactionary sectors against Freemasonry. But Freemasonry has always played a role in the defense of democracy and freedoms. And I’ll give you an example. When women did not yet have their own Masonic structure, as they do today, the forerunner of the Grand Lodge of Spain created the so-called lodges of adoption, that is to say lodges into which women were initiated. One of the women who was initiated into this lodge was Clara Campoamor, who campaigned for women to have the same rights as men in terms of the right to vote. Then, in the Constitution of the Republic in 1931, on October 1, it was Clara Campoamor, with the support of other forces, who paved the way for the vote and therefore for equal rights for men and women. So, Freemasonry has always been a pioneer in defending values and rights, and that is precisely what led to the problems that arose during Franco’s regime.
During Franco’s regime, persecution was brutal. I will dwell on this point for a moment, because I think it is important for everyone to know this. In Spain, Franco and his regime passed a law in 1941 which allowed Freemasons to be killed for the simple fact that they were Freemasons. In other words, it was enough for a person to be found to have been initiated into Freemasonry to be executed. At that time there were about 4,000 Freemasons in Spain, more or less as many as there are now, of whom 1,000 were executed. That’s a very high percentage!
Others were deprived of their property, deprived of the ability to teach, if they were professors, or had their laboratories confiscated, if they had a laboratory, if they were scientists, or whatever. It was a brutal persecution that went on for a very long time. It is difficult to find a country in the world where there has been similar persecution. For this reason, we are now trying to recover the memory of the Freemasons and their families who were subjected to repression.
What is the current membership situation of the Grand Lodge in Spain, given that some countries are experiencing a loss of active members or a drop in the number of people wishing to be initiated into Freemasonry? What is the method of recruiting new members for the Grand Lodge of Spain?
We start from a worse situation than other countries! Because the persecution generated a lot of prejudices, there are still today people who look at Freemasonry with a certain suspicion because of the prejudices generated during the Franco era. For this reason, a few years ago, together with the previous Grand Master, we started a process of openness, which basically consisted in relevant people in certain Spanish cities coming out publicly to say that they are Freemasons. Therefore, in this way, we tried to normalize the presence of Freemasonry. And it was successful. We continued this mechanism and took it one step further, conferences, talks, exhibitions. The exhibitions are a spectacular success.
Lately, we’ve gotten into comics for a younger audience, podcasts and other things.
Freemasonry is forbidden to proselytize. We can’t do it, but without a doubt, through these kinds of activities, Freemasonry is becoming normalized, is becoming known and is doing quite well. I must say that we have seen an increase of about 10% in the last 2-3 years in both male and female Freemasonry, because we have done these things together.
The average age of Freemasons is decreasing in our country.
What is the relationship between the Grand Lodge of Spain and the Feminine Grand Lodge of Spain?
I have signed a document of mutual collaboration with the Grand Master of the Feminine GL, which allows three things. The first is that Masonic premises at the disposal of the Grand Lodge of Spain are made available to the Women’s Grand Lodge of Spain for activities, through an economic agreement. Secondly, we carry out activities of a public nature, talks and conferences. For example, recently we have had, together with the Lady Grand Master, an interview with a very well known journalist in Spain, on prime time. And the third part is the activities that we associate with charity and solidarity. In this regard, the Grand Lodge of Spain has set up a foundation together with the Feminine Grand Lodge of Spain so that, by mutual agreement, we can carry out these works of charity and solidarity and so that this also serves to make Freemasonry known.
Very interesting. Given the trajectory you have followed, do you think the world today still needs Freemasonry as it did in the past and, if so, what do you think are the reasons? What is the role of Freemasonry in today’s society? Do you think Freemasonry today is being eroded, becoming more of a charitable organization?
Well, I believe that the values defended by Freemasonry are absolutely essential in modern times. We are also experiencing an increase in intolerance, fanaticism, a form of, there’s a word in Spanish called ‘cosificar’, which is to treat the other person as if they were an object, instead of valuing the fact that they are a human being and that they have dignity and that should be respected. Therefore, I think these values are absolutely essential today.
Moreover, I will tell you about a concrete case that I experienced directly. When I was a member of the board of a municipal theater in my city, Bilbao, the artistic director presented the program for the following year, and there was a children’s section in the program. I don’t think he is a Freemason, but he knows Freemasonry, he is a very respectable man, a Catalan, and he told us: I am going to teach the children the methods of the Freemasons. When the Freemasons meet and talk among themselves, no one interrupts the speaker, they all listen. And when he has finished speaking, then they speak. You shouldn’t say the opposite just for the sake of being contrary, but try to contribute and arrive at a common element at the end. So, he said, theater has to help children see that. You see, if all the actors and actresses on stage are talking at the same time, what the audience hears is noise. So everyone should speak when it’s their turn, but there should be enough agility so that it doesn’t become a succession of monologues. There must be an exchange of ideas and therefore a dialog.
I thought it was a fantastic idea to see how Freemasonry can be used to help. In fact, one of the most interesting books that has been published recently on Freemasonry is written by a Catholic priest who has researched Freemasonry and said that Freemasonry is a school of citizenship. It seems to me that this element is fundamental.
Materialism is slowly taking over our daily lives. For this reason, when the current team that leads the Grand Lodge of Spain arrived, one of the points that we presented to the brethren in our electoral bid, let’s say, to become the leadership of the Grand Lodge of Spain, was to separate the ritual from the administrative. That is to say, when we Masons meet in meetings, we devote ourselves to that spiritual part, that part of our inner development, that part of our growth as people, of our growth as people, of our understanding of others, to the rituals, which are a real gem. The Masonic rituals, some of which are very old, have such richness, such value that they are priceless, they are real little treasures that Freemasonry has. So let us work properly and leave everything that is bureaucratic, administrative, or everything that has to do with the political sphere, the public sphere, we would say, of Freemasonry, for meetings that have nothing to do with rituals.
In this way, when we come together, may we work on our inner selves and build what we call the great temple of humanity. It is one stone joining with the stones of others to build a building. That would be the meaning. So Spanish Freemasonry is very proud of its knowledge of the rituals, and all the work is done with great solemnity.
How is Freemasonry in Spain, beyond the rituals, how is it involved in today’s society?
There are many differences from one place to another. There are places in Spain where Freemasons are very present in social organizations, such as the Red Cross for example, and in other such entities, even in politics. I myself dedicate part of my life to politics. I would say that in everything to do with charity and solidarity activities there are many Freemasons, in everything to do with entities dedicated to the improvement of life there are many Freemasons. And then there are many Freemasons, curiously enough, in the world of science, in the world of academia, which is very interesting because it has a formative aspect, curiously enough, in the world of sport and high-level sport. I cannot reveal, logically, these names, but there are very important Freemasons in the world of sport who are proud to be Freemasons and say that the Masonic method and what they have learned from others helps them very much in their professional success as sportsmen.
Talking about society, how does Spanish society view Freemasonry today, after a long period of persecution, especially during Franco’s regime, which considered it a Judeo-Masonic conspiracy? How are members of Freemasonry regarded by society?
There have been forty years of persecution and oppression. We realized that it was necessary to fight against this, because society was reluctant to accept Freemasonry, it was seen as something bad, this perception still exists today. Let me tell you an anecdote. The current Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, who is not a Freemason, he is a researcher of Freemasonry, began to study Freemasonry because he saw that a former mayor of Almería, which was his town, was not allowed to be buried in the municipal cemetery. The reason why he was not allowed to be buried was that he was a Freemason, because the cemetery was run by the Catholic Church and they considered him a heretic. He began to research Freemasonry and became one of the leading experts. When he published his first book, his mother said to him, “I think you should devote yourself to less outlandish subjects than this.” In other words, his own mother told him that he should devote himself to more interesting things than Freemasonry.
So we developed a work programme and we were fortunate that the Law of Democratic Memory, which was adopted a few years ago in Spain, expressly recognizes in Article 3 that Freemasons and their families are victims of repression. And every year the government carries out a symbolic act of restitution, which takes place on the last day of October. On this day two years ago, they awarded the honor to a mason from the Grand Lodge of Spain, also member of the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree, and last year to the Grand Master of the Women Grand Lodge of Spain. In other words, there has already been government and state recognition. And there are similar recognitions in a lot of autonomous communities. This allows Freemasonry to gradually lose this negative aura and become an honorable organization, as it is in every other country in the world. I would say that there are still many prejudices, but fortunately we are gradually combating them.
Being Freemason does have repercussions in professional life?
Not necessarily. For example, in my personal experience, it was the other way around. From the moment I confessed publicly that I am Freemason, I had no problem, on the contrary. But I recognize that there are still some brethren who are reluctant to make their Freemasonry known because they think it might get them into trouble in their work, especially when we’re talking about ultraconservative entities or very conservative people.
We have Brethren of the highest quality. There are brethren who are knowledgeable on all kinds of subjects, who are experts on many things, who are relevant doctors or historians. There are also Masons who are the opposite, that is, they have no special rank, they are hard workers, but in their trades they are true leaders, involved people and that means that Freemasonry is gradually entering society and making it see it differently. I mean we have very important Brethren, who may have very high positions of responsibility in all fields, and Brethren who, without having them, however, wherever they are, also fulfill a very important task of uniting, of bringing people together. And so this serves, I think, for this growth that we have seen lately.
How do you see the future of Freemasonry in Spain and in the world?
I see a very bright future in Spain. I see more and more interest. I see it simply in the large number of interviews and requests for talks, colloquia or exhibitions that we receive from all over Spain, and especially from places where we don’t even have a lodge yet. So, if we can already see that there is interest in learning about Freemasonry in places where we have not yet managed to set up a lodge, then this indicates that there is fertile ground for success. So, I am very optimistic in Spain and I am also optimistic for Europe.
The values that Freemasonry defends are the values of liberty, equality, fraternity. Fraternity is a much deeper concept than solidarity, because in solidarity you set limits, but fraternity does not allow you to set limits, because your neighbor is your brother or sister. So bonds are sacred. I think this is very relevant.
Freemasonry is developing incredibly in Latin America, for example. Spain is the founder of the Interamerican Masonic Confederation, and the boom that’s taking place there, the effervescence of Freemasonry, is very relevant. I can’t speak about other parts of the world because I don’t know too much, but at least in Europe and Latin America and the British world, I think, the Anglo-Saxon world, let’s say in general terms, the United States, England, etc., I think we have a very bright future.
Have you noticed any differences between Freemasonry in Western and Eastern Europe, between Freemasonry in South and North America? Which type of Freemasonry do you think is closer to what Freemasonry should be?
We, Spanish people, have an emotional relationship with the Latin American world. There are ties, even, in some cases, family ties. I have relatives living in Chile, or living in Venezuela or Mexico. And we share the same language, and that unites you, whether you like it or not. It’s also true that the European vocation of our country, of Spain, means that we feel very close to France, Portugal, England, Germany, etc. So I would say that on an individual level, on a personal level, when you are at a meeting, a Masonic meeting, I don’t see too many differences between the brothers from one place and another, we all behave in a very similar way. Besides, we all dress alike, so it’s hard to tell the difference.
But I recognize that there are certain ways or certain forms of organization that are different in some places. So in Europe, the difference is very small.
On the other hand, it is true that there are several differences in the way lodges are organized in America. Even the way they communicate is sometimes different.
The wonderful thing about Freemasonry is that you can go to a meeting in a country that speaks a language that you hardly know, and when you’re inside, what you see is so familiar that you don’t feel the language problem, because you understand everything, you feel it, because Freemasonry is not just a language, it’s not just an association, it’s a life experience. So, you carry the values that you have learned so deep within you, so much in your heart, that when you meet other brethren, wherever they are from, there is a kind of égregore, as the French say, a kind of harmony that takes place and you enjoy it enormously. Obviously, each country has its own idiosyncrasies, but not many differences.
At the end of our interview, Most Worshipful Grand Master, I would ask you to introduce yourself both as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Spain and as a Spanish citizen.
My name is Txema Oleaga Zalvidea, I’m from a city in northern Spain called Bilbao. I was born there 61 years ago, and my lay profession is a lawyer, it is my great vocation, together with Freemasonry and politics. They are all three. I started my political career many years ago, because in the Basque Country there was terrorism, there was a terrorist organization that killed anyone who thought differently. So I decided to take the plunge and enter politics. This was the reason. I was councillor for many years in Bilbao city council. I even ran for mayor twice. Then I left politics again and went back to law, which was my education. I also spent some time in the Basque government. I chaired a public company, the metro company, one of the most important companies in the Basque Country. And a few years ago, exactly five years ago, I was asked to step down again and run for senator. So now I am a senator for the province, for the historical territory of Biscay. I am a member of the Socialist Party and in the Senate I am the spokesperson for my political group in the Committee on Justice. I am responsible for drafting laws in the Senate. So it is a very interesting task.
In the last legislature I had the opportunity to participate in a lot of laws that meant a great progress for my country. I have to say that I also tried to use what I learned in the Lodge, that concept of tolerance, respect for ideas, putting myself in the other person’s shoes etc.
I particularly remember the moment when the Democratic Memory Law was passed, recognizing Freemasons and their families as victims of repression; that day was so moving that I even wore the tie that I wear today, the Grand Lodge of Spain tie. I wore it in plenary that day and said that I wore it in homage to these people.
Regarding my Masonic life, I was initiated many years ago, in the city of San Sebastian. I practice both Emulation and Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. I have been Worshipful Master in an Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite lodge, as well as in an Emulation lodge. What I enjoy most are the ceremonies. I am happy when I go to lodge, when I am with my brethren, it fills me with an energy that enables me to cope with any problem I may encounter.
I am Grand Master since March 2022. I applied to this very high position with a program that had four points and is almost 70% or 80% implemented. I hope that in a year’s time I will be able to finalize everything that I have planned and once everything is finished, I will tell the brethren to elect someone else, because this is not about staying in office for a long time, but about rotation.
One of the greatest lessons you learn in Freemasonry is that one year you’re the Worshipful Master, you’re in the most important place, you’re the center of attention of the whole lodge, and the next year the brethren elect somebody else, and you get out of the chair. I think that we should all learn humility, not only in our Masonic life, but apply it in our lay world.
And in politics, too.
And in politics, of course. Because in politics there is a circumstance that sometimes occurs in some lodges. It’s a phenomenon called adamism. So someone gets into a position and thinks that life begins the day he gets there. No, it doesn’t, he has to take what he has learned from the previous ones, preserve, improve and pass on, if possible, to the next one. That is the purpose he has. I think Freemasonry teaches you that.
And learn the principle of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.
This is fundamental. When you are in a lodge and you sit in a place, you see the ceremony one way. But it may happen that the next week, or the next month, or the next meeting you are in another place and the ceremony is the same, but the point of view is different. Then you must be able to understand that the point of view is only an accidental thing and that all the points of view put together form the whole. This is a fundamental Masonic teaching. As a matter of fact, the first time I had to write a Masonic paper for a general magazine was on this subject.
Congratulations on your work in Freemasonry, in politics and in your personal life. And thank you for granting this interview to our magazine.
It was a pleasure. I enjoyed the interview. I found it very amiable and with a lot of content. I congratulate you on the work you are doing and hope that I can contribute what I could modestly say to spreading the value of Freemasonry to the world. Thank you very much.
