L'Ordre de Chevalier Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte
The Rite Ecossais Rectifie (Scottish Rectified Rite) is the oldest continuously extant chivalric Masonic Order in the world.
In the United States it is known by the name of its pinnacle degree.
It was originally an offshoot of Baron von Hund's Rite of Strict Observance. RER works the following system of degrees:
- 4° Maître Ecossais/Scottish Master
- 4.5° Perfect Master of St. Andrew (Worked at the same time as 4° Scottish Master)
- 5° Ecuyer Novice/Squire Novice
- 6° Chevalier Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte/Knight Beneficient of the Holy City
- 7° Chevalier-Profès/Professed Knight (Believed to be a Chair Degree)
- 8° Chevalier-Grand Profès/Grand Professed Knight (Believed to be a Chair Degree)
When attempting to draw a suitable logo for CBCS I originally used the logo
shown above on the left. I have come to learn that this is a generic logo used by many non-Masonic Martinist orders, but
not directly employed by the Masonic CBCS. I have come up with the logo on the right as an alternative based upon input
from readers and examination of the few logos and jewels I've been able to find on the web. I have chosen to keep the
cross-hairs and green dots around the edge to signify the Martinist influence in CBCS. This logo is still a work in
progress. If you are familiar with CBCS, let me know what you think by commenting below.
The governing bodies of the RER are called Great Priories.
There is only one governing body in the United States, the Great Priory of America,
which was founded in 1934 at Raleigh, N.C., by Dr. William Moseley Brown and J. Raymond Shute II.
Under agreement with the Great Priory of Switzerland, membership is limited to 81, divided into
three Prefectures limited to 27 members each, and is further limited to no more than two members
from each state, with the understanding that some states will never be able to provide even a
single candidate for the rite.
In England, the Order is governed by the Knights Templar.
It is important to observe with caution that there are several other groups of CBCS
and other Martinist Orders with different histories and lineages: Some of them
are outside of Masonry entirely, and some of them admit women.
The Masonic RER, much like the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, is empowered to work the Craft
Degrees (EA, FC, and MM), but in the United States and Europe they choose
not to do so, ceding this privilege to the authority of the Grand Lodge system which works
the York Rite version of the first three degrees.
In several other countries, RER works these degrees directly, and they differ from the
York Rite version in that they derive from a source that predates the de-Christianization
of the Craft which took place throughout most English speaking systems of Freemasonry to
accomodate a truly Universal Fraternity.
Here are some links with more information about CBCS/RER or other Martinist Orders.
You will need to determine the accuracy, Masonic regularity and relevance of these links on your own:
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