PJ wrote:
>FWIW, the history of Freemasons ties them very closely to the Roman Church. The Knights Templar in particular were first its defenders then its victims during the Inquisition. Which is itself an interesting saga, though type-cast with the All-Mighty Dollar and both Royal and Papist Egos as the main characters. (And no, this one doesn't have a happy ending.)<
I think we've gone way really off-topic here, but let's assume we have a holiday's waiver!
Did you know that, when Templars were hunted in France by the Inquisition, they fled to Portugal, which, unless with an even more secret intention, offered them whole-hearted sanctuary ( historians say that the wealth they had accumulated during many years made them too powerful, so French Inquisition was after their possessions and their weakening, while Portugal was after those very same riches ).
Portugal became then the most powerful nation in Europe ( in the 1500's ). The Templars' ( named Christ's Order, in Portugal ) money sponsored Portuguese expansion and their sailing expertise also helped Portugal reach the New World ( some say they were looking for the same thing that motivated Indiana Jones's quest: the Lost Arch ). Portuguese caravels didn't have the national flag on their sails, but the symbol of the Christ's Order ( a big red cross ); differently from what most people assume, it was not funded by the king.
Masonry and Positivism were so influential in our country that Brazil's flag is the only one that carries words on it: "Order and Progress", which is part of Comte's positivist motto.
Bye,
Caio Rossi
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