CORNELIU ZEANA, PH.D
The President of the Romanian National Section of the European Movement
European Unification -
A Masonic Accomplishment
Masonry is a way of perfection. The man, as an individual, ascends on the path of wisdom and selflessness; he comes near the Supreme Being. A Mason discovers inside the Lodge the atmosphere of Fraternal harmony. It is herein that the Masonic demeanour is outlined and the moral values, which are to be followed in his profane life as well, are favoured. Yet Freemasonry is not limited to the individual and the group he establishes contact with. It is involved in scale projects hinting at the future of nations, their continents and the whole world as an ensemble, searching for the adequate ways and means to ensure an ascending evolution towards light, more and more light.
Freemasonic elite devotes praiseworthy efforts in order to shape out events and evolutions that become history due to their consummation through the irreversible passing of time. Freemasonic elite had many visionaries who were considered dreamers until their ideas became reality. They set out the blueprint of a better world according to the ideals of liberty, fraternity, dignity, justice, equity of justice and chances, moral status, prosperity and peace. It is a continuous fight against oppression, corruption, injustice, poltroonery, ignorance and lie; a perpetual searching for truth. Masons became history makers through this seeking of the ways towards a better and more righteous world.
The United States of America represent the first Masonic state. The first president, George Washington, was not only a Mason of the highest degree but also a visionary. One can say that the American Constitution was inspired by the Masonic ideas. Everyone who travels to the USA and gets to Washington is attracted to the obelisk monument dedicated to the man who inspired the name of the city. A vast system of open spaces and alleys descends in a smooth slope from the monument to the Capitol, where the American laws are elaborated. At the bottom of the Washington monument there is a unique big inscription carved in bronze saying: "This monument dedicated to G.W. . was build in an ample Masonic ceremony". About our national history we can remember Nicolae B\lcescu and Alexandru Ioan Cuza. However, the dawn of Europeanism appeared in the exact time of the constitution of the national states.
As Giuseppe Mazzini pointed out in 1821, ".the history of (unified, a.n.) Europe is at dawn". A remarkable contribution to the blueprint of the European idea came from Aurel Popovici, a Romanian who lived in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. He foresaw its end confronting the imperial idea with the idea of a federal union. It's a pity that the warning of the First World War was not sufficient. The ensemble of the ruined European countries was replaced in its first role on the level of world history by the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Then, the Second World War, mainly an intra - European fratricidal war of cvasi - apocalyptical amplitude, followed. The human and material losses were beyond measure and dismay reigned everywhere. There were smoking ruins, famine, clusters of mutilated and ill people, the remembrance of recent aversions, the horrors of the extermination camps, the massacres in Katin and Fântâna Alba. One of them was the killing of that great number of children seeking refuge in Dresda, the city of arts and muses, which was bombed with unjustified cruelty the day before the surrender of Germany. All these furnish irrational hatred set on extreme nationalisms, and moreover, a moral disaster, a profound ideal crisis.
The legend of the Phoenix bird? Europe's rebirth, as a possibility, was taken into consideration with maximum scepticism because a vast percentage of "intelligence" and the bearers of spirituality were lost. Germany had few men and, more important, young men left in a period in which the Soviet colossus occupied and kept under terror the eastern side of Europe as far as the divided Berlin thus threatening with invasion as far as the Atlantic.
Yet, the results of the progressist thinking distilled in the Masonic workshops of the 19th century (let us remember Mazzini's "Giovine Europa", from the first part of that century), the thinking promoted by the English federalists, who became conspicuous at the end of the last two centuries after which the focus of the federalist ideas came back to the continent, start to ripen in the previous years to the last World War. Let us think about the well-known "Manifesto Ventotene" by Altiero Spinelli, a fundamental document of the European federalism. It would be unfair not to recollect that the Austrian count Coudenhove Kalergi, after the painful experience of the First World War, founds the Paneuropa organization whose target was to constitute the United States of Europe. Nevertheless, we should underline the initiative of Aristide Briand, the French Minister of External Affairs, and his counterpart, Gustav Stresseman, who suggested a European union inside the Nations' Society from Geneva.
The beginning of the Second World War seemed to cut off these approaches. We must acknowledge that the European idea (i.e. federal) was known only by a minority and only a few initiated really understood the profound message of fraternity. During the war Christianity was forgotten or restrained by force in closed national spaces, thus seemingly losing its universality, and the first law imposed by God to Moses was simply defied. Under these circumstances, the light of hope in a lasting peace, maybe even perpetual as the one Emmanuel Kant dreamed of, is set on by Winston Churchill, a Mason, 33°, on the occasion of the Haga Congress on the 9th of May 1948, bringing together more than 600 representatives of the federalist cores throughout Europe, that is including the countries occupied by Soviets represented by personalities living in exile. He was initiated on the 24th of May 1901.
It is the Constitution Congress of the European Movement that set its objective the European Unification in a federalist manner. The European movement set its structures as early as this Congress: an International Committee led by a President, and national sections led also by a President. The Romanian deputation at the Constitution Congress of the European Movement was formed by Grigore Gafencu, Gabriel Badarau and George Cioranescu, the latter becoming the President of the Romanian Section of the European Movement as late as 1990 when leadership was taken over by the country organization.
The unification strategies were discussed during the Congress and the European Institutions were outlined: the foundation of the European Council was suggested. Its activity began one year later but it would lose its importance. Then the European Commission, the European Council (of ministers), the Court of Justice and the Audit Office. The idea of the European Parliament would appear later but the institution would have the same importance as the Commission. The most significant accomplishment of the European Council is the "Convention for Saving the Human Rights and the Fundamental Liberties", edited in the purest Masonic spirit.
The essence of European unification is the transfer of power from the national sovereign and independent states to a supranational power, i.e. European. This project represents a historical leap previously unachieved because the attempts and the success, of much or less extent but still ephemeral, were done by force and were of hegemonic nature. The blueprint of a new Europe was created on the basis of the great values promoted by Masonry: peace, liberty, equity, fraternity. Europe was tired because of the two World Wars during a single generation. The desire for long-lasting peace was great and justified, to say the least, by the precepts of all the great religions. (One of the conditions of joining Masonry was the faith in God. The Christian religion, predominant throughout Europe, would not become exclusive.)
Europeans, on whose territory the two World Wars proved their monstrosity, understand best the value of peace. The new European Constitution, edited in Laeken, sets peace at the beginning, next to the definition. Not even now, more than half a century later, does the European Union especially bank on arming, nor does it have a full-sized military structure; it does not encourage military actions. Even if the success of such an operation is perfectly visible due to the supremacy of the military force, there is a strong sense of defeat on a philosophical level, and the nations sense this instinctively. A light of his age, Albert Einstein said: "Peace cannot be kept by force. It may only be obtained by understanding". Above anything, peace means love of people. There is usually not a great deal of discussion about the overwhelming number of children killed during every war. They are the so-called "collateral losses". An entire world disappears with each child that is killed.
The restoration of the national states according to the previous patterns, with the mutilations of the borders imposed always by the conquerors to the defeated, meant the perpetuation of war through the mediation of the national hatred by the passing of time. The way of federalization is that when all the European peoples consent to share a common future, of peace, but also of prosperity and liberty. The essential moment of the sublime French-German reconciliation is registered on the plate set on the ground in front of the Cathedral in Reims (we signal the symbol of the cathedral and the cathedral builders) that says: "In this place the Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President Charles de Gaulle kneeled to seal the continuous French-German friendship". I also kneeled on the same plate in front of the Cathedral in Reims that, for me, a Mason and Europeanist, has the importance of a pilgrimage place.
To accomplish the federalization of Europe, the European Movement should have convinced (rather than fought) two essentially different forces: first, the European nations, i.e. the residual mentality fed by mutual adversities emphasized after the war. Second, the governments of the national states that displayed reticence to the idea of giving in their sovereignty. From the constitution of the European Council on the 5th of May 1949, it was obvious that the governments did not agree to have their prerogatives diminished. This is still obvious, especially in the case of the recently adhered (Poland, etc.), that display their own opinions and external politics. Still, the federal Europe must have a single outlook concerning external affairs.
The leaders of nowadays Romania did not agree on a federal Europe, but they suggested, however rarely and without being convinced of it, a co federal Europe, thus preferring an intergovernmental formula. The European Movement applied a stratagem in order to overpass the reserves and even the hostility of the governments. The strategy of Jean Monnet, a counsellor to Charles de Gaulle for economical rehabilitation at that time, consisted in focussing all forces on a single point which would generate a reshape of the entire system if hit. A condition for success would be the element of surprise. The plan was also agreed by Robert Schuman, the French Minister of External Affairs. A secret special representative reveals it to K. Adenauer who also agrees.
On the 9th of May 1950, at Quai d'Orsay, Robert Schuman read the declaration of the constitution of the European Community of Charcoal and Steel. The Vote was unanimous and the consequences of this act were immense. The High Authority, the leadership of ECCS, was no longer a subject to a government or a national state. It is the first transfer of power to a supranational instance. The Declaration points out: "in order to have peace we should have Europe". These were a few words about the Masonic idea of freedom. Generally, the national states bear oppressive tendencies on their own population within their borders, especially on minorities, which are a subject to denationalization pressure. The Macedo- Romanians, this old people who had never had a country of their own thus being spread in many Balkan states. They faced difficulties in preserving national language and culture. The existence of the borders with their customs, frontier guards, passports, etc., underlines the obstruction of liberty. For half a century, the Macedo-Romanians from Romania and Bulgaria were not allowed to visit their relatives in Greece or Albania. Federal Europe becomes a space of liberty, not only of circulation, but also one that devolves from respecting the human rights as they are mentioned in the project of a European Constitution.
The Masonic concept of equity refers not only to individuals, who obtain European citizenship, but also to the nations of the federation. The way these are represented in the European Parliament and in the other European institutions is illustrative in this respect. There is no hegemony. Peoples keep their traditions and their whole linguistic and cultural individuality. Moreover, this is considered the greatest wealth of Europe, whose motto is "Unity in Diversity". Peoples threatened with cultural-linguistic extinction are protected (considering, among others, the 1333 Recommendation of Europe's Council concerning the Macedo-Romanians.)
Another fundamental concept for a new European social-political construction is fraternity. In political terms it deals with solidarity, which is substantial help provided by the wealthy European countries to less developed areas. We have the example of Spain, Portugal, Eastern Germany and Greece. Thanks to the provided help, these countries registered an economical-social boom, quickly reaching a standard of life that was not achievable otherwise. A new and bigger financial effort is needed in order to recover the "new wave" countries, recently detached from the Soviet Union. Romania, with rather far perspectives of adherence, is already receiving millions and millions of EURO, much more than Germany received during the Marshall plan. Let us hope that this financial infusion gets on the right spot! Concerning the social protection of the European citizen, this is superior to any other region of the globe and any other system practiced in the past.
In the actual period, the European Union needs a Constitution. The Laeken Convention (also called Convent, an adequate Masonic term for the reality of this reunion led by Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who needs no presentation for the illuminated and aware Masons) succeeded in editing it. Despite the difficulties we are sure that the endorsement of the European Constitution is not far. The realization of a United Europe can not be done at once. It needs the successive periods of an uprising evolution, far from perfection. We are the contemporaries, apprentices, fellowcrafts, masters and architects of this great edifice. We can not pass through without pointing out the evolution of the terminology. From the European Economical Community (preceded by the European communities, ECCS and the EURATOM), the European Community to the European Union and maybe this is not it. These changes point to the fact that starting with the economic, there is a tendency to unite the politics, the spirit, the concept, the moral. And maybe the United Europe must represent, above everything, a moral space. Regarding this transformation, the vigilance of Freemasonry is a mission.
About the European symbols
In Freemasonry, the role the symbols bear is essential; they stamp the esoteric thinking, they found the Royal Art. The elaboration of the European symbols took considerable effort. Basically, the symbol conveys a message that is addressed to mind and heart with a minimum of expressive substances. Among the European symbols there are Masonic symbols, taken over or adapted. Preoccupation for symbol is present in Masonry (traditional) and in the new European construction. Let us briefly present you with the European symbols, the way they were published in successive issues of the European Thought, edited by the European Movement, Romanian National Section.
The European Flag is a quintessence of symbols. The blue colour corresponds to the clear sky, the raising of the look and spirit to the highest and farthest dares. We look to the sky by raising our forehead and leaving aside the things that pull us back: the earthy pettiness. The golden colour of the stars expresses spirituality, nobility and on a blue background, purity. It is the colour of the haloes, the manner the saints were represented, as well on a blue background, but also of power, finding it in the western but also the extreme oriental imperial signs. The twelve stars aligned in a circle stand for perfection. 12 is the perfect Pythagoras number in which a maximum of the mathematical operations can be done. It has the cosmic correspondent of the twelve months of the year, there were twelve Apostles, etc. The starry sky above us, as appears to be the European flag will not change its appearance after several new states will be included in the European Union (the name is not unchangeable) nor after the perfection of its structures.
The motto of European Union is UNITY IN DIVERSITY. The unity we aspire for is in a continuous evolution, from the Economical Community of Charcoal and Steel and the EURATOM, to the European Economical Community (the Common Market), then to the European Community and finally to the European Union. The evolution of the names points out the passing from economy to politics. Soon, a European Constitution will be adopted and the European Citizenship will have a new dimension. We wish for a Europe with a better underlined executive leadership and with a single opinion concerning the external affairs. Unity means also fraternity, solidarity, the upraising of less-developed countries and regions because a Europe of contrasts is not desirable. In this way there are outstanding efforts to help the countries recently detached from communism.
Europe is the continent of nations reinforced by a long historical process. The history of our continent is outlined as a long series of national wars, the two World Wars, being nothing else than European fratricides representing the most tragic example. Inside a Union, wars between nations are no longer possible. We do not wish the European Union to be a pot for mixing up peoples. On the contrary, the great wealth of Europe is the diversity of peoples and cultures, like a bouquet of flowers in which every one has its own glamour and charm. The European peoples and languages that are threatened by extinction, as the case is for Macedo-Romanians, are supported in order to offer them their existence. Europe maintains its national diversity and linguistic pluralism. Becoming a European does not mean forgetting about your country. On the contrary: patriotism, love for the country, living with the dignity of belonging to a people, will remain as powerful as ever. We can proudly utter that the descendants of the Dacians, one of the ancient people of the world, contributed to the patrimony of universal culture. We will recover the half a century of communism under the dictatorship of a party doubled by a repressive criminal institution. It was a dark period in which our spiritual and cultural values were strongly repressed but the attempt to create a man of no personality, dignity, and, if possible, of no God. Beyond the border of your country there is the larger border of Europe. We belong to the country but to Europe, this country of countries, too. The national conscience is doubled by the European conscience.
The European Hymn is one of the symbols with the most powerful affective resonance. A fragment from the 9th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven was chosen, this German genius with Flemish roots who crowned the classicism of music. The Choir utters the inspired words of Schiller that call for joy and fraternity. It was chosen a symphony, that is, in Greek, a song together, a harmony, an expression of fraternity. This music means traditions and continuity, culture and elite. A new hymn (music and words) would have been menaced by a certain perishability.
The EURO banknotes
EURO, the European currency, began circulating on the 1st of January 2002.
The banknotes have the amount from 5 to 500 EURO. On the whole there are seven banknotes; seven is the number denoting the virtues of man, and the seven colours create the white light, the perfect light. The symbols that stand on the two facets of the notes are eloquent. Both facets bear elements of architectural buildings, the noble art that defines Masonry. The Supreme Being is the Great Architect of the Universe and the Freemasons work for his glory. The European Supranational Construction is a vast and daring work of architectural style. Set on solid foundations, the walls and the counter forts are rising in front of us.
Back to the European banknotes. On one of their facets there are windows of different architectural styles. The window stands for opening to the light, the sky, through which we look and understand the world outside, not only the sky, assimilated with the metaphysics, but also the earth, the material world, directly exposed to the perception of our senses. Without windows, the interior of a building will be dark. The window is the symbol of light. The diversity of styles indicates first respect for tradition, for the works of the predecessors, and second the fact that the light of the sun, the moon, or the ineffable one of the lighting can come to us through various windows. Just like the light of the Great Architect of the World comes to people through a variety of religions, every one having its personality (architectural, if you wish). On the other facets of the note there are bridges, daring and generous constructions that bind two shores, helping people to pass a river or a separating precipice. It is the symbol of trust, communication and bonds between men but also peoples.
The European coins have a European face and a national back. The model of the European face is common to all the coins of the same value. The EURO symbol is a stylized Epsilon, a sign for the prizing of the ancient Greek values. On the back, each nation picks up something defining, representing. For example, on the Irish coins there is the pound, on the Italian there is Leonardo da Vinci. On the upcoming Romanian coins there will be Eminescu, Brâncusi. Let us dream! Of course, the coins have universal circulation validity; yet we can recognize their country of origin thanks to the national reverse. With their two sides, the coins say: THE EUROPEAN MOTTO, UNITY IN DIVERSITY.
We end these considerations on the European symbols, without using them up. There is, of course, a quote from Mircea Eliade, that underlines their significance: "The symbol is a transcendental category of the spiritual height, of the extraterrestrial, of the infinite esoteric that reveal the man on his whole, for it address not only to the human intelligence but especially to the soul".
In the end of this modest essay on the European construction I thought it fit to quote the words of our most brilliant Brother G.E. Lessing "The real works of the Masons are so great and they aim so far that there can be numerous centuries before the average man could say: here is what they accomplished! Nevertheless, they only fulfilled their service".
Ditto!
Source:
http://www.masonicforum.ro/en/nr20/zeana.html