Еркін зияраттарды тану өлшемдері және ложалардың реттелуі

Factor by which individual Grand Lodges judge whether to recognise one another

In Freemasonry, regularity is one of the factors by which individual Grand Lodges judge whether to recognise one another for the purposes of allowing formal interaction at the Grand Lodge level and visitation by members of other jurisdictions. Each individual Grand Lodge determines which other Grand Lodges it considers Regular (and the standards for determining this are not uniform between Grand Lodges).

There are a number of groupings of Masonic jurisdictions which consider themselves regular, and recognise others as regular, yet consider others to be irregular. There is no globally centralised Masonic organisational system, and therefore the criteria for regularity are not consistent across all Grand Lodges.

The concept of Regularity first appears in Payne's regulations, and was printed in Anderson's Constitutions. In regulation VIII we find –
If any Set or Number of Masons shall take upon themselves to form a Lodge without the Grand Master's Warrant, the regular Lodges are not to countenance them, or own them as fair Brethren and duly form’d, nor approve of their Acts and Deeds; but must treat them as Rebels, until they humble themselves, as the Grand Master shall in his Prudence direct, and until he approve of them by his Warrant, which must be signify’d to the other Lodges, as the Custom is when a new Lodge is to be register’d in the List of Lodges. The revisions published in the 1738 constitutions introduced the term Regular Lodge. Arguments regarding what ought to constitute proper Freemasonry appear in the 1720s, when some lodges of the Premier Grand Lodge of England began to replace the old method of drawing the lodge symbols on the floor in chalk and charcoal with tape, tacked to the floor, and portable metal letters. This earned the new Grand Lodge the nickname of the Moderns. In 1735, the same Grand Lodge refused admission to the master and wardens of an Irish lodge, who claimed to be a deputation from the Grand Master of Ireland, unless they accepted the English constitution, which they refused. In 1751 the nucleus of a second Grand Lodge, which did not accept the innovations of the original, was formed. Their book of constitutions, the Ahiman Rezon of their Grand Secretary Laurence Dermott, suggests that the Moderns had now changed their passwords in alarm over masonic exposures printed in the 1730s, which would not allow their members admission into any lodges outside their own jurisdiction. The process of uniting of these two Grand Lodges began in 1809, when the Moderns set up a travelling Lodge of Promulgation to return their ritual to its "Ancient" form. This made possible the creation, in 1813, of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Payne's 1720 regulations mention the necessity of maintaining the "old Land Marks" of the order, but it was much later that anybody attempted to define them. It was not until 1858 that Albert Mackey published a list of 25 landmarks, which while not universally accepted, formed the basis of some American jurisdictions. Attempts to formulate the basis of regularity came even later in England, and appear to have arisen from recognition of a new Grand Lodge in France, which had just split from the Grand Orient de France, already branded as irregular (see below). A letter of 1913 from the new Grand Master of the Independent and Regular National Grand Lodge of France and of the French Colonies stated the obligations of his lodges as his claim to regularity. While the Lodge is at work the Bible will always be open on the altar. The ceremonies will be conducted in strict conformity with the Ritual of the "Regime Rectifié" which is followed by these Lodges, a Ritual which was drawn up in 1778 and sanctioned in 1782, and with which the Duke of Kent was initiated in 1792[47]. The Lodge will always be opened and closed with invocation and in the name of the Great Architect of the Universe. All the summonses of the Order and of the Lodges will be printed with the symbols of the Great Architect of the Universe. No religious or political discussion will be permitted in the Lodge. The Lodge as such will never take part officially in any political affair but every individual Brother will preserve complete liberty of opinion and action. Only those Brethren who are recognised as true Brethren by the Grand Lodge of England will be received in Lodge. These appear to have formed the basis for the 1929 Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition, still used by the United Grand Lodge of England.

The Continental style Grand Lodges and Grand Orients have created several organizations in order to organize their international relations, such as CLIPSAS, the International Masonic Union Catena, CIMAS, COMAM, TRACIA and, formerly, the International Secretariat of the Masonic Adogmatic Powers before it was re absorbed into CLIPSAS. Other bodies predicate their assessment of regularity on the 8th decree of Anderson's Constitution; a Lodge is regular if it works in conformity to the rules of its granted constitutional patent. Grand Lodges certify regularity to their recognized Member Lodges and Grand Lodges with patents.

The first Grand Lodge in Austria, the Große Landesloge von Österreich was founded in Vienna in 1784 but only ten years later in 1794 Freemasonry was forbidden by the then Holy Roman Emperor Franz II. After the Austro Hungarian Compromise of 1867 Freemasonry was re established, but only in the Hungarian part of the Empire. After the end of World War I, only four weeks after the proclamation of the Republic of German Austria the Grand Lodge of Vienna was founded on 8 December 1918. She was recognised by UGLE in 1930. Immediately after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938 Freemasonry was again forbidden. After the end of World War II the Grand Lodge of Vienna was formally re established on 4 August 1945. In 1952 UGLE restored relations with her. 1955 after the end of the Allied occupation of Austria the Grandlodge changed its name into Grand Lodge of Austria. The Grand Lodge of Austria has currently 77 lodges with approx. 3500 brethren.

Several Grand Lodges are active in Belgium. The Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium (R. G. L. B.) is currently the only Belgian Grand Lodge which is recognised as regular by UGLE and its concordant jurisdictions. The oldest Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Grand Orient of Belgium (G. O. B.) lost its recognition by the UGLE in the 19th century when it decided to remove the requirement for Masons to have a belief in a Supreme Being. In an attempt to regain recognition by the UGLE, five lodges from the GOB founded the Grand Lodge of Belgium (G. L. B.) in 1959. When in 1979 the G. L. B. also lost its recognition by UGLE, nine lodges founded the Regular Grand Loge of Belgium on 15 June 1979.

The oldest obedience in Bulgaria is the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Bulgaria, established in 1917. Until it was banned in 1940 by a Nazi Law called "Law of the Homeland protection" this Grand Lodge was recognized by 47 regular and mainstream Grand Lodges worldwide. Most of the recognitions were never withdrawn and after Grand Lodge of Bulgaria (GLB) was reactivated it gained additional recognitions. Today GLB is recognized by 54 Grand Lodges from Europe, North and South America and Africa. It works in the Antient & Accepted Scottish Rite, has 16 Constituent lodges including one English speaking Lodge "HIRAM".

Regular Freemasonry in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is controlled by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, which is based in Dublin. It has jurisdiction over 13 Provincial Grand Lodges covering all the Freemasons of the island of Ireland, and another 12 provinces worldwide.

In 2021 they were 38 Grand Lodges operating in France including overseas territories. They range from 200 to 60,000 members. The Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF) is the only French Grand Lodge to be recognised as regular by UGLE and its concordant jurisdictions. The Grand Orient de France (GOdF) was recognised by most Grand Lodges in the world until the middle of the 19th century, when the GOdF recognized the Supreme Council of Louisiana. This caused several US Grand Lodges to withdraw recognition from the GOdF. The final breaking point, however, came about due to a decision by the GOdF in 1877 to remove the requirement for Masons to have a belief in a Supreme Being. UGLE and most other Anglo Saxon Grand Lodges suspended all relations with, and recognition of, the Grand Orient de France as a result.

The Vereinigte Großlogen von Deutschland or United Grand Lodges of Germany (VGLvD) is the regular Grand Lodge in Germany, it comprises five united Grand Lodges of varying traditions: two traditional German Grand Lodges, one Prussian Swedish Rite Grand Lodge, one English tradition Grand Lodge and one North American tradition Grand Lodge, the latter two Grand Lodges having been formed by occupying forces. There are also irregular masonic Grand Lodges in Germany including Women Freemasons (FGLD) as well as Co Freemasons.

The majority of Canadian Grand Lodges are in amity with UGLE. There is also a healthy presence of GOdF affiliated Grand Lodges and Orients that follow Continental Freemasonry, particularly in the French speaking province of Quebec.

In the United States, each state has a Grand Lodge that supervises the lodges within that state and is sovereign and independent within that jurisdiction. These are commonly referred to as the "regular" or "mainstream" Grand Lodges. There is no national Grand Lodge. All regular Grand Lodges in the US are in mutual amity with each other and with UGLE. Because of historical segregation, many states also have a sovereign and independent Prince Hall Grand Lodge that is predominantly African American. For many years the mainstream Grand Lodges did not recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry and considered their Prince Hall Freemasonry irregular, despite the UGLE's approval of their regularity. In the 1980s, many mainstream Grand Lodges began to recognize Prince Hall Grand Lodges as Freemasons. Due to a 19th century argument and a resulting schism, not all Prince Hall Grand Lodges recognize each other (see Prince Hall National Grand Lodge), and generally the mainstream Grand Lodges have followed the lead of their Prince Hall counterparts when it comes to recognizing Prince Hall Grand Lodges in other states. Throughout the US there are also numerous independent Masonic Lodges and Grand Lodges, which are not recognized as such by UGLE, the mainstream Grand Lodges, or their Prince Hall counterparts. Many of these are affiliated with international organizations of Continental Freemasonry. These are deemed to be irregular by UGLE affiliated Masonic Obediences.

The regularity of Masonic lodges in Mexico is a topic of considerable controversy, primarily due to the prevalence of irregular lodges compared to regular ones. This discrepancy has sparked ongoing debates within the Masonic community in Mexico. Among the numerous Masonic bodies in the country, one notable exception stands out: The York Grand Lodge of Mexico. Established in 1865, it holds the distinction of being the sole Grand Lodge with federal character in Mexico. Since its inception, The York Grand Lodge of Mexico has maintained consistent recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England, a recognition that persists to the present day. This unique status underscores the significance of The York Grand Lodge of Mexico within the broader context of Mexican Freemasonry, serving as a beacon of regularity amid the complexities of the Masonic landscape in the country.