{"id":4790,"date":"2016-11-17T11:08:40","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T11:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/?page_id=4790"},"modified":"2025-04-10T21:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T21:37:14","slug":"bem-vindos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/bem-vindos\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4174 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-1024x636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-1536x954.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-235x146.jpg 235w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-50x31.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920-121x75.jpg 121w, https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/church-1803241_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n<h2>My Dear and Beloved Companions,&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Cryptic Masonry completes the second phase of Masonic studies begun by the Companions in the Higher Degrees of the York Rite and fills in the allegorical aspects of Freemasonry that are not revealed through Symbolic Masonry or the Royal Arch. That is, while the Royal Arch Degree completes the knowledge acquired in the three Symbolic Degrees of E.A., F.C., and M.M., Cryptic Masonry concludes the teachings found in both: the Symbolic and Royal Arch Degrees.<\/h3>\n<h3>Because of the unique characteristics of the Cryptic Degrees, many consider them a separate branch of Freemasonry, hence the frequent reference to &#8220;Cryptic Masonry&#8221; and sometimes even to the &#8220;Cryptic Rite,&#8221; as it is a Freemasonry of philosophical teachings conveyed through rituals that, according to many scholars, are among the most profound in all of Freemasonry.<\/h3>\n<h3>In \u201cCryptic Masonry,\u201d or the \u201cMasonry of the Secret Vault,\u201d Cryptic Masons are entrusted with preserving the most precious of Masonic secrets\u2014the Lost Word, the Ineffable Name of God\u2014so that it may never be forgotten. This forms the allegorical foundation for Cryptic symbolism, which dates back to the biblical era, in the days of Enoch.<\/h3>\n<h3>The mysteries of the Secret Vault provide the entire foundation upon which the spiritual development of the Cryptic Mason is built\u2014a Mason who \u201cdigs deeper,\u201d finds more answers, and acquires greater knowledge and wisdom.<\/h3>\n<h3>It is, therefore, in the most sacred and deepest place\u2014the ninth arch of the Secret Vault, beneath King Solomon\u2019s Temple\u2014that Cryptic Masons labor, fulfilling the Masonic allegory that represents man\u2019s search for a higher purpose: a purpose that lies in understanding the essence of life and contributing, by our example, to peace and harmony among humanity, regardless of creed, status, or misfortune.<\/h3>\n<h3>Faithfully and Sincerely in the Faith,<\/h3>\n<h3><strong><b>Joaquim C<\/b><\/strong><strong><b>. M.<\/b><\/strong><br \/>\nMost Illustrious Grand Master<\/h3>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2451\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RSM1GJewel-279x300.jpg\" alt=\"rsm1gjewel\" width=\"279\" height=\"300\"><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My Dear and Beloved Companions,&nbsp; &nbsp; Cryptic Masonry completes the second phase of Masonic studies begun by the Companions in the Higher Degrees<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4790"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4790"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4870,"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4790\/revisions\/4870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gcmrep.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}