150 years ago, the oldest and most discreet lodge in Cordoba

"The pains that remain are the freedoms that are missing". This sentence from the Preliminary Manifesto of the University Reform that emerged in Cordoba in 1918 is one of the most symbolic and the most repeated in Argentine history. This same phrase is reproduced in a banner located in the Mason Cordovan Temple, at 80 Calle Igualdad, because the Freemasons of Cordoba claim the Reformation as a historical event in which they claimed to have had a direct impact. In addition, they add to the figure best known of this student movement, Deodoro Roca, another Cordovan who has accomplished for years the rite of the weekly meeting with his brothers in the lodge.

These days, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of what is recognized as the oldest lodge operating in the province of Córdoba: the Piedad lodge and Unión No. 34 in the Córdoba Valley. The group, which began to meet in 1864, gained recognition as a regular lodge in 1969. It is the only one in the province to hold the title of "august and respectable" and also the only one to never "beat columns", He never closed and remained active.

Some of his current authorities, owners of titles that sound great to the uninitiated, are the venerable maestro Jorge Pastore, who in his daily life works as a metallurgical technician and active participant in a neighborhood center south of the capital ; the second guard Luis Rodolfo Cuello, known for his activity as a merchant of works of art, as well as this pavilion count among his members the psychiatrist Facundo Correa, who is today the great second guardian of the Grand Lodge of Masonry of Argentina, Maximum National Masonic Authority based in Buenos Aires.

Wednesday ritual

According to his authorities, the box of piety and union currently has about 44 members, an average of about 40 years old, mostly professionals, who gather every Wednesday at the temple to "grow intellectually" and learn on topical issues. The Masonic headquarters of Igualdad Street is one of four meeting places of some of the pavilions that operate in the city of Córdoba. Currently, the premises are being expanded and renovated to allow more intensive use.

Correa says that the present moment finds the Masonry of Cordova in full growth. "We have about 300 members in the 20 pavilions of the city of Córdoba, whereas there were only two of them ten years ago, we are growing rapidly, we have 6,500 members in all the country and now, with this anniversary, we want to reactivate the presence of the institution in the society of Cordoba.This lodge, he continues, has among its members very important personalities.Lodges have already been opened in Villa General Belgrano, Rio Tercero, Villa María, Jesús María and several other places in the interior.

Today, at 17:30, at a press conference at the library of Cordoba, they will receive the visit of the grand master of the Freemasonry Argentina, the customs broker Jorge Clavero, who is the highest one national authority in this area.

"The idea of ​​Piety and Union," says Pastore, "is to achieve the equal growth of all its members, both intellectually and philanthropically.This is a proud box of its history but its best feature is that it is a group of friends who transcends the bond that unites Freemasons.

Not so secret

The secret which historically accompanied the activity of the lodges no longer seems to be a determining factor, even if not all Freemasons openly declare their belonging to these groups. "It's a personal problem for every member," says Pastore. "We are not a secret but discreet society, which is different.We are all freemason brothers, we have ways of recognizing ourselves here and around the world, but everyone decides when he makes public his admission to the lodge It is recommended that at least the family environment know it. "

For Correa, "the discretion lies in the fact that there were times when Freemasons were persecuted, but today we are a more open institution, which cultivates the freedom of the people and we hope each member has the freedom to show or not ".

Although they do not want to give names, they admit that the lodges of Cordoba retain important current personalities in politics and at different levels of government.

They also admit to being in a phase of proselytizing and recruiting young members to, according to Pastore, "strengthen the freedom of thought in the world".

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