Appendant Masonic Bodies in Cuba
Cuba's Masonic tradition is primarily Scottish Rite in character. The Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Cuba is active in Havana and operates across the island. Cuba's lodges work primarily within this ceremonial framework, and visiting North American Masons accustomed to the York Rite may notice procedural differences. The Scottish Rite arrived in Cuba during the colonial era through Spanish and French Masonic channels and has been the dominant appendant tradition throughout Cuban Masonic history.
York Rite bodies (Royal Arch Chapters, Cryptic Councils, and Knights Templar Commanderies) are present in Cuba but less prominent than in North American jurisdictions, where the York Rite is the primary appendant system. Some York Rite bodies operate in Havana, but the Scottish Rite framework predominates.
The Shrine has not historically had a formal organizational presence in Cuba separate from the Grand Lodge structure. Cuba's political situation and its separation from the North American Masonic mainstream after 1962 have meant that Shrine connections operate differently than in Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean.
The Order of the Eastern Star has historically been active in Cuba. Women's Masonic lodges operate in Cuba as parallel bodies separate from the UGLE-recognized Grand Lodge; these began to be established in 2008 and reflect Cuba's generally open approach to Masonic organization. Cuban Freemasonry's civic orientation has produced a range of affiliated and charitable bodies with deep roots in Cuban civil society
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