‘Sympathie, Égalité, Fraternité’

     

Landmarks throughout Manhattan were drenched in the blue, white, and red of France’s Tricolour as an emotional display of solidarity with Paris, where 130 innocents were murdered last Friday. Here is the Arch of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.

In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Paris last Friday, in which 130 victims perished, the Grand Lodge of New York issued a communiqué to the National Grand Lodge of France.

RW Brother Claude Legrand
Grand Secretary
Grande Loge Nationale Française
12 Rue Christine de Pisan
75017 Paris

Subject: Expression of Sympathy & Sorrow


Dear Right Worshipful Grand Secretary,

The Helmsley Building
on Park Avenue
in midtown Manhattan.    

Our Grand Master, MW William J. Thomas, wishes me to express to you, your Grand Master, and your entire Grand Lodge our sincere and heartfelt expression of sympathy and sorrow for the loss that your nation has suffered. There are few places other than New York that can truly understand what you are now feeling and the length of time before you are even able to fully express your grief. We stand ready to help you if and when we are asked to do so.

A statement to the public is delivered at the Consulate General

of France on Fifth Avenue Saturday night.

When you are finally in a position to do so, we would very much appreciate it if you would provide us with the names and contact information of any Masons who were directly affected by this unspeakable horror. Thank you.

With tears of sorrow and with fraternal love and affection,

Paul M. Rosen
Grand Secretary
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York

The flags of France and the European Union were flown at half-mast outside the Consulate General of France in Manhattan Saturday in mourning of the victims of the terror attacks in Paris the previous day.