Does the R&R advocate that they can confer all the degrees of Freemasonry? If true I know of no GL that would allow that.
If untrue then the R&R better hire a better PR company.
They do in their native country, Switzerland, where to be a Mason a man must be a Christian to join the order of Freemasonry. Their number system is 1-7, and is off of the CBCS Martinist ritual.
The issues comes down to two competing groups of CBCS in America, the first and oldest was established in the 1930s and was agreed that men who are given permission (or so I believe, I will have to check) can go to Europe and receive the degrees, but cannot start a priory in the US to stop any potential competition with the KT. This is a very elite group of Masons (about 45 across the country), and meet for dinner once a year at Masonic Week. In 2010, William Koon II was denied entrance into this order, then went to France and received the degrees with the hope of starting a more open (so the claim is) CBCS here in the states for Christian Freemasons who are also members of the Knights Templar.
This establishment caused an uproar with the older CBCS, which caused them to both start litigation and go to the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, which recommended that no Grand Lodge recognize the NEWER organization. This past year at Masonic Week, the newer CBCS was recognized by the Grand Encampment of the USA and installed the current sitting Grand Eminent of the Grand Encampment of the United States as their Grand Whatever (I can't remember the title).
Because of the recommendation of the COGMNA not to recognize the newer CBCS, our Past Grand Master put out the decree that Texans cannot join the newer CBCS. The recognition of the Grand Encampment apparently didn't sit well with the Great Priory of England (even though I haven't heard it spelled out) and has lead up to the eventual withdraw of recognition.
I think that sums it up, I did this off of the top of my head, so some one correct me if I am inaccurate.
S&F,
-Bro Vick
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