Written by: Roddell Pleasants, 33'
Black Eagle Consistory - GA
The government of a Scottish Rite body is the Supreme Council of Thirty-Third degree Freemasons. This Council governs one or many Consisitories within a jurisdictional state or providence.
A Consistory (as related to the Scottish Rite) is a subordinate body of Scottish Rite Freemasons that have come together under the auspecies of a Supreme Council of Thirty-Third degree Freemasons. Each Consistory enables a third degree Freemason (within a Symbolic Lodge) to gain more information about the degrees he then holds. The Scottish Rite by no means state that it is greater than the Symbolic Lodge simply because its degree structure has higher numbers. The Scottish Rite, however, considers itself as an extention of the third degree of Freemasonry.
There are several subordinate bodies that a Consistory governs. These subordinate bodies are designed to allow Scottish Rite Freemasons to focus on specific lessons that the Scottish Rite condensed into four subgroups. These subgroups are:
4 - 14 degrees called the Lodge of Perfection
15 - 18 degrees called the Chapter of Rose Croix
19 - 30 degrees called the Senate of Knights Kadosh
31 - 32 degrees called a Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret
(**NOTE: One may find that many Scottish Rite bodies list five subgroups, whereas a Council of Princes of Jerusalem comprise degrees 15th and 16th, a Chapter of Rose Croix includes degrees 17th and 18th and a Consistory of Sublime Princes comprise the remaining 19th - 32nd degrees.)
Actually, the history of Consistories extend far beyond that of Scottish Rite usage. The term "Consistory" is Latin for consistorium or assembly place. The Consistory originated in Rome having two primary usages at the time. The first is in government, where the Consistory, or emperor’s privy council, consisted of the highest Roman magistrates or government officials in the empire. The Consistory also has its beginnings in the Roman Church. Sacred Colleges of Cardinals who were secretly hand picked by none but the Pope met in what were also known as "Consistories." These Cardinals were the counsellors to the Pope.
Under the power of Sixtus V in 1585, however, Consistories began to hold an increasingly less important role within the Roman Church. Roman Church Consistories either secret or public became a form of solemn promulgation of special papal acts, such as declaring the status of the church and cardinal creation ceremonies (called conferring the hat) among others.
Today, many churches throughout the world form Consistories where Elders, Deacons and Deaconess meet to assist the Pastor in his/her daily duties as well as help to maintain the normal business of the church.
Throughout the world, Scottish Rite Supreme Councils form Consistories within their many jurisdictions, thus gathering Scottish Rite Freemasons together for the Great Works. These Great Works performed by Scottish Rite Consistories range from the well-known Scottish Rite Hospital to local charitable acts within a town or community.
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