Vitam Impendere Vero!
Neutrality & passivity are the best friends of evil! - Christian Bernard
And it was Raymond Bernard who introduced the idea that the next imperator should be American, because of the completion of the 108 years cycle. – Frater Melchior
I think one of the reasons GLS was so disliked was because of envy, in addition to him being a weak character and easily persuaded; a downright unstable person. - Frater Melchior
Man's greatest conquest is of himself. Before one can impart knowledge to others, he must first know himself.
From a report in The Los Angeles Times; January 24, 1987
Ralph M. Lewis; Leader of Rosicrucians for 49 Years
Ralph M. Lewis, son of the founder and head of the 250,000-member Rosicrucian order, has died, it was reported Tuesday.
Lewis, head of the order for nearly 50 years, was 82 and died Jan. 12 in San Jose, although his death had gone unreported.
His father, H. Spencer Lewis, a New York advertising executive who started the Ancient and Mystic Order of Rosae Crusis in 1909, moved the headquarters to San Jose in 1927. Lewis took over the organization after his father's death in 1938.
The organization claims 250,000 members worldwide and operates the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and the Planetarium in San Jose, two of the city's largest tourist attractions.
The group traces its roots to 1,500 BC and teaches a philosophy of cosmic consciousness intended to awaken dormant human faculties and help individuals to lead a happier and more useful life, group leaders say.
"The press has the idea that we're a strange, weird cult," said Lewis, the president and imperator of the group, in an interview several years ago. "We're not. We're a study group that takes the position that human consciousness is a stream, a flow. We believe that man generally functions on only one level, but that he can function on levels higher than the objective and the subjective.
"I'm not a strong adherent of reincarnation myself. I'm not so concerned with what I may have been, or what I may be, as I am with what I am now."
Lewis is survived by his wife Margaret, two sisters and a brother.
On Monday January 12th, 1987 at 11.26 P.M. Ralph Maxwell Lewis dies (henceforth RML). Not only marks his transition the end of a remarkable and highly respected person. Dark clouds already hover over Rosicrucian Park. His very successor would usher in the end of AMORC's Golden Age as we shall soon see. "Darkness pervaded all..."
Ralph was a good man. Good in the sense that his accomplishments far outweighed his failures; a men in the sense that those same strenghts and his weaknesses that shaped his leadership gave him some very human and humane dimensions. He possessed the gravity and demeanor of an Imperator, well leavened with a warmth and a wit. Above all else he truly loved the membership he was charged to guide. He devoted his life to the order validating and fulfilling his fathers work; he was the son who brought credit Harvey Spencer Lewis's name.
Under Ralph AMORC had steadily expanded, and had now become the stabilizing force in the occult world. It was a pleasure being an AMORC member in those days. It was something you could be proud of and the majority of its members was extremely loyal. But alas the good things weren't going to last...
To the surprise of many or perhaps most members outside the USA his successor was the relatively unknown Gary Lee Stewart and thus what most members expected or hoped for didn't occur i.e. Raymond Bernard(Sar Rosenkreutz) for Imperator! Unfortunately, upon the death of Ralph Maxwell Lewis, Gary Stewart was elected to the position of Imperator on 23rd January 1987. He soon however, demonstrated that he was not up to the task of leading the Rosicrucian Order, and after a series of grave errors, he was dismissed from his office and duties by all Grand Masters on April 12th, 1990.
So why not? Was it because Raymond Bernard (RB), had in September 1986 ceased participation in all AMORC activities where he held the position of Supreme Legate?? Or perhaps because of health reasons, as was frequently claimed?
The above scenario is most unlikely considering all activities RB developed after his untimely resignation. It's also been suggested that Raymond Bernard stepped down to make place for a younger person. Given his character and ego this option can also be safely ruled out!!!
Raymond and Yvonne Bernard moved to Yaoundé in Cameroon, and in 1988 he founded CIRCES (Cercle International de Recherches Culturelles et Spirituelles). Some of his adherents would rather read for CIRCES: Cercle Intérieur de la Rose Croix Esotérique et Secrète.
Please note that it is also claimed that Raymond considered Christian to be not eligible for the office of Imperator (well of course now that he knew that he wouldn't be it either!) and that he therefore favoured an American or rather that the Imperator should always be an American.
The single most stupefying fact of the CIRCES' history is Gary Stewart being publicly announced as its Honorary President! This totally contradics Stewart's claims that father & son Bernard together were conspiring against him! Father and son Bernard were simply not on speaking term those days!! Sure, later GLS did a 180 degree turn on CIRCES, just as he did on so many things.
So the much acclaimed and highly discussed "Conspiracy" of the "Bernards" against Stewart is just another internet hoax created by the Stewart clan. All evidence is simply pointing in the opposite direction!
This is even acknowledged by Tobias Churton in his book Invisibles: The True History of the Rosicrucians "Gary L. Stewart succeeded R.M. Lewis in 1987 at the age of 34, backed by Raymond Bernard of the French branch of AMORC".
Next project l'OSTI (Ordre Souverain du Temple Initiatique). Well not really the kind of activities you'd expect from a man struggling with his health. (l'OSTI & CIRCES organizations merged in 1993 and from then on CIRCES would appear to be the humanitarian branch of l'OSTI).
The true reason rather seems to have been severe disagreements within AMORC's Board and most likely over his extra-curricular activities before 1986, read l' Ordre Renové du Temple.
26 October 1970: Déclaration en sous-préfecture de Mantes-la-Jolie, d'une association loi 1901 dénommée Ordre Rénové du Temple ou O.R.T. (According to Belgian investigative journalist Marcel Roggemans, RB started this project on 5/12/1962)!?. Others maintain it was 1968.
1968 : Raymond Bernard crée le mythe du « Cardinal blanc » et de « la grotte de San Nilo » à Grotteferrata (Italie) dans un document interne Rendez-vous secret à Rome. Ce personnage lui aurait confié la mission (« donné l'ordre ») de réactiver l'Ordre du Temple et l'adoube en conséquence. Dans la crypte de la Cathédrale de Chartres, il adoube à son tour le 23 septembre Robert Devaux et Julien Oriegas.
The ORT was in the form of a legal association, distinct from AMORC. This Order, from its creation till RB left it in October 1972, was reserved uniquely for the members of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC with some 1700 members.
Where on the one hand RB usually pretends to have had the full support of RML "He finally gave his consent" but in another interview he clearly states that he had no authorization whatsoever, and which was indead the fact of the matter!
SC: Au départ, Ralph M. Lewis était donc tout à fait d'accord? Il t'avait lui-même mandaté? RB: Il ne m'a pas mandaté.
In his defence it should be said that in the sixties RML himself had come up with such an idea i.e to increase participation levels within AMORC membership, through a templar like order i.e. However, the project was abandoned because it proved inviable.
April 1971 RB abandons ORT Grandmastership and is replaced with one Julianos Origas, Grand Sénéchal of the Order who as Grandmaster uses the pseudonym: Hu(m)bert de Frankenb(o)urg.
Slowly but gradually RB furthers withdraws from ORT (most likely under severe pressure from San Jose) till the point where all links with AMORC are severed in October 1972. RB later simply claims that he'd lost all his interest!? If he'd lost all his templar interest, than why would he later have founded CIRCES!!??
Then in July 1983 Origas installs Luc Jouret as the next ORT Grandmaster whereas Origas dies on 20/8/1983. Fortunately RML didn't live to see the dire consequences of this step!
Contrary to popular belief and in fact most logical explanation of all is that Ralph Lewis hand picket and thoroughly trained his successor (read GLS). However, I'm of the opinion that he didn't. Because of his lingering doubts, at the end, Ralph did not name his successor. He trusted the supreme Grand Lodge to do this.
There's some very strong evidence against this scenario: Ralph's second wife (and former long time secretary) Margaret Burt Lewis, was very much against Stewart. To such extend that she refused to hand over the Lewis Imperator ring and refused to attend his installation. Always hear the other side: well they simply state that Christian Bernard stole the imperator ring from the Lewis vault, and that Margaret didn't attend because of ill health. What's truth...
So now we're faced with Gary Lee Stewart the third imperator of AMORC. The Stewart reign can be described as nothing short of catastrophic.
Let's for assessment's sake and simplicity forget here about his financial shenanigans, such as his self-inflicted pay raise, his second honeymoon paid for by AMORC, the infamous money transfer to Andorra etc. etc. etc.
Is GLS: Grand Lodge of Spain, Gran Logia Suprema or Gary Lee Stewart? You tell me!?
What I do care about is the fact that he simply wasn't the kind of Imperator, AMORCans expected or wanted. Such as divorcing and marrying a Rosicrucian Park employee. He didn't have a clue that rasta hair and a youthful appearance wasn't necessary a plus for an Imperator?? But worst of all: Gary simply was a lousy manager, he didn't grasp one iota of what was needed in his position. AMORC members were hardly waiting for a new magazine, Heterodoxy, for non-AMORC members, nor did they expect books on pension plans.
Gary also handled his imperatorship as a corporate takeover! He brought his own friends (such as Antonio de Nicholas the intended Spanish Grand Master who wasn't even AMORC member) and even family with him while at the same time firing the very people he so desperately needed the most to make his imperatorship work. He behaved like a blind dog in a meat market. That in short was the trouble with GLS.
Or as another Frater put it in the yahoo Rosicrucianism group:
My own view is that he was the boy who suddenly found himself in charge of the cookie factory. I think he was probably guilty of misfeasance and incompetence, but probably not guilty of malfeasance or any crime. I don't believe he was a victim of anyone or anything other than his own lack of pragmatism, managerial ability, and possibly respect for the people he had to work for and with.
I do not believe that Gary Stewart was anointed by Ralph Lewis or anyone else to be Imperator for life.
Finally the assessment of a three eminent rosicrucians about Gary Stewart as a person:
"We gave Frater Stewart the benefit of the doubt, but that proved to be a mistake."- former Stewart supporters: Paul Walden & Ashley McFadden, ARC
"Charmante jongeman, maar veel te jong in meer dan één opzicht." - Irène Beusekamp-Fabert
"Er war viel zu jung." - Martin Erler
Ten years later, much water has since flowed under the bridge, I'm in a circle of rosicrucian history fetishists and in the center of the center of this circle is this friend a Belgian "research journalist" aka "historian" though he's neither, who's personally and constantly in contact with Stewart.
Stewart is a very approachable guy. Too approachable imho.
(Because I didn't like him, I've always avoided to take up contact with him personally). His current openness btw totally contradicts his permanent inaccessibility during his AMORC term, where he was either travelling and or playing c.q. conferencing with his inner circle, read friends and family.
Well, whatever GLS discusses with Marcel Roggemans (his so-called interviews with Stewart!) he (MR) forwards to me (AK). They even discuss personal things. We even know when Gary's having dental problems and when he's got to see his dentist.
My own conclusion: the very nature of these discussions in this "forum" leaves me without further doubt. 2000 A.D. he's still too young and he'll probably be forever too young mentally i.e.. Or call it naive or as someone else described him: he's downright unstable. With only a little common sense and moderation he should have prevented Dorothy L. Stewart to issue her silly open letter (May 10, 1990) to all AMORC rosicrucians...
WHO TOLD WHAT TO WHOM. Mind you, this is all hearsay that I'm parrotting!
From the website Geschiedenis van de occulte en mystieke broederschappen:
After the Stewart Affair AMORC’s faced with succession problems. Since Gary L. Stewart was ousted they have a problem. They asked frater:: to install Christian Bernard as the new Imperator of AMORC. Frater:: refuses inexorably. During the same meeting Frater :: is offered a substantial amount of money to sell AMORC his order.
This was confirmed to me by phone on 23/01/1999.
From Rosicrucian Order AMORC vs l’Imperator Gary L. Stewart webside interview with Rosicrucian Imperator Gary L. Stewart:
GLS: Je ne sais rien de très précis de cette cérémonie si ce n’est que celle qui a été utilisée n’est pas celle écrite par Ralph Lewis. Pourquoi Christian a-t-il décidé de ne pas utiliser le rituel de Ralph Lewis ? Voilà ce que j’ignore. Concernant le rituel utilisé pour installer Christian, je me suis laissé dire par un des administrateurs de la Grande Loge Suprême, qui assume encore cette responsabilité, que Christian Bernard avait demandé à Martin Müller(un rosicrucien allemand réputé qui est le successeur d’Emile Dantinne—plus connu sous le nom de Sar Hieronymus) de diriger cette installation. Je me suis également laissé dire que M. Mueller avait refusé. Mais, comme je l’ai dit, je n’ai pas moi-même pu vérifier ces affirmations, je ne peux que m’appuyer sur ce qu’on m’a rapporté.
Roughly translated Gary avers here that someone'd told him (guess who?) that Christian Bernard had requested Martin Mueller (a highly reputed German rosicrucian who claimed to be the successor of Emile Dantinne aka Sar Hieronymus) to conduct his installation.
Believe it or not in 2000 AD I had a number of rather long phone calls with frater :: from Bavaria, well let’s eeeh continue calling him Mr. Müller and in which he wasn’t exactly positive about GLS and who was in fact the very person confiding to me: "Er war viel zu jung!"
I'll always remember what my daughter said that Friday afternoon, calling me in while I was just coming home, still in the driveway: hey dad here’s this man from Germany on the phone again!
THE END ...?
