Las élites y las redes secularizadoras en Europa entre los siglos XIX y XX: el caso de la masonería

During the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th,movements and organized groups emerged in Europe that tried to foster and accelerate the process of secularization which was overwhelming western society. Those with Masonic allegiances, especially in Latin and Mediterranean Europe were the most active in the fight against the obfuscation of the Catholic Church in favour of the spread of “laicidad” principles. Between 1889 and 1914 these groups organised many international meetings and created supra-national coordination bodies that contributed to spreading, along with masonic universalism and its commitment to peace, the experiences and symbols of secular culture.