Etica della responsabilità - Grande Oriente d'Italia

• 16 •EDITORIALothers, and for the others and the responsibilityto achieve individual and commonhappiness through humanrelationships and differentsensitivity towards theworld. This means changingthe world as a targetto be set, making theworld more right andhappy, hence freer. UntilBrotherhood is not achieved,no real freedom willexist. Until decent livingconditions are not availableto everyone, there willbe no freedom. Until thereis no tolerance, there willbe no freedom, and therewill be no happiness.It seems obvious, but it isnot. If – as Rousseau wrote – “Men wereborn free, they are in chains everywhere”.And chains are not just the heavy chains ofjails and concentration camps, but also thelighter chains of mass-media control andhatred, which subtly clutches the wristsand narrows the minds of the weakest,which can make them unaware slaves. Thisis why we must understand what freedomis, live it thoroughly, and be ready to fightso that everybody can obtain it. This is theancient secret that Freemasons have intheir hearts, and convey to all those whowish to cover, with them, a common pathand think, as Freemasons do and Kant said,that “man is not a means, but an end” andthat to obtain this end, life is worth living.With this in mind, Freemasonrystands up to thechallenge for an ethicalitythat is both freedom andresponsibility, inviting allmen who are free, strong,and ready to accept it, tojoin Freemasonry; payingthe price for this challenge,if necessary. Morefreedom and more responsibility:this is our challengefrom Rimini, to the Italiansociety.We are aware that thisentails being an exampleto others, and bearing –along with Humility - the welcome butheavy burden of Rigour and Mercy, withoutwhich neither freedom nor responsibilityexist, and not even real ethics. I wish toconclude these remarks by quoting a particularlymeaningful and poetic sentenceby a writer who has embraced many valuesof esotericism, wisdom, ethicality, freedomand responsibility. Paolo Coelho wrote: “Ido not regret the moments in which I suffered;I bear scars on me, as if they weremedals, I know that freedom has a highprice, as high as that of slavery. The onlydifference is that you pay for it with pleasure,and with a smile …even when thatsmile is drenched in tears”.2/2010HIRAM