There are women's orders in Britain with 20, 000 members, but Freemasonry is overwhelmingly male.

BBC: Would you want to be a Freemason?

Around the world, freemasonry has been seen as a subversive cult, and has aroused the suspicion of rulers.

ECONOMIST: Freemasonry

He pulled into the case an old Stein colleague, Sam Dash, a fellow member of the small legal freemasonry that had survived the Watergate hearings intact.

CNN: Tick, Tock, Tick... ...Talk

Mr Sassou-Nguesso, a friend of President Chirac since 1983, and a member of a leading French freemasonry lodge, maintained his close contact with French officials throughout the fighting.

ECONOMIST: Congo-Brazzaville

The police said they had also found other documents on issues ranging from former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Freemasonry, but these were not considered to be of interest to the inquiry.

BBC: Pope's ex-butler Gabriele 'kept top secret papers'

The documents included original letters initialled by the Pope indicating that he had read them personally, many photocopies, flash sticks and computer disks, and the results of thousands of internet searches on such varied subjects as Freemasonry, espionage, secret agents, yoga and Buddhism.

BBC: Vatican trial: Verdict due for Pope's ex-butler Gabriele