What is a Companion?

A Companion is the title bestowed by Royal Arch Masons upon one another, serving as the equivalent to "Brother" in a Craft Lodge 1. Only discreet and experienced Master Masons who have been duly proposed, balloted for, and exalted in a regularly constituted Chapter may hold the title 3.

Albert C. Mackey notes that the title refers to the companionship in exile and captivity of the ancient Jews from the destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar to its restoration under Zerubbabel 1. In contrast to the term "Brother," which expresses the universal brotherhood of all men, "Companion" signifies a closer tie formed by choice among a few—a bond based on a common pursuit, shared suffering, or mutual happiness 1.

W. L. Wilmshurst interprets this companionship in mystical terms, viewing the Royal Arch as the allegorical return of the exiled soul from the captivity of Babylon to Jerusalem 2. In his reading, the candidate's exaltation represents a reunion with "companions of former toils" and the attainment of a higher order of spiritual consciousness after undergoing long purification and mental discipline 2.