The inclusion of Freemasons makes sense in the context of historical Belgian power structures. In a country where the Catholic church traditionally held extreme political and social power (often represented by Christian and conservative political parties), the Freemasons were the secular counter-weight (often represented by socialist and liberal parties). As a counter to the great (and very Catholic) Belgian universities, masons also founded the Université Libre de Bruxelles. And among the hundreds of churches and cathedrals littering Brussels, don't be surprised to find masonic symbols carefully integrated into the landscape.