December 2019

www.oessh.va@granmagistero.oessh @GM_oessh

Newsletter N° 56

ordinis equestris sancti sepulchri hierosolymitani

jerusalem cross

“It is with complete acceptance andappreciation that I welcome thedecision of Pope Francis to replace me

as Grand Master of the Equestrian Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. I amespecially pleased that His Holiness hasappointed His Eminence Fernando CardinalFiloni as my successor.

I have been privileged well beyond the timeof my letter of resignation,submitted over five yearsago. Throughout my morethan eight years as GrandMaster, my personal faithand love of our Churchhave deepened as I havewitnessed our members’commitment to the goals ofour Order, expressed indifferent cultures andlanguages, all profoundlyCatholic!

I am most grateful to the

two Governors General with whom I haveserved, Their Excellencies, Professor AgostinoBorromeo and Ambassador Leonardo Viscontidi Modrone. Our collaborators in the GrandMagisterium and the daily, dedicated serviceof our office staff largely account for thesteady growth of our Order. Theircommitment to our lieutenancies and to themission of the Latin Patriarchate has been

unwavering.Finally, I welcome His

Eminence, Cardinal Filonias Our Grand Master. Hislong and broad pastoral andadministrative experience inservice to the UniversalChurch will be preciousassets as he leads our Orderinto the future. I offer himmy full and fraternalsupport as I beg thecontinued intercession ofOur Lady of Palestine.”

Welcome to thenew Grand Master of the Order

Cardinal Fernando Filoni succeedsCardinal Edwin O’Brien as leader ofthe Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

By decision of the Holy Father, His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filonihas been appointed Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

starting this December 8 2019, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.We publish below the official communiqué of His Eminence CardinalEdwin O’Brien, Grand Master of the Order since 2012, who concludes

his mandate a few months after reaching the age of 80.

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II N° 56NewsletterJERUSALEM CROSS

of our works at the service of the MotherChurch in Jerusalem.

His nomination is a gift from God and wethank Him for this, and we put his ministryin the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary,Queen of Palestine.

We also pray with gratitude for CardinalEdwin O’Brien, who leaves his post butremains one of us, a Knight of the HolySepulchre, and whom we will always behappy to see again in the life and journey ofour Order.

All together, with Cardinal Filoni, wecontinue our earthly pilgrimage in the faith,united in prayer with Pope Francis.

Leonardo Visconti di Modrone

It is with great joy that we welcome thenew Grand Master appointed by the Pope

on December 8 last. Cardinal FernandoFiloni will guide the members of the Orderto live fully their baptism and to bemissionary disciples in the light of the RisenChrist, in accordance with his episcopalmotto Lumen Gentium Christus (Christ, lightof peoples).

In fact, the Grand Master has a preciousmissionary experience, having been Prefectof the Congregation for the Evangelization ofPeoples, after having served the Church inmany high offices, particularly in Jordan andIraq. He knows the Holy Land well and willbe able to foster ever better the development

Message of the Governor General

To my Venerable BrotherCardinal

Edwin Frederick O’Brien

As I accept your resignation from the office of Grand Master of the Equestrian Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which you have presented in accordance with the

canonical norms, I wish to express to you my heartfelt thanks for the love, competenceand fidelity, with which you offered your collaboration in the solicitude of the Pastor ofthe Universal Church for the Christians of the Holy Land.

I remember your intense service to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem, which began on August 29, 2011 under the pontificate of Benedict XVI, as Pro-Grand Master, and then from March 15, 2012, following your elevation to Cardinal, asGrand Master of the same Order.

May the awareness of your generous and tireless dedication in favour of the Christianpresence in the Holy Land, as well as the collaboration that you, Cardinal, will continue tooffer as a member of the College of Cardinals, be of comfort to you, instilling joy andserenity in your soul, just as mine is filled in the knowledge that I will still benefit fromyour experience.

Therefore, my dear Cardinal, I happily wish you all good and prosperity in Christ Jesus,invoking every desired grace on your ministry.

As I entrust you to the special protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all theSaints, I impart to you from my heart, in the hope of abundant divine rewards and as apledge of my fraternal closeness, my Apostolic Blessing, which I gladly extend to yournear and dear ones.

Pope FrancisFrom the Vatican, 8 December 2019

The Order in Union withthe Universal Church

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

The Order and the Holy Land

The Life of the Lieutenancies

“THE MEMBERS OF THE ORDER ARE LIKEAMBASSADORS OF THE HOLY LAND” IV

THE GRAND MAGISTERIUM AUTUMNMEETING AND THE CELEBRATIONOF OUR LADY OF PALESTINE VII

ORDER’S SPIRITUAL HEADQUARTERS OPENSITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC IX

THE HOLY LAND COMMISSION VISITS JORDAN XI

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF PATRIARCHATESCHOOLS IN JORDAN XII

DEFENDING RIGHTS: LEGAL ASSISTANCEAND ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR THEMOST NEEDY IN EAST JERUSALEM XIII

THE STATUE OF THE FIRST DEACON AND FIRSTMARTYR OF CHRISTIANITY, IN THE ATRIUMOF SAINT STEPHEN’S BASILICA XV

CANADA’S FIRST NATIONALINVESTITURE XVII

SAINT PETER IN GALLICANTU ANDTHE LAST NIGHT OF JESUS XVIII

“EXSULTET” IN POMPEII XX

GRAND MAGISTERIUM OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM00120 Vatican City

E-mail: comunicazione@oessh.va

c o n t e n t sNotice to our readers

The appointment of the new Grand Master of the Order was announced when thisissue of the Newsletter was ready for print. Thus, while we dedicated our openingpages to this news, we would ask you to read the rest of the edition in the contextprior to this event.

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Your Eminence, what does theOrder of the Holy Sepulchrerepresent to you and what is its

place in the universal Church? Giventhat the Pope appoints the GrandMaster, could it be said that this is theonly chivalric order intrinsicallylinked to the Holy See?Since the dawn of Christianity, the Land

where Our Lord was born, lived, died androse again has had a special place inthe hearts of believers and of thevarious ecclesial communities thathave spread outside the Jewish world.Many faithful chose to live the Gospelboth in a solitary form, as hermits, andgathering together, precisely in theplaces that had seen the earthlypresence of Christ, in particular thoselinked to the stages of his public life,beginning with the Holy Sepulchre.The need is also felt to visit them.Thus, pilgrimages began, as adevotional and existential form ofjourney, which saw significant growthduring the Middle Ages. The birth ofthe Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre dates back to that period,with explicit reference to the tomb thatguarded the body of Jesus Christdevoid of life and from where he roseagain. The need was felt to defend itsintegrity and that of those who went tovisit it.

The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre wereamong those engaged in this nobleenterprise. The earliest documentsconcerning them date back to 1336. Fromthe 14th century onwards, the Popes soughtto give them a juridical regulation and theygradually expanded their tasks to devotethemselves to preserving the faith in theHoly Land, supporting charitable works andsocial services of the Church, in particular

“The members of the Orderare like ambassadors

of the Holy Land”Exclusive interview with Holy See

Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin

The Pope’s number one collaborator, Holy SeeSecretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, testifies tothe importance of the mission of the Order of the HolySepulchre for the Universal Church.

The Order in Union with the Universal Church

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those promoted by the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem.

The Order has always benefited from theprotection of the Supreme Pontiffs. We couldcite some passages, for example in 1496Alexander VI decided that he would be thesupreme Moderator, delegating to theFranciscans – who had been entrusted withthe care of the Holy Sepulchre by ClementVI in 1342 – the power to confer theknighthood to nobles and gentlemen on apilgrimage to the Holy Land. Leo X renewedthe confirmation of this privilege to theFranciscans in 1516, Benedict XIV furtherrenewed it in 1746, and finally, in 1847 PiusIX, who reconstituted the Order, did so too.In 1888, Leo XIII also granted the possibilityto nominate Dames. In 1907, Pius X decidedthat the title of Grand Master of the Orderwould belong to the Pope himself. In 1932,Pius XI approved the new Constitution andgranted that Knights and Dames could toreceive their Investiture beyond Jerusalem.In 1940, Pius XII appointed a CardinalProtector of the Order. After the SecondVatican Ecumenical Council, Saint Paul VI in1977 proceeded to approve the newConstitution. Saint John Paul II granted theOrder, legal personality under Vatican CityState. The current Grand Master is theCardinal Edwin Frederick O’Brien.

The Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre is, together with the SovereignMilitary Order of Malta, one of the twochivalric orders recognized by the Holy See.

In the first, the Pope appoints the GrandMaster, while in the second he is confirmed.

There are 30,000 Knights and Damesworldwide who are very active withintheir local Churches and stronglyunited with the bishops of theterritory, who often act as GrandPriors of the Order’s Lieutenancies.Would you say that the mission of themembers of the Order consists inbeing ambassadors of the Holy Landin their respective dioceses?It could be said in all truth that the

members of the Equestrian Order of theHoly Sepulchre, both the Knights and theDames, are like “ambassadors” of the HolyLand. In fact, in addition to living their ownChristian faith and manifesting adherence tothe Catholic Church in the environments inwhich they live and work – in which senseall the baptized are called to be“ambassadors of Christ” (see 2 Cor 5:20) –they promote initiatives in favour of theHoly Places in the parishes and in thedioceses they belong to. Moreover, throughtheir presence they also raise awarenessamong the faithful to meet the needs of theChristians who live in the Holy Land, oftenin difficult, if not dramatic, conditions.Today, the most pressing task is to create thepolitical and socio-economic conditions thatfavour the permanence of Christians in theHoly Land, because it is in the interest ofthe whole Church that the Land of Jesus

Every yearCardinal Parolinhonours thereceptionorganized at theGrandMagisterium inRome, for the feastof the BlessedVirgin Mary,Queen ofPalestine,patroness of theOrder.

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does not become a museum ofarchaeological finds and precious stones, butcontinue to be a Church built with “livingstones” (1 Pt 2:5), Christians who for twothousand years have continued theuninterrupted tradition of the presence ofChrist’s disciples. Therefore, members of theEquestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre areasked not only to promote the collection offunds for the ecclesial realities present in theHoly Land, but also to pray and work so thatpeace prevails over divisions and violence.

The Holy Land has been experiencingan exceptional increase in pilgrimagesfor some years. What is your analysisof this phenomenon concerning theMother Church of Jerusalem?Furthermore, could you perhaps sharea personal spiritual moment youexperienced at the Holy Sepulchre?Pilgrimages are an important way to

support the Christian presence in the HolyLand. It is also through these journeys offaith that Christians can help their brothersand sisters who live there. This allows theChristians of the Holy Land to work andsupport their families. Without thiscontribution of solidarity, the Holy Landwould be poorer not only from the economicpoint of view, but above all from the humanpoint of view. In fact, pilgrimages allow anexchange of cultures, languages, traditions,etc. which open to knowledge and mutual

respect, promoting a societyfounded on the values ofuniversal justice andfraternity. If, on the one hand,the pilgrims transmitresources to the inhabitants ofthose lands, on the other theyreceive much more than theycan ever give in return. Infact, the pilgrim has anexperience of faith in theplaces of salvation history thathave seen the passage of Jesuson this earth. A journey into

memory and, at the same time, arediscovery of the Gospel that is embodiedin all time and at all latitudes.

Personally speaking, my visits to the HolyLand, beginning with my first visit in 1980immediately after my ordination, have beenunforgettable human and spiritualexperiences. I am still greatly moved by thememory of one night in 2009, when on theeve of the apostolic journey of Pope BenedictXVI I was able to pray at length in thecompletely empty Basilica of the Agony inGethsemane, until quite late. I alsoremember the Holy Mass celebrated in theaedicule of the Holy Sepulchre the followingmorning, at dawn. These were very intensemoments, as were those with Pope Francisin 2014, which left an indelible mark on myheart and which I remember with a sense ofnostalgia. The pilgrimages to the Holy Landhave been a privileged way for me to know,love and follow the Lord Jesus more.Sometimes with a thrill of fear in theawareness that I am treading on the sameland that he has walked. However, alwayswith immense gratitude, knowing that allthat he did, he did for me and for all mybrothers and sisters in humanity, he did itfor our love and for our salvation. I hopethat everyone who is a pilgrim in the HolyLand can experience the same sentimentsand return strengthened in faith andChristian witness.

Interview by François Vayne

Pilgrimages to the Holy Land are essential for deepening the faith,as the members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre testify withperseverance and enthusiasm.

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The Grand Magisterium autumnmeeting and the celebration

of Our Lady of Palestine

Our Lady of Palestine – Patroness ofthe Order of the Holy Sepulchre,celebrated on October 25 throughout

the Church since 1994 – was honoured inRome at a reception organized at Palazzodella Rovere, during the autumn meeting ofthe Grand Magisterium. On WednesdayOctober 23, around 300 guests – includingvarious cardinals, led by Holy See Secretaryof State Cardinal Pietro Parolin – gatheredaround Cardinal Edwin O’Brien and thehighest officers of the Order.

The Grand Master of the Order of Malta,numerous ecclesiastics, ambassadors,representatives of civil society andjournalists were able to express their

friendship to the Order of the HolySepulchre, and support for the cause of theHoly Land.

From the vigil until the morning itself, themembers of the Grand Magisterium hadworked on various current issues, under thepresidency of Cardinal O’Brien and in thepresence of Abp. Pierbattista Pizzaballa(Apostolic Administrator of the LatinPatriarchate of Jerusalem), Abp. TommasoCaputo (Assessor of the Order), as well asthe four continental Vice Governors.

After having welcomed the new membersLeopoldo Torlonia and DominiqueNeckebroeck, the Governor GeneralLeonardo Visconti di Modrone described the

At the Grand Magisterium’s autumn meeting the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem, Msgr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, outlined the situation in his vast diocese to the Order’s mainauthorities in charge of coordinating aid sent to the Mother Church in the Holy Land.

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

activities of the Grand Magisterium. Heunderlined the efforts made by the Order toexpand in Latin America, thanks to the jointefforts undertaken with the Vice Governorfor this subcontinent, Enric Mas and hementioned the successful conduct ofmeetings between the Lieutenancies inRome, Houston, Montreal and Brisbane. Healso observed that Asia and Oceania haveconsiderable growth potential; indeed, theGrand Master will visit them next January.The Governor General also spoke about therestoration work underway at Palazzo dellaRovere, with the aim of leasing part of thebuilding to a new hotel managementcompany.

Archbishop Pizzaballa subsequentlypresented the situation in the Holy Land,where improvements are slow in thepolitical and economic sectors. Heunderscored the precariousness of 80,000Catholics in Israel, among whom numerousmigrants without protection, who risk beingexpelled. The Apostolic Administrator alsooutlined the new financial organization ofthe Patriarchate, with very strict rules ofconduct to ensure greater transparency.Sami El-Yousef, CEO of the Patriarchate,then intervened, explaining in detail howthese financial control systems operate,especially in the management of the forty or

so Patriarchate schools that have a largedeficit, as well as the role of the newfinance council created in July 2018.

Staying with finances, the treasurerSaverio Petrillo – president of the FinancialCommission of the Grand Magisterium –presented the Order’s budget, withrevenues that currently reach 9 millioneuros, but expressing appreciation for the13 million euros foreseen by donationspromised from the Lieutenancies by theyear’s end. The small projects are of greatinterest to the Lieutenancies and areproving to be of great success, such as oneof last year’s social projects, which focusedon finding employment for around fortyyoung unemployed people in Gaza.However, the Governor General insistedthat the monthly institutional expenses(about 600,000 euros sent monthly to thePatriarchate) should not be neglected and,in this regard, he intends to write to theLieutenants.

The resulting debate highlighted the needto better communicate the regular needs ofthe Patriarchate to the Lieutenancies,among the Grand Priors and through thediocesan network of parishes, as highlightedin particular by the Vice Governor forEurope, Jean-Pierre de Glutz.

On the second day of the meeting, Bart

The Grand Masterof the Order ofMalta (picturedright) was next tothe Grand Masterof the Order of theHoly Sepulchreduring thereceptionorganized at thePalazzo dellaRovere, on thefeast of Our Ladyof Palestine.

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On October 12 and 13, as part of theFAI Autumn Days, almost 2000visitors were able to enter and

discover the beauties of the Church ofSant’Onofrio al Gianicolo and the Tassomuseum, located in the adjacent rooms thatform a whole with the church and thecloister and which are entrusted to theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre. For the Order,it was an opportunity to continue ourcollaboration with the Italian Heritage Fund(FAI, Fondo Ambiente Italiano) following onfrom the Spring Days 2019 in which theheadquarters of the Grand Magisterium of

Order’s Spiritual Headquartersopens its doors to the public

Discovering the beauties ofSant’Onofrio convent during theAutumn days of Italian Heritage

Fund (FAI)

Situated on the Gianiculum hill, the convent ofSant’Onofrio (named after the famous hermitand anchorite Onophrius) was statutorily thespiritual seat of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.It houses the tomb of Cardinal Nicola Canali,Grand Master appointed by Pope Pius XII.

McGettrick – president of the Holy LandCommission – spoke of the Commissionmembers visit to Jordan, in particular toJubeiha, where the parish church should beinaugurated next April, and to Hashimi,

where a kindergarten currentlywelcomes 300 children. He insistedon the question of the teachers’salaries that should be increased,as well as on the education of thechildren of Iraqi and Syrianrefugees. Thirty small projectsaimed at supporting those in needwill reach the total sum of 900,000euros in 2020, specifiedMcGettrick.

Before the end of the meeting,Chancellor Bastianelli mentionedthe increase in admissions andpromotions, after which Abp.Caputo reassured those presentabout the development of the

Order’s new Constitution, on which he isworking together with a group of experts inthe Order. The next meeting of the GrandMagisterium will be held on April 21 and22, 2020. François Vayne

Numerous diplomats who follow the work of the Order of theHoly Sepulchre in favour of peace in the Middle East werepresent among authorities welcomed by Cardinal O’Brien forthe feast of Our Lady of Palestine, such as Her ExcellencyAmbassador of Iraq to the Holy See, Ms. Amal MussaHussain Al-Rubaye.

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Chateaubriand between 1828 and 1829when he was ambassador to Rome.

The architectural complex of St. Onofriois a place where history, culture and faithhave been handed down through thecenturies to the present day. Its constructiondates back to the beginning of the fifteenthcentury and, at the time, it was a hermitagededicated to Saint Onuphrius, an anchoriteliving in Egypt in the 4th century. Thebuilding of the church proper began in 1439and ended in the 16th century. The sacredbuilding was entrusted to the Jerolomitesuntil 1933, the year in which Pope Pius XIdissolved the congregation. Currently theFranciscan friars of the Atonement areentrusted with the spiritual care of thechurch.

The structure is situated in a panoramicposition, on the Gianiculum promenadewhere Michelangelo’s dome of Saint Peter’sdominates the surrounding landscape, andthe blast of the cannon at midday creates anevocative atmosphere. Steps lead to a gate,which bears the Order’s coat of arms andopens onto a beautiful flower garden and achurchyard beyond. Already on the outside,we find paintings of fine workmanshipattributed to Domenichino and SebastianoStrada.

The interior, in Renaissance style, whichis still influenced by Gothic, is a rectangularhall with cross vaults, a polygonal apse andfive side chapels. These are dedicated to St.Onuphrius, to Our Lady of Loreto, to theCrucifix, to St. Pius X and to St. Jerome. Inthe first is the funeral monument toTorquato Tasso. The apse paintingsattributed to Peruzzi and Pinturicchio are ofgreat beauty as well as those of the sacristy.From the porch, you enter the fifteenthcentury cloister, a haven of absolutetranquility and peace. The atrium, instead,leads you to the Tasso museum.

This artistic splendor becomes a source ofenrichment and growth for the members ofthe Order and for the visitors that we havebeen happy to welcome over these two days.

the Order, Palazzo della Rovere, was openedto the public.

The granting of these spaces to the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is linkedto some of the most important internalinstitutional changes that took place. In fact,with motu proprio of August 15, 1948, PiusXII established that the headquarters of theOrder be transferred from Jerusalem toRome to the aforementioned Church, andthat the Grand Master would, from thatmoment on, be a cardinal appointed by thePope.

The church houses the vibrant testimonyof Torquato Tasso, author of JerusalemDelivered, which narrates the deeds of thecrusaders who fought to reconquer the HolySepulchre. After wandering through Italy,the poet asked for and received hospitalityin the convent of St. Onofrio where he livedthe last months of his life and where he diedon 25 April 1595. Thus, there is a perfectharmony between the convent’s literaryheritage, preserved within a small museum,which houses some of Tasso’s manuscripts,and its bonds with the Holy Sepulchre.Various famous people over the centurieshave visited this place: Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe in 1787, Giacomo Leopardi between1822 and 1823 and François-René de

During the autumn days of FAI (Fondo AmbienteItaliano), many visitors discovered the activitiesof the Order, echoing the initiative last springwhen the doors of Palazzo della Rovere wereopened to the public.

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During its latest on-site visit, the HolyLand Commission of the GrandMagisterium, focused on gaining

first-hand knowledge of the projects andmeeting the people involved in variousactivities supported by the Order in Jordan.The visit of President Bart McGettrick,members Detlef Brümmer from Germanyand Cynthia Monahan from the UnitedStates, as well as former president andcurrent consultant of the Holy LandCommission, Tom McKiernan, took placefrom September 8 to 15, 2019.

Accompanied by Sami El-Yousef, the LatinPatriarchate chief executive officer and bythe deacon Jubran Salameh, the Commissionbegan its visit at the Church of St. Paul theApostle in Jubeiha which was one of themajor projects supported by the Order over

the past few years and which is about to becompleted: Jubeiha has seen its Christianpopulation grow and the need to have achurch that could accommodate all thefaithful has long been an important request.The projected date for the inauguration ofthe completed church – which will be ableto accommodate 2,700 faithful – is in thefirst few months of 2020. Another stop wasthat of the church of Marj Alhamam, whichwas also financed by the Order. “TheCommission is satisfied with the quality ofthese facilities and the good use made ofthem,” commented Bart McGettrick.

Following this, the delegation went to OurLady of Peace Centre. This structure usuallycares for children with disabilities but sincethe arrival of many Iraqi refugees in Jordan,it has also taken on the responsibility of

The Holy Land Commissionvisits Jordan

Education isthe key to thefuture of theChristians ofthe Holy Landand the Orderinvests heavilyin thisfundamentalsector.

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The Order and the Holy Land

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offering support to some of them. The issueof refugees – which shows no sign ofdiminishing in importance – has been thesubject of particular attention by theCommission. With regards to Syrianrefugees, “about 25% of school-age childrenhave no access to education and this cannotbe considered ‘normal’,” commented theCommission in its report of the visit.

The next day the group continued ontoHashimi where another significant projectwas recently completed: a new kindergartenbuilt with the Order’s contributions andinaugurated in March 2019. The daycontinued with a visit to Msgr. WilliamShomali, patriarchal vicar in Jordan andwith a meeting with school principals fromthe Amman district. The following days

150th anniversary of Patriarchateschools in Jordan

Also in Jordan, on October 5,celebrations were held to

mark 150 years since the openingof the first Latin PatriarchateSchool in Jordan at our Lady ofPeace Center. Jordanian DeputyPrime Minister Raja’i Mu’asher,the Patriarchal Vicar for JordanMons. William Shomali, theApostolic Nuncio in Jordan,Mons. Alberto Ortega Martín andvarious other authorities werepresent at the ceremony duringwhich the steps taken so far against illiteracy and for the dissemination of Christianeducational values to all citizens were outlined. To date, the Patriarchate has 25 schoolsand 18 kindergartens in the Hashemite kingdom “in the service of humanity” with 11,000Christian and Muslim students noted Father Wissam Mansour, Director General ofPatriarchate Schools in Jordan. The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which pays particularattention to the education of young people, is proud to be able to support these structureson a monthly basis, thus allowing Jordanian young people to pursue their education in anenvironment that prepares them to be competent men and women and at the service ofdialogue in society.

The members of the Holy Land Commissionjoined the heartfelt prayer of the Rosary at theparish of Mary of Nazareth in Sweifieh (Amman).

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It’s hard not to fall in love with Jerusalemand the Knights and Dames of the HolySepulchre know this well.

But what is less obvious is the discoveryof the hidden economic, social and politicalcomplexities and sufferings that the poorestChristian families experience in EastJerusalem. Municipal taxes are particularlyhigh, as is the unemployment rate, not tomention the difficulty for Palestinians livingin East Jerusalem to obtain familyreunification permits for their Palestinianspouse if resident in another area. Becauseof “The Separation Wall” many Palestinianfamilies are trying to move to Jerusalem toavoid losing the Israeli identity card thatrequires a regular presence in Jerusalem. Forthe spouse without an Israeli identity card,

the fee owed to the Ministry of Health for atemporary document is very high.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, thanksto the gifts of the Lieutenancy for Germanyand USA Western, supports the activity ofthe Society of St. Yves, a Catholicorganization for human rights that operatesunder the patronage of the LatinPatriarchate of Jerusalem. Founded in 1991by the then Patriarch Michel Sabbah, it aimsto help the poor and the oppressed in linewith the social doctrine of the Church byoffering free legal assistance to those whoneed it and by advocating to make theirsituation known to the internationalcommunity.

Helping Christians stay in the Holy Landalso means helping them in this way.

were also dedicated to meetings with thePatriarchate school principals from otherareas of the country. “The principals aregrateful for the help received from theOrder,” said the Commission President, whoalso expressed concern at the Jordanian stateschoolteachers’ demands for a wage increaseof 50%. This will clearly have an impact onteachers in the Patriarchate schools whichwould not wish to offer a lower salary thanthe one guaranteed by the state, on pain oflosing competent and qualified staff.

The delegation also met Msgr. Mauro Lalliof the Apostolic Nunciature of Amman andthe director of Caritas Jordan, Wael

Suleiman.There were various meetings with local

communities. For example, one evening theHoly Land Commission had the opportunityto pray the rosary with a large group offaithful (2000 people!) gathered at theChurch of Mary of Nazareth in Sweifieh,and on another occasion to attend Mass inthe parish of Tla el-Ali followed by aprocession to celebrate the feast of theExaltation of the Cross along with 1200people. “The parishes we visited vibrant andactive. The engagement of youth was aparticularly pleasant aspect of our visits,”concluded Bart McGettrick.

Defending rights: legal assistanceand economic support for

the most needy in East JerusalemThe only Catholic NGO to provide legal assistance to Palestinian

citizens in the Holy Land, the St.Yves Society (from the name of thesaint) protector of those working in the legal sector) works to defend

their rights with the support of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

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The German Lieutenancy, in collaborationwith the Society of S. Yves and CaritasJerusalem, has offered support over the pastfew months to over 50 families in difficulty.Some of them had been warned that becauseof the accumulated debts for the payment ofmunicipal taxes or health insurance theyrisked being imprisoned. Part of their debtshave been covered allowing them to avoidprison. Among those who received help, is a63-year-old widow whose son has substanceabuse problems. Her pension does not coverall the expenses and she had accumulateda debt she was unable to repay.

Many Christian families tryto send their children toprivate Christian schoolsand if this, on the onehand, allows children togrow in faith, on theother it imposesadditional costs on thesefamilies who already facea problematic situation.This is the case of M., a 59-year-old man with fourchildren, employed at a hotel and

married to a woman with a Palestinianidentity card. Since there are no Patriarchateschools in Jerusalem, this is the only way inwhich Christian families can accessChristian education and thus give dailysupport to the Christian upbringing of theirchildren.

A new law has recently passed whichrequires the payment of 285 shekels permonth for the health insurance of everyreunited Palestinian who has lived inJerusalem for more than 27 months. This

figure must also be paid retroactively andthis has caused many problems for

many families, such as that ofM., who received help

through this project.“A Middle East without

Christians would not bethe Middle East” as PopeFrancis has often saidand to ensure thatChristians living in these

lands for centuries cancontinue to reside there, it is

important to offer them theconditions to do so.

The Order of theHoly Sepulchreis very close tothe localcommunities inthe Holy Land,favouring helpfor those most inneed.

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Here, I would like to express gratitudeto the Order for the support it hasoffered over the years to the famous

École biblique of Jerusalem. My short storywill have a personal flavour. I was honouredto be appointed director of the École Bibliqueet Archéologique Française in 1999 and re-elected on two occasions until 2008. Untilthen, I had taught at the Swiss Faculty ofTheology at the University of Fribourg. Oneevening, in Jerusalem, I was walking andpraying in the atrium of St. Stephen’sBasilica, built in 1900 on the remains of theByzantine church of the fifth century. At thecentre of the atrium made of beaten earth,covered by some venerable Byzantine-erastones, an empty column rose. In fact, themartyr was not only stoned in the firstcentury, but his statue was also bombedduring the 1947 unrest. Five years later, thefriars decided to bury the statue of thebeheaded saint in the garden. I felt a deepdesire to restore it to its place of honour in

The statue of the first deacon andfirst martyr of Christianity, in the

atrium of Saint Stephen’s BasilicaFather Jean-Michel Poffet –

Dominican, Knight Commanderof the Order of the Holy

Sepulchre – was the director ofthe École Biblique et

Archéologique Française forseveral years. In this article he

wanted to tell how the Orderhelped him to finance the statueof the deacon St. Stephen, whichrises in the heart of the building,

in the area where tradition hasidentified the place of hismartyrdom, north of the

Damascus gate, in Jerusalem.

The statue of the deacon Saint Stephen, erectedin Jerusalem thanks to the Order, remindseveryone that above all the Church is a servantand poor.

front of the basilica. However, I had neithermoney nor a sculptor at my disposal, butProvidence was about to come to our rescue.

One of my confreres spoke to the Sistersof Bethlehem, asking them to pray for thisproject. They advised him one of their friars,the sculptor Johann. The conversation took

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place near the place where in the 5th

century the relics of Saint Stephen left to beburied in the basilica in Jerusalem. It isdifficult not to see a sign in this. However,we still needed to find funds. One day Iconfided the project to Msgr. Michel Sabbah,then Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to whom Iwas particularly attached. When he came topreside over Mass for the feast of SaintStephen, he gave me an envelope containinga generous check. I insistently asked him forthe name of the benefactor: he was theGrand Master of the Order of the HolySepulchre, the late Cardinal Carlo Furno.Without delay, I made an appointment inRome to express the gratitude of theDominicans of Jerusalem. He received mewith great kindness, offering me theopportunity to talk about the École biblique,the library, the precariousness of ourresources. For my part, I discovered theOrder and its support for the Christians ofthe Holy Land.

Other donations finally allowed the statueto be erected and placed in front of thebasilica on November 14, 2005, on the eveof the conference we had organized inhonour of Father Lagrange. The sculpture

was blessed by the Latin Patriarch in thepresence of the Consul General of Franceand many friends, on Saint Stephen’s Day,December 26, 2005. Since then, the Ordercontinues to support the École. In recentyears, this support has taken the form of asalary for a Palestinian employee at thelibrary, the jewel of the École, with itsapproximately 160,000 works of exegesiswith direct access for students andresearchers. Furthermore, the Lieutenancyfor France financed some maintenance workon the atrium and the basilica. Moreover,the current director – Father Jean-JacquesPérennès – writes to me that he regularlyreceives groups of Knights and Dames of theHoly Sepulchre, an opportunity for us toexpress our gratitude to them and for themto discover a unique work in the Holy Landthat could not exist without the help of otherChristians, especially those of the Order.

As for your servant, I received the honourof the Investiture on October 3, 2007 at thePatriarchate of Jerusalem, by Bishop MichelSabbah. My belonging to the Order keepsme in communion of thought, prayer andaction with and for the Christians of theHoly Land.

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The idea of this meeting was born afew years ago, on the initiative of thethen Vice Governor General of North

America – the current Vice GovernorGeneral of Honor Patrick Powers – and ofthe Canadian Lieutenants. It was an absolutechallenge for the scope of such an event andit was the first mission I had to carry out asa new Lieutenant for Canada-Montreal,nominated in September 2018.

In addition to the Vice Governor Generalof North America, six out of nine UnitedStates Lieutenants participated in this

Canada’s first nationalInvestiture

From September 27 to 29, 2019, a unique and unprecedentedevent in the history of the Order took place in Montreal. For the

first time, the five Lieutenancies of the country – Canada-Montreal, Canada-Quebec, Canada-Toronto, Canada-Vancouver

and Canada-Halifax – all joined for a Canadian nationalInvestiture of their new members.

The gathering of all the Canadian Lieutenancies in Montreal has already entered the annals of the historyof the Order in North America.

historic Investiture held in Montreal.History shows that the first diocese of

North America was created in the city ofQuébec (founded in 1608 by the Frenchexplorer Samuel de Champlain), in NewFrance. In 1658, Saint François deMontmorency Laval was its first ApostolicVicar. American and Canadian Catholicsrecognize that their Catholic origin actuallydates back to New France.

The Vigil of Arms took place in theafternoon, in the crypt of the Saint-JosephOratory, next to the tomb of our beloved

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The Life of the Lieutenancies

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“Frère André” (Saint André Bessette). It waspresided by Msgr. Christian Lépine, GrandPrior of the Canada-Montreal Lieutenancy,assisted by His Eminence Cardinal ThomasChristopher Collins, Grand Prior of theCanada-Toronto Lieutenancy.

On Sunday September 28, the Investitureceremony took place in the CathedralBasilica of Marie-Reine-du-Monde-et-Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur, under the guidance of theGrand Master, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien.During the grand celebration, a bishop andfour priests received the Investiture, alongwith fifteen Knights and sixteen Dames. TheCanadian Lieutenancies now have thirty-sixnew members, of which we can be proud.

After the Investiture, at the gala dinnerthat brought together 220 guests, we had theprivilege of listening to our Grand Prior,who congratulated the CanadianLieutenancies for such success. He said hewas very happy to have been able to attenda unique event in the history of the Order in

Canada and thanked all the participants forthe welcome, reiterating his congratulationsto the new members.

During my solemn closing address, Istressed that the arrival of new membersamong us is important, as it contributes toresponding to the challenge that awaits theOrder in the years to come.

In retrospect, we are pleased to note thatthe presence in Montreal of numerousmembers of the United States and Canada atthis historical moment shows that the Orderis more alive than ever in North America.All Lieutenancies are joined together underthe guidance of Grand Master CardinalO’Brien, the Grand Magisterium, and ViceGovernor General Tom Pogge. This showsthat a bright future awaits our Order: it is agreat source of hope for continuing tosupport our Christian brothers and sisters inthe Holy Land.

Luc HarveyLieutenant for Canada-Montreal

Saint Peter in Gallicantuand the last night of Jesus

There are spiritual places that speak tous in a particular way and thatbecome places of the heart in our

journey of faith.The church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu is

a Roman Catholic Church located on theeastern slope of Mount Zion, just outside theOld (walled) City of Jerusalem. The word“Gallicantu” comes from the Latin andevokes the place where “the rooster sang”,as narrated by the Gospel story of theevening of the arrest and condemnation ofJesus: “The Lord turned and looked straightat Peter. Then Peter remembered the wordthe Lord had spoken to him: “Before therooster crows today, you will disown methree times.” And he went outside and weptbitterly “(Lk 22: 61-62). This was the site of

the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas.The current church that dates back to the

early decades of the 20th century is built onthe foundations of the ancient Byzantine andCrusader churches. Probably the mostrevered square meters of this sacred placeare those of the cave which tradition hasidentified as the place where Jesus was sentdown to wait until he appeared before theSanhedrin to be condemned. The membersof the Order who talk about theirpilgrimage, when they talk about this “pit”cannot fail to do so without a certainemotion. Guillaume Angier de Lohéac is ayoung Knight of the Lieutenancy for Francewho discovered this place more than 10years ago when he came to Jerusalem for aninternship at the Assumptionist house, the

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no need for greatexplanations. Everyoneunderstood the importanceof the place we were in”.

Outside the church, werecalled the episode ofPeter’s denial and theexchange of glancesbetween the apostle and theMaster. “Peter who deniesJesus three times in thecourtyard brought tears tomy eyes while I was in theplace where this event tookplace – confirms JoanBridges of the USANorthern Lieutenancy – fortwo reasons: the first is thepain that this must have

caused our Lord while he was looking atPeter when the rooster sang after the thirddenial and the second is the pain that Petermust have felt for having denied Jesus inthat moment of great suffering”.

However, there is also another historicalplace that touches the heart of the pilgrim:the path that Jesus certainly travelled fromGethsemane to the house of Caiaphas. Sauland Christy Eiva of the USA NortheasternLieutenancy say: “Outside the church ofSaint Peter in Gallicantu we heard the storyof Jesus’ agony from the Gospel according toLuke. From where we were, we saw on theother side the Cedron Valley, the Mount ofOlives and the Garden of Gethsemane. Thenwe realized how Jesus could see the soldiersgathering with their torches and weaponsoutside the palace of Caiaphas where wewere. Jesus would have had about 45minutes to turn around and escape to theother side of the mountain. But he chose tostay, suffer and die for us ... The steps of theancient Roman road that crosses the valleyare still here and Jesus must have climbedthem to go to the palace. How incredible isGod’s love for us and how touching it was tolisten to the events of that night.”

Elena Dini

The basilica of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, erected in the place whereJesus was interrogated by the High Priest Caiaphas and the leadersof the synagogue, is one of the most significant places of pilgrimagein Jerusalem.

religious community that runs the sanctuary.“This holy place is edifying. The more time Ispent here, the more I realize the depth ofthe mystery of our salvation. Here weremember not only Peter’s denial andChrist’s forgiveness but also the denial ofthe Son of God by the Sanhedrin and hisdescent into the pit. The prison under thecrypt of the church is a moving place wherepilgrims pray Psalm 88: ‘You have put me inthe lowest pit; [...] I am confined and cannotescape.’ (Ps 88:7.9)“

Maria José Fernández Martín is DameCommander of the Order. This summer sheaccompanied a group of young people on apilgrimage and volunteer experienceorganized by the Lieutenancy for WesternSpain. She speaks of the moment of prayerthat they experienced in the place of Christ’simprisonment: “As we descended the stairs,the silence grew. The young people drewcloser together as if the strength of the placeasked them to. I approached the pulpit andread Psalm 22: ‘My God, my God, why haveyou forsaken me? Why are you so far fromsaving me, so far from my cries of anguish?My God, I cry out by day, but you do notanswer, by night, but I find no rest.’ (Ps 21:2-3). Silence enveloped the cave. There was

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“exsultet” in pompeii

Save the date!

The Grand Master wishes the Order’s Lieutenancies to organizethemselves to send delegates to the International Eucharistic

Congress in Budapest, Hungary, which will be held fromSeptember 13 to 20, 2020. The event is coordinated by acommission appointed by Cardinal Peter Erdö, archbishop ofBudapest and Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy for Hungary.Information for registration is available on the websiteiec2020.hu

The ExsultetOratory composed

for the Consulta2018 continues tobring the message

of the Orderthrough music. OnOctober 18 last itwas staged at theMarian shrine ofPompeii, at the

invitation ofArchbishop

Tommaso Caputo,archbishop prelate,pontifical delegate

to Pompeii andAssessor of the

Order.

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For more information, please contact Marcello Bronzetti: marcello.bronzetti@icloud.com