N° 42 APRIL 2016

The Holy See supports the Bishops of theHoly Land Coordination composed ofCatholic Bishops conferences and

members of large organizations such as ourOrder, whose mission can be summarized bythe “four P’s”:

– an ongoing Presence of Christians in theHoly Land;

– Pilgrimage to encourage Christians underthreat there;

– Prayer for the Lord’s protection and OurLady of Palestine’s intercession;

– Pleading with governments to recognizethe right of Christians in the Holy Land.

A good summary of our Catholic Church’scommitment to Christianity’s fragile futurethere. But so few world leaders seem to belistening. Among all world leaders, PopeFrancis most often takes up the cause of allinhabitants of that Land through frequentreferences in his audiences and addresses, hishistoric visit there in May 2014 and the follow-up bringing together the Presidents of Israeland Palestine in the Vatican for the cause ofjustice in the Land.

By far, the most consistent, meaningfulsupport and promotion of religious freedomand peace in the Holy Land is evidenced by theeducational and charitable commitment of ourOrder of the Holy Sepulchre and similarCatholic missions.

The recent words of the first female Catholicmayor of embattled Bethlehem might serve as

worthy and valuable reminders to all themembers of our Order of our robust promotionin the “Four P’s”:

“I know that members of the Order arehighly connected to the Holy Land. I see themfrequently in Bethlehem and I fully appreciateall that you do. Keeping hope and helpingpeople to remain here is something crucial andthis is what you are doing.”

May we continue to give evidence of ourpresence in Bethlehem and the rest of thoselands under such severe stress, assuring ourfellow Christians there of our full solidarity intheir efforts to keep our Faith alive in the Landwhere it began.

Cardinal Edwin O’Brien

REFLECTIONS OFTHE GRAND MASTER

info.oessh.va

Cardinal O’Brien together with the Holy Father onDivine Mercy Sunday, April 3, St. Peter’s Square.

OS

SE

RV

ATO

RE

RO

MA

NO

II N° 42 - APRIL 2016

On February 11, 2016, the liturgicalFeast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the24th World Day of the Sick was

solemnly celebrated in the Holy Land, at theBasilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski, President of thePontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care,was Pope Francis’ envoy for this spiritualevent which, since 1993, has taken place atdifferent Marian shrines around the world.The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Msgr.

Fouad Twal, and his auxiliary bishop andvicar for Israel, Msgr. Giacinto-BoulosMarcuzzo, concelebrated the Mass in thepresence of many sick people who were ableto receive the sacrament of the Anointing ofthe Sick.

The papal delegation visited hospitals,nursing homes, and centers for people withdisabilities. “Every hospital and nursinghome can be a visible sign and setting inwhich to promote the culture of

The Order in Union with the Universal Church

World Day of the Sick heldin the Holy Land this year

�

The Order in Union withthe Universal Church

The Order in Union with

WORLD DAY OF THE SICK HELD IN THE HOLYLAND THIS YEAR II

THE POPE AT COR UNUM’S INTERNATIONALCONGRESS: “TO LIVE THE WORKS OF MERCYMEANS TO CONJUGATE THE VERB “TO LOVE”ACCORDING TO JESUS” IV

WORKS OF “LIVING MERCY” FOR THE HOLY YEAR VPOPE FRANCIS VISITS ROME’S SYNAGOGUE VBETHLEHEM AND LOURDES: A SOLIDARITY

BASED ON JUSTICE THAT NO WALL CANPREVENT VII

THE HOLY LAND COORDINATION DENOUNCESSELFISHNESS THAT CLOSES DOORS VIII

THE SPRING MEETING OF THE GRANDMAGISTERIUM IX

JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRETO SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF POMPEII XII

CROSSING THE HOLY DOOR WITH CARDINALO’BRIEN XII

MANY MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR CARDINALO’BRIEN OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS XIV

«A MUSLIM LEAVING OUR SCHOOLS WILL NEVERBECOME A FUNDAMENTALIST» XV

CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN ROME XVI

THE NECESSITY OF REKINDLING HOPE:THE CHURCH’S SUPPORT FOR REFUGEESIN JORDAN XVII

PILGRIMS OF MERCY IN THE HOLY LAND XVIIIOPENING OF THE VIA DOLOROSA SECTION

AT THE TERRA SANCTA MUSEUM XVIII

CONCRETE SOLIDARITY XIXTHE GIFT OF THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY

LAND XIX

The Order and the Holy Land

The Life of the Lieutenancies

cc oo nn tt ee nn tt ss

IMPRESSUM GRAND MAGISTERIUM OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM00120 VATICAN CITY – E-mail: comunicazione@oessh.va

encounter and peace, where theexperience of illness and suffering,along with professional and fraternalassistance, helps to overcome everylimitation and division”, Pope Francissaid in his important message published onthe occasion of this World Day of the Sick,eager that it might help to carry out thewish expressed in the Bull of Indiction ofthe Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy(Misericordiae Vultus, April 11, 2015): “Itrust that this Jubilee year celebrating themercy of God will foster an encounter withthese religions [Judaism and Islam] andwith other noble religious traditions; may itopen us to even more fervent dialogue sothat we might know and understand oneanother better; may it eliminate every formof closed-mindedness and disrespect, anddrive out every form of violence anddiscrimination” (Misericordiae Vultus, 23).

In the message, the Holy Father proposedmeditating on the Gospel story of thewedding feast at Cana (Jn 2:1-11) whereJesus performed his first miracle followinghis mother’s intervention. The theme of thisWorld Day fit perfectly within the contextof the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy:“Entrusting oneself to the Merciful Jesuslike Mary: ‘Do whatever he tells you’ (Jn2:5).” Nazareth is the place where the Wordbecame flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14).Nazareth is also the place where Jesusbegan his saving mission, attributing to thewords of the prophet Isaiah, as theEvangelist Luke reminds us: “The Spirit ofthe Lord is upon me, because he hasanointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim release to thecaptives and recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim theyear of the Lord’s favor” (4:18-19).

III N° 42 - APRIL 2016

A delegation from the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers took part this year in celebrations for theXXIV World Day for the Sick in the Holy Land. The event, which took place in Nazareth on February 11,also gave rise to a pilgrimage from April February 6 to 13, during which the delegation visited the Mountof the Beatitudes and participated in the celebration of Mass together with various disabled (see photo).

IV N° 42 - APRIL 2016

Last February, during theinternational congressorganized by the

Pontifical Council Cor Unumon the theme “Love neverfails” (1 Cor 13: 8), PopeFrancis addressed theparticipants commenting on agreat text of his predecessor,the encyclical Deus caritas est.

“The first Encyclical ofPope Benedict XVI concerns atheme that allows us toretrace the entire history ofthe Church, which is also ahistory of charity. It is a story of the lovereceived from God, to be carried to theworld: this charity received and given is thefulcrum of the history of the Church and ofthe history of each one of us. The act ofcharity is not, in fact, simply almsgiving toease one’s conscience. It includes a “lovingattentiveness towards the other” (cf.Evangelii Gaudium, 199), which considersthe other as “one with himself” and desiresto share friendship with God. Charity,therefore, is at the centre of the life of theChurch and, in the words of Saint Thérèseof the Child Jesus, is truly the heart of theChurch” said the Holy Father before therepresentatives of the organizations involvedin service to the most underprivileged,especially in the Middle East.

“The Encyclical reminds us that thischarity needs to be reflected more and morein the life of the Church. How I wish thateveryone in the Church, every institution,every activity would show that God loves

man! The mission that our charitableorganizations carry out is important, becausethey provide so many poor people with amore dignified and human life, which isneeded more than ever. But this mission isof utmost importance because, not withwords, but with concrete love it can makeevery person feel loved by the Father, lovedas his son or daughter and destined foreternal life with him” added the successor ofPeter. He then thanked all those who dailyare committing themselves to this missionwhich challenges every Christian and addedthat in this Jubilee Year we can allexperience the grace of the Jubilee by“putting into practice the spiritual andcorporal works of mercy: to live the worksof mercy means to conjugate the verb “tolove” according to Jesus. In this way then, allof us together can contribute concretely tothe great mission of the Church: tocommunicate the love of God which ismeant to be spread”.

The Pope at Cor Unum’s InternationalCongress: “To live the works of

mercy means to conjugate the verb“to love” according to Jesus”

OS

SE

RV

ATO

RE

RO

MA

NO

V N° 42 - APRIL 2016

The works of mercy are charitableactions by which we help ourneighbor in his spiritual and bodily

needs. Pope Francis outlined them in hisBull of Indiction for the Jubilee of Mercy(No. 15): “Let us rediscover these corporalworks of mercy: to feed the hungry, givedrink to the thirsty, clothe the naked,welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visitthe imprisoned, and bury the dead. Andlet us not forget the spiritual works ofmercy: to counsel the doubtful, instructthe ignorant, admonish sinners, comfortthe afflicted, forgive offences, bearpatiently those who do us ill, and prayfor the living and the dead”.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, at the heart ofthe extraordinary Jubilee, during Mass onSunday, 3 April, the Holy Father explainedthat to be apostles of mercy means to touchand caress the wounds of Christ, presenttoday in the body and soul of so manybrothers and sisters.

“Curing these wounds, we profess Jesus,we make him present and alive; we allowothers, who touch his mercy with their ownhands, to recognize him as ‘Lord and God’,as did the Apostle Thomas”, he insisted. “Let

us ask for the grace to never grow tired ofdrawing from the well of the Father’s mercyand bringing it to the world: let us ask thatwe too may be merciful, to spread thepower of the Gospel everywhere”.

The night before in St. Peter’s Square,with thousands of pilgrims who came toRome to represent all those who adhere tothe spirituality of Divine Mercy, the HolyFather suggested that every diocese in theworld, erect a kind of “monument” to thisYear of Mercy, through a work of livingmercy in the form of a structure ofmercy: a hospital, a home for theelderly, for abandoned children, aschool where none exists, a home forthe recovery of addicts...

“It would be very good for each dioceseto consider: what can we leave as a livingmemory, as a work of living mercy, as awound of the living Jesus for this Year ofMercy? Let us reflect on this and speak tothe bishops about it” the Pope concluded.

The members of the Order of the HolySepulchre, present on five continents, willbe particularly keen to respond to this callin their local churches.

On January 17, 2016, six years afterBenedict XVI’s visit, and 30 yearsafter the historic first visit by a Pope

to the Great Synagogue of Rome – that ofPope John Paul II – Pope Francis paid a visitto Rome’s Jewish community. Speaking ofthis “third” visit, the Chief Rabbi of Rome,Riccardo Di Segni, said: “According to

rabbinical tradition, an act repeated threetimes becomes chazaqà, a fixed custom”.

The Holy Father was first welcomed bythe President of Rome’s Jewish Community,Ruth Dureghello, and the President of theUnion of Italian Jewish Communities, RenzoGattegna. He was then greeted andembraced by the Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di

Works of “living mercy”for the Holy Year

Pope Francis visitsRome’s Synagogue

�

Segni. Pope Francis slowly made his wayfrom the Temple entrance towards the AronhaQodesh, or Torah ark, as he stopped togreet all those present, in particular tospeak with some Holocaust survivors.

In his speech, he recalled how theDeclaration Nostra Aetate has “indicated theway: “yes” to rediscovering Christianity’sJewish roots; “no” to every form of anti-Semitism and blame for every wrong,discrimination and persecution derivingfrom it”. Pope Francis went on to insist onthe need for greater collaboration inenvironmental protection and joint effortsin the promotion of justice and peace. ThePope also made an important appeal to bothcommunities to face up to theirresponsibilities and work together for thedevelopment of the city.

One interesting response to this call forcollaboration in the city has been thecreation of “The Jubilee Cultural Routes”(www.leviedelgiubileo.it). The Jubilee ofMercy has also become a precious

opportunity to help people discover theheritage and history of the Roman Jewishcommunity with a particular focus on thecommon root of Mercy that is shared byJudaism, Christianity and Islam, as alsomentioned in the Bull of Indiction of theJubilee, Misericordiae Vultus. This culturaland spiritual journey called “A thousandreligions in Rome: from the ancient worldto the present day”, not only takes in thecity’s Jewish sites, but also the GrandMosque of Rome, by the famous architectPaolo Portoghesi.

Following the visit to the Synagogue ofRome, Pope Francis was invited by theIslamic community to the Great Mosque.The Holy Father has accepted the invitationbut has yet to establish the date of the visit.Thus the Jubilee of Mercy is also provingitself to be – especially for the members ofthe Order of the Holy Sepulchre – a goodyear for encounter and dialogue with theother two great monotheistic religionspresent in the Holy Land.

The Jubilee of Mercy is an occasion for Catholics to pay greater attention to the Jewish roots ofChristianity, as was underlined by the Pope during his visit to Rome’s Synagogue in a mutual dynamic offraternity and dialogue.

OS

SE

RV

ATO

RE

RO

MA

NO

VII N° 42 - APRIL 2016

The Marian cityof Lourdes andthe birthplace of

Christ have formalizedtheir historicaltwinning. In aninterview granted usby the Mayor ofLourdes, JosetteBourdeu, she explainsthat these two citiesare “universal symbolswhich overcome alldivisions, to deliver amessage of fraternalpeace and tolerance toour world whichsuffers under theharshest turbulence”.

A page of history isabout to be writtenthrough what this mayor of the FrenchRepublic presents as “a pact of exemplaryfriendship, one of unfailing mutual support”.In collaboration with the Mayor ofBethlehem, Vera Baboun, the two leadershave outlined areas of cooperation,particularly common interests in the field ofreligious tourism, to welcome new pilgrimsfrom South America and Asia. Their aim isto offer to future visitors from these distantlands, a “European” circuit which couldintegrate, for example, Lourdes,

Czestochowa, Fatima and the Holy Land.“Bethlehem, despite the hindrances

which onsite we cannot ignore, over the pastfew years has built the foundations of trueinternational recognition through anextraordinary network of cities worldwide.This recent twinning between Lourdes andBethlehem solemnly registers itself on thislong list. And know this; I am particularlyproud of it. It is a beacon of solidarity, aform of justice which no wall can stop”clarified Josette Bourdeu.

Bethlehem and Lourdes:a solidarity based on justice that

no wall can prevent

You can read the full text of the interview on our partner site Vatican Insider:http://www.lastampa.it/2016/04/01/vaticaninsider/eng/inquiries-and-interviews/bethlehem-and-lourdes-strengthen-their-connections-r2uEfbfBDgF5DffMKvdMVN/pagina.html)

The municipalities of Lourdes and Bethlehem have announced a historictwinning of the two cities that will bring their destinies closer together inmutual support and the development of greater collaboration between thecities of Europe and Palestine.

The Coordination of the BishopsConference in support of the Church inthe Holy Land, supported by the Holy

See, gathers together bishops who,representing the bishops’ conferences, havethe Holy Land at heart for historical andpastoral reasons. Since 1998, the Bishops’Conference of Great Britain has played aleading role in relation to the work of thisgroup that, every year, responds to theinvitation of the Assembly of CatholicOrdinaries of the Holy Land. Over time, thisCoordination has been enriched by peoplewho know the Holy Land well and membersof large organizations, such as the Order of theHoly Sepulchre. As the Grand Master of theOrder rightly said at the beginning of theNewsletter, the Coordination customarily usesfour “P’s” to describe its mission: “P” for apresence for Christians in the Holy Land; “P”for praying with and for them; “P” forpilgrimage (the work of Christians in the HolyLand depends largely on pilgrimages, and thefuture of these pilgrimages depends largely onthe living stones who are the local Christians);“P” for pleading (the Coordination defends thecause of these Christians publicly and withthose who govern).

This year, for example, the Coordinationhas noted that the territory of Bethlehem isgradually decreasing. “Its access to water isdecreasing. Its inhabitants’ freedom ofmovement is decreasing, for example with theconstruction of the ‘Cremisan wall’. This wallis not intended to increase security in general,but to protect the settlers who illegally occupy,in the eyes of international law, this part of theterritory,” highlights Msgr. Michel Dubost, aneminent member of the Coordination and

President of the Council for InterreligiousRelations of the French Bishops’ Conference,in an interview granted to the CommunicationService of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre(1).“Only a miraculous awakening ofinternational public opinion could possiblychange anything. But the way in which theirbishops, about ten in number, were treated bythe Israeli police tells people: ‘We have thestrength and nothing will prevent us fromdoing what we want to do’”, said the Frenchbishop.

Msgr. Dubost commented: “Our world isafraid. Fear creates divisions and locks peoplein their territories. It is necessary to goincessantly to meet the other, without fear.But, for this to happen, you must be confidentin yourself and, I would say, above all, inGod. What strikes me is the difficulty someChristians have in understanding that Christis victorious, that forgiveness is victorious,that mercy is victorious. It is true that mercyinvolves risk, but selfishness leads to spiritualdeath, which ought to be feared more thanphysical death!”.

During their annual visit to the Holy Land,the Coordination was able to admire theChurch of Jordan and the entire kingdom onsite. Jordan hosts millions of refugees,including Palestinians and Yemenis... “Wemust say it, make it known”, emphasizesMsgr. Dubost, “and refuse to lock ourselves inthe selfishness that discredits us.”

(1) The interview on the Holy Land Coordi-nation can be read in its entirety on our pageon the Vatican Insider website: http://www.lastampa.it/vaticaninsider/eng/order-of-the-holy-sepulchre

The Holy Land Coordinationdenounces selfishness that

closes doors

VIII N° 42 - APRIL 2016

IX N° 42 - APRIL 2016

Opening proceedings following theinaugural Mass celebrated at thePalazzo della Rovere – seat of the

Grand Magisterium –, Cardinal EdwinO’Brien strongly encouraged participants atthe meeting of the Institution's governingbody to study the Pope’s recent apostolicexhortation, Amoris Laetitia, “a hymn tofamily life”, and to promote its readingamong the members of the Order. Afterpresenting his new secretary, Air Forcechaplain Father John Bateman, the GrandMaster announced his forthcoming visits tothe Lieutenancies and Magistral Delegations,in particular for the first Investiture in theCzech Republic, and later to the Pacific and

Asia where the Order is growing. Heunderscored that he counts on the membersof the Grand Magisterium to cultivate bondswith Lieutenants in the major regions of theworld. The Governor General, AgostinoBorromeo, also thanked Cardinal O’Brienfor his steadfast commitment to visiting theLieutenancies around the world, an activitythat stimulates all of the Order’s vital forcesto come together and support the “culture ofencounter” in the Holy Land.

The Governor hailed the generosity ofmembers of the Order which has enabledthe collection of 13.5 million Euros in 2015for the benefit of the “living stones” of theChurch in the territory of the Latin

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

The Spring Meeting ofthe Grand Magisterium

The Grand Magisterium of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre – consisting of abouttwenty members of different nationalities – gathered around the Grand Master in Rome,

on April 12 and 13, 2016, for the customary Spring meeting, the first of the year.

AMORIS LAETITIA,THE JOY OF LOVE

Dedicated to “love in the family”, the highly anticipated post-synodal apostolic exhortation was published on April 8 during apress conference chaired by the Archbishop of Vienna,Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, an eminent member of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre. Amoris Laetitia – “the Joy of Love”– is a great text of pastoral outreach signed March 19, the feastof Saint Joseph, by Pope Francis. This apostolic exhortation, isa splendid synthesis and reference text as well as source ofhope. It merits further study, particularly the chapters dedicatedto love and marriage, intimate relations and the need tocontinuously choose each other, one step at a time. AmorisLaetitia places special emphasis on preparation for marriage onaccompanying couples in the early years of their marriage andin particular during those crises that can also be a sign of agrowing emotional maturity. “Each crisis has a lesson to teach us; we need to learn how to listen for it withthe ear of the heart”, noted the Pope. “May we never lose heart because of our limitations, – heconcluded – or ever stop seeking that fullness of love and communion which God holds out before us”.

�

Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which extendsfrom Jordan to Cyprus. After having warmlythanked the Chancellor Ivan Rebernik forhis work during his recently concluded four-year term of office, the Governor officiallywelcomed lawyer Flavio Rondinini as thenewest member of the Grand Magisterium,who will also be responsible for managingstaffing issues.

In his speech, the Patriarch of Jerusalem,Grand Prior of the Order, described thesituation in the Holy Land, with specialemphasis on the ‘discrimination’ thatCatholic schools in the Holy Land arefacing, now that they have been deprived ofgovernment subsidies. He also stressed thechallenge of migrants, especially refugeeswho today make up about 20% of theJordanian population.

Among the various relevant issuestouched upon, Msgr. Twal mentioned theconstruction of the “Cremisan separationbarrier” and the tragedy that this representsfor Palestinian Christian families whoselivelihood depends on the cultivation ofolive trees in this valley near Bethlehem. Healso stressed the urgent need for theresumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peaceprocess, particularly at a time when public

attention is being diverted from this centralquestion of international law by the wars inthe Middle East. Faced with these growingdifficulties, particularly with regard tosocial, healthcare and education problems inPalestine, the Patriarch proposed a largerparticipation of the Grand Magisterium tothe general reflection, in the framework of aCommittee which could also focus on betterschool management, in addition to theprojects regularly followed by theCommission for the Holy Land. Thisproposal was discussed at length and will bethe subject of further study, given thatvarious members of the Grand Magisteriumsupported the use of local experts. A broadercollaboration with the Patriarchate washappily taken into consideration during theexchanges that took place, particularly in thedrawing up of a five-year development plan.

An effort for real, consolidated dialoguebetween the Order and the LatinPatriarchate

The 2015 budget presented by FatherImad Twal, general administrator of theLatin Patriarchate, shows an overall higherdeficit for the institutions, the seminary and

X N° 42 - APRIL 2016

The Chancellor IvanRebernik, concludinghis term of office, waspublically thanked forall of his work onbehalf of the Order bythe Grand Masterand the GovernorGeneral in thepresence of membersof the GrandMagisterium who hadgathered in Rome. Inrecognition, theChancellor receivedthe Golden Palm.

�

the schools compared with previous years:this was attributed to the decrease indonations from sources other than the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre which, for its part,has instead sizeably increased its regularcontributions.

Father Imad Twal echoed the Patriarch’surgent appeal to the Grand Magisterium,especially regarding Catholic schools thatform the future pillars, lay and ecclesiastic,of the Holy Land, given that some in Jordanrisk closure. One of the problems is the lowwages of teachers and staff – 80% of whomare members of the Christian community –leading to the exodus of teachers to statestructures.

In agreement with the Patriarchaterepresentatives, the Grand Magisterium willsend a specific set of questions to thegeneral administrator to better understandthe reasons for the deficit and try to remedythem as part of its effort for realconsolidated dialogue. On this point, theVice Governor, Patrick Powers, reiteratedthe willingness of American members of theOrder to help form tomorrow’s leaders inthe Holy Land while the Patriarchate willcommit itself with a rationalizing logiccapable of restoring Catholic education to itsposition of excellence.

The Commission for the Holy Land,which is led by Thomas McKiernan,described its ongoing and future projects,which include support for a home for theelderly in Taybeh and renovations in two

XI N° 42 - APRIL 2016

Jordanian schools. The Commission alsoconfirmed its willingness to engage in aprospective study of a pastoral nature withthe Patriarchate. This would involve, beyondexisting material projects, “strategicplanning” aimed at saving the Catholicschools which are essential for theconsolidation and the future of the localChurch.

In his analysis of the state of the GrandMagisterium accounts, Engineer Pier CarloVisconti revealed that the annual aid sent tothe Holy Land has passed from 9.3 to 11.3million euro, while the Grand Magisteriumexpenses have decreased. The contributionsfor schools continue to grow (3 million euroin 2015 compared to 2.5 the previous year).

The Assessor of the Order, Msgr. AntonioFranco, outlined how the VaticanFoundation St. John the Baptist has beenable to repay the debts of the University ofMadaba and ensure development in thecoming years (see Annales 2015, p. 61-62).

Concluding his term of office to greatapplause, Chancellor Ivan Rebernikprovided details on the Order’s statisticsshowing the entry of 1,250 new members in2015 (a total of 28,787 worldwide). He alsopresented a summary report oncommunications and his work on the GrandMagisterium's archives, which have beenreorganized thanks to a lengthyrestructuring project including theirdigitalization.

François Vayne

Flavio Rondinini, member of the Grand Magisterium

The Grand Magisterium of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre has a new member in the person of ItalianSupreme Court lawyer, Flavio Rondinini. Born February 9, 1962 in Faenza, he graduated in law at

the University of Bologna and also obtained a license in canon law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Heis the author of several books of reference in the field. As a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre,he has collaborated professionally with the various realities of the Holy See, in particular with theSecretariat of State and the Congregation for Eastern Churches. Married with three children, he is also areserve officer in the Carabinieri, the Italian military police. Cardinal O’Brien officially welcomed him tohis new international role during the spring meeting of the Grand Magisterium.

XII N° 42 - APRIL 2016

By decision of the Grand Master of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre, October15 next the Italian Liutenances will

make a Jubilee pilgrimage to the Shrine ofPompeii. Many are expected to participate,not only the Italian members of the Order,but also all the Knights and Dames of theworld who wish to attend, knowing that thevarious Lieutenancies will have to organizetravel and accommodation for theirmembers.

Mass at the altar of the Virgin isscheduled at 10 am and the recitation of theRosary will be followed by Adoration of theBlessed Sacrament at 4pm, in the chapeldedicated to Blessed Bartolo Longo, beforepassage through the sanctuary’s Holy Door.Blessed Bartolo Longo, who until now wasthe only lay member of the Order to bebeatified, was defined by St. John Paul II asa “man of the Virgin”. In his homily at thebeatification, October 26, 1980, the Popesaid of him that “for the sake of Mary, hebecame a writer, an apostle of the Gospel, aspeaker of the Rosary, founder of the famoussanctuary in spite of the enormousdifficulties; for love of Mary he created

charities, he became a beggar for thechildren of the poor, he turned Pompeii intoa living citadel of human and Christiangoodness; for love of Mary, he enduredtribulations and slander in silence, heunderwent a long Gethsemane, trusting inProvidence, ever obedient to the Pope andthe Church”.

His human and spiritual path, which is initself a message of love, shows us how greatthe mercy of God is and how profound theconversion of a heart can be. Every day, inPompeii, pilgrims experience thetriumph of grace over the ruins of sin,according to Bartolo Longo. In the recentissue of the Order’s magazine, Annales,Msgr. Tommaso Caputo, the prelatearchbishop and papal delegate of Pompeii,prior of the “Napoli - Lady of the Rosary”section of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre,told us: “Seeing the sanctuary and all theworks of charity built from scratch, with “apenny a month”, allows us to touch with ourown hands the truth of God’s message oflove, through the mediation of the Virgin,gifted to Bartolo Longo, not only for himself,but for all of us”.

Jubilee Pilgrimage of the HolySepulchre to Shrine of

Our Lady of Pompeii

Crossing the Holy Door withCardinal O’Brien

During the Jubilee of Mercy, the staffof the Grand Magisterium had thejoy of passing through the Holy Door

of St. Peter’s Basilica in the company of theGrand Master, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, onFebruary 22 last. The staff remembered intheir prayers the intentions of all members

of the Order, in a special way those who aregoing through times of illness or difficulty.Msgr. Fortunato Frezza, Master ofCeremonies of the Order and Canon of St.Peter’s, led the group in this intenselyspiritual moment which constitutes one ofthe conditions for obtaining a Jubilee

�

indulgence, in addition to receiving thesacraments of Reconciliation, HolyEucharist and actively praying for the HolyFather’s intentions. In recent months, PopeFrancis has often reminded us of theimportance of uniting the sacramentalaspect to corporal and spiritual works ofmercy (see article on page V).

The accompanying photo shows the staffof the Grand Magisterium along with theGrand Master, the Governor GeneralAgostino Borromeo, the Chancellor IvanRebernik and Consultor Pier Carlo Visconti,on having passed through the Holy Door,next to the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, inthe well-known papal basilica.

XIV N° 42 - APRIL 2016

Many meetings scheduledfor Cardinal O’Brien over

the next three months

Cardinal Edwin O’Brien had theopportunity of meeting the members ofthe Grand Magisterium for the usual

Spring meeting (April 11-13), at the Order’sheadquarters in Palazzo della Rovere, and in thecoming three months he will meet with asignificant number of Lieutenants for theregional meetings of the Lieutenants of NorthAmerica (June 2-4 in Baltimore, the UnitedStates) and of Europe (June 27-28 in Rome). Inaddition, the Grand Master was present for thefirst Investiture of the Magistral Delegation forthe Czech Republic in Olomouc: the GrandPrior Msgr. Jan Graubner, the Archbishop ofOlomouc, received the Investiture on April 16(see photo on the right), and thefollowing day was the turn of thenew Knights and Dames. On June10 and 11, His Eminence willpreside over the Investitureceremonies in Pelplin, Poland.

Cardinal O’Brienpresided at the first

ceremony of Investiturein Olomouc, in the

Cezch Republic, duringthe beautiful

ceremonies held April16 and 17.

XV N° 42 - APRIL 2016

«A Muslim leaving our schoolswill never become a

fundamentalist»

The Order and the Holy Land

Could you describe the networkof Catholic schools in the LatinPatriarchate of Jerusalem? How

many are there, where are theylocated or situated, how do theyfunction?

The network of Catholic schools in the LatinPatriarchy extends through the entireterritory of the Patriarchate: Israel, Palestineand Jordan. There are 3 schools in Israel and5 nurseries, welcoming 2,700 pupils. InPalestine there are 14 schools and as manynurseries, for 6,200pupils. In Jordan thenumbers are greater:roughly 10,000 pupilsattend 25 schools (and asmany nurseries). Eachschool functions in linewith the parish. Theschools are situatedmostly in villages,welcoming bothChristians and Muslims,putting themselves atthe service of thepoorest. The network ofschools functions in linewith the differentministries for education.

Why does the Patriarchate give suchpastoral importance to these schoolswhere a great number of Muslims arealso welcomed? Education is an important sector of the

Latin Patriarchate. The first reason is thatthrough education, we can target the humanperson in the totality of its identity; in orderto strengthen the faith of the people, wemust be present in society carrying values ofrespect, of acceptance of others.

Muslims are welcomed in these schools

Father Faysal Hijazeen is the director of the schools of the Latin Patriarchateof Jerusalem. In an interview he recently granted us, which can be read in fullon our partner site Vatican Insider, Fr. Faysal tells us about the fundamental

work carried out by educational institutions in the Holy Land.

�

XVI N° 42 - APRIL 2016

and attend Islamic religious lessons all alongtheir academic life. Their presence in theschool is a chance for the Latin Patriarchateto teach values like openness to others,respect, and values which in themselves arefundamentally Christian: love of yourneighbour, forgiveness. A Muslim leavingour schools will never become afundamentalist.

What do you do to develop a cultureof openness and encounter in theschools of the Latin Patriarchate, bywhat sort of initiatives? The religious lessons are mixed, one hour

a week, Christians and Muslims. We studybig themes which are for example “livingtogether”, “studying together”, “meeting theother”…. the rest of the time dedicated toreligious classes is spent according to thereligion of the pupil.

And so daily life at the school is ameeting with the other. The schools in theLatin Patriarchate enable us to build bridgesbetween religions, between differentcultures. These bridges go over the wallswhich often surround our hearts.

How is the action of the EquestrianOrder of the Holy Sepulchre essentialfor the educational work of the LatinPatriarchate? Let me be clear: without the support of

the Order, our schools would have closed along time ago.(1) An education withoutmaterial means is an education which diesvery quickly. The Order keeps the missionof education in the Latin Patriarchate alive.

(1) 82% of donations for teaching are fruit ofthe tireless generosity of members of the Order.

From February 24 to 26, 2016, Rome hosted an international conference organized by theGerman Bishops’ Conference entitled “Between World Society and Regional

Transformations: Christians, Christian Churches and Religion in a Changing Middle East”.Msgr. William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem, was present and brought theparticular viewpoint of the Holy Land in the current Middle Eastern situation.

Msgr. Shomali’s speech invited those present to reflect upon how the facts we read andbelieve to be objective are instead highly influenced by viewpoints. “In Jerusalem, history andgeography are read differently: those which the Palestinians call the ‘occupied territories’ forIsrael are ‘disputed territories’”, he says. The problem is that one is incapable of opening itselfto the narrative of the other.

“With the Muslims”, Msgr. Shomali continues, “we live and suffer together. We try toeducate Christian and Muslim children together to live in respect. Our goal is that of creatinga new way of thinking, even if this is becoming increasingly difficult in a radicalized MiddleEast.” We share a lot with the Jews: it is enough to remember that Jesus was a Jew. However,the political situation hinders a true dialogue.

The Patriarchal Vicar concluded on a note of profound hope linked to our faith: “Jerusalemis a city of great surprises; it is the city in which Jesus rose on the third day. Let us thereforecontinue to pray!”

Christians in the Middle East:an international conference

in Rome

Father Rifat Bader is the director of theCatholic Center for Studies and Mediain Jordan and the pastor of the Church

of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Naour, ashort distance from the capital Amman. TheCatholic Church in Jordan is an integral partof the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,together with that of Israel, Palestine andCyprus. In this interview, Fr. Bader speaksto us about the Catholic Church’scommitment to supporting many migrantswho are fleeing Syria and Iraq.

Among the various initiatives that Fr.Bader spoke to us about, we look at thegreat experience of schools open to youngimmigrants who in this way have the chanceto continue their education: “A total of 290Syrian students have enrolled in the schoollocated near my parishof the Sacred Heart ofJesus in Naour -Jordan. Students agefrom 4 to15 years old.They attend classes onMondays, Tuesdaysand Wednesdays from4 PM to 7 PM. Amongthem are 120 studentswho attend publicschools and haveacademic weaknesses.They take “remedialclasses” on Saturdaysfrom 3 PM to 8 PM.This school opened itsdoors to thesestudents on January19, 2016. This is oneof the schools forSyrian children, and

we have 10 schools organized by Caritas inmany different cities and villages.”

When asked about what motivates thevarious institutions to get so profoundlyinvolved with these brothers who are fleeingfrom war, Father Bader responds: “Jordan isa safe haven for peace in the region. Ourduty as citizens and as Christians is toalleviate the suffering of people from allwalks of life. I have realized that thesepeople have lost everything in life. They losttheir homes, jobs, properties and businesses.They even lost all glimmers of hope to everenjoy a life free from problems. They losttheir future. It is our duty to bring themhope in accordance with our means. This isthe message we have learned from theGospel.”

XVII N° 42 - APRIL 2016

The necessity of rekindling hope:the Church’s support for

refugees in Jordan

The Catholic Church in the Holy Land is at the forefront in welcomingrefugees from the Middle East, above all in the organization of schoolingfor children and young people. The Order greatly contributed to theseactions in 2015 through a generous donation to Caritas Jordan.

Afew days before the week that invitesevery Christian to follow Jesus’ steps in

Jerusalem, included in the mystery of hispassion, death andresurrection, the firstsection of the TerraSancta Museum, on theVia Dolorosa, wasinaugurated. Hosted atthe Monastery of theFlagellation – whichpreserves the remainsof the Antonia Fortress,where traditionindicates that Jesus wascondemned, and fromwhich pilgrims usuallybegin to walk the ViaCrucis – the museumopened its doors onMarch 17 and can bevisited with a trackavailable in eightlanguages, includingHebrew and Arabic.

Visitors have theopportunity of taking

part in a 15-minute multimedia experiencethat aims to prepare them for a personaljourney of the Way of the Cross. Music,

images and voicesaccompany pilgrims todiscover the history ofthis place and the urbanevolution of Jerusalem,as well as to invite themto be part of an unbrokenchain of pilgrims who formillennia retrace thefootsteps of Jesus toGolgotha, and all the wayto the now empty tomb.The Order was happy tobe able to contribute, atthe direct initiative of theGrand Master, CardinalEdwin O’Brien, to theimplementation of thisproject which willinclude the realization ofa hall dedicated to theKnights and Dames ofthe Order of the HolySepulchre.

XVIII N° 42 - APRIL 2016

Opening of the Via Dolorosasection at the Terra Sancta Museum

Through advanced multimediatechnology, visitors to the Terra Sancta

Museum can discover the urbandevelopment of Jerusalem through thecenturies. The photo shows one of the

phases of urban expansion in themillennial history of the city.

Pilgrims of Mercy in the Holy Land

On our website, info.oessh.va, in the Annales section, the “Pilgrims of Mercy in theHoly Land” booklet is available in English, Italian, French, Spanish and German. For

Lieutenancies or individual members who will be going on pilgrimage to the Holy Landduring this Year of Mercy, this booklet aims to accompany them on their journey: from thepreparation for the pilgrimage to returning home. In the Land where Jesus was born, lived,died and rose again, we invite you to make a particular reflection in certain holy places,accompanied by the biblical texts and passages of the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee,Misericordiae Vultus. Even if one is not able to go, this booklet can be an aid for followingJesus’ footsteps to the discovery of his Mercy in personal meditation.

In October 2015, following continuous reports of the arrival of migrants to European shores,fleeing from tragic conditions in the Middle East and global South, the Grand Master,

Cardinal Edwin O’Brien circulated a letter on welcoming refugees among Lieutenancies andMagistral Delegations.

The responses have been both prompt and generous. One of note among the manyinitiatives is the invitation of the Lieutenancy for Italy South Tyrrhenian, which counts 39Delegations, to Presidents and Delegates to contact their diocesan Caritas and help set upteams of professionals who can ensure those categories of migrants who are welcomedsupport not only on the social, legal and administrative level but also on a cultural level.

Lieutenant Giovanni Napolitano says: “It is with great satisfaction that I can report thatthere are many Knights and Dames willing to offer, their professional help, free of charge”.Looking to the future he concludes: “It is now possible to express our heartfelt solidarity and,in particular, overcome that ‘barrier of indifference’.” It is increasingly clear that we mustrespond to the needs of the world around us that is knocking on our doors as Christians and,specifically, as members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Concrete solidarity

XIX N° 42 - APRIL 2016

The Life of the Lieutenancies

�

“Pilgrimages are always a very excitingtime for all of our members who

participate wholeheartedly in the work andaid which, considering the little resourcesand availability of a small country and asmall Lieutenancy, we send to the mostneedy people in the land of Christ.

For several years, the Lieutenancy forPortugal has been making a pilgrimage tothe Holy Land every two years, whichadheres an average of 70 participants.

Apart from the visits to holy places, from

Nazareth to Jerusalem, a significant momentis that of the Investiture of new Knights andDames in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchrein Jerusalem, a practice which ourLieutenancy was able to resume, aftercenturies in which no member of the Orderhad been able to receive the Investiture inthis place.

Normally the program of the pilgrimageincludes visits to the work to which we havecontributed, so as to see “on site” theexisting shortcomings, or those remedied.

The gift of the pilgrimageto the Holy Land

From the Lieutenant of Portugal – a land particularly blessed with thepresence of the Marian shrine of Fatima – we receive a beautiful testimony on

the depth of their community experience on pilgrimage to the Holy Land,which took place at the beginning of this year, and during which was

celebrated the Investiture of 12 Knights and Dames.

XX N° 42 - APRIL 2016

This has the beneficial effect of helping thelocal Christians to feel that we are withthem, that they are not alone in theirdifficulties and that, on the other side of theworld, there are people who care aboutthem and are trying to make their lives lesspainful.

And what can be said of the profoundexperience of our pilgrims? What a thrill itis to feel every grain of sand on the wallsthat have been restored thanks to ourLieutenancy’s funding!

The way you feel before the simplicityand littleness of a drop of paint that,covering the walls, brought color and joy tothe lives – so tried – of boys, girls, youngand old, Muslims, but all Palestinians, witha history of suffering and hardness that we

know so well and have witnessed. This wasthe case in Aboud and Taybeh, as well as inDeir Rafat with the Sisters of Bethlehem, inthe Sanctuary of Our Lady of Palestine. Wesaw joy in the faces of these people, whowere truly grateful for having received thissimple assistance from us.

With a clear goal, the Knights and Damesof the Lieutenancy for Portugal, over whomI have the honor to preside, reaffirm theircommitment, enthusiasm and joy in saying“yes” to the challenges of the future,secured in the vocation to service andholiness that the Order proposes, and firmin the mission that God has entrusted tous.”

Nuno de Bragança Van UdenLieutenant for Portugal

In the next quarterly Newsletter (Summer 2016), the Lieutenancies areinvited to bear witness to the ways in which the members live the Year ofMercy. To share your experiences contact us at: comunicazione@oessh.va