rivista CROCE ENG - Vatican.va · 2020. 4. 20. · Sassia in Rome on February 1, 2020, his first...

The Order welcomesits newGrand Master

Prioritizing theeducation and trainingof younger generations

in the Holy Land

annales ordinis equestris sancti sepulcHri hierosolymitani

jerusalem cross2019-2020

jerusalem cross

DirectorAlfredo Bastianelli

Co-Director and Editor-in-chiefFrançois Vayne

Managing EditorElena Dini

With the collaboration of the authors cited in each article, the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem, the Lieutenants, or their delegates, of the corresponding Lieutenancies

TranslatorsClaire Barraut, Chelo Feral, Christine Keinath, Emer McCarthy Cabrera,

Vanessa Santoni

[email protected]

Photographic documentationArchives of the Grand Magisterium, Archives of L’Osservatore Romano,

Archives of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Archives of the correspondingLieutenancies, Philippe Cabidoche, Cristian Gennari, Claudio Maina, Daniel

Ibáñez (EWTN News), and other collaborators indicated in the picture captions

On the coverCardinal Fernando Filoni celebrating the Eucharist in the church of Santo Spirito inSassia in Rome on February 1, 2020, his first Mass presided as Grand Master of the

Order of the Holy Sepulchre. (Photo by Cristian Gennari)

Published byGrand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order

of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem00120 Vatican City

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00120 vatican City

annales ordinis equestris sancti sepulcHri hierosolymitani

2019-2020

@[email protected]

Governor General of the Equestrian Orderof the Holy Sepulchre of JerusalemLeonardo Visconti di Modrone

Grand Master of the Equestrian Orderof the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Cardinal Fernando Filoni

E D I T O R I A L

If you do not want to die,drink of charity

It is an expression taken fromSaint Augustine, bishop, whoexplained to his faithful how

to survive when faced with ameaningless life. He saidverbatim: “We are tested byearthly worries and we receiveexperience from the temptationsof the present life. However, if wedo not want to die thirsty in thisdesert, let us drink of charity”(from the Treaty on the 1st Letterof St. John).

As members of the Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem,we should never forget thewisdom of these words. In fact, nobody is exempt from earthly concerns and we allexperience the temptations of the present life. If we allow ourselves to becomeoverwhelmed by worries and temptations, our lives would no longer have anymeaning and we would truly risk dying thirsty.

“Drinking of charity,” that is, making it an indispensable need in the life of aDame and a Knight, is a qualifying virtue. Our support in the Holy Land in thefields of primary, secondary and university education, our commitment to refugeesand migrants, our support for families in need represent the precious ointment thatpious women brought to Christ’s tomb to complete their labour of compassion fortheir dead Master, which they had been unable to provide three days before. However, there was no need.Christ had risen. Now he continues his presence among the poor in spirit and those who find themselves inmaterial poverty; he continues to live in our world, but he also continues to suffer and needs the sameanointing, that is, that charity initially thought for his Body. Charity is a work of good that responds to thisneed and knows no statutes of limitation.

A Dame and a Knight, through their own charitable contribution, place themselves in the historical andexistential wake of women and men who have in their hearts a unique love for the Holy Land; that Land forwhich, in a movement of profound emotion, Jesus wept (cf. Lk 19:42-44). Without charity, it is as if ourfaith were extinguished, on the contrary, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sistersof mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). Charity, carried out with generosity, with simplicity and in hiddenmanner is a gesture of love for Christ himself.

These continued references to the words of Jesus and to the apostolic teaching remind us that a Dameand a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem must always find in the gestures they make theChristological dimension of their actions, which, in addition to qualifying their life, gives it a genuine senseof high belonging.

Fernando Cardinal Filoni

JERUSALEM CROSS 2019-2020 1

Cardinal Filoni in thecompany of PopeFrancis on 8December 2019, theday of hisappointment as newGrand Master of theOrder of the HolySepulchre.

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2 JERUSALEM CROSS 2019-2020

Remembering Cardinal Montezemolo,Assessor of Honour of the Order

THE ORDER AND THE HOLY LAND

The new Holy Land Commission

360° support in the Holy Land

To teach about “the religious other”in the Holy Land

The Latin Patriarchate’s Art Collection

THE LIFE OF THE LIEUTENANCIES

The Lieutenancy for Western Australiaand opportunities to meet withits Malaysian members

Young volunteers at the service of hopein the Holy Land

A national Investiture gathers Kinghtsand Dames from across Canada

For Knights and Dames, the Order representsa family and the Holy Land a second home

The places of the theophany

New impetus in Mexico, a nation witha centuries old history of being closeto the Order

39CONTENTS

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THE ORDER ANDTHE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

“The members of the Order are likeambassadors of the Holy Land”Interview with Cardinal Parolin

The prophetic voice of the MediterraneanChurches

“Docile to the truth that we testify andwalking with other people of good will”

The Order in partnership with theCongregation for Catholic Education

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GRAND MAGISTERIUM

Dossier : Cardinal Fernando Filoni,9th Grand Master of the Order

A fruitful yearLeonardo Visconti di ModroneGovernor General of the Order

Strengthening the presence of the Orderin Central and Latin America

Msgr. Tommaso Caputo,new Assessor of the Order

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The Chancellor’s message

The heart of this issue of the Jerusalem Cross, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre’s annual magazinepublished in five languages, is dedicated to welcoming our new Grand Master, Cardinal Fernando

Filoni. The other major sections concern the life of the Universal Church, with the heartfelt participation ofKnights and Dames; news from the Grand Magisterium; information on our activities in the Holy Land incoordination with the Latin Patriarchate; and finally, the testimonies from our Lieutenancies presentthroughout the world. This year the magazine is also published in Portuguese, thanks to the help of theLieutenancy for Portugal, to more easily reach the Lusophone world where the Order is very present,especially in Brazil. I thank our Communications Office for the work done, hoping that the Jerusalem Crosswill be read carefully and generously used by all members to boost awareness of the essential mission of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre at the service of the Mother Church in the Holy Land.

Alfredo Bastianelli, Chancellor

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Official portrait photoof the Grand MasterCardinal Fernando Filoni.

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Your Eminence, the Holy Land has been experiencingan exceptional increase in pilgrimages for some years.What is your analysis of this phenomenon concerning

the Mother Church of Jerusalem?Pilgrimages are an important way to support the Christian

presence in the Holy Land. It is also through these journeys offaith that Christians can help their brothers and sisters who livethere. This allows the Christians of the Holy Land to work andsupport their families. Without this contribution of solidarity, theHoly Land would be poorer not only from the economic point ofview, but above all from the human point of view. In fact,pilgrimages allow an exchange of cultures, languages, traditions,etc. which open to knowledge and mutual respect, promoting asociety founded on the values of universal justice and fraternity. If,on the one hand, the pilgrims transmit resources to the

Exclusive interviewwith Holy See Secretary

of State, CardinalPietro Parolin.

Speaking directly to theJerusalem Cross

readers, he affirms:“The members of the

Order are likeambassadors of the

Holy Land.”

“The members of the Order are likeambassadors of the Holy Land”

The Orderand the Universal Church


inhabitants of those lands,on the other they receivemuch more than they canever give in return. In fact,the pilgrim has anexperience of faith in theplaces of salvation historythat have seen the passageof Jesus on this earth. Ajourney into memory and,at the same time, arediscovery of the Gospelthat is embodied in all timeand at all latitudes.

The pilgrimages to theHoly Land have been aprivileged way for me to know, love and follow theLord Jesus more. Sometimes with a thrill of fear inthe awareness that I am treading on the same landthat he has walked. However, always with immensegratitude, knowing that all that he did, he did forme and for all my brothers and sisters in humanity,he did it for our love and for our salvation. I hopethat everyone who is a pilgrim in the Holy Landcan experience the same sentiments and returnstrengthened in faith and Christian witness.

What does the Order of the Holy Sepulchrerepresent to you and what is its place in theuniversal Church? Given that the Popeappoints the Grand Master, could it be saidthat this is the only chivalric order intrinsicallylinked to the Holy See?

Since the dawn of Christianity, the Land whereOur Lord was born, lived, died and rose again hashad a special place in the hearts of believers and ofthe various ecclesial communities that have spreadoutside the Jewish world. Many faithful chose tolive the Gospel both in a solitary form, as hermits,and gathering together, precisely in the places thathad seen the earthly presence of Christ, inparticular those linked to the stages of his publiclife, beginning with the Holy Sepulchre. The needis also felt to visit them. Thus, pilgrimages began,as a devotional and existential form of journey,which saw significant growth during the MiddleAges. The birth of the Equestrian Order of theHoly Sepulchre dates back to that period, withexplicit reference to the tomb that guarded thebody of Jesus Christ devoid of life and from wherehe rose again. The need was felt to defend itsintegrity and that of those who went to visit it.

The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre were amongthose engaged in this noble enterprise. The earliestdocuments concerning them date back to 1336.From the 14th century onwards, the Popes soughtto give them a juridical regulation and theygradually expanded their tasks to devotethemselves to preserving the faith in the HolyLand, supporting charitable works and socialservices of the Church, in particular thosepromoted by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The Order has always benefited from theprotection of the Supreme Pontiffs. We could citesome passages, for example in 1496 Alexander VIdecided that he would be the supreme Moderator,

“The EquestrianOrder of the HolySepulchre is,together with theSovereign MilitaryOrder of Malta, oneof the two chivalricorders recognized bythe Holy See. In thefirst, the Popeappoints the GrandMaster, while in thesecond he isconfirmed”, explainsthe Holy SeeSecretary of State inthis first interviewgranted to theJerusalem Cross.

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delegating to theFranciscans – who hadbeen entrusted with thecare of the Holy Sepulchreby Clement VI in 1342 –the power to confer theknighthood to nobles andgentlemen on a pilgrimageto the Holy Land. Leo Xrenewed the confirmationof this privilege to theFranciscans in 1516,Benedict XIV furtherrenewed it in 1746, andfinally, in 1847 Pius IX,who reconstituted theOrder, did so too. In 1888,Leo XIII also granted thepossibility to nominate Dames. In 1907, Pius Xdecided that the title of Grand Master of the Orderwould belong to the Pope himself. In 1932, Pius XIapproved the new Constitution and granted thatKnights and Dames could to receive theirInvestiture beyond Jerusalem. In 1940, Pius XIIappointed a Cardinal Protector of the Order. Afterthe Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Saint PaulVI in 1977 proceeded to approve the newConstitution. Saint John Paul II granted the Order,legal personality under Vatican City State.

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre is,together with the Sovereign Military Order ofMalta, one of the two chivalric orders recognizedby the Holy See. In the first, the Pope appoints theGrand Master, while in the second he is confirmed.

There are 30,000 Knights and Damesworldwide who are very active within their

local Churches and strongly united with thebishops of the territory, who often act as GrandPriors of the Order’s Lieutenancies. Would yousay that the mission of the members of theOrder consists in being ambassadors of theHoly Land in their respective dioceses?It could be said in all truth that the members of

the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, boththe Knights and the Dames, are like “ambassadors”of the Holy Land. In fact, in addition to living theirown Christian faith and manifesting adherence tothe Catholic Church in the environments in whichthey live and work – in which sense all the baptizedare called to be “ambassadors of Christ” (see 2Cor5:20) – they promote initiatives in favour of theHoly Places in the parishes and in the dioceses theybelong to. Moreover, through their presence theyalso raise awareness among the faithful to meet theneeds of the Christians who live in the Holy Land,often in difficult, if not dramatic, conditions.Today, the most pressing task is to create thepolitical and socio-economic conditions that favourthe permanence of Christians in the Holy Land,because it is in the interest of the whole Churchthat the Land of Jesus does not become a museumof archaeological finds and precious stones, butcontinue to be a Church built with “living stones”(1Pt 2:5), Christians who for two thousand yearshave continued the uninterrupted tradition of thepresence of Christ’s disciples. Therefore, membersof the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre areasked not only to promote the collection of fundsfor the ecclesial realities present in the Holy Land,but also to pray and work so that peace prevailsover divisions and violence.

Interview by François Vayne


“The most pressingtask is to create thepolitical and socio-economic conditionsthat favour thepermanence ofChristians in the HolyLand, because it is inthe interest of thewhole Church thatthe Land of Jesusdoes not become amuseum ofarchaeological findsand precious stones,but continue to be aChurch built with“living stones” (1Pt2:5)”, underlinesCardinal PietroParolin.

“The preaching of the Gospel cannot bedetached from commitment to thecommon good; it impels us to act

tirelessly as peacemakers,” said Pope Francis in thebasilica of Saint Nicholas of Bari, Sunday February23, 2020, at the conclusion of the historic meetingwhich brought together 58 bishops from 20countries located in the Mediterranean basin.

“The Mediterranean region is currentlythreatened by outbreaks of instability and conflict,both in the Middle East and different countries ofNorth Africa, as well as between various ethnic,religious or confessional groups. Nor can weoverlook the still unresolved conflict betweenIsraelis and Palestinians, with the danger ofinequitable solutions and, hence, a prelude to new

crises,” added the Holy Father.Two days earlier, on February 21, thousands of

Israeli settlers had gathered without authorizationon the land belonging to the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem in northern Palestine, in flagrantviolation of private property. Despite these reportson the ongoing conflicts in the Holy Land, the warin Syria and the crisis in Libya, the Pope – eager tosee a “theology of welcome and dialogue”developed soon – encouraged representatives ofthe Catholic Church in the Mediterranean area “torebuild cities destroyed by violence, to make agarden flourish in what is now a desert, to instilhope in the hopeless, and to encourage those


The propheticvoice of theMediterraneanChurches

From 19 to 23 February 2020,the first meeting of the bishops

of the Mediterranean basintook place in Bari, on thetheme “Mediterranean, a

Frontier of Peace”.

A few days before the meeting in Bari, CardinalBassetti – president of the Italian Episcopal

Conference and Prior of the Order of the HolySepulchre as well as chief organizer of the

event, sent a message to the members of theOrder. When asked how the Knights and Damescan support the process born in Bari, he replied:

“By continuing to be convinced and sincereambassadors of peace! This is not only the

absence of war but a commitment to promotethe dignity of the human person.” Find the full

interview on our website www.oessh.va.

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http://www.oessh.va/content/ordineequestresantosepolcro/en/la-chiesa/notizie-dalla-chiesa-universale/-l_incontro-di-bari-vuole-essere-il-cantiere-di-un-sentiero-di-p.html

caught up in themselvesnot to fear their brothersor sisters.”

Citing Giorgio La Pira,former mayor of Florenceoriginally from Sicily,inspirer of the meetingand precursor of dialoguein the Mediterranean –this sea of mixed raceswhich he compared to“the great Sea of Galilee”– the Holy Fathersuggested an analogybetween the time of Christand ours. “Just as Jesuslived and worked in acontext of differingcultures and beliefs, so wefind ourselves in amultifaceted environmentscarred by divisions and forms of inequality thatlead to instability. Amid deep fault lines andeconomic, religious, confessional and politicalconflicts, we are called to offer our witness to unityand peace.”

In a perspective of peace and reconciliation, theparticipants in the Catholic and Mediterranean“G20” interacted and complemented each otherfor five days, as summarized by the designatedspokesperson for the assembly, ArchbishopPierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator ofthe Latin Patriarchate and Pro-Grand Prior of the

Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He stressedbefore the Pope the quality of mutuallistening that reigned between these bishopsfrom the Middle East, North Africa andsouthern Europe, as well as the fruitfulness ofshared experiences and the hope aroused bythe new proposals resulting from theseexchanges.

“Our Churches wish to become a singleprophetic voice of truth and freedom,” saidMsgr. Pizzaballa, signalling the unanimousdesire to continue the path of solidarityundertaken, through twinning of dioceses andparishes, as well as forms of volunteering tobe conceived with a view to mutual support.

During the final day, Archbishop PaulDesfarges – archbishop of Algiers and president ofthe episcopal conferences of North Africa,speaking on behalf of the confreres – thanked theHoly Father for his testimony full of humanity,which helps the bishops to face three greatchallenges, that is, the reception of migrants,interreligious dialogue and ecology, operating notonly as servants of their communities, but also ofall the inhabitants of the Mediterranean area.

Together, they somehow realized the dream ofGiorgio La Pira, an Italian Catholic layman,involved in post Second World War politics, whoworked in favour of dialogue on the shores of theMediterranean, the Mare nostrum, cradle of ourhistory, heir to Athens, Jerusalem, Carthage, Romeand Alexandria.

An apostle of peace among peoples, La Pirawanted to promote a Mediterranean space inharmony, based on interreligious dialogue, so thatAbrahamic religions represented paths ofbrotherhood and not barriers of separation. Hisheroic virtues were recognized in July 2018 and hemay soon be beatified.

One of his spiritual sons who met him inFlorence, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, president ofthe Italian Episcopal Conference and Prior of theOrder for Umbria, is the promoter of the Bariinitiative that gathered in the Norman-Swabiancastle of the Emperor Frederick II, an ancientfortress dating back to the time of the Crusades – atrue meeting place.

“The idea was simply to talk to each other, withthe synodal method, without expecting sensational


The Norman-Swabiancastle of EmperorFrederick II in Bari –an ancient fortressdating back to thetime of the Crusades– was transformedinto a real “meetingplace”, where thebishops of theMediterranean prayedand meditated. “Theidea was simply totalk to each other,using the synodalmethod, laying thefoundations for aprocess,” saidCardinal GualtieroBassetti, president ofthe Italian Bishops’Conference, Prior ofthe Order for Umbriaand promoter of theinitiative.

results or spectacular acts, but laying thefoundations for a process,” observed CardinalBassetti, certain that there can be no lasting peacein Europe if peace does not reign in theMediterranean.

Bari – a bridge city linking East and West –proved to be a suitable host city for these days. Itgave the world a great sign of unity, in the spirit ofSaint Nicholas of Myra – the bishop of the poorpeople revered by bothCatholics and Orthodox.The saint’s relics restunder the gaze of the iconof the Virgin Odigitria,which dates back to theperiod of the undividedChurch. Under herguidance, in the cathedral,the bishops of theMediterranean gatheredand prayed fervently.

During discussions onthe plurality of theMediterranean in aglobalized world, itemerged that theChurches of Europe –grappling with secularism,disenchantment and

indifference – appear revitalized by the Churchesof the Middle East or North Africa, minorities butstill alive and vibrant. Cardinal Juan José Omella –archbishop of Barcelona – highlighted this, hopingfor a systematic collaboration between dioceses tohelp some European parishes – threatened by such“lukewarmness” – to find a joyful and contagiouscommunity momentum.

In addition, the bishops noted the importanceof education or works of service to people to curbthe advance of fundamentalisms and overcomefanaticisms, especially in countries with a Muslimmajority, as underlined by His Beatitude IbrahimIsaac Sidrak, patriarch of the Egyptian CopticCatholic Church. Christians must participate in thepromotion of moderate Islam, in accordance withthe intuitions expressed in the Abu Dhabideclaration signed by the Pope and the GrandImam of al-Azhar, as noted by Cardinal LouisRaphaël Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean CatholicChurch of Baghdad.

In addition, the bishops of the Mediterraneanhave appealed to policy makers and civilauthorities to combat the causes of immigration,namely economic disparities and wars fuelled bythe arms trade. “The Church must become aprophetic voice in order to become the conscienceof Europe,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich,Archbishop of Luxembourg and president of theCommission of Episcopal Conferences of theEuropean Community.

Given the people who come to Europe toescape from war and misery – of which 20,000drowned between 2013 and 2019 – ArchbishopCharles Scicluna – Archbishop of Malta and GrandPrior of the Order for the Maltese Lieutenancy –hoped that the Churches compete in “disarminghearts and healing from fear”, so that we move“from xenophobia to xenophilia”. Moreover, thebishops have specified that among these migrantsand refugees, many are Christians who will fill theempty churches of the Old Continent.

In order to prepare future leaders who willwork for peace in the Mediterranean, the Barimeeting elaborated a concrete plan to send twelveyoung people from the Balkans, Turkey, the MiddleEast and North Africa annually to follow aformation course at the ‘Cittadella della Pace’,located in Rondine


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Reflecting on thepeople who come toEurope to flee warand misery – 20,000of whom drownedbetween 2013 and2019 – ArchbishopCharles Scicluna ofMalta and GrandPrior of the Order forthe MalteseLieutenancy,expressed the hopethat the Churches willhelp “disarm heartsand heal them fromfear”. Moreover, thebishops have specifiedthat among thesemigrants andrefugees, many areChristians who can fillthe empty churches ofthe Old Continent.

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(https://www.rondine.org/en/who-we-are/) nearArezzo, so that they can discover – through ademanding work of daily coexistence – that hiddenwithin every possible enemy is first a person.

The contemplative communities of theMediterranean basin brought the meeting into theirprayers, which ended with a mass in the heart ofBari, during which Pope Francis pleaded for thecause of “the extremism of love” in front of 40,000faithful, insisting on the Christian newnessrepresented by love for enemies “To love andforgive is to live as a conqueror. We will lose if we

defend the faith by force. The Lord would repeatto us the words he addressed to Peter inGethsemane: ‘Put your sword into its sheath’ (Jn18:11). In the Gethsemanes of today, in ourindifferent and unjust world that seems to testify tothe agony of hope, a Christian cannot be like thosedisciples who first took up the sword and later fled.No, the solution is not to draw our sword againstothers, or to flee from the times in which we live.The solution is the way of Jesus: active love,humble love, love ‘to the end’ (Jn 13:1)”.

François Vayne, in Bari


On Thursday February 20, the delegates of the “Mediterranean Frontier of Peace” meeting weretreated to a tour of the city of Bari’s most iconic sites: the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary, the

Basilica of Saint Nicholas and the Diocesan Museum with the Exultet scrolls.The Bari codes of the 11th-12th century represent a threshold between the two souls of the city:

Latin and Eastern. These scrolls wind through a cylinder to announce the song of praise in the offeringof the Easter candle.

The singer performed the song from the ambo and the images placed in the scroll, in the oppositedirection of the text, made the content of the hymn present to the faithful. The angels with Christ,Mother Earth, the Church gathered in prayer constitute the beginning. The successive images of Christemerging from the underworld, the Christ Kosmocreator, the collecting of beeswax, the bishop and theemperor are the text of the Exultet in the southern tradition.

What makes these codesso suggestive, to arouse theenthusiasm of those whosee them? The richness ofthe contents is expressedwith the linearity of images,words, melodies in a ritual.For example, the note of acommunity always capableof renewing itself throughthe presence of the RisenLord is transposed into thepoem of the bees inspiredby Virgil. The textemphasizes that bees gofrom flower to flower, tofertilize them in their act oflove, a symbol of a Churchthat is mother whileremaining a virgin. Bishopshave been able to recognizethe reference to theirpastoral service in thesescrolls.

A visit to Bari’s Exultet scrolls

Don MicheleBellino, Prior of theOrder in Bari,accompaniedbishops on a visitof the diocesanmuseum, wherethere is a historicaldocument datingback to 1000years ago andwhich is usedliturgically tocelebrate Christ’sEaster victory.

https://www.rondine.org/en/who-we-are/

On February 4,2019, PopeFrancis and the

Grand Imam of Al-AzharAhmed al-Tayyeb signedthe Document onHuman Fraternity forWorld Peace and LivingTogether. One year later,we reflect on theimportance of dialogue,especially in the HolyLand, on the key issuesdiscussed in thedocument and on the roleof the Order in this areatogether with CardinalMiguel Ángel AyusoGuixot, president of thePontifical Council forInterreligious Dialogue.

Your Eminence, what roads have been openedby the Document on Human Fraternity signedone year ago by Pope Francis and the GrandImam of Al-Azhar al-Tayyeb?First of all, it must be remembered that the Abu

Dhabi declaration was built gradually. The Popebegan a friendship with the Grand Imam. Theneed to do something together for the good ofhumanity and, at the same time, the coincidencethat the Emirates had proclaimed the year oftolerance and opened a ministry of tolerance topromote coexistence created the favorable context.

The document that was signed in Abu Dhabihas a universal character and is perfectly suited tothe reality of living in the Middle East. I like toremember what our dear Cardinal Jean-LouisTauran used to say: “The Middle East is a

laboratory”, because in the local population thereis a deep respect for the other, a high level of civicresponsibility and solidarity, despite socio-politicaldifficulties. For example, most of the burden ofwelcoming refugees is found in countries such asLebanon and Jordan.

Beyond the pessimistic version, every citizenand believer is called to work for the commongood. The Abu Dhabi document has drawn a roadmap in this direction. Fraternity, peace andcoexistence are the three essential elements tofollow a path of integration that can heal thewounds of the world. The only balm that can healfrom populism passes through the human fraternitythat unites us. The problems that create discomfortand hinder the climate of communion have a morepolitical and ideological character.

The Abu Dhabi Document must be proposed


“Docile to the truth that we testify andwalking with other people of good will”

Cardinal Ayuso and the first anniversaryof the Document on Human Fraternity

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http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2019/outside/documents/papa-francesco_20190204_documento-fratellanza-umana.html

and re-proposed continuously. We must not forgetthat the Holy Father wanted to sign it in person: itis therefore not exclusively the declaration of aconference. We must start by presenting it andmaking it known in particular through educationalinstitutions and schools.

What is the specificity of dialogue in the HolyLand?The heart of the Holy Land is the city of

Jerusalem and Pope Francis on his trip to Moroccoin March 2019 wanted to sign together with KingMohammed VI a document for the protection anddefense of the city of Jerusalem as the Holy City,the center of the three monotheistic religions,stating that: “We consider it important to preservethe Holy City of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif asthe common patrimony of humanity and especiallythe followers of the three monotheistic religions, asa place of encounter and as a symbol of peacefulcoexistence, where mutual respect and dialoguecan be cultivated.”

If the heart of this land, Jerusalem, experiencesa situation of dialogue, understanding andcommunion between Jews, Christians andMuslims, it can radiate light throughout thisregion, which has seen these communities interactin different ways.

We know that the Middle East cannot beunderstood without Christians, but neither can thisbe done without interreligious dialogue. The

specificity of this land is the DNA of reality that islived here.

The issue of citizenship plays an important rolein enabling dialogue to flourish ...The embryo of this discussion by the Catholic

Church comes from the appeal of the Synod of theMiddle East in which Christians asked not to beconsidered second-class citizens but rather fullcitizens. From there a dialogue developed on thisissue and I personally involved myself in thisdirection to affirm that as Christians we do notwant to be protected, defended, and tolerated. Wewant to be full citizens and work together withothers for the common good. This is what CardinalTauran also had the opportunity to share in his lastvisit to Saudi Arabia (April 2018).

Many steps forward have been made and thewords of the imam of Al-Azhar on the signing ofthe Abu Dhabi Document should not be forgotten,when he recalled that, despite the differentcommunities to which we belong, we are brothers,not foreigners or protected.

Full citizenship is a fundamental element forpreserving identity. It is therefore necessary towork with respect and friendship for the commongood, as Pope Francis wishes, beyond religiousdifferences and issues of majority and minority.This is a field in which how many we are in onecommunity or another does not matter: eachperson must be respected in his or her


Cardinal MiguelÁngel Ayuso Guixot,President of thePontifical Council forInterreligiousDialogue, attendedthe first anniversaryof the signing of theDocument on theHuman Fraternity forWorld Peace andLiving Together inAbu Dhabi in earlyFebruary 2020.

individuality, clearly also those who do not belongto any religious tradition.

What do you see as the biggest challenges andwhat as elements of hope?We are well aware of the difficulties and the

negative aspects but I would like to talk about whatis positive by inviting optimism. I remember ourdear and late Cardinal Tauran who, dealing with somany social, political and economic difficulties,always referred to international law. Many of ourconflicts could be resolved simply by applying thelaw.

More than talking about the problems, I wouldtalk about the riches and patrimony that this regionboasts in terms of culture, history, liturgies andcoexistence. In the Middle East, it is important toregain awareness of the fact that we are citizens andbelievers and, as such, we must build society byenriching it with the values of our respectivereligious traditions, moving from respectfuldiversity to the communion of shared values fromwhich we can recreate that coexistence that is nottolerance but the ability to live in diversity. It iscommon to hear about the difficulties andproblems but my experience as a missionary hastaught me that ordinary people, on the other hand,often live a spirit of closeness and coexistence.

The word “dialogue” is often used in manydifferent contexts and ways. How would youdescribe it?We have chosen to put a phrase on the website

of the Pontifical Council for InterreligiousDialogue, that represents dialogue well: “Dialogueimplies speaking and listening, giving andreceiving, mutual growth and enrichment. It isbased on witness to one’s faith as well as opennessto the religion of another. It is not a betrayal of themission of the Church, nor is it a new method ofconversion to Christianity.”

Dialogue is an existential attitude that opens usto the reality of the other. I remember the messagethat Pope Francis sent us on the 50th anniversary ofour Dicastery in which, among other things, heremembered that we must become travelcompanions for every human being on our journeytowards truth. As Pope Benedict XVI said, it is notwe who possess the truth; it is the truth that

possesses us. We must make ourselves docile to this truth that

we testify and set out on the road with other peopleof good will. Hence, the condemnation of any typeof proselytism that goes against the fundamentalprinciples of the Church and other traditions. Wemust have a solid formation of our religioustradition and good information about that ofothers.

We certainly have a responsibility to havereceived a mandate from God but our life must bea continuous proclamation. We must ask ourselvesin what way we are witnesses of the truth: if we are

authentically there, Godis there. It is true thatsometimes some want toimpose only the melodythat they play but wemust not forget that if wewant to perform aconcert, the challenge isto put together thedifferent melodies tocreate a symphony.

How can we work more


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Pope Francis’ specialsecretary Msgr.Yohannis Lahzi Gaïd, isa member of the HighCommittee created toachieve the objectivesof the Document onthe Human Fraternity,signed in Abu Dhabi bythe Pope and theGrand Imam ofal-Azhar, Ahmedal-Tayyeb on February4, 2019.

https://www.pcinterreligious.org/

concretely to have an attitude based ondialogue into our daily realities?Starting from the points we have in common.

The invitation is to commit ourselves together tobuild a human platform that must be supportedstarting from our religious values for a commoncompromise that leads us to do good. In addition,this must be a constant activity, day after day, notonly linked to events but also remembering that weare responsible for a new generation that we arecalled to educate for peace and coexistence. Theprocess is slow. We must sow in silence, put intopractice, without fireworks.

We are called to be respectful in diversity, todiscern, to be honest in relationships and to becredible in what we do and whoever does so bearswitness. Taking up a Gospel image, it is like a lamp

above a bushel that shedslight everywhere. As doesJerusalem, the holy city. Wehope that this light canreach the hearts of allhuman beings so that wecan overcome the obstaclesthat divide us and insteadbe able to feel ourselvesbrothers and sisters in theonly humanity that God hasgiven us and that we mustrespectfully accompany,protect, defend, byrespecting God’s plan foreach of us.

The Order of the HolySepulchre has about 30 thousand membersworldwide. What advice would you like to givethem?I greatly appreciate the work done and the

action of your 30 thousand members who supportand help local communities in the Holy Land. Inmy missionary experience, I realized that I havegiven my whole life and youth to the service of theChurch and now I realize that what I have receivedis much more than what I have been able to give.So I want to remind these 30 thousand benefactorsthat what they do is very generous and I invitethem to discover more and more what they receivefrom the testimony of those whom they supportwith their help because, always he who gives,receives.

Interview by Elena Dini


The meeting in Abu Dhabi – oneyear after the signing of the

Document on Human Fraternity –illustrated this important phrase

highlighted on the website of thePontifical Council for Interreligious

Dialogue: “Dialogue impliesspeaking and listening, giving and

receiving, mutual growth andenrichment. It is based on witness to

one’s faith as well as openness tothe religion of another. It is not a

betrayal of the mission of theChurch, nor is it a new method of

conversion to Christianity.”


Pope Francis hasinvited all thosededicated to education

to a meeting in the Vaticanin October 2020 to sign aglobal educational pact. TheOrder of the Holy Sepulchreof Jerusalem, has identifiededucation as one of thepillars of its commitment inthe Holy Land through oursupport for realities such asthe network of schools ofthe Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem and BethlehemUniversity. The Order willbe one of the institutionsinvolved in the global villagethat will be built for theoccasion. Msgr. VincenzoZani, secretary of theCongregation for Catholic Education who hasbeen charged with the organization of this greatinitiative, answers our questions.

Catholic educational institutions represent alarge worldwide network. What figures are wetalking about?We have 220,000 schools and 1860 Catholic

universities worldwide. On average, 35-40% of thestudents in our institutions are non-Catholics. Inthe Middle East, these percentages can be farhigher, reaching up to 98% of non-Catholics. Ifeducation as such is an instrument ofevangelization and humanization, Catholiceducation should be even more so. For us, in fact,these institutions are instruments that reach theborders and beyond: they are within the Churchbut at the same time they are all round instrumentsof dialogue.

The Pope’s invitation to launch a global

educational pact pushes us todialogue more with ourpresences in all territories,especially where there arechallenges in the dialoguebetween Jews, Christians,Muslims in the melting potof cultures, identities andcommunities.

Can you give us someconcrete examples regardingthe important contributionof education as a sharedexperience together with theother components of societyin these areas?

In Lebanon a few yearsago I participated togetherwith the Patriarch in ameeting with Catholic

schools. An evening was organized where therewere Druze, Muslims and Christians of differentconfessions. I saw the Patriarch in a context offamiliar and friendly relations with everyone. At theend of the evening I congratulated him on theserelations. He replied: “We were all schoolmates, wehave grown up together and we have created andcultivated this relationship since then.” In such aresponse we understand what education and schoolmean. In education, differences coexist and growin respect for differences and in mutual support.

In schools in southern Lebanon, the percentageof Muslim students can reach up to 98%. Theytold me about the agreement that is made with thefamilies of Muslim children when they enrol theirson or daughter in a Catholic school regardingrespect for the Christian educational project.Sometimes, they told me, Muslims are more carefulto respect it because they see a nice opportunity forgrowth in it.

The Order in partnership with theCongregation for Catholic Education

Towards the Global Compact on Education, convoked by Pope Francis

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Sometimes in our schools there is also a highpercentage of non-Catholic teachers, simplybecause there are not enough Catholic teachersavailable, and only the director is a Christian. Thebishops tell us that these teachers are very faithfulto the commitment made and to the direction ofthe educational project. This internal diversity inour schools bears wide-ranging fruits because bothteachers and non-Christian students then bringhome the effect of their experience in the Catholiceducational arena.

How would you view the commitment of theOrder to the Holy Land and in particular in thefield of education?The Order of the Holy Sepulchre which

operates in a particular way in the Holy Land isseen by us as a support. A constant dialoguebetween our institutions andthe reality of the Order isnecessary. In various casesthe Church in the Holy Landis under pressure and, inperspective, we need tostrengthen our collaborationeven more. I see the Order asan exceptional tool in thissense. Yours is a pontificalinstitution with a long historythat today can continue tocarry out its mission ininnovative ways byresponding to contemporarychallenges.

Pope Francis recalled in

his message, inspired by an African proverb,that “it takes a whole village to educate achild.” What are the important steps to take tobuild this global village that can provide anappropriate space for the growth of youngpeople?The Holy Father’s message ahead of the event

which will take place in October 2020, focuses onthe theme “Reinventing the Global Compact onEducation” and outlines concrete paths to trace.Starting from this African proverb, Pope Francisrecalls that this village must be built. The horizonpresent throughout the message is of totalopenness and is the synthesis of what the Pontiffhas said in recent years about education by talkingabout inclusive education, a culture of dialogue, ofbreaking down walls, building bridges, overcomingdifferences. They are key ideas of his thought thatshow us the direction to build the educational pactthrough a collaboration between cultures andreligious and ethnic backgrounds to overcomedifferences and difficulties.

The Holy Father gives three indications that wehave also considered in identifying the particularissues that will be treated in the village. First of all,

“In education, differences coexist and grow in respectfor differences and in mutual help,” notes ArchbishopVincenzo Zani, secretary of the Congregation forCatholic Education, in a wide ranging interviewgranted to us.


it starts from the centrality of the person. Thissometimes involves changing our educationalapproach by challenging overly formal models andinviting us to consider informal educationallanguages such as music and sport. When we putthe person at the centre, we listen to his needs and

this requires someflexibility from theinstitutions.

Second, the Popeunderlines the need tohave “the courage tocapitalize on our bestenergies, creativelyand responsibly”through short,medium and long-term planning. We livein an epoch-makingchange in whicheverything changesrapidly but let’s notforget that educationhas other times, itneeds a wider timeframe to bear fruit.

Finally, Pope Francis speaks of educating toservice. We must train people to be responsible andwilling to serve the common good. “Service is apillar of the culture of encounter,” says the HolyFather in his message. In the field of education thiscan be translated with “service learning”, an

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“Service is a pillarof the culture ofencounter,” said

the Holy Father inhis message aheadof the event on the

theme “Reinventingthe Global

Compact onEducation”, which

will take place inRome in October2020. It is abouteducating people

who are responsibleand willing to putthemselves at the

service of thecommon good.


educational method thatinvites students to developknowledge and skillsthrough a community-based service. Moving tothe world of university, wemust not forget toconsider the third missionof these institutions afterlearning and research, thatis, confronting the finalpurpose of research whichshould be the commongood.

We are approachingthe date chosen by Pope Francis to meet thevarious interlocutors in the Vatican who wishto work on a common educational pact. TheCongregation for Catholic Education of whichyou are the Secretary has been charged withorganizing this initiative. How will it takeplace?We are working on the construction of an

education village which will be hosted in the area

of via della Conciliazione from 11 to 18 Octoberand which will focus on four main poles: rights,integral ecology, peace and solidarity. There will befour locations, each will be assigned one of thesethemes and events, and round tables will be hostedduring the week. There will also be spaces where toproject videos, testimonials and share goodpractices.

Those who visit the village will find apedagogical line, proposals and roads. It will be alaboratory full of stimuli that does not aim to giverecipes but rather ideas to be implemented indifferent contexts. We will deal with big andimportant issues, such as cyber bullying andartificial intelligence so that teachers, ministries,those who write the laws reflect on whichperspectives can be promoted to the greateradvantage of young people.

The Pope will first meet the representatives ofreligions in a more restricted form while there willthen be a larger meeting in Paul VI Hall. Work isalso underway on the possibility of a meeting forcivil authorities involved in the education sector.

Interview by François Vayne and Elena Dini

The GrandMagisterium of theOrder intends to invitesome young peoplefrom the Holy Land(here, students ofBethlehem University)to participate in theinternational event onthe Global Compacton Educationorganized at theVatican. One of themeeting points will bethe Palazzo dellaRovere, headquartersof the Order of theHoly Sepulchre inRome.


By decision of the Holy Father, His EminenceCardinal Fernando Filoni has beenappointed Grand Master of the Order of the

Holy Sepulchre starting December 8 2019,Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Wepublish below the official communiqué of HisEminence Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, Grand Masterof the Order since 2012, who concluded hismandate a few months after reaching the age of 80.

“It is with complete acceptance andappreciation that I welcome the decision of PopeFrancis to replace me as Grand Master of theEquestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem. I am especially pleased that HisHoliness has appointed His Eminence FernandoCardinal Filoni as my successor.

I have been privileged well beyond the time ofmy letter of resignation, submitted over five yearsago. Throughout my more than eight years asGrand Master, my personal faith and love of ourChurch have deepened as I have witnessed ourmembers’ commitment to the goals of our Order,expressed in different cultures and languages, allprofoundly Catholic!

I am most grateful to the two GovernorsGeneral with whom I have served, TheirExcellencies, Professor Agostino Borromeo andAmbassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone. Ourcollaborators in the Grand Magisterium and thedaily, dedicated service of our office staff largely

account for the steady growth of our Order. Theircommitment to our lieutenancies and to themission of the Latin Patriarchate has beenunwavering.

Finally, I welcome His Eminence, CardinalFiloni as Our Grand Master. His long and broadpastoral and administrative experience in service tothe Universal Church will be precious assets as heleads our Order into the future. I offer him my fulland fraternal support as I beg the continuedintercession of Our Lady of Palestine.”

Edwin Cardinal O’Brien

Cardinal Fernando Filoni,ninth Grand Master of the Order

Cardinal O’ Brien’stotal and fraternalsupport for hissuccessor

Proceegingsof the Grand Magisterium

Cardinal Fernando Filoni was born on 15 April1946 in Manduria (Taranto, Italy), but at an

early age, his family moved back to their town oforigin, Galatone (Lecce). He attended middleschool in the minor seminary of Nardò beforecompleting his high school studies in Molfetta atthe Pugliese Regional Seminary Pio XI andtheology studies in Viterbo at the Seminary SantaMaria della Quercia.

Monsignor Antonio Rosario Mennonna,Bishop of Nardò, ordainedhim a priest on 3 July 1970in Galatone. He attendedthe Pontifical LateranUniversity, where heobtained a degree in canonlaw, and the La SapienzaState University, where hegraduated in philosophy. Hethen pursued furtherstudies at the Pro Deo (nowknown as the FreeInternational University ofSocial Studies – LUISS)earning a postgraduatediploma in Political andSocial Sciences,specializing in journalism.During this period in Rome,he served as an assistantparish priest, focusing inparticular on the educationof young people andteaching at the classicalhigh schools Vivona andSocrates.

At the end of his studies, the then CardinalVicar of Rome, Ugo Poletti, proposed that heenter the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. On 3April 1981, he received his first diplomatic postingto Sri Lanka. After three years, he was sent toIran (1983-1985). Later he was called to theSecretariat of State to follow relations withinternational organizations. In 1989, he was sentto Brazil until 1992, when he was formallyaccredited in the Philippines as a CulturalAttaché, with residence in Hong Kong, where the

Holy See had opened a Study Mission to closelyfollow the situation of the Church in China.

On 17 January 2001, he was elected to thetitular see of Volturno, with the dignity ofArchbishop, and appointed Apostolic Nuncio toJordan and Iraq. He received episcopal ordinationfrom Pope John Paul II in the Vatican Basilica onMarch 19, 2001.

In Baghdad (2001-2006), he was Nuncioduring the last two years of Saddam Hussein’s

regime, then during thewar and in the followingthree years, until 25February 2006, whenBenedict XVI appointedhim PontificalRepresentative in thePhilippines (2006-2007).

On 9 June 2007, hewas appointed Deputy forGeneral Affairs of theSecretariat of State.

On May 10, 2011,Pope Benedict XVIappointed him Prefect ofthe Congregation for theEvangelization of Peoples,creating him a CardinalDeacon on February 18,2012, of Our Lady ofCoromoto in St. John ofGod. On June 26, 2018,the Holy Father Francisdesignated him to theOrder of Bishops.

On December 8, 2019,Pope Francis appointed him Grand Master of theEquestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem and emeritus of the Congregation forthe Evangelization of Peoples.

He has authored many texts, including thebook “The Church in Iraq”, translated into variouslanguages.

He is a member of diverse Congregationsincluding the Congregation for the Cause ofSaints, to which he was nominated by PopeFrancis on February 1, 2020.


Cardinal Fernando Filoni’s Biography

On January 16 the Order’snew Grand Master,Cardinal Fernando

Filoni, accompanied by theGovernor General, LeonardoVisconti di Modrone, wasofficially welcomed to Palazzodella Rovere, the Romeheadquarters of the GrandMagisterium, during a ceremonyin which his predecessorCardinal Edwin O’Brienparticipated.

The dignitaries of the Orderreceived the Grand Master at theentrance and accompanied himto the Hall of Throne where hegreeted the members of theGrand Magisterium present.Cardinal O’Brien subsequently spoke some wordsof welcome, assuring his successor the faithful andenthusiastic support of all the Knights and Damesworldwide. “Our noble Order thanks the Lord and

certainly our Holy Father for granting us theprivilege of having you as our new guide! Yourepresent a true blessing for our Order,” heconcluded.

Before delivering his first publicspeech in his role as Grand Master,Cardinal Filoni received Investiturewithin the Order from the hands ofhis predecessor who placed theKnight of the Collar insignia onhim. After this ceremony, HisEminence was able to personallymeet all the staff members, beforegoing to the chapel for a momentof silent prayer in the company ofCardinal O’Brien.


The new Grand Master is welcomedto Palazzo della Rovere

Cardinal Fernando Filoni received theKnight of the Collar insignia from thehands of his predecessor, CardinalEdwin O’Brien, during a ceremonyheld in Rome at the Palazzo dellaRovere on January 16, 2020.

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Official welcome of Cardinal Fernando Filoni to thePalazzo della Rovere on January 16, 2020.

“If you knew the gift of God” (Jn 4:10)This expression is taken from the Gospel of

John.Jesus finds himself in the village of Sicàr, in

Samaria; along the road there is a well, the one thatJacob had given to his son Joseph. The well recallsa sepulchre in which life, water, which must bedrawn, is hidden.

Tired, Jesus sees a woman busy fetching waterand asks her for a drink.

This is a common scene in regions where waterdoes not flow to the surface and must be drawnfrom underground.

In the dialogue that opens up between Jesusand the Samaritan woman, Jesus tells her that,besides natural water, there is ‘other’ water, comingfrom “a spring of water welling up to eternal life”(Jn 4:14), just as Jesus says he has ‘other’ food,“that you know nothing about” (Jn 4:32), this inreference to the food that the disciples had gone tobuy in the village; Jesus then meets the inhabitantsof Sicàr, who will recognize him as “the Saviour ofthe world” (Jn 4:42). This in short is the story of theevangelist John.

This episode of the life of Jesus which I mentionallows me to encapsulate the meaning of the serviceto which the Holy Father has destined me; to give

meaning to being with you, to belonging today tothe large family of the Equestrian Order of theHoly Sepulchre of Jerusalem. I could say that I amalmost the parish priest of this great ‘Parish’ spreadacross the continents.

We all need to draw on the “depths” – a Paulineterm – of that mystery of grace that allows us to“know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Eph.3:18-19).

Today we begin a new chapter in the history ofthe Order; a history full of events and gestures thathave ennobled it.

I renew my gratitude to the Most EminentCardinal Edwin O’Brien for the duty he hasfulfilled with competence and generosity at thehelm of the Order. Thank you your Eminence!

I greet those present: His Excellency, Mons.Tommaso Caputo, theGrand Magisterium, HisExcellency, Mons. FrancoCroci, Grand Prior of theLieutenancy for CentralItaly, Lieutenant General ofHonour, H.E. Prof.Giuseppe Dalla Torre delTempio di Sanguinetto andall of the staff.


“Let us begin again from Christ’sempty Sepulchre”

The new Grand Master’s first address

The new GrandMaster togetherwith ProfessorAgostino Borromeo,Lieutenant General,and AmbassadorLeonardo Visconti diModrone, GovernorGeneral of the Orderof the HolySepulchre.

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I wish to assure you of my commitment to theOrder and offer my encouragement to you all. Inorder to journey together, we need together to askChrist for the gift of “his” water and “his” food sothat our journey and that of every Knight andDame, be faithful to the “vocation” and “ministry”that we are committed to.

As Knights and Dames, we all know we have amission to carry out; we must live up to the ‘nobleideal’ which the very nature of our institutionrequires of us. But the ‘nobility’, the honour towhich I refer does not come, as Saint Gregory ofNazianzus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church says,from the “titles of our parents or from their life’swork, rather from being and calling ourselvesChristians” (Discourses 43, 19-21).

The commitment undertaken, in truth, comesfrom that empty Sepulchre, that is, from theResurrection of Christ from which all profoundknowledge derives, both of the hidden and publiclife of the Lord, and of his words. The empty tombspeaks to us of the living Master, whom the ApostleThomas recognizes and confesses his “Lord andGod” (Jn 20:28) and whom the Church is alwayscalled to announce and witness to all peoples andat all times.

The Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchrealways begin from there; from there originates thecommitment to the life, spirituality, social life andparticipation in the needs of the Holy Land. Andthis will always be our starting and reference point.

Let us begin again from the empty Sepulchre of

Christ, which many saw, but only Peter, John, MaryMagdalen, Joan, Mary mother of James and others“saw and believed” (Jn 20:8). We could considerthem the first Knights and Dames of the HolySepulchre. We are the heirs of those witnesses; andit is precisely in this that we are witnesses todayand give meaning to our belonging to the Order.

* * *Before concluding these words of mine, allow

me to address an affectionate greeting to my closestcollaborators from the Congregation for theEvangelization of Peoples and Pontifical MissionSocieties, present here today: H.E. ArchbishopProtasio Rugambwa, H.E. Mons. Giovanni PietroDal Toso, Fr. Ryszard Szmydki, O.M.I., Mons.Ermes Viale, Head of the Administration Office,and Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E. A special thankyou to Mother Shaun Vergauwen, F.S.E., co-founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist,who surprised me and came directly from theUnited States.

My heartfelt thanks go to you all. And Godbless you. Thank you all.


Cardinal Filoni greets Sister Raffaella Petrini,F.S.E., his former secretary at the Congregationfor the Evangelization of Peoples, and MotherShaun Vergauwen, F.S.E., co-founder of theFranciscans of the Eucharist: the latter gavehim the surprise of coming specially from theUnited States for the Grand Master’s welcomeceremony in January 2020.

The authorities of the Order (here in the photo theChancellor Alfredo Bastianelli and one of the

eminent members of the presidency of the GrandMagisterium, Saverio Petrillo) warmly welcomed the

Grand Master, accompanied by the GovernorGeneral, to the Palazzo della Rovere.

Cardinal Fernando Filoni celebrated Mass onFebruary 1 at the Church of Santo Spiritoin Sassia, located in front of Palazzo della

Rovere, headquarters of the Grand Magisteriumof the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, to begin hismission as Grand Master in prayer.

The high dignitaries of our pontificalinstitution, the Italian Lieutenants and the Knightsand Dames of Rome, many members of the Orderand friends gathered around him in the crowdedchurch to entrust the Lord with his ministry andthe path of the Order in the coming years.

After the Eucharistic celebration, HisEminence met all the participants in Palazzo dellaRovere, greeting each one personally.

Below is the “programmatic” homilypronounced by the Grand Master.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,From the first moment of my appointment to

lead our Order, I have wished to meet you to prayand ask God for the gift oflight and His grace.

Reflecting on our specialmission or calling in theChurch, my thoughts went tothe Gospel passages whichnarrate the vocation of thedisciples of Jesus: in fact,with them he initiated a

profound human relationship and the process oftheir formation and his revelation. In Matthew’sGospel it is said that the Lord “saw two brothers,Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew... “Come,follow me,” Jesus said, “... Going on from there, hesaw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee andhis brother John. Jesus called them, and immediatelythey left the boat and their father and followedhim.”(Mt 4:18-19.21.23); And Jesus “saw a mannamed Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.“Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up andfollowed him.”(Mt 9:9). Jesus encounters them eachwhere life has placed them and they haveexchanged gazes forever.

Therefore, I like to think that our call to theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is theresult of an encounter and a call in which we havebeen, so to speak, scrutinized and chosen; just asMary of Magdala at the empty sepulchre; there thegaze and the unmistakable voice of the risen Jesusimmediately led her to cry out: “Rabboni!” (which


“The root of our commitmentin the Holy Land”

The first major celebration presided overby the ninth Grand Master of the Order

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There were numerous Knightsand Dames who came to pray

around the new Grand Master,on February 1, 2020, in the

church of Santo Spirito in Sassia,in front of the headquarters of

the Grand Magisterium.

means “Teacher”); yes, he was not the gardener, butthe living Master! (cf Jn 20:14-17). But whatrestlessness, what agitation of the heart and mind!

The same may be said of Paul – while going toDamascus to arrest Christians – was closelyscrutinized by the Lord; from that interiorexperience, from that encounter with the RisenOne, he, the persecutor, perceived the grace andobtained the force that changed his life, becomingthe greatest preacher among the pagans.

Dear Dames and Knights of the HolySepulchre, the thought that each one has beenlooked upon and loved by the Lord at a particularmoment in our life and that his gaze has markedour hearts, allows us to reflect on the sense of ourbelonging to the Order.

We belong to it not by inheritance of family orclass, but because we are called by the One whobecame the watershed in human history; the“empty sepulchre” we could say, is the point andplace where two stories meet: the story of the‘ignominious’ and ‘unjust’ end inflicted on a manwho had done good, but who had becomecumbersome in the eyes of religious leaders and thepower of Rome, and the story of Peter, John, Maryof Magdala and others who saw his empty tomb,but above all recognized the risen Jesus. This storycontinues to us; it has not been exhausted.

In front of that empty sepulchre and the

encounter with the living Christ, the greatesttransformation of humanity had occurred andunthinkable scenarios were opened up regardingthe coexistence between peoples, socialrelationships, the dimensions of the spirit, themeaning of our existence. History would never bethe same again. Human beings found themselvesjudged by the mystery of the cross andresurrection: love was redefined, good and evilknew their clear point of separation, grace andtruth, shown in Christ, revealed the merciful faceof God (cf. Jn 1:17-18).

With the discovery of the empty sepulchre,which had aroused amazement and dismay, andthen in the encounter with the Risen One, whorestored inner peace and brought immense joy (cf.Jn 20:20), the adventure of the ‘Christian’ faithbegan.

It is still useful for us to listen again to thestrong testimony of Peter and the other Disciples,who cry incredulously to Thomas: “We have seenthe Lord!” (Jn 20:29-25); it is precisely from hisdisbelief, in which humiliation and faith wereintertwined, the last beatitude of Jesus was bornthat will accompany the life of every believer:“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet havebelieved!” (Jn 20:29).

It is with the same faith, humble and reassuringin the Risen One, that, in harmony with today’s

Gospel, we would then like to enterthe boat of which the Gospel speaks;we are not referring here to amaterial boat, rather to the boat oflife’s journey that navigates in the


“As Dames and Knights of the HolySepulchre of Jerusalem, we set out fromthe same place where Peter, John, Maryof Magdala and the others set out forthe world; that is, from that emptysepulchre and from the encounter withChrist, our hope and our intimate joy,we know that He gives meaning to ourexistence and we will be witnesses ofthe living Lord”, declared CardinalFiloni during his first mass celebratedpublicly as Grand Master.

restless waters of the heart and mind: it does notmatter if in navigating our lives there willsometimes be a boring calm and it appearsmeaningless; it does not matter if we are shaken asif by a storm due to an impetuous and destructivewind; it does not even matter if sometimes it seemsthat the boat is about to capsize or fill up withwater, while fear would lead us to cry out: “Teacherdo you not care if we drown?” (Mk 4:38), if theRisen One is with us.

Having the Risen One in the little boat of ourlife or in the big boat of the Church, knowing thatHe has promised to protect us from the evil one(cf. Jn 17:15) and in truth (cf. Jn 17:17), this is aguarantee for us and certainty that at the rightmoment Jesus will threaten the waves and will cryto the wind: “Quiet! Be still” (Mk 4:39).

As Dames and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem, we set out from the same place wherePeter, John, Mary of Magdala and the others setout for the world; that is, from that emptysepulchre and from the encounter with Christ, ourhope and our intimate joy, we know that He givesmeaning to our existence and we will be witnessesof the living Lord.

My most cordial greetings, my gratitude and myprayer, to all of you present here, and to all thegreat family of Dames and Knights of the world.The purpose of our existence in the life of theChurch, consolidated several times by the SupremePontiffs, is to ensure that the Gospel continues toresonate in the Land where there are many sacredplaces, and that the work of charity, support forcultural and social institutions and defence of the

rights of those who live there remainalive.

These aims guide us back to theNew Testament root of ourcommitment in the Holy Land. Weknow that the first Christians of

Antioch, due to the serious famine that occurredbetween 49-50, “under the empire of Claudius”,with commendable zeal “decided to provide help forthe brothers and sisters living in Judea. This theydid, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas andSaul.” (Acts 11:27-30). It was a gesture of highsolidarity, nonetheless of those that Paul had alsoasked of the Churches of Galatia and Corinth(1Cor 16, 1-4) and that offered by the Christians ofMacedonia; these, despite “their extreme poverty”,had shown great generosity: “For I testify – writesthe Apostle in his second Letter to the Corinthians– that they gave as much as they were able, and evenbeyond their ability. Entirely on their own, theyurgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharingin this service to the Lord’s people”(2Cor 8:1-6). Asplendid attitude to want to take part in the help ofChristians in Palestine!

In all those gestures, dear brothers and sisters inChrist, we find – I like to repeat it – the root of ourwork and the purpose that the Supreme Pontiffswanted to assign us. We must never forget thatcharity and solidarity qualify the Equestrian Orderof the Holy Sepulchre and we are honoured tohave them as our characteristics in favour of thePatriarchal Church of Jerusalem and of the manybrothers and sisters in need who live in that Land;A land blessed by the Most High, but also in needof peace.

Thank you for your presence; thank you foryour generosity. Thanks for your prayers. May theBlessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Palestine protectyou, we entrust ourselves to her, and the MostHigh bless you. Amen.


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“We must never forget that charity andsolidarity qualify the Equestrian Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre and we are honored tohave them as our characteristics in favourof the Patriarchal Church of Jerusalem”(Cardinal Fernando Filoni).


The first Investiture presided overby Cardinal Fernando Filoni

It was in Rome with the Lieutenancy for Central Italythat the new Grand Master celebrated his firstInvestiture ceremony, choosing on that occasion to usehis crosier rather than the sword to focus on the spiritualvocation of the Knights and of the Dames called tofollow Christ. (Copyright Osservatore Romano)

Your Eminence, in whatspirit do you undertakethis new responsibility as

Grand Master of the Order of theHoly Sepulchre, which the Popeentrusted to you on December 8?In my life of service to the Church,

first as assistant parish priest in Rome(nine years), then in the Service of theApostolic See (almost forty years), Ilearned to love each reality to which Ihave been destined. Among these, Icannot fail to highlight the ecclesialmissions in the Near East: Iran (at thetime of the Iran-Iraq war), Iraq andJordan (2001-2006). In Jordan,particularly as a territory where theProphets, Moses, John the Baptistand finally Jesus had preached, I wasmarked by these unique bonds withSacred History. I never imagined that I wouldreturn to address them with an appointment ashead of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem. It is like returning to a’ love’ that hasnever been forgotten.

On the day of your appointment, comments onsocial media referred to the office of GrandMaster of the Order as an ‘honorific’ title. Howwould you like to respond to this statement?More generally, in what way is membership inthe Order not simply an honour?I think the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of

Jerusalem develops two dimensions, which remainlargely unknown even to the media. The Orderundoubtedly has a centuries-old history. Yet notgoing beyond it is reductive and, in any case,incomplete. Today the Order is a large family of

volunteers (30 thousand), scattered all across theworld, who, through their own voluntarycontribution, ensure that the Holy Land and theplaces most sacred to Christianity do not becomelifeless museums, rather that they have life. Thistakes place on two levels: the first is related to theChristians who live there; in this sense, thedonations of the Members of the Order go tosupport poor families, primary and secondaryschools, Bethlehem University, health careinstitutions, and today refugees. The second is toencourage pilgrims from all over the world to visitthe most sacred places on pilgrimage and helpthem receive a suitable welcome. This is inharmony with the Catholic Patriarchate ofJerusalem, which has authority over Israel,Palestine and Jordan. In short, to speak of“honorific order” is misleading.


“To speak of an ‘Honorific Order’is misleading”

Meeting with Cardinal Fernando Filoni,new Grand Master of the Order

Your vast experience in the service of theChurch is fortunate for the Order, above allbecause you know the Middle East, havingbeen Nuncio to Jordan, Iraq and Iran. Whatvivid memories do you have of this part of theworld and how do you think the Order cancontribute to promoting peace there in the longterm?Peace is the fruit of collaboration between the

parties involved. It is frustrating if you work for itand often see it compromised. However, peace isnourished by respect for the rights of all: Mythoughts particularly go to the people who live inthe Holy Land (but the same can be said for thewhole Middle East). The problem begins whereprejudices of superiority, lack of historicalunderstanding, rejection of a complex reality thatbegs patience and dialogue from everyone areallowed to grow. If we think of the legacy of valuesthat unite us, Jews, Muslims and Christians, andnot only spiritually, we actually discover how muchwe are united and first of all the uniqueness of Godwho, as Father, has revealed himself in this land. AGod who does not have preferences (whilerespecting diversity) and in whose name onecannot fight and kill. The violent wars and enmitiesthat repeatedly bloody the Holy Land (and theMiddle East) can never find a justification in God,nor in a Land that primarily belongs to the God ofRevelation.

The Order is little known, and sometimes avictim of prejudice, while its mission in favourof the Mother Church in the Holy Land isessential. Eminence, what would you ask of the30 thousand members of the Order to helpcommunicate a better image of their vocationto holiness and the important service theyrender to the Church?Prejudices kill the truth. Not infrequently, they

also feed on ignorance. However, it is up to us, inparticular to the Members of the Order, to work todiminish them until, hopefully, they disappear. Ihope these words will also inspire the desire forbetter knowledge of the Order of the HolySepulchre. I would like to emphasize here that theOrder is not accessed through family or social

class. Today the Order welcomes people whoaccept and live the ideal of a Christian life that isrooted in an empty tomb, where the living, risenJesus is encountered. The life of a Knight and aDame is “Christological”, that is, centred on themystery of Jesus, according to the teaching of SaintPaul (1Cor 15:14): “And if Christ has not beenraised, our preaching is useless and so is yourfaith.” In addition, the most significantly concrete


The life of a Knight and a Dame is “Christological”,that is, centred on the mystery of Jesus, according tothe teaching of Saint Paul (1Co 15,14). Therefore,the members of the Order commit themselvesconcretely to the Holy Land in the service of their mostfragile and defenceless brothers and sisters.

point in their life lies intheir participation insupporting places, worksand brothers and sisters inneed of the Holy Land. The30 thousand members in theworld thus constitute a largefamily or, if you wish, a large“parish”.

The Order is a pontificalinstitution; therefore, itis intrinsically linked tothe Holy See. Whichevents of ecclesial lifewould you ask Knightsand Dames to beparticularly attentive toin order to increasinglywalk in communion withthe Universal Church?I will leave aside the

ancient historical origins.Indeed, the Order hasalways had the protection ofthe Apostolic See so muchthat in its reconstruction,Pius X (1907) himselfwanted to reserve the titleof Grand Master of theOrder. Then Pius XII(1940) passed the title to aCardinal, and so it hasremained until today. Thereis therefore an intimate bond between theApostolic See and the Order. For this reason, inaddition to the zeal for the Christian life of itsmembers, in addition to supporting the works ofthe Holy Land, there is also the principal aim ofthe propagation of the faith through personalwitness and the support of the rights of theCatholic Church in that Region in respect of therights due to any other entity that favours thepeaceful coexistence of all. Therefore, the Order issensitive to the teachings of the Supreme Pontiff inthis Region by developing harmony and support.

Interview by François Vayne


The members ofthe Order – whoregularly go onpilgrimage toplaces where Christdied and roseagain – fulfil themission ofspreading the faiththrough personalwitness of life, aswell as defendingthe rights of theCatholic Church inthe Holy Land.

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The Cardinal Grand Master appointed EnricMas as new Vice Governor General for

Central and South America, anewly created role. Mas feelsthat the keyword of hisposition is “service”: “Wherethere are no Lieutenancies it isquestion of encouraging andwhere there are Lieutenanciesit is question of being at theirservice providing support,”Mas said.

“Having been a Lieutenantbeforehand helps meunderstand the needs andexpectations because the issuesLieutenants deal with havebeen the same I myself

experienced as a Lieutenant,” he continued. TheVice Governor General for Central and South

America started his mandateat the end of June 2019 and hesees many opportunitiesahead. “Latin America is morethan a continent and offersgreat opportunities of growthin all fields and the Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre candefinitely go on developingthere.”


Two new membersof the Grand Magisterium

Two new membershave been

appointed part of theGrand Magisterium,the Grand Master’sinternational council,which meets twice ayear in Rome todiscuss current affairsrelating to the Order.Italian LeopoldoTorlonia dei Duchi diPoli e Guadagnolo(picture on the left) ispresident of the “Circolo San Pietro” – an association of solidarity with the poorest, founded in Rome in1869. Dominique Neckebroeck (picture on the right) is the Chancellor emeritus of the Lieutenancy forFrance and is very involved in the Order’s projects in the Holy Land. We wish them a fruitful activity,alongside Governor General Leonardo Visconti di Modrone and all those in charge of the Order.

Enric Mas appointed Vice Governor Generalfor Central and South America

The new Vice Governor Generalfor Central and South America,Enric Mas.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre ended theyear 2019 with particularly encouragingresults since the total of donations amounted

to a sum higher than the previous year: this willallow us to effectively support the Christianpresence in the Holy Land, especially through theworks and projects of the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem.

The collaboration with the Patriarchate isincreasingly solid and reliable: projects close topeople are being launched, especially thanks to theApostolic Administrator, Msgr PierbattistaPizzaballa’s appointment of Sami El-Yousef to thepost of chief executive officer three years ago.

At the Grand Magisterium, new and strictadministrative rules have made it possible toachieve substantial savings. In addition, newmembers of the Grand Magisterium and newLieutenants make a very constructive contributionto the activities of the Order. The coordinationaction of the Vice Governors has proved to be veryproductive and, with the appointment of a fourthVice Governor specifically dedicated to LatinAmerica, the Order will be able to develop in thislarge continent which is so important for the futureof the Church.

The problems of local organization in certainLieutenancies have been resolved and the situationwith the former Colombus hotel has finally beenclarified. Regarding this last point, an internationalcommission of the Grand Magisterium is in theprocess of selecting a new company to manage thebuilding, the proceeds of which will become anadditional source of aid to the Holy Land. In themeantime, numerous events have been organized atthe Palazzo della Rovere, such as FAI days ofItalian heritage, high-level conferences and charitydinners, for example, the one organized after theChristmas concert in the Vatican. Importantrestoration works have been carried out on thefrescoes of the main rooms.

The Order’s new constitution will soon beapproved by the Pope and a new Grand Master –

who knows the MiddleEast well – is now headof our pontificalinstitution.

I wish to offer arespectful and gratefulgreeting to the GrandMaster, His EminenceCardinal FernandoFiloni, who immediatelyafter his arrival lastmonth supported andencouraged me in mydaily work: this humble

task of mine benefits greatly from the attention andbenevolence with which he follows all we do. Iwould add that the recommendations he sharedduring our first meeting struck me deeplybecoming a guide and compass for my work: theparallel between our action in the Holy Land andthat of the Pontifical Mission Societies – where ourmission is carried out in the presence of peopleswith different confessions and complex situationsof suffering – it must not be “ad gentes” but “intergentes”, since wherever we operate we must


A fruitful yearThe five-year Consulta encouraged the activity of the Order

Accompanied by DonataKrethlow-Benziger,Lieutenant of theLieutenancy forSwitzerland, theGovernor GeneralLeonardo Visconti diModrone was invited tospeak on the Order onthe Italian Catholicchannel TV2000. Moreand more mass mediaare interested in theactivity of the Orderwhich deserves to bebetter known.

https://www.tv2000.it/ildiariodipapafrancesco/2019/11/07/trasformare-il-nostro-sguardo/

implement the values that distinguish us, theGospel values. This principle is very important anddetermines our entire charitable strategy: it focusestoday in the Holy Land on the formation of youngpeople, pastoral action and humanitarian activitiesin favour of those populations, beyond theirreligious faith, in order to keep alive the Christianpresence in the places where our Lord was born,

Central and Latin America form an immensecontinent with strong Christian roots thatdeserves every effort for greater

development and an authentic enhancement of thepresence of our Order. Unlike other geographicalareas, such as North America, Europe and Asia-Oceania, so far the South American continent hasnot benefitted from the coordination of a dedicateddirector in the Grand Magisterium.

In a sign of great favour, in order to enhance thepotential of this huge basin, the position of ViceGovernor for South America was created with theappointment of Enric Mas, former Lieutenant forEastern Spain.

The new Vice Governor was able toimmediately place his vast experience andinternational knowledge at the disposal of theconfreres of the Latin American continent,

lived, died and rose again, but also tofoster dialogue, peaceful coexistence andrespect, that is, the necessary premises fora future of peace in these tormented lands.To do this, our activities can be neitherepisodic nor disconnected, instead wemust adopt a precise methodology thatanalyses priorities and includes ameticulous planning of times and places.

It is clear to those responsible for theOrder that the 2018 Consulta hascontributed to most of the successesrecorded in 2019, optimizing the synergybetween the Grand Magisterium,Lieutenancies, members and friends of theOrder, through a more intense internal and

external communication.I congratulate all the protagonists of these

advances, encouraging each and every one tocontinue in this effort, in the fraternal spirit thatcharacterizes our family.

Leonardo Visconti di Modrone,Governor General

of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre


Strengthening the presence of the Orderin Central and Latin America

Towards the first meeting of Lieutenants for Central and South America

The Governor General in front of theentrance of the Basilica of the HolySepulchre, on the occasion of a pilgrimageto the Holy Land with the staff of the GrandMagisterium, in February 2019.

developing an action plan together with theGovernor General Leonardo Visconti di Modroneduring visits to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil in theSummer of 2019.

■ MEXICO

In Mexico the Lieutenancy had been labouringfor some time under a seemingly irreversible crisis.In December 2017, the visit of the Cardinal GrandMaster, the Lieutenant General and the Governor

General and the appointment of Gustavo RincónHernandez as regent, laid the foundations for aprocess of rebirth.

On July 29 the Governor General accepted theinvitation of the Lieutenant-Regent and went on avisit to Mexico City. There together with the GrandPrior, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, theyevaluated what had been accomplished to date anddiscussed the next steps to be taken. Consideringthe advanced age of Gustavo Rincón, particularattention was given to the modality of alternatinghis responsibilities with a younger but experiencedLieutenant, capable of carrying on the great projectof reconstruction and ensure its continuity. Thechoice fell on Guillermo Macías Graue – a polyglotprofessor, with international experience gained inprestigious universities such as, the Gregorian inRome, Salamanca and the Hebrew University ofJerusalem – who took the lead in November at theInvestiture ceremony of the Lieutenancy, whileGustavo Rincón, in recognition of the meritoriouswork performed, was appointed Lieutenant ofHonour. In commenting on the meeting with theGovernor General, Cardinal Rivera defined theprocess thus started as an authentic “resurrection”of the Lieutenancy.

■ ARGENTINA

On August 20-21, 2019, the Governor General,


The Governor General in Mexico City in summer2019, together with the then Lieutenant for Mexicoand his current successor.

The Governor General ata meeting in Buenos

Aires attended by Msgr.Héctor Aguer, Grand

Prior of the Lieutenancyfor Argentina (seated to

the right of the GovernorGeneral), along with two

ecclesiastics, LieutenantJuan Francisco Ramos

Mejía (standing next tothe Grand Prior) and Vice

Governor Enric Mas(seated on the right)

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accompanied by the Vice Governor General EnricMas, paid a visit to Argentina where he attendedthe Investiture ceremony in Buenos Aires officiatedby the Grand Prior Msgr. Héctor Aguer and metwith Lieutenant Juan Francisco Ramos Mejía andthe leaders of the Lieutenancy in that city. One ofthe objectives of this second journey was to placethe leaders of the Order in full harmony with theguidelines of the Grand Magisterium in Rome andwith the local episcopate, following the directives


The Investiture of new members of the Order in Argentina, Pope Francis’ country of origin, was one of the centralmoments of the visit of the Governor General to Latin America during the summer. The Knights and Dames ofArgentina wish to increasingly engage in the life of the local Church.

of the Holy Father. Communication difficulties didnot help in the recent past in the life of the Orderin Argentina, but in a conversation with theleaders of the local hierarchy, the premises werehopefully set for starting a more constructivedialogue.

Given the current moment of difficulty in thecountry, it seemed even more necessary to supporta greater participation of the members of theOrder in the activities of the respective dioceses.

■ BRAZIL

The Governor and the Vice Governor were inBrazil from August 22 to 24, 2019 where they metthe Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro Cardinal OraniJoão Tempesta, Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy.Together with him they examined in detail theissues relating to what is unquestionably thecountry with the greatest number of Catholics inthe world, and therefore deserving of specialattention.

The Governor and Vice Governor met Rio deJaneiro’s Lieutenant, Isis Cunha Penido and SaoPaulo’s Lieutenant, Manuel Tavares de AlmeidaFilho, discussing the prospects of opening newperipheral structures of the Order in the country,in order to boost the purposes of the Order of theHoly Sepulchre. The decision was also made toorganize a first meeting of all Latin AmericanLieutenants under the presidency of the newGrand Master.

■ A UNITARY STRATEGY

In addition to a strengthening of the presence ofthe Order in Brazil, the program of the GovernorGeneral and the Vice Governor General for LatinAmerica envisions visits to other countries in thearea in view of a concrete enlargement. The LatinAmerican continent must in fact be placed in asituation of absolute parity of importance with theother three geographical areas in which the Orderis active. For reasons of cultural and linguisticaffinity, it was decided that the Lieutenancy forMexico, previously included in the NorthAmerican area, becomes part of the new LatinAmerican formation, while continuing for now toparticipate as a guest in the meetings of the NorthAmerican Lieutenants, also in order to ensure aconnection and greater sharing. One of the mostinteresting aspects that emerged in the varioussectoral geographical meetings – and alwaysemphasized by the Governor General – is the needto foster the sharing of experiences betweenLieutenancies of different areas and therefore – byanalogy – between the four Vice Governors.

“The Order is one and it is right that thestrategy be unitary – said Governor GeneralVisconti di Modrone in one of his recentinterventions – but in implementing it we must alsocarefully consider local customs and traditions andabove all the different experiences. We must unitein feeling we are working to maintain the Christianpresence in the Holy Land, despite the difficultiesthe Church faces today, treasuring at the same timethe wealth of ideas and proposals that come to usfrom different corners of the earth.”

One strong suggestion that emerged from themeeting of the North American Lieutenants inHouston in May 2019, regarded the importance ofthe pastoral component and of the participation offamilies in spiritual activities. The EuropeanLieutenants who met in Rome emphasised thecharitable commitment and the realization ofprojects for the formation of young people in theHoly Land. Asian confreres gathered in Brisbaneconcluded that distance does not constitute ahindrance to collective participation in the Order’scharitable activities. The Grand Magisterium’sactive focus on Latin America is part of thisunifying context.


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In Brazil, the Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy forBrazil-Rio de Janeiro, Cardinal Orani João Tempestawelcomed the Governor General to talk togetherabout the testimony offered by members of the Orderin the largest Catholic country in the world accordingto the number of baptized.

Msgr. Tommaso Caputo was born inAfragola (NA) on 17 October 1950. Heattended the Archiepiscopal Seminary of

Naples and obtained a Licentiate in SacredTheology at the Theological Faculty of SouthernItaly, section “San Tommaso d’Aquino” (Naples).

He was ordained a priest on April 10, 1974 forthe Archdiocese of Naples, where he worked as aformator for high school seminarians (1973-1974),as vice-parish priest of the Parish of San Benedettoat the Arco Mirelli in Naples (1974-1976) andreligion teacher in State Schools (1973-1976).

A student of the Pontifical EcclesiasticalAcademy since October 1976, he hassimultaneously attended courses in Canon Law atthe Pontifical Lateran University and obtained a

Doctorate. At the service of the Holy See sinceMarch 25, 1980, he was Secretary of the ApostolicNunciature in Rwanda (1980-1984) and Assessor atthe Nunciature in the Philippines (1984-1987) andin Venezuela (1987-1989).

Called to the Vatican, he was responsible for theSecretariat of the Substitute Secretariat of Stateuntil June 19, 1993, when Pope John Paul IIappointed him Head of the Protocol of theSecretariat of State.

On September 3, 2007, His Holiness BenedictXVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Malta andLibya, elevating him to the archiepiscopal dignityand conferring episcopal consecration on him onSeptember 29, 2007 in the Papal Basilica of St.Peter in the Vatican. On November 10, 2012 Pope

Benedict XVI namedhim Prelate ofPompeii andPontifical Delegatefor the Sanctuary ofthe Blessed VirginMary of the Rosaryof Pompeii.


Archbishop TommasoCaputo, Assessor of theOrder, at the Marianshrine of Pompeii, inthe company ofArchbishop PierbattistaPizzaballa, ApostolicAdministrator of theLatin Patriarchate ofJerusalem, in early2020.

After the resignation of Msgr. Giuseppe Lazzarotto for health reasons,the Holy Father approved the Grand Master’s appointment of Msgr.Tommaso Caputo as Assessor of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre,

starting from September 2019.

Msgr. Tommaso Caputo, new Assessorof the Order


Two years after the death ofCardinal Andrea Cordero Lanzadi Montezemolo, the Grand

Magisterium of the Order of the HolySepulchre, where he held the role ofAssessor since 2001, recalled his figurein two gatherings held at the Palazzodella Rovere on November 18 and 19,2019.

On November 18 the conferenceentitled “Andrea Montezemolo:architect and herald of pontificaldiplomacy” had Archbishop PaulRichard Gallagher, Holy See Secretaryfor Relations with States, as keynotespeaker. Msgr. Tommaso Caputo,Prelate of Pompeii and PontificalDelegate for the Shrine of the BlessedVirgin Mary of the Holy Rosary ofPompeii, current Assessor of the Order introducedthe intervention. Below is a large excerpt of hisopening remarks:

“The life of Cardinal Andrea di Montezemolo,whose memory we want to celebrate today, wasastounding in its extraordinary intensity. OnNovember 20, 2017, the day after his transition toeternal life, Pope Francis remembered his’generous work in the pontifical representations ofdifferent countries, especially in Papua NewGuinea, Nicaragua, Honduras, Uruguay, Israel,Italy, where he devoted himself with wisdom to thegood of those peoples.’ It can truly be said that hewas a man of service to God, to the Church, tocontemporary humanity. And he was always a manof service, be it when he drafted his projects withpencils or the slide rule or when he sought dialoguewith rulers with the dedication and patience of abridge builder. He was among the architects of thehistoric agreement, signed in Jerusalem, December30, 1993, which normalized relations between theHoly See and Israel, the country to which he willbecame the first apostolic nuncio, a position heheld between 1994 and 1998. This document had

exceptional relevance,recognizing ’the uniquenature of relations betweenthe Catholic Church andthe Jewish people’ and ’thehistorical process ofreconciliation and growthin mutual understandingand friendship betweenCatholics and Jews.’”

Archbishop Caputo continued by evoking hispersonal memories of Cardinal Montezemolo. “Hehad a kindness and humanity that made him notonly a skilled diplomat, capable of immediateharmony with the interlocutors, but also a simpleman and always available to everyone.”

One could not fail to mention the cardinal’sdeep love and bond with the Land of Jesus. Msgr.Caputo recalled that the two places particularlydear to Cardinal Montezemolo in the city ofJerusalem were the Mount of Olives and theBasilica of the Holy Sepulchre where he celebratedthe Eucharist whenever possible. In an interviewpublished in the book Colloqui su Gerusalemme

Remembering Cardinal Montezemolo,Assessor of Honour of the Order

Assessor of Honour ofthe Order, CardinalMontezemolo hasmarked the history ofthe Church, inparticular havingbeen the architect ofthe very importantagreement betweenthe Holy See and theState of Israel, signedin 1993.

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(Edizioni Terra Santa, 2008), CardinalMontezemolo said that for him Jerusalem “is such acomplex of memories that every alley, every corner,every stone, every building tells us about the life ofJesus and his teachings. What is narrated in theGospels and in the Acts of the Apostles reminds usthat the Church was born there and from there itspread into the world.”

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher then tookthe floor sharing his memories and retracing salientfeatures of the life of Cardinal Montezemolo whomhe had known when he was nuncio to Uruguay.“Don Andrea appeared as a person of extraordinaryconstancy. He led an uninterrupted life, in whichone part seamlessly unfolded into the next. Even hisimportant career and vocational choices seemed theresult of a calm discernment devoid of dramas orcrises,” said Archbishop Gallagher.

Recalling not only his formal profession as anarchitect but also his philosophical and theologicalstudies, the English archbishop could not fail topoint out “when he devoted himself to a givenquestion, he committed himself with extraordinarydetermination and was constantly in search of thepractical applications of the knowledge heacquired.”

In his work, he has always shown himself to bevery rigorous and the Secretary for Relations withStates defines his style as “intellectuallydemanding.” “His method – he explained –consisted of gathering all of the elements thatconstituted the essential points of the problem, butwhich already contained the seeds of the solution.”

Cardinal Montezemolo’s long diplomatic careerled him to various regions of the world. Inparticular, in the Holy Land. “Msgr. Andrea arrivedin Tel Aviv as Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem andPalestine and left the country a few years later also

as first Apostolic Nuncioin Israel. Who wouldhave had the patience topursue such a goal?Who else would haveput together theelements that make upthe fundamentalAgreement between theState of Israel and theHoly See?” recalledArchbishop Gallagher atthe end of his speech.

E.D.


During a conference atPalazzo della Rovere,headquarters of theGrand Magisterium ofthe Order in Rome,Msgr. Paul RichardGallagher, Secretary forRelations with States,spoke about hismemories, retracing thehighlights of the life ofCardinal Montezemolo,whom he knew whenthe latter was nuncio toUruguay.


In January 2019, the new membersof the Grand Magisterium’s HolyLand Commission took office.

Scottish professor BartholomewMcGettrick replaced the AmericanThomas McKiernan at the head ofthis Commission, also constituted bythe Lieutenant emeritus for Germany,Detlef Brümmer and CynthiaMonahan, belonging to theNortheastern US Lieutenancy, ofwhich Cardinal Sean O ‘Malley isGrand Prior.

We wish to thank ThomasMcKiernan, on behalf of the GrandMagisterium, for the leadership workcarried out with competence andpassion, as well as for his role asconsultant in the new team.

In Spring and in Autumn, theCommission went to the Holy Landto follow the ongoing programs and meet theleaders of the Latin Patriarchate, as well as therepresentatives of pastoral, scholastic and healthlife. In March, welcomed by Mr. Sami El-Yousef,Chief Executive Officer of the Latin Patriarchate,the members firstly visited the Latin Patriarchate,met with representatives from the ProjectDevelopment, Financial, and Technical teams alongwith the catechism office before they left toinspect the on-going and finished projects that theOrder funded.

During their meeting at the Patriarchate, theydiscussed the proposed projects for the comingyears, which will focus on youth, scouts, pastoralwork, educational projects, humanitarian andinfrastructure needs.

Moreover, the HLC visited Jaffa of Nazarethand visited St. Rachel Centre in Jerusalem beforevisiting four families receiving support from theOrder. After a short stop at St. Louis Hospital, theyhad an audience with Archbishop PierbattistaPizzaballa.

The Commission had quality time with students

at Bethlehem University,the Latin PatriarchalSeminary in Beit Jala,and the youth in BeitSahour. They visited theHome of the Elderly inRamallah and met with

Fr. Iyad Twal, then Director of the LatinPatriarchate Schools in Palestine and Israel andother school directors. They ended their visitcelebrating the Sunday Mass with parishioners inOur Lady of Fatima parish in Beit Sahour. Finally,the Commission was received by the ApostolicNuncio, Msgr. Leopoldo Girelli.

During its latest on-site visit in September, theHoly Land Commission of the Grand Magisterium,focused on gaining first-hand knowledge of theprojects and meeting the people involved in variousactivities supported by the Order in Jordan. “Theparishes we visited vibrant and active. Theengagement of youth was a particularly pleasantaspect of our visits,” concluded Bart McGettrick,president of the Commission.

The new Holy Land Commission

Members of the HolyLand Commission in aschool of the LatinPatriarchate ofJerusalem supported bythe Order of the HolySepulchre.

The Orderand the Holy Land


The Latin Patriarchate projectsthat the Order will finance in 2020

In 2020, as every year, the Order of the HolySepulchre is committed to supporting the daily

life and special initiatives of the Latin Patriarchateof Jerusalem at various levels. Our primarycommitment benefits the institutional expenses ofthe Patriarchate, the help to its vast network ofschools and the seminary: the diocese ofJerusalem’s basic activity is ensured through about€ 600,000 sent each month. Alongside thissupport, the Order distributes aid on the groundthrough taking charge of a series of projects.

In 2020, a major project is expected to beconcluded which has involved the Order alongsidethe Patriarchate for the past 4 years for a total ofover € 1.5 million in funds: the construction of anew church in Jubeiha, a town in nearby Amman

with a growing Christiancommunity.

A further importantpart of the funds, around€ 1.2 million wasearmarked for the

salaries of teachers employed by the Patriarchate inPalestine (for their pension fund) and in Jordan(for an increase in salaries). In fact, in Jordan theState has significantly increased the salary ofteachers employed in public schools and thePatriarchate rightly feels the need to offer equalpay in so far as possible.

Given the important needs in the field ofhumanitarian aid and pastoral care, particularlydear to the heart of the Apostolic Administrator ofthe Patriarchate, Archbishop PierbattistaPizzaballa, the Order has also allocated almost 1million euros for these purposes.

Many medium and small projects have also been

360° support in the Holy LandThe discreet and continuous support of Knights and Dames

One of the projectsplanned for thecoming monthsconcerns thekindergarten inHashimi, Jordan.


scheduled for the comingmonths. Four medium-sizedprojects (for a total of around €500,000) involve majorrenovations: at the House of theSisters of the Rosary in Marqa, inJordan, and Beit Jala, inPalestine; in the youth center andchurch of Rafidia (Nablus,Palestine); at the Hashimikindergarten in Jordan for theconstruction of a new floor,intended for the sisters’ convent.

Finally, as in previous years,the Grand Magisterium is alsoinforming the Lieutenancies ofthe possibility of financing somesmall projects. This year, theproposed projects are 32 for atotal of around € 900,000 andinclude specific pastoralactivities, the purchase of technical and ITequipment for schools and Patriarchate services,small but fundamental renovations in someschools, churches or religious houses, capacitybuilding, leadership or empowerment programs fordifferent groups.

2020 projects in collaboration withReunion of Aid Agencies for theOriental Churches (ROACO)

ROACO is a Committee directed by theCongregation for the Oriental Churches that

brings together various support agencies. TheOrder has been collaborating with the committeefor years thus expanding its action to other realitiesin the Holy Land. In 2020, this collaboration willfocus on four projects for a total of approximately€ 220,000. Some Christian structures need majorrenovations to allow them to continue functioningand not be a risk to the people there. For example,one such project is to restore the veranda,bathroom and corridor in the home of theFranciscan Missionary Sisters of the ImmaculateHeart of Mary in the Aida refugee camp next toBethlehem. The nuns, present in the Holy Land

since 1885, built thishouse in the refugeecamp in 1961, whereabout 10,000 peoplelive. The conventcomplex also houses akindergarten attendedby 35 children.

Other renovationsconcern the two Greek-Catholic Melkite churchesof the Saviour (in Kfar Yasir) and of Our Lady (inKfar Cana), both in Israel.

Finally, another project aims to implement theneurology department at the Caritas Baby Hospitalin Bethlehem. This hospital, founded in 1953, is aCatholic institution that treats more than 50,000very young patients every year. Unfortunately, thefrequent marriages between blood relatives and theconsequent premature births and perinatalaccidents have led to an increase in neurologicaldiseases and congenital disorders. “The number ofneurological cases treated has grown 146% in thepast four years,” sadly confirms the hospital.Thanks to this project, it will be possible, amongother things, to install a long-termelectroencephalographic monitoring system (LTMEEG) that allows specialists to offer diagnoses thatare more accurate.

Another project supportedby the Order intends todevelop the neurologyservice of the CaritasBaby Hospital inBethlehem. This Catholichealth institution –founded in 1953 –annually treats more than50,000 very youngpatients.

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Looking back at what was donein 2019: the job creation programin Gaza

If this is what the members of the Order arecommitted to supporting in the coming months,

much has been done throughout 2019 and here wewant to tell you about just one of the many projectsthat have helped to give new hope to the localcommunity: the creation of work for younggraduates in Gaza.

Gaza is a strip of land with almost 2 millioninhabitants including 1200 Christians. There arejust over 100 Catholics left. The small Christianpresence suffers from the problems of the entirepopulation, including lack of work. Theunemployment rate among young people reachesalmost 70% and this makes daily life extremelydifficult with emigration almost an obligationrather than a choice.

For this reason, the Latin Patriarchate togetherwith the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, thanks tothe on-the-ground support of the parish of theHoly Family, has set up a job creation project innon-governmental organizations and privatecompanies for 20 young graduates who areemployed for 12 months from October 2018 toOctober 2019. The aim of the project was to “allowyoung Christians to enter the general labour

market in Gaza, not only that of Christianinstitutions and communities, to acquire a widerworking experience and an integral approach thatwill pave the way for professional growth andfuture development,” comments the LatinPatriarchate.

The young people were first offered an intensive14-day training course on communicationtechniques, team building, time management,preparation of reports and curricula, groupmanagement and leadership skills...

The twenty young people who were selectedwere employed in different institutions andcapacities according to their qualifications. YasminSamir Saba has a degree in Social Services andworked at the Gaza Mental Health Centre whileFouad Maher Ayad with a law degree worked at alaw firm. Three young people were hired byAl-Manara School as an English teacher, sports


Every year the Order also supports other Christian realities in the Holy Land such as, forexample, Bethlehem University, the school of the Sisters of the Rosary in Gaza, theHogar Niño Dios, La Crèche – Holy Family Children’s Home and the Effatà Institute inBethlehem. Visit our website to find more information on our projects.

The creation of jobsfor younggraduates in Gazahas given rise tonew hopes in thelocal community,which has beenparticularly tried.

science teacher and librarian, two young people atthe Aisha Association for Women and ChildProtection as project coordinator and IT manager.The latter, Elias Issa Fahho is a 31-year-old youngman who, after graduating, worked for 7 years withthe United Nations Relief and Employment Agencyfor Palestinian Refugees in the Near East(UNRWA). Unfortunately, the funds available tothis agency have decreased and, at the same time,Elias had become a father. Thanks to the project,he has been able to secure a salary for his familyduring those months and the association for whichhe has worked has been able to have a competentinternal resource for the management of IT systemsinstead of relying on external consultants.

Mayssa Issa Khouri is 26 years old and is aqualified pharmacist. Unfortunately, however, shedid not have opportunity to gain experience in thefield. During the project, she worked at the Azizpharmacy in Gaza. “Having a job gives me hope.Before I had this chance, I spent my time at homethinking about the difficult situation, now I thinkabout how to grow and improve my skills. Now Ifeel I have a purpose in life,” she said. Thedifficulty of these young people does not endeconomically with the receipt of a salary. For young

adults entering the job market it is important togrow professionally and feel that they arecontributing with their knowledge andcommitment to society. This was one of the fruitsof this initiative supported by the Order’sLieutenancy for Germany.

Mariam Tarazi worked at the PalestinianMedical Relief Society and sends her thanks tothose who made this experience possible: “I wouldlike to thank you for this project that has helped usdevelop our skills and deepen relations with civilsociety institutions.”

On the YouTube profile of the LatinPatriarchate, you can find a video with the thanksof Mariam and the other young people.

Additional funds have been allocated and theproject is continuing: most of these young peopleare continuing their collaboration with thestructures that have hired them and that haveaccepted to contribute partially to their salary. 10other young people began 12 months of workexperience in May 2019.

The good accomplished by the Order does notmake much noise but wishes to help sow the futureof the Church in the Holy Land

E.D.


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To teach about “the religious other”in the Holy Land

Teaching about the religious other in acomplex place like the Holy Land is animportant mission to favour mutual

knowledge and pave the way to dialogue and bettercoexistence.

Father David Neuhaus is the superior of theJesuit Community in the Holy Land. Son ofGerman Jews and born in South Africa, he was theformer Patriarchal Vicar for Hebrew-speakingCatholics for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.Since 2000 he has taught Judaism to Catholicseminarians and students at Bethlehem University

as well as in other academic institutions in Palestineand the Arab world. He recently published a bookin Arabic, entitled Judaism evolved among us: anintroduction to Judaism for Christian Arabs.

“Whereas in most places, students would knowlittle about Jews and Judaism and the challengewould be to educate them, in Palestine and in theArab world students know a lot about Jewsbecause of the ongoing political conflict. Of course,this knowledge is based upon hostility,” FatherDavid says. The risk is to limit one’s ownknowledge about Judaism to that and neglect “our

A Catholic priest teaching Judaism and an Israeli Jewteaching Christianity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnTZbvY7ewk

shared heritage, Christians and Jews, coming fromthe Scriptures of the Old Testament, and ourshared history, Christians, Muslims and Jews, overcenturies with good times and bad times as well asour shared religious, spiritual and cultural values,”he continues.

The book is structured as a textbook and isdivided into four parts: an introduction describingwho Jews are and why we should know aboutthem; a long chapter tracing the history of the Jewsfrom Biblical times until the modern age; a thirdchapter detailing the various aspects of the Jewishreligion; and finally a discussion of Jews in themodern world, including sections on Jewishdiversity, Jewish secularism, Zionism, Jews in theArab world and Jews in modernity. “This bookaims to teach respectfully about Jews and Judaismwithout ignoring the abyss that separates JewishIsraelis and Palestinians and Arabs because ofdecades of conflict over the Land that is known asHoly, sorely torn between Israel and Palestine,”Father David states.

With the Council Declaration Nostra Aetateissued in 1965, the Catholic Church inaugurated anew phase in its relationship with the Jewish worldand many steps have been made but we cannotforget that this is a relationship we have to carefullynurture. “Getting to know the other, especially asthe other sees himself or herself, is not only a richexperience but also an important part of ourmission as Christians. Called to love all, we mustknow them,” concludes Father David.

A few kilometres away, Hana Bendcowskyworks for the Rossing Center for Education andDialogue. Like Father David Neuhaus, Hana toohas been teaching about “the religious other” formany years. Coming from a Jewish backgroundand with a degree in Comparative Religions fromHebrew University, she educates Israeli Jews aboutChristianity and Christians in the Holy Land.There are many educational formats Hana and theRossing Center offer, ranging from annual orsemester academic courses in college for teachers,courses for the army units, adult-educationprograms, guided tours, as well as courses forgovernmental officers who need to know moreabout Christianity because, for example, theymight serve the Israeli State abroad and work withChristians there. “I also educate Christians who

come here but knownothing about localChristians, EasternChurches and the relationbetween differentchurches. I mainly givelectures on Christians inthe Holy Land or Jewish-Christian relations inIsrael,” says Hana.

In her courses Hana aims at helping peopleunderstand more about Christianity and todiscover the local presence of Christians. In herexperience she realized that two aspects areimportant to consider when Israeli Jews approachChristianity: a historical and a theological one.“When Israeli Jews see Christians, theyimmediately think about history, about the painfulrelations between Christians and Jews. It’s hard forthem to put the past aside and to relate to themembers of this faith group,” she states. As for thetheological aspect, Hana affirms: “Although weshare the same Scripture, we have differentinterpretations. Christianity is faith-based while inJudaism, if you follow the mitzvoth(commandments) it means that God is present in


Of Jewish origin andwith a degree inComparative Religionsfrom HebrewUniversity, HanaBendcowsky, whoworks for the RossingCenter for Educationand Dialogue, teachesChristianity to IsraeliJews.

your life and you don’t ask questionsabout faith – if it is strong or enough.These are not Jewish questions, we justask if you believe in God and what youdo about it.”

In her courses or guided tours,Hana continues presenting the life oflocal Christians. “Then we have toexplain that there are Christians here,who they are and what it means to be aChristian here. These people haveroots in this place, since the beginning ofChristianity, and they are not really connected withwhat happened to Jews in Europe. However, thetheological problem is still there and in the contextof the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to accept thatJesus was a Jew is challenging.”

When asked about the reason why she thinksthat it is important to teach about the religion of“the other” in Israel, Hana replies that it isthreefold: first of all, by learning about the other,you learn more about yourself; second, you cannotreally understand the Holy Land without knowingthe other religions. Third, “to help the Christianshere,” she says. “They are a minority within aminority and an important one which can bridgebetween East and West, between Arabs and Jewsand they are part of the Land. It’s like a paintingwith different colours: if you take one off, thepainting would not be beautiful, it will lose itsmeaning. So I think it is our responsibility as themajority, as Jews, to make sure that the Christianswould stay here. One of the ways to make theChristians comfortable here is by making sure thatpeople know who they are, what is their faith andidentity.”


“It’s not always easy, it does not happen to everyone,but changes do happen”

Hana Bendcowsky of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue teaches aboutChristianity. She shares: “I can definitely say that after one semester (28-hour course)

students change their opinion. In the first meeting in the course, students were supposed to takesymbols belonging to different religions and one student said that he couldn’t hold a cross in hishands. By the end of the course he said that it was no longer threatening for him because nowhe understood what it means.”

“Unfortunately –comments Hana – fewcourses are offered aboutChristianity in Israel andusually these are in thefield of history. Studentscan graduate atUniversity from thedepartment of History orCompared Religions andknow nothing aboutChristianity today.”Therefore, Hana works

with non-academic or semi-academic institutionsor college for teachers to promote education aboutother religions and favour encounters. In herguided tours in the Christian quarter, she likes to“create encounters and bring people to meetChristians. It might sound strange but it’s rare foran Israeli Jew to meet a Christian.” “Wherever wework we discover that people are eager to study,very curious, and institutions are very pleased toinclude these programs in their curriculum,” sheconcludes.

Elena Dini

“Getting to know theother, especially as theother sees himself orherself, is not only arich experience butalso an important partof our mission asChristians. Called tolove all, we must knowthem,”says FatherDavid Neuhaus,author of a recentlypublished book onJudaism for ChristianArabs.

Since its re-foundation in1847, Popes andEuropean Catholics have

always supported the LatinPatriarchate of Jerusalem, notonly through monetarydonations, but also with worksof art and liturgical objects.Aware of the historical andspiritual importance of thesedonations, ArchbishopPizzaballa wanted to draw upan inventory. Sensitized byCharles-Edouard Guibert-Røed, cultural projectsmanager for the Patriarchatein the years 2017-20181, hecontacted the author of thisarticle – a specialist inliturgical art2 – and a youngexpert in religious metalwork,Gaël Favier.3 A one-weekassignment in February 2019made it possible to compile aninventory of the various workspreserved in the co-cathedraland in the Patriarchate.4

This inventory – consistingof almost 400 pieces – bringstogether all the works of art ofthe Patriarchate: artisticmetalwork in gold, silver and bronze, fabrics,paintings, portraits of the Patriarchs and historicalfinds. These works are found in the palace,cathedral and sacristies. Reflecting the style ofEuropean artists and artisans of the period, theyalso represent a testimony of the Western Catholiccommunity’s support for the Patriarchate and LatinCatholics of the Holy Land. The members of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre rank first amongdonors.

THE CO-CATHEDRAL AND ITS LITURGICALFURNISHINGS

The generosity of European Catholics hasprimarily focused on the co-cathedral, the seat ofthe Patriarch. Msgr. Valerga has advocated the


The Latin Patriarchate’s Art CollectionBy Bernard Berthod, Director of the Fourvière Museum

of Religious Art (Lyon)

High altar of the co-cathedral, embossed and gildedbronze and copper, Placide Poussielgue-Rusand, Paris,around 1870.

construction of a new venue since 1860, since theofficial cathedral – the basilica of the HolySepulchre – is difficult to use for large ceremonies,given the proximity of other cults and its small size.The co-cathedral is named after the Most HolyName of Jesus. The foundation stone was laid in1862, while Archbishop Valerga consecrated it tenyears later (11 February 1872), celebrating the 25th

anniversary of his episcopal consecration. Manyartists and benefactors contributed: the wallpaintings are by Vincenzo Pacelli, the organs aremanufactured by Bassani of Venice, the choirsculptor comes from the Parisian school of DésiréFroc-Robert, the four polychrome terracottastatues – depicting St. John the Baptist, St. Jamesthe martyr, Saint Louis of France and Saint Helen –were given as a gift by the Belgian Knights of theHoly Sepulchre in 1884. A statue of theImmaculate Conception – attributed to the chiselof the Lyonese Joseph Fabisch – stands near thealtar of the Holy Spirit.

Two works of great importance – the main altarand the pulpit – come from the studio of theParisian goldsmith Placide Poussielgue-Rusand.Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria donated the neo-

Gothic high altar in 1869. The gilded bronzecomplex features an all-round technique withembossing. Melchizedek and Aaron arerepresented on the sides of the tomb: on the front,next to the great Austro-Hungarian heraldicweapons, the Annunciation, the Marriage of theVirgin and the Visitation. The step is adorned withthe busts of apostles and disciples: John Baptist,Judas Thaddeus, Bartholomew, James, Andrew,John, Thomas and the deacon Stephen. The doorof the tabernacle with the lamb on the book of theseven seals surrounded by the tetramorph wascreated by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Six candlesticksand four neo-Gothic reliquaries complete thework.

The neo-Gothic pulpit is made of carved andpainted wood. The drum features some bas-reliefsdepicting Christ surrounded by the fourevangelists. Below the pulpit, there are four shieldswith the decorations received from Poussielgue-Rusand and his trademark: the coats of arms ofGiuseppe Schedoni di Camiazzo, Auguste andEugène Baron, as well as Joseph Crépin du Havelt,the latter as donors.

THE DIFFERENT COLLECTIONS

The liturgical goldsmithery with over 200 piecesmakes up the majority of the collection. It comesfrom various European countries, with Italianpredominance. We noticed some French, Belgian,German and Spanish works. Among these, we candistinguish anepiscopal chapeldonated by Pius IXto Msgr. Valerga, abeautifulprocessional cross bythe Parisiangoldsmith MarieThierry, amonumentalmonstrance byPoussielgue-Rusand


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Pulpit.

Patriarchalprocessional cross,

Marie Thierry, silver,Paris, around 1862.

conceived by Viollet-le-Duc, chalices of the firsthalf of the nineteenth century, Palestinianhandicrafts, as well as numerous reliquaries and alarge batch of bronze altar works.

The pontifical insignia or pontificalia thatbelonged to the various Patriarchs make up asignificant part of the patrimony. These areessentially pectoral crosses, pastoral rings, smallcandlesticks – including that of Msgr. Valerga madeby the goldsmith Antonio Belli (Rome, 1860-1867)and two pastoral crosses donated by the Knights ofthe Holy Sepulchre of Cologne and Catalonia. Inthe textile sector, there are several mitres –including that of Patriarch Bracco, dalmatics andpontifical gloves.

SOME FAMOUS WORKS OF ART

The episcopal chapel donated by Pope Pius IXto Patriarch Valerga is his own chapel, built in thePapal States at the beginning of the 19th century. Itwas given as a gift to Giovanni Maria MastaiFerretti, on his consecration as bishop of Imola onJune 3, 1827. Pius IX gave it to the Patriarch, afterhaving consecrated it in the Pauline Chapel of theQuirinale palace, on October 10, 1847. The chapelis made up of twenty silver pieces of the FirstEmpire style: chalice, paten, ewer and basin, peacetablet, ciborium, small candlestick, cruets, bell,tonsure scissors, pastoral, aspersorium, readingstick and six trays. The sacred objects are arrangedinside a wooden case covered with blue silkdamask, the cover of which bears a silver plaque

with the arms ofPope Mastai. Thisgift attests to theimportance thatPius IX attachedto therefoundation ofthe Latin

Patriarchate and the esteem he had for GiuseppeValerga.

The pastoral donated by the Knights of theprovince of Cologne was made by the goldsmithGabriel Hermeling in 1862 in the neo-Gothic style,then widespread in Western Europe. Cologne hasbeen an active centre of liturgical art, withnumerous goldsmiths, silversmiths and artisans.The pastoral in gilded silver is covered withenamelled decorations; the volute of the curvedend contains an Adoration of the Magi. Insidespecial niches, there are Saints Helen, James theElder, Maurus, Severus, James the Younger andGideon, with the arms of the Order of the HolySepulchre. The shaft is embellished with amedieval bestiary in fluted enamel.5

The box – donated by the members of theAlliance catholique and the future CardinalLangénieux to Patriarch Bracco – was made by theLyon goldsmith Thomas-Joseph Armand-Calliataround 1885. This goldsmith – in business from1853 to 1901 – is renowned for his qualityproduction and wonderful glazes. He worked forPopes Pius IX and Leo XIII, as well as for manycardinals and bishops. His works can be admiredin the great European sanctuaries: Rome, Paris,Lourdes, La Salette, Lorette, Fourvière, andMarseille. The Alliance catholique is a Frenchassociation founded in 1882 by Abbots Augustinand Joseph Lehmann, canons of Lyon, for the“defence of the rights of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, inorder to oppose the anti-clericalism of the French


Chapel donatedby Pius IX to

PatriarchValerga, silver,

Italy, around1810.

Pastoral donated bythe Knights of theHoly Sepulchre ofCologne, G.Hermeling, silver andenamels, Cologne,1862.

government.The iconography that adorns the box traces a

parallel between the new Catholic growth – dear tothe members of the Alliance, before the anti-clerical republican government – and the historicalcrusade started by Urban II. The central medallionshows the Pope in the centre between BlessedPeter the hermit and Saint Louis holding the crownof thorns. Two mottos are legible one in front ofthe other: Dieu le veut (God wills it), the rallyingcry of the first crusaders and the motto of theEquestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre ofJerusalem, as well as Nous voulons Dieu (We wantGod), to tell of the oppression suffered by

Catholics in France at that time. You can alsonotice the banner of the Alliance catholique thatpierces “the infamous beast”. In addition, threeflowers represent three important Frenchpilgrimage sites: a daisy for Paray-le-Monial, a lilyfor Reims and a rose for Fourvière.

The aforementioned collection of artisticobjects attests to the support brought to the LatinPatriarchate by European Catholics and inparticular by the members of the Order of the HolySepulchre, from the outset, following the exampleof Blessed Pius IX. In order to enhance thissupport, it would be desirable to plan a restorationcampaign, since numerous works need it, especiallythe two pastoral and the candlestick of Pius IX.The restored works could be presented to pilgrimsand even become the subject of a travelingexhibition taking in the various Lieutenancies.

Illustrations © Gaël Favier

1 Historian and Director of the Notre-Dame school inVineuil (Loir-et-Cher department).

2 Director of the Museum of Religious Art ofFourvière (Lyon), emeritus consultor of the PontificalCommission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church,Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the HolySepulchre.

3 PhD student at the School of Higher Studies, Paris.4 https://www.lpj.org/posts/latin-patriarchate-of-

jerusalem-a-rediscovered-liturgical-heritage-5e4760b36e8b4.html

5 On the staff, the inscription reads: PATRIARCHALIHIEROSOLYMATANAE / DEDICATE OC PEDUMSOCIETAS / SANCTI SEPULCRI COLONIENSISMDCCCLXII.


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Alliancecatholiquebox, Armand-Calliat, gildedsilver andenamels, Lyon,around 1885,detail of thecentralmedallion.

A view of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem where the collections described in this article are housed.

https://www.lpj.org/posts/latin-patriarchate-of-jerusalem-a-rediscovered-liturgical-heritage-5e4760b36e8b4.html

Order of the Holy SepulchrePapal Equestrian Orders

Order of MaltaItalian Dynastic Orders and Orders of the Italian Republic

We had the opportunity to tell the story ofthe presence of the Order in Malaysia inour publications last year (Newsletter 53,

page XIX).Despite the distance from the Lieutenancy of

origin for Australia – Western, the members of theSection of Penang, Malaysia, established inFebruary 2019, have had some opportunities thisyear to meet with the Australian members of theirLieutenancy.

In November 2019, 23 Australian members(Western Australia) left for a 15-day pilgrimage tothe Holy Land, during which they walked in thefootsteps of Jesus, deepened the Word of God andvisited places of pilgrimage and charity that theOrder supports. During these days, the pilgrimshad the joy of meeting in Jerusalem with a group of40 pilgrims from Malaysia, including various

Knights and Dames, led by Fr. Michael Cheah,Commander of the Order. An opportunity to growin mutual knowledge and in communion lived inparticular in the Land of Jesus which reminds theKnights and Dames of their call.

Julian Liew, Dame ofthe Penang Section, saysthat this first pilgrimageto the Holy Land was“enlightening andspiritually beneficial.”These days have been anopportunity for her todwell more deeply on herfaith and question herselfon God’s plan for her. “Iam so grateful for this trip... it opened my eyes,” she


The Lieutenancy for Western Australiaand opportunities to meet withits Malaysian members

Australian membersof the Order whowent on a pilgrimageto the Holy Land hadthe joy of meeting agroup of 40 pilgrimsfrom Malaysia inJerusalem, includingvarious Knights andDames: anopportunity to growin mutual knowledgeand in livedcommunion followingJesus.

The Lifeof the Lieutenancies

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/oessh/newsletter/news-letter53_en.pdf

concluded.A few months later, another occasion brought

together the members of the Lieutenancy forWestern Australia from the two continents: the firstInvestiture of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre inPenang in Malaysia. The Church of the ImmaculateConception in Penang was the setting for thishistoric event on January 18 and 19, 2020. TheMalaysian members (from the states of Perak andPulau Pinang) were joined by 15 AustralianKnights and Dames, first of which the Lieutenantfor Western Australia, Kevin Susai, alsoaccompanied by his predecessor, Lieutenantemeritus Jack Gardner.

Over the past few years, 25 Malaysian membershave been invested in Perth, Australia. In January,19 new members (7 Knights and 12 Dames) joinedtheir ranks driven by love for the Holy Land andeager to commit themselves to charitable supportto local communities. Therefore, to date thePenang Section, in this Muslim majority countrywhere Christians represent 9% of the population,

has 44 members.The joy of the Knights and Dames of this Asian

nation is that of being able to grow together in faithand join the 30,000 members of the Order in othercontinents to carry forward what, in his speech tothe members of the 2018 Consulta, Pope Francisdefined as “the many spiritual and charitableactivities you carry out for the benefit of thepeoples of the Holy Land.”

The Holy Father also wanted to remember how“it is a good sign that your initiatives in the field oftraining and health care are open to all, regardlessof the communities they belong to and the religionthey profess. In this way you help pave the way tomake Christian values known, to the promotion ofinterreligious dialogue, mutual respect and mutualunderstanding.” This attention to religiousdiversity is therefore a clear approach of the Orderin the Holy Land and in this, surely, the dailyexperience of respect and collaboration of theMalaysian members with their Muslim countrymenis an additional richness. E.D.


Young volunteers at the serviceof hope in the Holy Land

“Two years ago the Lieutenancy made itspilgrimage to the Holy Land with the new

Lieutenant José Carlos Sanjuán y Monforte andpart of his family, including his son Lucas, andthree other boys, sons of a future Knight who

would soon enter the Order. During the journeythe idea was born to organize a pilgrimage gearedtowards an experience of volunteering that would

allow the youngest to learn first-hand about theHoly Land and the work of the diocesan church

and the religious organizations that are present inthe Holy Places supporting Christians and the

neediest among the population.” These are thewords of María José Fernández y Martín, Dameof the Lieutenancy for Western Spain, describinghow the foundations were laid for the magnificent

experience shared in July 2019 by 13 youngpeople (4 boys and 9 girls) whom she

accompanied to the Holy Land for two weeks ofpilgrimage and volunteering.

“We had to prepare a program thatwould combine work andpilgrimage. For most of the young

people it was their first contact with the HolyLand. As a first experience, it was clear for theLieutenancy that it had to be a special momentthat would allow us to open a promising path forthe future from a human and spiritual point ofview, uniting Christian values with putting theminto practice in a real and active way,” commentedMaria José.

Close to the children of Bethlehem

Of the 13 volunteers, the 5 youngest girlsvolunteered at La Crèche, an orphanage inBethlehem run by the Sisters of Charity of SaintVincent de Paul while the remaining 8 youngpeople offered their service to the Hogar NiñoDios, an institute of the Religious Family of the

Incarnate Word thatwelcomes children withdisabilities. Bothinstitutions are longstanding beneficiaries ofthe support of the Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre.

There are about 60 children between 0 and 5years old at La Crèche. “When we arrived, a babyborn in the 7th month and abandoned was justentering the orphanage. His lungs, still unable tobreathe on their own, needed oxygen and, in hiscradle at the crèche, his little body battled to openup to life. Together with this new-born, anotherdozen children were under 6 months old ...everyone was waiting for a caress, a gesture ofaffection that made them feel loved ...”, said MariaJosé, adding that at the end of the volunteerperiod, the 5 volunteer girls had been affectionatelynicknamed “Crèche Ladies”.

The other destination for our volunteers lies ashort walk from the Basilica of the Nativity: theHogar Niño Dios. The sisters immediatelysuggested the best attitude to have to reallyexperience the time spent at the Hogar: “an openheart, a smile on your lips and a great desire toaction.” The children of the Hogar need a lot ofattention and the boys have helped both with thechildren as well as with the daily activities ofmanaging the house: cleaning, washing, organising,helping in the kitchen and in the pantry. Amongthe many special moments, Maria José points to the

party celebrated on the final day.“When the volunteers finish their time at the

Hogar there is a big party. Then Sister Nivesattaches her cell phone to an amplifier and puts acompilation of happy songs that children reallylove. Each child chooses a volunteer, entrustshimself/herself to him/her arms and dances. Eventhose who can move on their own choose avolunteer to join hands and make their own funand tender choreographies. How can we truly givea value to moments such as these? How can youdescribe the laughter of a child or baby whoselimitations are so great that they can barely movealone? How can you describe witnessing the joy ofa child whose deformation is a permanent risk tohis life? After you have danced with one of theselittle ones, everything changes. In that embrace alldistances are erased. There is a perfect fusion ofhearts and unconditional love. That child will beyour friend forever. You will remember them inyour prayers and you will know that, for them,God blesses you in every prayer.”

Fernando Elias Perez Esteban Picazo, one of theyoung volunteers, says: “This experience was a giftfrom the Lord. It was especially wonderful to beable to be with the children that the sisters take careof. Although many could not speak, they saideverything with their eyes. Theirs is a look of love,joy, simplicity. A look that thanks you for every littledetail. Their eyes look just like how God looks atus in this world: loving and hoping to be loved.There are so many things to learn from them.”


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In addition toworking asvolunteers, youngpeople alsoexperienced the joyof being pilgrims.

Pilgrims in the footsteps of Jesus

Besides being volunteers, these young peoplealso had the joy of being pilgrims. The first threedays in the Holy Land were days of pilgrimage inGalilee based in Nazareth, a few meters from theBasilica of the Annunciation, in one of the housesof the Sisters of the Rosary.

We turn again to Fernando who describes hisexperience in the basilica: “This was the mostspecial place for me. Sitting there was like beingpresent at the time of the annunciation. I caughtmyself thinking how God had entrusted a task ofsuch great importance to Nazareth, to a girl wholived in such a modest house. But it is precisely inthis that we see the greatness of God: he looks atthe heart. And in the heart of Mary found a joyfulyes, a total abandonment to His love.”

On arriving in Bethlehem, which was their basefor the remaining days of volunteering, someafternoons and evenings were dedicated to visitingthe holy places in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Inparticular, the night between July 8 and 9, a groupof 5 volunteers accompanied by Maria Joséremained in prayer inside the Basilica of the HolySepulchre. “From 10 to midnight we were able tostay and pray inside the aedicule. The rest of thenight we were in various holy places. We haveprayed together and devoted time to personalprayer,” said Maria José. A few hours later, thegroup was preparing for another uniqueexperience: to celebrate the Eucharist inside theaedicule of the Holy Sepulchre. “It is not easy todescribe the emotion they each experienced whilewe were in the place of the resurrection celebrating

the Eucharist. They were 25 intenseand emotion-filled minutes andeveryone gave thanks to God forhaving had this opportunity,”explained Maria José with joy.

At the end of the pilgrimage, thegroup of volunteers of theLieutenancy for Western Spain,together with a group of volunteers

organized by the Lieutenancy for Portugal (that isrunning the volunteer initiative for the third year)had the opportunity to visit the Latin Patriarchateand spend time with Archbishop Pizzaballa whowanted to hear about the experience that theseyoung people had lived and who also told themabout the Christian presence in the Holy Land andabout the Order’s activities.

“A before and after in my life”

Nuria Garcia had already been in the HolyLand but “through the needs of others I felt veryclose to Jesus. It was an unforgettable pilgrimagethat undoubtedly marked a before and after in mylife. Now I understand much better why they callthis Earth the Fifth Gospel.“

Sergio Hallado initially did not want to gowhen the volunteer pilgrimage was first proposedto him. He had various reasons, including theeconomic aspect. But a solution was found thanksto the generosity of many. At the end of theexperience he commented: “I can only say threewords about the trip: unique, unforgettable andemotional. And this not only for the experienceitself but for the other people in the group whom Ialready miss tremendously. I would like to take thisjourney again, it changed my way of seeing thingsand, even more than that, it changed my life. Now Iam more patient and more helpful. This is why Iwish to say to all those who have lived thisexperience with me and to those who organized it:THANK YOU EVERYONE, FROM THEBOTTOM OF MY HEART!”

Elena Dini


During a voluntary activity withchildren in one of the institutessupported by the Order in theHoly Land.

The idea of this meeting was born a few yearsago, on the initiative of the then ViceGovernor General of North America – the

current Vice Governor General of Honour PatrickPowers – and of the Canadian Lieutenants. It wasan absolute challenge for the scope of such anevent and it was the first mission I had to carry outas a new Lieutenant for Canada-Montreal,nominated in September 2018.

In addition to the Vice Governor General ofNorth America, six out of nine United StatesLieutenants participated in this historic Investitureheld in Montreal.

History shows that the first diocese of NorthAmerica was created in the city of Québec(founded in 1608 by the French explorer Samuelde Champlain), in New France. In 1658, SaintFrançois de Montmorency Laval was its firstApostolic Vicar. American and Canadian Catholicsrecognize that their Catholic origin actually datesback to New France.

The Vigil of Arms took place in the crypt of theSaint-Joseph Oratory, next to the tomb of ourbeloved “Frère André” (Saint André Bessette). Itwas presided by Msgr. Christian Lépine, GrandPrior of the Canada-Montreal Lieutenancy, assistedby His Eminence Cardinal Thomas ChristopherCollins, Grand Prior of the Canada-Toronto

Lieutenancy. On Sunday September 28, the Investiture

ceremony took place in the Cathedral Basilica ofMarie-Reine-du-Monde-et-SaintJacques-le-Majeur,under the guidance of the then Grand Master,Cardinal Edwin O’Brien. During the grandcelebration, a bishop and four priests received theInvestiture, along with fifteen Knights and sixteenDames. The Canadian Lieutenancies now have


A national Investiture gathers Kinghtsand Dames from across Canada

At the end of September 2019,a unique and unprecedented

event in the history of theOrder took place in Montreal.

For the first time, the fiveLieutenancies of the country –

Canada Montreal, Canada-Quebec, Canada-Toronto,

Canada-Vancouver andCanada-Atlantic – all joined

for a Canadian NationalInvestiture of their new 36

members.

Luc Harvey, Lieutenant for Canada-Montreal, hostedthe first major meeting of the Order’s Lieutenancies inCanada, in the presence of Archbishop Pizzaballa,Apostolic Administrator of Jerusalem.

thirty-six new members; of which we can be proud. After the Investiture, at the gala dinner that

brought together 220 guests, we had the privilegeof listening to our Grand Prior, who congratulatedthe Canadian Lieutenancies for such success. Hesaid he was very happy to have been able to attenda unique event in the history of the Order inCanada and thanked all the participants for thewelcome, reiterating his congratulations to the newmembers.

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

In retrospect, we are pleased to notethat the presence in Montreal ofnumerous members of the United Statesand Canada at this historical moment

shows that the Order is more alive than ever inNorth America. All Lieutenancies joined togetherunder the guidance of the then Grand MasterCardinal O’Brien, the Grand Magisterium, andVice Governor General Tom Pogge. This showsthat a bright future awaits our Order: it is a greatsource of hope for continuing to support ourChristian brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.

Luc HarveyLieutenant for Canada-Montreal


For Knights and Dames, the Orderrepresents a family and the Holy Landa second home

Donata Krethlow-Benziger – a doctoratein philosophy and head of the Lieutenancy

for Switzerland and the Principality ofLiechtenstein – tells us of the fraternalbonds intertwined between the various

Lieutenancies, thanks to the love for theHoly Land and its inhabitants. The

annual Investiture ceremonies in whichmembers of other Lieutenancies

participate encourage the family spirit inthe Order, at the service of the Mother

Church which is in Jerusalem.

In 2019, I was lucky enough to participatein three Investiture ceremonies abroad,specifically in Frankfurt, Milan and New

York. Even in previous years, it had been myhonour to attend other Investitures in Paris,Bordeaux, Ireland, Scotland and Austria, aswell as several times in Germany. I felt aparticular happiness in being able to go to theNew York ceremony with my twenty-year-oldson Carl Emmanuel. In all Lieutenancies, wehave always received a very warm and familiarwelcome. Although foreigners, we werehosted with open arms in the variouscommunities, as if it were obvious and natural,as if we had long belonged to each

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, whichoffers many lay faithful a path of holinessthrough prayer and the service of others, ismore alive than ever in North America.

Lieutenancy. This proves that we form a largefamily, not only within our specific Lieutenancies,but also beyond borders, oceans and continents.The 2018 Consulta had in particular demonstratedthis special solidarity between us.

It is interesting to note national differences andpeculiarities, in the spirit of “unity in diversity”.However, unity prevails, thanks to the directives ofthe liturgical ceremonial of the Grand Magisteriumand, therefore, through our universal RomanCatholic Church.

The visits of representatives from foreignLieutenancies on the occasion of ourInvestiture ceremonies also represent animmense honour and pleasure. It iswonderful to offer a friendly welcome,show the country to the honourableguests, celebrate the Investitures togetherand welcome new members to the Order.How many friendships were born as aresult of these mutual visits and how manycontacts remain forever!

What predominates during ourcelebrations are the faith and love of theChurch, as well as the particular solidaritywith the Christians in the Holy Land.Since the founding of the EquestrianOrder, all the Popes have entrusted theseChristians to our personal concern. During

the Investiture, everyone promised to support theirbrothers and sisters in the Holy Land. We feelconnected to them through our projects, but alsothrough prayer.

The Holy Land represents a second homeland

Projects that foster coexistence and dialogueform a basis for supporting peace in the HolyLand. The commitment of the Order – especially inthe field of education – contributes to ensure thatpeople of different origins and religions learn tolive in mutual respect, that is, in peace, freedomand justice. All this in the land where God becameman, lived, died, where he rose and ascended toheaven.

Taking on my responsibility within the Order isan important task and the radiant gaze of thepeople who can benefit from our support is a gift. Iwill never forget the happiness and gratitude ofthose I met during my many visits to the HolyLand. For us Knights and Dames, the Holy Landactually represents a second homeland. When wego there, we go “home.” This is why travel to theHoly Land is of such importance: it allows us to getto know the country and its inhabitants better,loving them more.


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During 2019, the Lieutenant for Switzerland was luckyenough to participate in three Investiture ceremoniesabroad (here, in Milan).

Investiture in New York, in the presence of theGovernor General. “In all Lieutenancies, we havealways received a very warm and familiar welcome,”says Donata Krethlow-Benziger.

Among the most important objectives of themembers of the Order is spiritual work aimed atmaking us progress along the personal pathtowards holiness. The Spirit of God acts in prayerand in regular participation in the sacraments. Inhis Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, theHoly Father Pope Francis affirms that “themeasure of holiness is given by the stature thatChrist reaches in us ... with the strength of theHoly Spirit”. As Knights and Dames, we must face

this inner spiritualcommitment, aboveall to make ourselvesguarantors of dialogueand justice in theHoly Land.

Aware of oursecular tradition and

of the history of the Order, it is essential toconsciously accept this mission towards Christiansin the Holy Land and give God a face of love, sothat we all become to become credibleambassadors of the resurrection of Christ. As theSecretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin saidrecently: “It could be said, in all truth, that themembers of the Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre – both the Knights and the Dames – arelike the ‘ambassadors’ of the Holy Land”.


The places of the theophany

In December 2019, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi,president of the Pontifical Council for Culture,joined the Roman members of the Order of the

Holy Sepulchre for the customary Advent retreat,during which he offered a conference focused onthe theme of the presence of God. “In thisreflection I wish to exalt some places of thetheophany: where we must encounter God, whereHis epiphanies are celebrated, where we feel Hispresence,” indicated Cardinal Ravasi at thebeginning of his address. The following passagesare a summary of the key points covered in thismeditation.

First place of encounter: The Word

Within the Bible, the Word is fundamental. Thebeginning of creation took place through a“sonorous” event: “God said ‘Let there be light’and there was light” (Gen 1:3). The history of thepeople of God is always linked to the Word. WhenMoses has to summarize the experience on MountSinai, he does so with a verse which CardinalRavasi translated as follows: “Then the Lordspoke to you out of the fire. You heard the soundof words but saw no form; there was only a voice”(Dt 4:12). God is a Word and has all the

A meditation for the Order by Cardinal Ravasi

The Investiture in Milanwas an occasion for theLieutenant forSwitzerland to prayduring the celebrationswith her confreres andsisters.

characteristics of the weakness of the Word butalso, at the same time, its extraordinary strengthand effectiveness.

The New Testament is placed in the same lineand also begins, in the Gospel of John, with theWord – “In the beginning was the Word” (Jn 1:1) –narrating its greatness to arrive at the incarnation.

Let us return to knowing, listening to andmeditating on the Word. In the apostolicexhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francissays: “The prayerful reading of God’s word, whichis ‘sweeter than honey’ (Ps 119:103) yet a ‘two-edged sword’ (Heb 4:12), enables us to pause andlisten to the voice of the Master. It becomes a lampfor our steps and a light for our path”(GE 156).

Second place of encounter: History

History in all its dimensions is a place of thepresence of God. By randomly opening the Bible,we do not normally find theological, systematic andabstract speculations but “daily” events. Godmanifests Himself and man discovers Him withinwhat is happening and the various events.

We are called to seek God in the person, asMatthew 25 reminds us: in the prisoner, thehungry, the thirsty. In fact, the religious way toknow God passes through justice, agape and love.

In Mark’s Gospel, Cardinal Ravasi explained,47% of the story of the public life of Christ speaksto us of a Jesus who touches diseased flesh, eventhe forbidden flesh – such as that of lepers – andheals it. According to a widespread theory, leprosywas a sign of a great sin and the leper wasexcommunicated. Those who touched him weretherefore contaminated not only by the disease butby the evil that this person transmitted. Instead,Jesus goes to meet the lepers, touches them andheals them. Today we are invited to recognize theepiphany of God in the other, especially thesuffering person.

The Wisdom literature also tells us where tolook for God. The Book of Proverbs offers us aseries of scenes from everyday life. In fact, it isnecessary to find God even in small events, not

only in large events. “Let us not forget thatJesus asked his disciples to pay attention todetails. The little detail that wine was runningout at a party. The little detail that one sheepwas missing. The little detail of noticing thewidow who offered her two small coins,”comments Pope Francis in Gaudete etExsultate (GE 144).

Finally, let us not forget that pain, thescandal of loneliness, the suffering are also theplace of the presence of God. In suffering ourresponse to the love of God is authenticallyrevealed.

Third place of encounter: Space

The moment we leave the womb, we entertwo other wombs: that of time and that of


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“Space is the place of the presence of God”, CardinalGianfranco Ravasi tells us.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi while addressing theKnights and Dames of the Order during their Adventretreat.

space. Space is the seat of the presence of God. Letus be inspired by Psalm 148 where a great cosmictemple is described.

Nature speaks – “the heavens tell the glory ofGod” (Ps 18:2) – and we are called to find thework of God in it, in the whole of creation. There arevelation of God awaits us, His presence to bediscovered.

In the space we also find the temple. A Jewishaphorism reads: “The world is like an eye: white isthe sea, the iris is the earth, the pupil is Jerusalemand the image reflected in it is the temple.” Thetemple is seen as the supreme place of presence.Saint John Damascene said that if a pagan comes tovisit you and asks you what your faith is, do not usewords but take him to the temple and show himthe paintings, the beauty of the ornaments, let himfollow the splendor of the cult ... and keep quiet.

Let us return to love for the temple and for theliturgy: may it be a moment that creates an oasiscapable of fertilizing the rest of the days of ourweek.

Fourth place of encounter: silence

This is a particular place to enjoy prayer ascontemplation, adoration, inner silence. Many fear

silence because they experience only that ofemptiness, black silence. Instead there is a whitesilence, full of communication. When two lovershave run out of words, they look and keep silent,said Pascal. In faith, as in love, silences are muchmore eloquent than words.

In Scripture we find the story of Elijah whoguides us to recognize God in silence. Elijah was adesperate, persecuted, lonely man and God tellshim to climb Mount Oreb to receive his vocationagain. Once on the mountain, Elijah will wait forGod and will not find him in the storm, nor in theearthquake but in the “voice of subtle silence,” alight wind. Like Elijah, we must train our ears tomeet God where He reveals Himself and,therefore, also in the epiphany of silence.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflects on the linkbetween Word and Silence: “Let us be silent beforelistening to the Word so that our thoughts arealready turned to the Word. Let us keep silent afterlistening to the Word so that it still speaks to us,lives and dwells in us. Let us keep silent early in themorning so that God have the first Word. Let uskeep silent before going to bed so that the lastWord belongs to God. And let us be silent for loveof the Word.”

Summary by Elena Dini


The God of Israel speaking through the Bible invites us to recognize his work in the whole of creation. It is preciselythere that a revelation of God awaits us, his presence to be discovered.

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A long journey of loyalty to the Order

The presence of the Order of the Holy Sepulchrein Mexico dates back to the second half of the 18thcentury, when Dr. Tomás Cuber y Liñán – superiorofficer, vicar general, archdeacon and canon of theHoly Sepulchre of Calatayud – arrived in NewSpain as procurator of the Royal Court of the HolyOffice. Since then, sporadically, there were someKnights in this country. The Mexican chapter ofthe Order was officially created in 1907 by meansof the Quam multa te ordinamque decree of HisHoliness Pius X. At that time, Don José MaríaDomínguez de Murta was appointed judicial vicar.

The headquarters of the Lieutenancy wereestablished in Mexico City. With the passing of theyears and the increase in vocations, three Sectionsdependent on theLieutenancy of Mexicohad to be created: NuevaGalicia, Nuevo León andNueva Vizcaya, as well ashaving a large presence of

Knights in Mérida. The aforementionedLieutenancy came to count more than fourhundred Knights and Dames, distributedthroughout the national territory.

The sudden death of the Lieutenant – thearchitect José María Carracedo Bolinaga –surprised everyone, so much so that it was notpossible to choose a successor, leaving theLieutenancy inactive for twelve years. In 2016, theGrand Magisterium appointed Don GustavoRincón Hernández as interim leader, with themission of reorganizing the Lieutenancy of Mexicoand giving it new life. When his mandate began, infact, there were only a few Knights and Dames inactivity. Don Gustavo’s work proved to be veryfruitful since, on November 9, 2019, there werealready 53 Knights and 18 Dames.

An Investiture that made it possible to double thenumber of members of the Lieutenancy

On November 9, 2019, almost all the membersof the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of


New impetus in Mexico, a nation with a centuriesold history of being close to the Order

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The Investiture inMexico in 2019 madeit possible to doublethe number ofmembers of theLieutenancy.

Jerusalem of the Lieutenancy forMexico gathered around the thenGrand Master, Cardinal EdwinO’Brien, who came to MexicoCity in the company of Don EnricMas, the new Vice Governor forLatin America. The reason: TheInvestiture of sixty-one localKnights and Dames, the lastcelebrated by Cardinal O’Brien as Grand Master ofthe Order. The Lieutenancy is now represented byone hundred and thirty-two members of ourvenerable and beloved Order, which is “rising” inthe country chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The ceremony also allowed the new LieutenantGuillermo Macías Graue to take office. “I receivedthe news of the appointment with surprise andapprehension, since this implies a responsibilitythat goes beyond my limits. Despite this, I acceptedit as God’s call to a greater commitment of fidelityto my Investiture in the Order. I read it – inharmony with Pope Francis – as a call to theservice of my brothers, Knights and Dames of thisLieutenancy for Mexico,” said the new Lieutenant.

Commenting on the path takenby the Lieutenancy and on what isexpected for the future, GuillermoMacías Graue continued: “It isliterally a resurrected Lieutenancy, ithas been cared for like a seriously illpatient and is now ready to go outagain into the open to meet theChristians of Holy Land. It is anessentially spiritual path that must betranslated into practical help. Ibelieve that Mexico has thegenerosity necessary to accept thischallenge and to increase more andmore the number of Knights andDames who live the faith in firstperson, being themselves “livingstones” for our brothers and sistersof the Middle East”.

Ricardo Próspero Morales Arroyois one of the Knights who joined theOrder during the NovemberInvestiture. He spoke about thisexperience: “I saw the invitation tobecome part of the Equestrian Orderof the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalemas a vocation received from God. It isa beautiful opportunity and a way tohelp the Holy Land, where Christwas born, lived, died and rose again.First of all, it is a responsibilitytowards our Christian brothers andsisters who encounter difficulties andhave particular needs in a country

that is so important for Jews, Christians andMuslims.”

These new members are a cry of hope for theOrder and the Mexican Lieutenancy. They offernew energies that reinvigorate the decision to livelife together with the Risen Christ and commit usto give ourselves every day in our specificapostolate: to maintain the Christian presence inthe small land of the Lord. This is why thesemembers followed a year of formation, aimed atgetting to know our spirituality and the needs ofthe brothers and sisters in the faith, that is, menand women who retrace the footsteps of Jesus ofNazareth.

Lieutenancy for Mexico


The Investiture ceremony in MexicoCity was marked by the entry into

office of the new Lieutenant,Guillermo Macías Graue.

The Knight and Dames’ PrayerO Lord Jesus Christ,

we pray to you through your five wounds that we carry on our insignia.

Give us the strength to love all whom your Father has created

and, especially, our enemies.Free our hearts and souls from sin, from prejudice,

from self-interest and from cowardice, so that we may be worthy of your sacrifice.

Let your Spirit fall upon us all, the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre,

so that it may make us committed and sincere ambassadors of peace and love

among our brothers and sisters and, especially,

among all those who do not believe in you.Give us faith

to face all the problems of everyday life and to deserve one day

to approach your presence, humbly but without fear.

Amen.

Investiture inToledo, 2019.

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