His Eminence, Msg. John Foley, appointed Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and recently made a cardinal, made his solemn entry into the Basilica of the Resurrection on Monday, 7th January 2008.
According to tradition, the Franciscan friars, the custodians of the Holy Places, went to collect him in procession at the Latin Patriarchate. He was waiting with a majority of the Ordinary Catholics of the Holy Land and some of the representatives of the Orthodox Churches – who celebrated Christmas on this day – and, of course, with a large group of Knights of the Order.
The door of the Basilica of the Resurrection opened before the procession and the Custos of the Holy Land, Brother Pierbattista Pizzaballa, greeted the Cardinal before the Stone of Unction with a very warm speech of welcome (full text in Italian).
In modern times, there is no longer any real link between the Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Basilica, except, and this is essential, the bond of the heart. But tradition has it that each Cardinal can request a solemn entry into the Holy Sepulchre and, all the more so, the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights which has its historical seat here.
If the Custos of the Holy Land was alone in having the right to invest the Knights for centuries (from 1496 to 1847), the task of investiture later passed into the hands of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem after 1847 who has been able to delegate this function to any other Cardinal since 1932.
After the solemn entry into the Holy Sepulchre, it was the Custos who welcomed him but then he gave way to the Patriarch, H. B. Msg. Michel Sabbah, who pronounced his welcome speech before the empty Tomb of the Lord. His Eminence replied and also greeted the Oriental churches present, wishing a Merry Christmas in Greek.
A large number of pilgrims surrounded the shrine of the Sepulchre, truly delighted to witness such a magnificent ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, everybody went to the Patriarchate for a reception.
Cardinal Foley returned to the Holy Sepulchre the next morning in private for the 6:30 a.m.Sung Mass. He celebrated it for the intentions of the Knights and Dames the world over, praying that the Order grows in faith and in holiness, but also in number. Because, as His Eminence pointed out, the more numerous they are, the better they will be able to spread the message of the Holy Land and inform the world of the situation of Christians in the country. He also thanked the Franciscans for their apostolate, especially in the Holy Places and in the Holy Sepulchre, inviting them to avoid the temptation of routine, especially in this heart of Christianity: “Yours is an extraordinary vocation,” he said aloud.
The occasion of the pilgrimage by the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre is a reason to recall that the Custody of the Holy Land, thanks to the work of Brother Michele Piccirillo, has published the Registro delle Investiture dal 1561 al 1847, a precious account for historians as it makes available facsimiles of every page of the Franciscan archives and their transcriptions in print.
MAB
According to tradition, the Franciscan friars, the custodians of the Holy Places, went to collect him in procession at the Latin Patriarchate. He was waiting with a majority of the Ordinary Catholics of the Holy Land and some of the representatives of the Orthodox Churches – who celebrated Christmas on this day – and, of course, with a large group of Knights of the Order.
The door of the Basilica of the Resurrection opened before the procession and the Custos of the Holy Land, Brother Pierbattista Pizzaballa, greeted the Cardinal before the Stone of Unction with a very warm speech of welcome (full text in Italian).
In modern times, there is no longer any real link between the Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Basilica, except, and this is essential, the bond of the heart. But tradition has it that each Cardinal can request a solemn entry into the Holy Sepulchre and, all the more so, the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights which has its historical seat here.
If the Custos of the Holy Land was alone in having the right to invest the Knights for centuries (from 1496 to 1847), the task of investiture later passed into the hands of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem after 1847 who has been able to delegate this function to any other Cardinal since 1932.
After the solemn entry into the Holy Sepulchre, it was the Custos who welcomed him but then he gave way to the Patriarch, H. B. Msg. Michel Sabbah, who pronounced his welcome speech before the empty Tomb of the Lord. His Eminence replied and also greeted the Oriental churches present, wishing a Merry Christmas in Greek.
A large number of pilgrims surrounded the shrine of the Sepulchre, truly delighted to witness such a magnificent ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, everybody went to the Patriarchate for a reception.
Cardinal Foley returned to the Holy Sepulchre the next morning in private for the 6:30 a.m.Sung Mass. He celebrated it for the intentions of the Knights and Dames the world over, praying that the Order grows in faith and in holiness, but also in number. Because, as His Eminence pointed out, the more numerous they are, the better they will be able to spread the message of the Holy Land and inform the world of the situation of Christians in the country. He also thanked the Franciscans for their apostolate, especially in the Holy Places and in the Holy Sepulchre, inviting them to avoid the temptation of routine, especially in this heart of Christianity: “Yours is an extraordinary vocation,” he said aloud.
The occasion of the pilgrimage by the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre is a reason to recall that the Custody of the Holy Land, thanks to the work of Brother Michele Piccirillo, has published the Registro delle Investiture dal 1561 al 1847, a precious account for historians as it makes available facsimiles of every page of the Franciscan archives and their transcriptions in print.
MAB