The Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem is a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
honorific
lay
Lay may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
People
* Lay (surname)
* ...
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
and
ecclesiastical decoration
An ecclesiastical decoration is an Order (honour), order or a Civil awards and decorations, decoration conferred by a head of a church (sociology of religion), church.
Catholic ecclesiastical decorations
Orders, decorations, and medals of the Hol ...
established in 1979 by
Patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
Maximos V Hakim
Maximos V Hakim ( ar, ماكسيموس الخامس حكيم; May 18, 1908, in Tanta, Egypt – June 29, 2001, Beirut, Lebanon) was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church i ...
of the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church
el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία
, image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg
, imagewidth = 200px
, alt =
, caption =
, abbreviatio ...
, with its seat in the
Old City of Jerusalem
The Old City of Jerusalem ( he, הָעִיר הָעַתִּיקָה, translit=ha-ir ha-atiqah; ar, البلدة القديمة, translit=al-Balda al-Qadimah; ) is a walled area in East Jerusalem.
The Old City is traditionally divided into ...
. It aims to promote
Catholic faith
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a p ...
and to support religious, cultural and social works of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
, as well as to promote its
Byzantine liturgy
The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, identifies the wide range of cultural, liturgical, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christian Church of Constantinople.
The canonical hours are ...
. Its current
Grand Master is Patriarch
Youssef Absi
Youssef Absi ''Società dei Missionari di San Paolo'' – Missionary Society of St. Paul (Melkite Greek); se ( ar, يوسف عبسي ; la, Iosephus Absi; born June 20, 1946, in Damascus, Syria) is the current patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catho ...
, and its
Grand Prior
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be low ...
is the
Vicar Apostolic of Jerusalem.
The symbol of the order is a gold-edged cross with a red or blue interior. Its vertical inscription is ΦΩC ("light"), and its horizontal inscription is ΖΩΗ ("life"), together forming the order's
motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
in gr, Φως και Ζωη (''Fos kai Zoe''), meaning "Light and life". Prominent
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
s include
Saint George's Day
Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia.
Sai ...
and the
Feast of the Cross
In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, the ...
.
The Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, while completely independent of the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
, is under "ecclesiastical
patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
" ''
sui iuris
''Sui iuris'' ( or ) also spelled ''sui juris'', is a Latin phrase that literally means "of one's own right". It is used in both secular law and the Catholic Church's canon law. The term church ''sui iuris'' is used in the Catholic ''Code of Can ...
'' by the
Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, Byzantine Rite). It was formed in 1724 when a portion of the Orthodox Church of Antioch went into com ...
in accordance with the ''
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
The ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches'' (CCEC; la, Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, abbreviated CCEO) is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the canon law for the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic ...
''. As such, it is recognised as a legitimate
ecclesiastical decoration
An ecclesiastical decoration is an Order (honour), order or a Civil awards and decorations, decoration conferred by a head of a church (sociology of religion), church.
Catholic ecclesiastical decorations
Orders, decorations, and medals of the Hol ...
by the
International Commission on Orders of Chivalry
The International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC; Italian: ''Commissione internazionale permanente per lo studio degli ordini cavallereschi'') is a privately run, privately funded organisation composed of scholars on chivalric matters a ...
. In addition, it is a registered
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
in multiple countries.
History
![Ben_Gurion_-_George_Hakim_1960](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Ben_Gurion_-_George_Hakim_1960.jpg)
The order was founded by Patriarch
Maximos V Hakim
Maximos V Hakim ( ar, ماكسيموس الخامس حكيم; May 18, 1908, in Tanta, Egypt – June 29, 2001, Beirut, Lebanon) was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church i ...
of the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church
el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία
, image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg
, imagewidth = 200px
, alt =
, caption =
, abbreviatio ...
on 14 September 1979, originally based in
Santa Maria in Cosmedin
The Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin or ''de Schola Graeca'') is a minor basilica church in Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione of Ripa.
History
According to Byzantine historian Andrew Ekonomo ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Ever since, it has enjoyed the protection of the subsequent Patriarchs of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church as Grand Masters.
In 1997, new
statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
s were introduced and the seat was moved to
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
.
Organisation
![Gregorios-III-and-Jules-Zerey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Gregorios-III-and-Jules-Zerey.JPG)
Under the
Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, Byzantine Rite). It was formed in 1724 when a portion of the Orthodox Church of Antioch went into com ...
as
Grand Master, the order is organised by a Governor International and served by a
Grand Prior
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be low ...
, the
Vicar Apostolic of Jerusalem. In consequence, local
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
s are governed by Deputy Governors and served by Priors National.
The order has a seat in the
Old City of Jerusalem
The Old City of Jerusalem ( he, הָעִיר הָעַתִּיקָה, translit=ha-ir ha-atiqah; ar, البلدة القديمة, translit=al-Balda al-Qadimah; ) is a walled area in East Jerusalem.
The Old City is traditionally divided into ...
, at the seat of the
Melkite Patriarchate, yet the seat of the Grand Master is situated in
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, along with the seat of the Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Apart from the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, the order is active in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
(2006),
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(1988),
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
(1986),
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(2014),
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Among its charitable endeavours, in the United States, it runs a project called "Friend of the Holy Land" in support of
Christians of the Holy Land.
Grades
* Knight or Dame
Grand Cross
Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...
* Knight or Dame Grand
Officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
* Knight or Dame
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
*
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
or
Dame
''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...
Status
The Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, while completely independent of the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
, is under "ecclesiastical
patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
" ''
sui iuris
''Sui iuris'' ( or ) also spelled ''sui juris'', is a Latin phrase that literally means "of one's own right". It is used in both secular law and the Catholic Church's canon law. The term church ''sui iuris'' is used in the Catholic ''Code of Can ...
'' by the
Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
The Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch is the only actual residential Patriarchate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, Byzantine Rite). It was formed in 1724 when a portion of the Orthodox Church of Antioch went into com ...
in accordance with the ''
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
The ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches'' (CCEC; la, Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, abbreviated CCEO) is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the canon law for the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic ...
''. As such, it is recognised as a legitimate
ecclesiastical decoration
An ecclesiastical decoration is an Order (honour), order or a Civil awards and decorations, decoration conferred by a head of a church (sociology of religion), church.
Catholic ecclesiastical decorations
Orders, decorations, and medals of the Hol ...
by the
International Commission on Orders of Chivalry
The International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC; Italian: ''Commissione internazionale permanente per lo studio degli ordini cavallereschi'') is a privately run, privately funded organisation composed of scholars on chivalric matters a ...
and the
Augustan Society
The Augustan Society, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida, was founded in 1957 to preserve material related to heraldry, genealogy, nobility, and orders of chivalry; and to further chivalric ideals in society. The Society moved to its curr ...
. In addition, it is a registered
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
in multiple countries, including
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Although recognised as a legitimate ecclesiastical decoration, part of the order's terminology has been a subject of criticism by the ICOC:
Gallery
File:BISHOP patriarc youssef absi june 7th 2018.JPG, Patriarch Youssef Absi
Youssef Absi ''Società dei Missionari di San Paolo'' – Missionary Society of St. Paul (Melkite Greek); se ( ar, يوسف عبسي ; la, Iosephus Absi; born June 20, 1946, in Damascus, Syria) is the current patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catho ...
, Grand Master of the order, in June 2018.
File:Gro%C3%9Fmeister_Patriarch_Gregor_III._Laham_in_Trier,_2012.JPG, Former Patriarch Gregory III Laham
Gregory III Laham, B.S. ( ar, غريغوريوس الثالث لحام; la, Gregorius III Lahamus; born Lutfy Laham, December 15, 1933, in Darayya, Syria), Emeritus Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, is the for ...
in Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
, Germany, 2012.
File:POHCG - Knight cross - recto.jpg, Frontside of the decoration for knights.
File:POHCG - Knight cross - verso.jpg, Backside: relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
in shape of a rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
from Calvary
Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
, including the seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
of the Patriarch.
File:Santa-croce-gerusalemme-mantello.JPG, Ceremonial robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoils" ...
of the order in Italy.
File:Ordensmantel_(in_Deutschland_blau).jpg, Ceremonial robe of the order in Germany.
References
Bibliography
* AA.VV., ''Ordine patriarcale della Santa Croce di Gerusalemme. Luogotenenza della lingua italiana. Calendario storico per il 2007''; Edisiòn Il Pomerio,
Lod, 2006,
*
Guy Stair Sainty
Guy Stair Sainty, (born 7 December 1950) is a British art dealer and author on nobility, royal genealogy, and heraldry.
Life and education
Guy Stair Sainty is the son of Christopher Lawrence Sainty and Virginia Cade Stair, grand-daughter of ...
and Rafal Heydel-Mankoo, ''Burke's Peerage & Gentry: World Orders of Knighthood and Merit'', vol. II pagg. 1969–1970, Burke's Peerage, 2006,
External links
{{commons category, Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem
Official website(in German)
Religious organizations based in Israel
Organizations based in Jerusalem
Christian organizations established in 1979
Christian religious orders established in the 20th century
Christian organizations based in Asia
Organizations based in Damascus
Catholic organizations established in the 20th century
Eastern Catholic orders and societies
Eastern Catholicism in the State of Palestine