N° 43 JULY 2016

All of us are quite familiar with theopening foundational statement inArticle 2 of our Statutes declaring the

principal purpose of membership in the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre:

“....to strengthen in its members thepractice of Christian life, in absolute fidelity tothe Supreme Pontiff and according to theteachings of the Church....”

According to our records 7.3% of ourmembership are ecclesiastics – that is,overwhelming, priests. (Individuallieutenancies vary significantly in theirpercentage of priest members.)

It is my solid impression that our priestscould be more effectively employed infulfilling our members’ goal to achievepersonal holiness and I would ask ourLieutenants and Priors to help bring thisabout. Indeed, we might stress our clergyserving more as chaplains than as “knights”.

I’ve no doubt that the great majority of ourpriests would take to the pastoral challenge ofserving members at every level and in everyarea of our lieutenancies in spiritual support:– liturgical planning and advise;– individual spiritual direction;– availability for Reconciliation in connection

with liturgies;– conferences for members and for prospec-

tive members/members in formation;– assistance in identifying worthy new mem-

bers;– organized outreach to “inactive” members;

– newsletter medi-tations.This would

imply three stepsfor eachLieutenant andStaff:1. Having familiari-

ty with eachpriest memberand specificknowledge bothof his willing-ness to assistand in which ofthe above areashe might be ofservice;

2. Making it clearto each incominge c c l e s i a s t i c a lmember that injoining the Orderhe is assuming important spiritual and pas-toral responsibilities to the extent he is able;

3. Informing members of the resources our“Knight Chaplains” offer them. As I mentioned during our Spring meeting

of European and North American Lieutenants,there is vast potential here for the spiritualstrengthening throughout our Order.

To ecclesiastics already so engaged: Thankyou!

To those not yet so engaged: Help Wanted!

REFLECTIONS OF THE GRAND MASTER

www.oessh.va

Pastores Dabo Vobis,Cardinal Edwin O’Brien’smotto, recalls God’spromise as recounted bythe prophet Jeremiah: “I willgive you shepherds aftermy own heart” (Jer 3:15).

II N° 43 - JULY 2016

The Jubilee of Mercy, which closesNovember 20, the feast of Christ theKing, has already seen about 10

million pilgrims flock to Rome, despite thefact that this “decentralized” Holy Year canbe fully experienced in every diocese in theworld. During a recent Jubilee event thePope spoke in particular of the five woundsof Christ and we would like to propose hiswords to readers in this newsletter as theyperfectly illustrate the message transmittedby the Order of the Holy Sepulchre insignia.

“Lord, In memory of the five wounds thatwe carry on our insignia, we pray to You...,”reads the famous prayer of Knights andDames. “We can find the definitive iconof the vessel of mercy in the wounds ofthe risen Lord. Those wounds remind usthat the traces of our sins, forgiven by God,never completely heal or disappear; theyremain as scars. Scars, we know, aresensitive; they do not hurt, yet they remindus of our old wounds. God’s mercy is inthose scars, our scars,” Pope Francis

The Order in Union with the Universal Church

The Jubilee of Mercycontemplating the five

wounds of Christ

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The Order in Union withthe Universal Church

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

THE JUBILEE OF MERCY CONTEMPLATINGTHE FIVE WOUNDS OF CHRIST II

JUBILEE INDULGENCES IV

WELCOME TO AMBASSADOR ALFREDO BASTIANELLI,NEW CHANCELLOR OF THE ORDER V

THE ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE BIDS FINALFAREWELL TO HONORARY ASSESSORMSGR. GIUSEPPE DE ANDREA VI

A NEW WEBSITE WITH A UNIVERSAL DIMENSION:www.oehss.va VII

NORTH AMERICAN LIEUTENANTS ANNUALMEETING IN BALTIMORE VIII

ANNUAL MEETING OF EUROPEAN LIEUTENANTSIN ROME IX

ECHOES OF THE GRAND MASTER’S VISITS XI

STARTING ANEW WITH THE RISEN CHRIST XIIA NEW CUSTOS OF THE HOLY LAND XIVTHE ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

COLLABORATING IN ROACO PROJECTS XVSPRING 2016 IN THE HOLY LAND XVI

TESTIMONY OF THE CHANCELLOR FROMTHE SWISS LIEUTENANCY XVIII

THE MEDAL OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE INMACARENA COTELO, SPAIN XX

WHERE ARE THE RELICS OF ST. HELENA? XXII

The Order and the Holy Land

The Life of the Lieutenancies

cc oo nn tt ee nn tt ss

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

summed up perfectly speaking to the priests,who came to the eternal city for the Jubileein June, 2016. “In the scars of the risenChrist, the marks of the wounds in hishands and feet but also in his pierced heart,we find the true meaning of sin and grace,”he continued, stating that in contemplatingthe wounded heart of the Lord, we seeourselves reflected in him, as in a mirror,“His heart, and our own, are similar: bothare wounded and risen. But we know thathis heart was pure love and was woundedbecause it willed to be so; our heart, onthe other hand, was pure wound, whichwas healed because it allowed itself tobe loved”. Another example of the spirituallogic with which the Holy Father encouragesus to move forward is the prayer he recitesbefore going to bed, which he mentioned topilgrims during the general audience on

Wednesday, June 22, “Lord, if You arewilling, You can make me clean!” inspiredby the Leper’s plea to Jesus (Luke 5, 12).The Pope added that every night he says fiveOur Fathers, “one for every one ofChrist’s wounds, because Jesus cleansesus with his wounds”. Could we too notpray invoking the mercy of the HeavenlyFather through the five wounds of Christ,which in becoming scars, are a testament tohis victorious love? In the words of Peter’ssuccessor, may every member of the Order,called to witness to the power of theResurrection, renew their awareness duringthis Holy Year that: “The real vessel ofmercy, then, is the mercy which each of usreceived and which created in us a newheart. This is the “new wineskin” to whichJesus referred (cf. Luke 5:37), the “healedsore”.

III N° 43 - JULY 2016

JJuubbiilleeee CCaalleennddaarr uupp ttoo tthhee ffeeaassttooff CChhrriisstt tthhee KKiinngg

There are still a few months left to receive the grace and spiritual renewal of the Jubilee Year.The great events scheduled to take place in the Eternal City include the Jubilee of Operators

and volunteers of Mercy, September 2 to 4, the Jubilee of Catechists, September 23 to 25, theMarian Jubilee, October 23 to 25 and the Jubilee of Prisoners on November 6, prior to theclosing of the Holy door at St. Peter’s in Rome on November 20, the feast of Christ the King.

The Cross ofJerusalem,symbol of theOrder of the HolySepulchre,evokes the fivewounds ofChrist, source ofinner purificationand spiritualrenewal forpilgrims who, likeus, are on thepath to theKingdom of God.

IV N° 43 - JULY 2016

Though we feel the transforming power ofgrace, we also feel the effects of sin

typical of our fallen state. Despite beingforgiven, the conflicting consequences of oursins remain. In the Sacrament ofReconciliation, God forgives our sins, whichhe truly blots out; and yet sin leaves anegative effect on the way we think and act.But the mercy of God is stronger even thanthis. It becomes indulgence on the part of theFather who, through the Bride of Christ, hisChurch, reaches the pardoned sinner andfrees him from every residue left by theconsequences of sin, enabling him to actwith charity, to grow in love rather than tofall back into sin. The Church lives withinthe communion of the saints. In theEucharist, this communion, which is a giftfrom God, becomes a spiritual union binding

us to the saints and blessed ones whosenumber is beyond counting (cf. Rev 7:4).Their holiness comes to the aid of ourweakness in a way that enables the Church,with her maternal prayers and her way oflife, to fortify the weakness of some with thestrength of others. Hence, to live theindulgence of the Holy Year means toapproach the Father’s mercy with thecertainty that his forgiveness extends to theentire life of the believer. To gain anindulgence is to experience the holiness ofthe Church, who bestows upon all the fruitsof Christ’s redemption, so that God’s loveand forgiveness may extend everywhere. Letus live this Jubilee intensely, begging theFather to forgive our sins and to bathe us inhis merciful “indulgence.”

Jubilee IndulgencesMany readers have asked for further information on the indulgence

granted in the Jubilee of Mercy. This is a special grace that frees us fromthe consequences of sin, a sin from which the soul must be purified in theafterlife, even when it has already been forgiven. In this the communion of

saints – namely solidarity in prayer and acts of charity, including thosefor the dead – is of great help for sinners on their journey, as we all are.We would point readers to Pope Francis’ words in the Bull of Indiction

for the Holy Year, Misericordiae Vultus, No. 22:

Crossing the Holy Door constitutes oneof the conditions for obtaining a

Jubilee indulgence, in addition toreceiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation,Holy Eucharist and actively praying for theHoly Father’s intentions. In recent months,Pope Francis has often reminded us of theimportance of uniting the sacramentalaspect to corporal and spiritual works ofmercy.

Corporal and spiritualworks of mercy

(see Newsletter 42, p. 5)

V N° 43 - JULY 2016

The Grand Master of the Order of theHoly Sepulchre, Cardinal Edwin

O’Brien, has appointed AmbassadorAlfredo Bastianelli as Chancellor for a

term of four years. Bastianelli is aKnight Grand Cross of the Order ofSt. Gregory the Great and a Grand

Officer of the Order of Merit of theItalian Republic. Born in Rome on

January 26, 1951, he marriedFiammetta Fiorentino in 1983, and is

father to three sons: Giovanni Battista,Ascanio and Niccolò.

A graduate in Law, the newChancellor served the Italian Ministry

of Foreign Affairs for many years,holding positions at the Italian

Consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and atItalian embassies in Canada,

Mozambique and Indonesia, inaddition to the Permanent

Representation at the EuropeanUnion. He then served as Ambassador

of his country in Angola, Cyprus andBelgium.

Alfredo Bastianelli has also been aGentleman of His Holiness since2007. The members of the Order,

present throughout the world, wishhim welcome, and join together in

prayer, entrusting his new mission toOur Lady of Palestine.

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

Welcome toAmbassador

Alfredo Bastianelli,new Chancellor of

the Order

Archbishop Giuseppe De Andrea wasborn in Rivarolo Canavese on 20April, 1930. He was ordained a priest

in 1953 in the Consolata Missions Institute,a congregation that devotes particularattention to the evangelization of peoples.

The young priest served in the Diocese ofGreensburg, Pennsylvania (USA), for morethan two decades, wherehe held various pastoralpositions in education andadministration. He wascalled by the Holy See toserve in the office ofPermanent Observer tothe United Nations inNew York from 1983 to1994. Subsequently forfive years he worked forthe Vatican as theUndersecretary of thePontifical Council for thePastoral Care of Migrantsand Itinerant People.

Monsignor De Andreareceived the fullness ofthe priesthood in 2001 andwas appointed titular Archbishop of Anzio.He also received the responsibility ofserving as Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait,Bahrain and Yemen, in addition to serving asApostolic Delegate to the Arabian Peninsula.In the homily at De Andrea’s episcopalconsecration, Cardinal Angelo Sodanorecalled the faithfulness to the call receivedthat has always accompanied this pastor ofGod’s Church: “Dear Father Giuseppe, animmense field of work opens before you. Asthe young Samuel, you listened to the Lord’svoice, and promptly responded: ‘Here I am,

O Lord... your servant is listening’ (Samuel3:1-10). Like Mary on the day of theAnnunciation, you expressed your ‘yes’ tothe Lord’s call”. In 2003 he was alsoappointed Apostolic Nuncio to Qatar. In2005, upon having reached the age limit, heretired from diplomatic office.

The Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre of Jerusalemhas been fortunate enoughto benefit from theexperience and pastoralcare of Msgr. De Andreain the years when heserved as Assessor of theOrder (2008-2013), aposition which he carriedout with special dedicationfrom 2011-2012, theperiod of time betweenthe resignation of theGrand Master CardinalFoley and the moment hissuccessor, Cardinal EdwinO’Brien, took possessionof his position. From thattime until his last days, as

Honorary Assessor, he was always close tothe mission of our Knights and Dames, andsustained it with his efforts and prayers.

Monsignor De Andrea passed away on 29June, 2016, the Solemnity of Saints Peter andPaul, and his funeral was held on the firstFriday of July in St. Peter’s Basilica. Allmembers are united with the Grand Master,the Governor General and members of theGrand Magisterium, in accompanying thisfriend and supporter of the Order withprayers as he has returned to the house ofthe Father.

VI N° 43 - JULY 2016

The Order of the Holy Sepulchrebids final farewell to HonoraryAssessor Msgr. Giuseppe De Andrea

A new website witha universal dimension

VII N° 43 - JULY 2016

On Tuesday June 28 last, during the European Lieutenants meeting in Rome, the GrandMaster Cardinal Edwin O' Brien officialy launched the Grand Magisterium's newwebsite, which is now available in five languages: www.oessh.va.

All members, Knights and Dames, but also friends of the Order and press can nowsubscribe to the Newsletter via email.

Each Lieutenancy can send texts and images to be included, as well as links to articlespublished in thepress. This site willbe able to reflectthe universality ofthe Order, and thedynamism of itsmembers andcreate links, wherepossible, to theLieutenanciesvariouspublications in thecorrespondinglanguage areas.

The GrandMagisterium is alsopresent in socialmedia: a Facebookpage (GranMagistero OESSH)and a Twitteraccount (Gran MagOESSH), with thecross representingthe five wounds ofChrist and the iconof Our Lady ofPalestine. All thishelps to renew theOrder’s image toraise awareness ofits spiritualmission. Visit usand follow us!

To subscribe to

our Newsletter

VIII N° 43 - JULY 2016

His Eminence, CardinalEdwin O’Brien, GrandMaster, and Governor

General Agostino Borromeo,travelled from Rome to attendthe meeting. Vice Governor General Powers,and four members of the GrandMagisterium, attended two days of meetingsalong with Monsignor John E. Kozar,President of the Catholic Near East WelfareAssociation (CNEWA), and MonsignorRobert Stern, President Emeritus of theCNEWA and consultant to the Order.

On Thursday evening, June 2, the GrandMaster presided at Vespers in the historicBasilica of the National Shrine of theAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. TheMost Reverend William E. Lori, Archbishopof Baltimore, welcomed the group toBaltimore. Following Vespers, a receptionwas held in the Archbishop’s residence

where Archbishop Lori greetedguests and provided details onthe history of the first RomanCatholic diocese in the UnitedStates.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore wasestablished as a diocese on 6 November1789, with Father John Carroll as the firstBishop of Baltimore. Baltimore was laterestablished as an Archdiocese in 1808. It ishere where the Catholic University ofAmerica was founded, the site of the FirstSynod and Councils of Baltimore, andwhere Baltimore Catechism waspromulgated.

The meetings commenced with theGrand Master giving an opening address inwhich he emphasized the importance of theannual meeting, and asked that theLieutenants continue their efforts inrenewing the spiritual lives of the Knights

North American LieutenantsAnnual Meeting in Baltimore

In early June the North American Lieutenants gathered for their annualmeeting in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first ever meeting of

Lieutenants in the Premier See of the United States.

The Lieutenants of NorthAmerica and their consortsduring the meeting whichwas held in Baltimore, inthe United States, last

June.

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IX N° 43 - JULY 2016

and Dames. Governor General Borromeoalso addressed the group and provided anupdate on the hotel, which thus far isentrusted to the Columbus society, and therecent appointment of the Order’s newChancellor, His Excellency AmbassadorAlfredo Bastianelli. Vice Governor GeneralPowers gave a detailed presentation on thefinances of the Order.

The two days of meetings included awide variety of topics ranging from thedaily operations of a Lieutenancy, tofinances, liturgy, pilgrimages, and candidateformation. Several newly appointedLieutenants attended and the meetingprovided them the opportunity to observeand participate in various discussions.

Professor Thomas McKiernan, Presidentof the Holy Land Commission, gave anupdate on the construction projectscurrently underway in the Patriarchate and

insight into the planned 2016 programs.Monsignor John E. Kozar, President of theCatholic Near East Welfare Association(CNEWA), having recently returned fromthe Middle East, provided first-hand insightinto the refugee crisis facing Christians inKurdistan.

On Saturday morning, the Lieutenantsand their spouses attended Mass at thehistoric National Shrine of Saint AlphonsusLiguori, located in downtown Baltimore,where Monsignor Robert L. Stern was theprincipal celebrant and homilist. The finalday of meetings included discussions aboutthe legacy program, recruitment efforts,microcredit opportunities, the Squiresprogram, and activities planned during theYear of Mercy. The meetings officiallyconcluded on Saturday with an eveningdinner honoring the Grand Master.

John Carmen Piunno

Annual meeting of EuropeanLieutenants in Rome

The European Lieutenants of the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre held theirannual meeting at the headquarters of

the Grand Magisterium in Rome, June 27and 28, 2016.

Welcoming them, the Grand MasterCardinal Edwin O’Brien spoke of theimportance of the imminent Jubileepilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Pompeii,October 15, in the footsteps of BlessedBartolo Longo, the first lay member of theOrder to be beatified, a model of holinessfor all the Knights and Dames. EuropeanLieutenancies are particularly invited tosend their delegates on this pilgrimage,organized by the Italian Lieutenancies.

Following on from this, the GovernorGeneral, Agostino Borromeo, spoke of givingpriority to prayer and Christian formation,

thanking the cardinal for his “fruitfulstimulus of the Order’s spiritualdevelopment,” seen in his actively takingpart in Investitures on all five continents.

The Governor then spoke of how themembers of the Order, encouraged tobecome increasingly involved in thecommitments they have taken on, weremore generous than ever considering thatdonations have reached, for the first time,more than 13.5 million euro (here we musttake into consideration the past year'sfluctuating currency excahnge rates).

The continued growth and expansion ofthe Order, especially in Eastern Europe andLatin America, was outlined by the newlyappointed Chancellor, Ambassador AlfredoBastianelli. He also unveiled the newwebsite of the Grand Magisterium, in five

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languages, which will fosterthe Order’s internationalcommunications(www.oessh.va).

Engineer Pier Carlo Visconti, gave apresentation of the Grand Magisterium’sfinancial budget, noting a favorable trendand a positive year, thanks to reduced costsand increased revenue. Pierre Blanchard, amember of the Grand Magisterium, went onto explain that this positive result is also thefruit of the Grand Magisterium’s prudentmanagement of revenues in favor of theHoly Land.

Archbishop Antonio Franco, Assessor ofthe Order, then gave an outline of thefinancial situation regarding the SanGiovanni Battista Foundation, the institutionestablished by the Holy See to supportCatholic universities and in particular that ofMadaba, Jordan, to promote a culture ofencounter. Last year Lieutenanciesresponded to the Grand Master’s call tosupport this Church institution, whose

development is promisingand, through the Foundation,the Secretariat of State hasprovided a loan that the

Latin Patriarchate will have to repay overfive years.

Other topics that were covered includethe frustration expressed by Lieutenants inthe delay in the reconstruction of Gaza,despite considerable funds having beenallocated. However, for the moment theIsraeli authorities generally continue toprohibit the export of products that are notfood, clothing and medicines to thisterritory. The Lieutenants are also interestedin the evolution of the social reality in Israel,a country that sees the Hebrew-speakingCatholic community in expansion due to thenumber of migrant workers, in particularfrom Asia, whose children are educated inIsraeli schools.

The president of the Holy LandCommission, Thomas McKiernan, gave apresentation on the Order’s involvement

European Lieutenants gatheraround Cardinal O’Brien

during their Spring Meeting atthe Order’s headquarters in

Rome.

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XI N° 43 - JULY 2016

with the Vicariate for migrants in Israel, inhelping the younger children of immigrantsthrough the establishment of aprofessionally organized daycare center. Healso spoke in detail of the other projects ofthe Grand Magisterium in the Holy Land for2016: a kindergarten in Jordan that willallow the development of a school, theexpansion of a playground at another school,building work for a nursing home in Taybeh,Palestine, and an increase in teachers’salaries in the Patriarchate schools, which isvital in order to preserve the quality ofeducation.

In this context the Commission hasproposed a five-year plan to simplify themanagement of schools and to improveprovisions for social security contributionsand staff pensions, to the Patriarchate. “Wewant to be part of the solution, not theproblem,” said the Vice Governor General inAmerica, Patrick Powers. He was referringto the issue which faces the new apostolicadministrator, Father Pizzaballa, one he willhave to attempt to resolve. In fact, Fr.Pizzaballa joined the group over dinner

Monday night, honoring the Lieutenants andthe whole Order with his presence. Throughhis cooperation, the Order can count on ahealthy coordination of aid, with eachLieutenancy being able to devote 10% of itsresources to projects other than those of theLatin Patriarchate, for example to aid theCatholic communities of the Greek-Melkiteand Maronite churches.

The meeting was followed by a lengthyexchange on how to reach out to the non-active members of the Order. Some of theseare very old but still in communion ofprayer with the Holy Land, while othershave distanced themselves, even morally. Inthis regard, a committee chaired by theChancellor will present proposals to theGrand Master.

Concluding, Cardinal O’Brien spoke ofhis desire that ordained members of theOrder be increasingly integrated into thespiritual accompaniment of Knights andDames’ missions, especially during this Yearof Mercy, the door of which is still openuntil the feast of Christ the King, November20 next.

The Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien,travels throughout the world to meet Knights and Dames and to continuously

encourage them to live their spiritual vocation witnessing to the grace of theResurrection of Christ and his merciful love in the heart of the society to whichthey belong.

Cardinal O’Brien was in Poland, on June 10 and 11, for the Investiture thattook place in the Pelplin Cathedral; he then went to Pompeii, to the Marianshrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, founded by Blessed Bartolo Longo, for theInvestiture of a Member of the Order organized by the Lieutenancy for Italy SouthTyrrhenian, on June 24 and 25. From July 22 to 24 he presides at an Investiture inMaynooth, Ireland. In September, the Grand Master will be in Asia, where he wasinvited to preside over an Investiture in Guam on September 8; on September 11he will be in Taiwan and the Philippines on September 15. He will be in Paris, onSeptember 23 and 24, to celebrate an Investiture of the French Lieutenancy inSaint-Louis des Invalides. Finally, at the end of September he will be among themembers of the USA Western Lieutenancy in Tucson, Arizona.

EEcchhooeess ooff tthhee GGrraanndd MMaasstteerr’’ss vviissiittss

XII N° 43 - JULY 2016

Starting anew with the Risen Christ

The Order and the Holy Land

Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, inyour opinion, what are thevarious current challenges of the

Christian presence in the biblicallands, from a pastoral point of view,especially in those territoriesentrusted to the Latin Patriarchate?As you know, the Patriarchate extends

from Jordan to Cyprus, passing through theHoly Land (Israel and Palestine), with theheart of Jerusalem. It is a vast territory andquite diverse, where politically, socially andpastorally speaking the issues arecompletely different.

In Jordan, the political environment isstable. Compared to the tragedies in thecountries that surround it, especially inSyria and Iraq, it is a calm and serene oasis.But even here, as is the case everywhere,there are plenty of problems: the economyremains fragile and there is a seriousproblem of unemployment among the youth.The vast number of refugees, who aremainly Syrian, is creating a serious uneasefrom a social point of view. It must be notedthat the efforts of the whole country to help

those who are desperate are admirable, butit remains objectively difficult to offeropportunities to hundreds of thousands ofpeople who arrived so suddenly, above all,as we said, in an economical context that isalready fragile.

In the Holy Land the Israeli-Palestinianconflict is a political reality that is known toall and honestly I would not know what toadd in this regard. We hope that the politicalearthquake that has shocked the MiddleEastern ports will also cause the rulers ofPalestine and Israel to meet again in order togive a perspective to their respective peoplesthat is not only to accuse one another. Itseems that they are redefining a newequilibrium between the various MiddleEastern countries. In the Holy Land it is alsotime for a new language that offersprospects and a future. The alternative tothis is only war.

In Cyprus too it seems that discussionsbetween the two sides have become easier.We hope that this is the case not just inappearances.

In this context of great change, our�

The following is an interview withthe new Apostolic Administrator of

the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who

was appointed by Pope Francis toassume this position on the feast of

St. John the Baptist and raised tothe dignity of Archbishop. Father

Pizzaballa will receive his episcopalconsecration on September 10 in theCathedral of Bergamo, his diocese of

origin.

pastoral activity also changes. The changes,in fact, not only concern the macro-political,but also (and I would say especially) thesocieties of the respective countries. Therole of the family, the youth field and theworld of work are rapidly changing in theMiddle East. Interreligious dialogue, in acontext of a growing fundamentalism, posesnew and difficult questions. The relationshipbetween the Christian churches is facedwith common needs of coordination notonly on a pastoral level.

The questions are many, therefore, andwe will try to understand and to worktogether as a Church to find the possibleanswers.

You know the Holy Land perfectlywell, as you have already served theGospel there for a quarter of acentury. The situation of extremetension that prevails in Palestineseems particularly, to our humaneyes, to have no way out. What is thesecret of your hope and what do youintend to do in order to participate inthe search for solutions that promotepeace?Our hope, the hope of every Christian, is

the risen Christ. We have to start from there.The Church does not believe that it canchange or affect big politics. The great thingsof this world do not succeed, let alone whatwe can do. We can certainly try to bring ourvoices and make them known, butremaining well aware of our limitations.

What we need and want to do is to neverlose hope and trust, and remain stubbornlypassionate and in love with this Land andthese peoples. In this context we want tobear witness with our lifestyle of a way ofliving inside this conflict. Above all, wewant to be in peace and to not allow thelanguage of hate and violence to prevailamong us. We do not want to stop believingin the goodness of people. In short, we wantto be a place of encounter that goes beyondall walls and all barriers. And this force is

only born and understood through anencounter with Christ. Otherwise it is andremains only one of many spiritualabstractions.

In what way do you, a son of SaintFrancis who chose to marry SisterPoverty, think that the Order of theHoly Sepulchre can raise betterawareness of its profound vocation,which is sometimes hidden behindceremonial appearances, and is therea spiritual message you would like toshare with the 30,000 Knights andDames who are committed in theirdioceses to serving the “living stones”of the Holy Land?The Holy Land is a testimony of the

history of salvation. For this reason it isholy. A Knight must therefore be the bearer,the herald of that experience of salvationthat he has experienced. Before hisconversion, Saint Francis wanted to becomea knight and in this way to win a heraldictitle. After his conversion he would becomethe herald of the great King, Jesus.

A Knight of the Holy Sepulchre whoserves the living stones, that is the Christiancommunities of the Holy Land, wants tojoyfully and concretely show the beauty ofhaving encountered Jesus and of still beingable to “touch” him, to experience himthrough the Mother Church of Jerusalem.

Interview by François Vayne

Father Pizzaballa, just three days after hisappointment as Apostolic Administrator of theLatin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, was received atheadquarters of the Grand Magisterium of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre by the GrandMaster and the Governor General and shared aconvivial meal with European Lieutenants.

In May, Father Francesco Patton wasappointed to take over as Custos of the HolyLand from Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa,who had held the position since 2004. TheCustos of the Holy Land is the provincialminister, that is, the major superior of theFranciscans in a large portion of the MiddleEast. He has jurisdiction over the territoriesof Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria,part of Egypt, Cyprus and Rhodes. By virtueof his office, he is a member of theAssembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the HolyLand. The Custos’ main mission, in additionto his responsibility for his brothers, is toensure, together with the local Church, the“living stones” of the region: the Christianswho reside there. This responsibility hasbeen entrusted to him by the Holy See forover 600 years.

Francesco Patton was born in VigoMeano, in the Dioceseof Trento, Italy, onDecember 23, 1963 andbelongs to the Province

of St. Anthony of the Friars Minor, which islocated in Northern Italy. Besides Italian, hespeaks English and Spanish. He made hisfirst profession September 7, 1983, hissolemn profession October 4, 1986 and wasordained a priest on May 26, 1989. In 1993,he graduated in Communications at thePontifical Salesian University in Rome. Hehas held various positions in his province oforigin and in the Order. He has twice beensecretary general of the General Chapter ofthe Order of Friars Minor (2003 and 2009),but also General Visitor (2003), ProvincialMinister of Trentino (2008-2016) andPresident of the Conference of Ministers ofItaly and of Albania. The members of theOrder of the Holy Sepulcher present in theworld, Knights and Dames, pray for hisintentions, as well as those of hispredecessor, who was appointed Apostolic

Administrator of theLatin Patriarchate ofJerusalem on June 24.

XIV N° 43 - JULY 2016

A new Custos of the Holy Land

Father Patton (center) is the new Custosof the Holy Land, succeeding Father

Pizzaballa. As Superior of theFranciscans of much of the Middle East,he is in charge of ensuring the reception

of pilgrims to the holy sites incoordination with the local leaders of the

various Christian churches.

Each year, as part of the Reunion of AidAgencies for the Oriental Churches(ROACO), the Order of the Holy

Sepulchre commits to support some projects,expanding its mission of solidarity in theHoly Land, meaning all the biblicalterritories, and all the Catholic communitiesin addition to the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem. At the recent ROACO Springmeeting, the Order has agreed to collaboratein projects for the Catholic communities ofthe Greek-Melkite Church and of the RosarySisters who welcome a thousand pupils, inGaza, in very difficult conditions.

■ The Greek-Melkite community ofNazareth has about 10,000 faithful. TheChurch of St. Joseph, built 50 years ago,works to meet the spiritual needs ofparishioners, as well as hosting prayermeetings for students of the annexedGreek-Catholic school twice weekly andmany otherparishactivities. Workbegan on badlyneededrenovation twoyears ago, witha localcontributioncovering 60%of costs. TheOrder of theHoly Sepulchrewill contributespecifically toabout 75% ofthe costs forthe fence

project to protect the church fromvandalism which unfortunately hasrecently damaged the structure.

■ There is a small Christian community ofCatholic Greek-Melkite faithful andGreek-orthodox faithful in the village ofBi’ina, next to Akko, in northern Israel.The Melkite Church of Saint Peter, built in1907, has 250 parishioners. The projectsupported by the Order will provide forthe construction of an annex to the churchto accommodate religious and socialactivities for the local community and thesurrounding villages.

■ The last project that the Order hascommitted to in 2016 through ROACO, isthe renovation of The Sisters of the RosarySchool in Gaza. This school, run by aLatin rite Catholic congregation of womenreligious, welcomes about 900 students –

of which only 9%are Christians,considering thesmall number ofChristians left inthe Gaza Strip –and providesschooling frompre-school to theage of 15-16. TheOrder will fundthe renovation ofthe toilets andkitchens, as well asrealize side accessstairs to the facilityand install a newdrainage system.

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The Order of the Holy Sepulchrecollaborating in ROACO projects

TThhee WWeesstt nneeeeddsstthhee EEaasstt

“Iam grateful to everyone for the zeal you putinto carrying out the mission entrusted to you

and for the attention to the needs of our brothers ofthe East,” said Pope Francis last June when hereceived the members of the Reunion of AidAgencies for Oriental churches of which the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre is part.The Holy Father alsogreeted the papal representatives in Jerusalem, inLebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Ukraineparticipating in this work under the direction ofCardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of theCongregation for Oriental Churches, and concludedby quoting St. John Paul II in his apostolic letterOrientale Lumen, “the words of the West need thewords of the East, so that God’s word may evermore clearly reveal its unfathomable riches”.

The last few months have brought withthem important innovations to theCatholic community of Latin rite

present in the Holy Land with theappointment of the new Custos of the HolyLand, Father Francesco Patton; the end ofthe mandate of the Patriarch Fouad Twaland the appointment of Father PierbattistaPizzaballa as Apostolic Administrator of theLatin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Within the context of the Jubilee Yearproclaimed by Pope Francis, on May 12, the“Garden of Mercy” was inaugurated inJordan in the presence of theUndersecretary of the Pontifical CouncilCor Unum, Monsignor Segundo TejadoMuñoz. This is a sustainable farm that willprovide jobs and will allow the trade oflocal products. This concrete initiative ofmercy has been promoted and supported byPope Francis, to help the many Iraqirefugees present inJordan.

Our Lady who BringsDown Walls

On a sadder note,construction continues ofthe separation wall in theCremisan Valley. On May26, an EU delegationvisited the site to see thesituation firsthand andlisten to the testimony ofIssa Al-Shatleh, a landowner whose olive treeshave been uprooted tobuild the wall. Prayer iscertainly of support to thelocal people and in this

the beautiful icon painted onto the part ofthe wall that separates Bethlehem fromJerusalem in 2010 by iconographer IanKnowles, comes to mind: Our Lady whoBrings Down Walls. We share the prayer toher which reads: “We beg you, through yourardent intercession, to bring down this wall,the walls of our hearts, and all the wallsthat generate hatred, violence, fear, andindifference between people and betweennations”.

Regarding the situation of Christianschools in Israel, unfortunately we cannotreport any significant progress over the pastfew months. The 50 million shekels (localcurrency) promised by the IsraeliGovernment to offset the cuts in schoolsupport in the past few years have not beentransferred to schools within the agreeddeadline (March 31, 2016) and the schoolsare facing difficult economic conditions.

XVI N° 43 - JULY 2016

Spring 2016 in the Holy LandA brief overview of the most important events that have touched thelife of the Catholic communities in the Holy Land in recent months.

The beautiful iconcreated in 2010 on thewall that separatesBethlehem fromJerusalem inspires in allardent prayer for justiceand peace.

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Restoring the face of the Church

On June 16, Pope Francis receivedparticipants at the Reunion of Aid Agenciesfor the Oriental Churches (ROACO) inaudience, who were gathered in Rome fortheir usual spring meeting. The Holy Fatherbegan by noting how the ongoing restorationof the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem(for more informationwww.nativityrestoration.ps) sends a strongmessage to the whole Church: “I have beentold that in the course of restoration work inBethlehem, on one of the walls of the nave aseventh angel in mosaic has come to light,forming with the other six a sort ofprocession towards the place commemoratingthe mystery of the birth of the Word madeflesh. This can lead us to reflect on how theface of our ecclesial communities can also becovered by “incrustations” as a result ofvarious problems and sins. Yet your workmust unfailingly be guided by the certaintythat, beneath material and moral

incrustations, and the tears and bloodshedcaused by war, violence and persecution,beneath this apparently impenetrable coverthere is a radiant face like that of the angel inthe mosaic. All of you, with your projects andyour activities, are part of a “restoration” thatwill enable the face of the Church to reflectvisibly the light of Christ the WordIncarnate”.

A few days after the end of the Muslimholy month of Ramadan, it is nice toremember the moments of sharing betweenthe Christian and Muslim communities of theHoly Land, such as the breaking of the fastmeal (iftar) organized by the LatinPatriarchate and by Abraham’s House onJune 17. In the spirit of the call to fraternaland spiritual communion, the thirteenthedition of Extraordinary Prayer of all theChurches in Jerusalem for reconciliation,unity and peace, took place on June 19. Thisyear it was organized by the MaroniteChurch.

Elena Dini

XVII N° 43 - JULY 2016

XVIII N° 43 - JULY 2016

The Life of the Lieutenancies

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“What it is uniquein our Order –says the

Chancellor of the SwissLieutenancy Donata Krethlow-Benziger – is the total equalityof Knights and Dames”. Equalrights for men and women asexperienced within theEquestrian Order of the HolySepulchre of Jerusalem are anexample for the laity of theCatholic Church organizations.Donata Krethlow-Benziger wasthe first woman in Switzerlandto assume the post ofChancellor in 2010.

“My membership in the Equestrian Orderis a family tradition,” continues the 45 yearold historian. After her first pilgrimage tothe Holy Land with the Order, about tenyears ago, her outlook completely changed:the theory of the Order’s social commitmentwas tangible in the Holy Land. Theproximity of the Christians and visits to themany projects supported by the EquestrianOrder fostered a desire in her to take a moreactive part. She was impressed andencouraged by the way people live theirfaith in the Holy Land, and how differentthis seemed when compared to Europe.

With around half a millionSwiss francs a year, themembers of the Order of thiscountry are importantsupporters of thehumanitarian projects of theChristians in the Holy Land,said the Chancellor. Her nextvisit will be devoted to the“Babywarehouses,” revealedDonata Krethlow-Benziger,who now wants to mobilizethe Swiss to make moredonations to improve thesefacilities.

According to the report ofthe authorities in the Holy

Land, there are more than a hundredunlicensed nurseries structures in Tel Aviv,many taking in children of illegalimmigrants, especially Africans, Filipinosand Indians (it is estimated that there areabout 2,600 infants and young children).These “Baby camps” or “Children’s garage”are called “Babywarehouses’, and arelocated at the train station in Tel Aviv andsurrounding areas which are inhabited by amajority of Christian refugees from Eritrea.

Given the great demand for childcarefacilities, it is the refugee familiesthemselves who organize these structures.

Testimony of the Chancellorfrom the Swiss Lieutenancy

The testimony of Donata Krethlow-Benziger, Chancellor of theSwiss Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, about

their commitment to the Holy Land and the “Babywarehouse”project in Tel Aviv.

Caring for migrants’ children in Israel

They built these camps as an emergencysolution for Eritrean mothers who have towork and have little money to help theirchildren. Some of these “Babywarehouses”welcome between sixty and one hundredchildren in one room. The support staff isunskilled and often inadequate. Up to 100children can be taken under the care of asingle person. In these conditions, infantssuffer, get sick and some die.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,under the direction of Jesuit Father DavidNeuhaus, Patriarchal Vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics, has taken up thechallenge of creating a structure for thesenurseries: properties have been leased andtrained nurses contracted to educate the restof the staff. The current project involves theconstruction of over 400 care centers andshould allow for refugees and migrants tohave a legal and healthy structure for thecustody of their children. This project,which is particularly dear to DonataKrethlow-Benziger, has already receivedfunds from Austria and Germany. This year,Switzerland has given its contribution in thehope that the “professionalization” ofBabywarehouses can improve the situation

on the ground.In August 2016, Chancellor Krethlow-

Benziger, will visit the Babywarehouses inTel Aviv with Father David Neuhaus.

Interview by Nina Oezelt

The Chancellor Donata Krethlow-Benziger infront of the Caritas Baby Hospital in the HolyLand and below accompanied by Msgr. PierGiacomo Grampa, Grand Prior of the SwissLieutenancy for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Granting us an interview, MacarenaCotelo describes the beginnings ofthe Foundation that she heads in the

Holy Land. “We started our business in theMiddle East, in Lebanon, in 1993 after ajourney that our former president, PilarLara, Dame of the Order of the HolySepulchre, made to the Holy Land.” “Pilarwas deeply struck by the reality of theproblems which Christians in this part ofthe world face that we started to work inLebanon”. The following year, “through anacquaintance in Jerusalem, we wereproposed for a project of the LatinPatriarchate. We made our presentation andit was approved by the Spanishgovernment”, she says. In December 1995,Macarena Cotelo and Pilar Lara arrived inthe Holy Land, fell in love with these placesand “we discovered that there was much todo,” she says. For several years the LatinPatriarchate was their only on-site partner.Macarena Cotelo speaks of the delicate

situation of Christians during all these years,“when we went to Palestine, we learned thatthere were fewer and fewer Christians andthat they were living in very precariousconditions. This reality drove them toremain “to become involved in those places,to fight and to continue to help where wecould”. Talking about the current situation ofChristian communities in the Holy Land,she tells us that today it is “more dramaticthan ever”.

From Lebanon to Palestine to thecommunities of Iraq and Syria

“Since the outbreak of conflict in Syria,the existing Christian communities acrossthe region are struggling to stay on theirland,” she adds. “I am always surprisedwhen I meet Christians from the MiddleEast. I realize the effort they make to stay,knowing that they must ensure a Christianpresence. Many of them have the

The medal of the Holy Sepulchrein Macarena Cotelo, Spain

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Acts of solidarity in the spirit of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

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Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre are called to inspireacts of solidarity towards the Holy Land in the heart of society. So

for example Pilar Lara, Dame of the Order, has initiated apartnership between the Foundation for the Promotion of Social

Culture (FPSC), of which she is president, and the Holy Landrepresented by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The FPSC

supports a network of the Patriarchate schools in Palestine andJordan through the restoration and expansion of facilities, as wellas the construction of new buildings, as is the case in Gaza, and a

training program for teachers. Other areas of focus are housing andjob creation projects. In recognition of twenty years of this fruitful

partnership (which has resulted in thirty cooperation projectscosting over 10 million euro), Macarena Cotelo, director of projectsof the Foundation for the Social Promotion of Culture, received the

Gold Medal of the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the LatinPatriarch of Jerusalem.

opportunity to leave,some have family inother countries andcould have far betterlives than in thebiblical lands wherethey were born, yetthey remain becausethey know that that istheir mission.Unfortunately, we inthe West don’t reallyunderstand this”.

“The war is forcingpeople to leave” shereminds us, andcommunities wholeave Iraq“unfortunately willnot be able to returnhome. The same thingwill happen to thosecommunities thathave been forced to leave Syria and who inall likelihood will never return”.

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflictin 2011, the Foundation for the Promotion ofSocial Culture has set up an importanthumanitarian operation. The mainobjectives are to save lives, alleviatesuffering and safeguard people’s dignity.“Because of the crisis in Syria, we havedeveloped a series of humanitarian projectsthat we are trying to carry out in bothLebanon and Jordan.” In particular, “we runa clinic for disabled refugees in Jordan”. Asfor Lebanon, Macarena Cotelo says theFoundation is working in partnership withthe Ministry of Health, in a clinic forrefugees suffering from mental illness.

“There is a population of Arab culture,but of Christian profession”

“People are discovering that there is apopulation of Arab culture, but of Christianprofession,” says Macarena. The Latin

Patriarchate ofJerusalem, which hoststhousands of pilgrimsevery year, tries to putthese communities incontact with localChristian Arabs. “It iscritical to realize thatthey are livingcommunities, wherepeople feel at home.”These communities“participate veryactively in the life ofthe parishes, whichthey view as a secondhome,” emphasizes theFPSC director ofprojects.

She adds: “I thinkthose Christians in theMiddle East probablyfelt very alone, ignored

by all, even before the war had broken out.Then news about the suffering of Christiansstarted to spread....” Today, the awareness isglobal.

Macarena says that over the past year shehas resumed concrete collaboration with theLatin Patriarchate to plan together, and thatthe Foundation is very “happy to help thePatriarchate in these new projects”,especially for the renovation of the Gazaparish and school.

Macarena Cotelo ends with words ofthanks for the Latin Patriarchate for theaward of the Medal of the Holy Sepulchre:“I am touched, honored ... it really is anaward for the whole institution, theFoundation, and a team that has alwaysworked and served with dedication”. Shealso stresses the importance of the missionof the Order of the Holy Sepulchre as aninstitution of very interesting origins andevolution, and one that “is still fully insertedinto the reality of our time”.

Interview by Mireia Bonilla

XXI N° 43 - JULY 2016

Macarena Cotelo while receiving the GoldMedal of the Holy Sepulchre in recognition ofthe help offered to the Latin Patriarchate by

the Foundation which she directs.

Born into a family of modest means, inAsia Minor, towards 248, Helena wasworking at an inn. A tribune, a native

of Illyria, named Constantius, was attractedby the quality of the girl and married her.Helen accompanied her husband at allstages of his military career, to Germany, toEngland ... The young Constantine was bornfrom their union. In 293, Constantiusbecame Caesar in Gaul, Britain and Spain.He was then forced, by Roman law and thecustom in use at the time to repudiateHelena and marry Princess Theodora.Constantine was brought by his mother upin the court of Nicomedia, partly guest,partly hostage, but later joined his father inBritain and helped him in his militarycampaigns. When his father died, in 306, histroops brought him to power. In 312 hisrival, Maxentius, was proclaimed emperor ofRome. Constantine took to the road of theeternal city, and was victorious in PonteMilvio, attributing it to a vision that he had

long ago: a cross in the sky with the words:“By this sign you will conquer”. Constantinefavored the spread of the Christian faithwith the promulgation of the Edict of Milanwhich put an end to the persecution ofChristians. In 317, Constantine appointedHelena “Augusta”, mother Empress.

Helena decided to go on pilgrimages toholy places. On arriving in Jerusalem, shedestroyed the Temple of Venus that Hadrianhad built on Calvary. During the excavation,many crosses were discovered one of whichwas identified miraculously as the Cross ofthe Saviour. The emperor’s mother laid thefirst stones of the basilicas wanted byConstantine: the Church of Calvary and theHoly Sepulchre, the Church of theAscension on the Mount of Olives, theChurch of the Grotto of Bethlehem.

Helena died in Constantinople, next toher son. Her body was brought to Rome.Constantine decided to transform herresidence into a church, the Basilica of Santa

XXII N° 43 - JULY 2016

Where are the relicsof St. Helena?

On August 18, the Order celebrates one of its patrons, St. Helena, but do theKnights and Dames know where the relics of the mother of Emperor

Constantine are, to whom we owe the conversion of the Roman Empire toChristianity and the construction of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre?

Saint Helena, you who were able to pass on the Christian faith toyour son Constantine, grant us the simplicity, courage and

judgment to speak of the love of God to those who are close to us.When your son Constantine was the leader of the empire, for the

love of Jesus, you desired to find the place of his crucifixion andthe wood of the Cross. Help us understand that if we too desire,nothing can separate us from the love that God has testified to us ingifting us His Son Jesus. Show us the Cross as a reminder of thatlove. Make us true disciples of Jesus. And if life places trials on ourpath, help us to know how, as He asked us, to take up our crossevery day and follow Him with love. Amen.

PPrraayyiinngg wwiitthh SStt.. HHeelleennaa

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Croce in Jerusalem. In 840 or so, a monknamed Theutgise, stole a part of the saint’sremains and brought them to theBenedictine Abbey of Hautvillers, wherethey were placed in a reliquary behind thealtar. Granted the prayers of the Archbishopof Reims, the Pope approved their transfer.Rich in numerous relics, the Abbey hashonored St. Helena down through thecenturies. On the anniversary of her death,August 18, and on the feast of the HolyCross, a solemn office of the saint iscelebrated, followed by a procession where,with great fervor, many pilgrims implore theintercession of St. Helena to receive healing.During the French Revolution, Dom Jean-Baptiste Grossard saved the relics of St.Helena, which in 1820 were placed at theSaint-Leu-Saint-Gilles church in Paris, theChapter Church of the Order of the HolySepulchre in France. They are today anobject of ecumenical worship for Catholicand Orthodox faithful who come onpilgrimage to invoke she who so loved theHoly Land.

St. Helena’s relics are in the crypt of the Churchof Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles in Paris, the OrderChapter Church of the Holy Sepulchre for theFrench Lieutenancy, and are an object ofdeveloping ecumenical worship and pilgrimage,after the rapprochement of the MoscowPatriarchate and the Holy See following themeeting between Kirill and Pope Francis in Cubaon February 12, 2016.