In the Middle East, renewed prayers forpeace but there is no peace, rather tensof thousands of innocent dead.

In the Holy Land, continuing prayers forfreedom but there is no freedom but high,lengthy walls separating families. Prayers aswell for justice, where Arab and Christianminorities still suffer limitations of theirhuman rights. There is no peace but greatsuffering on all sides.

It has been said that the challenge of faithis to know why God is permitting evil andsuffering without losing faith in God. Whatan inspiration it should be to us to witnessChristians in the Holy Land tenaciouslyclinging to Faith in sometimes desperatecircumstances. And what a source ofsatisfaction it should be for us as membersof the Equestrian Order, to realize that it isour solidarity with them in prayer,pilgrimages and financial help thatstrengthens faith of Christians there andoffers them hope.

Through increased communications suchas the Newsletters, Annual Annales, anupdated website and our personal visits, weare striving to convince you, each of ourmotivated members, of the essential role youplay in keeping faith and hope alive among

ANOTHER WORLD DAY OF PEACE,ANOTHER NEW YEAR OF HOPE

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The Grand Master of the Holy Sepulchre in thecompany of the Holy Father, on the occasion of theMass of the Nativity of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilicain Rome.

N° 45 WINTER 2017

www.oessh.va

Reflections of the Grand Master

@granmagistero.oessh @GM_oessh

Christians in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.And through the committed leadership ofour Patriarchate and its allies on the groundthere, we can be confident that oursacrifices are keeping churches and schoolsopen, shelters for refugees and orphans areopened and food provided for the hungry ofevery and no faith.

The 18th century French bishop andtheologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet suggeststhat “actions that seem most ordinary aresecretly directed by the order of God, andserve his designs without our noticing it, insuch a way that nothing comes to pass bymere coincidence.”

We can be sure that what we do in thename of God is somehow being ordered byGod’s designs in bringing aboutextraordinary results.

Edwin, cardinal O’Brien

The Order in Union withthe Universal Church

“NONVIOLENCE: A STYLE OF POLITICSFOR PEACE” III

“FOR SOME OF US, HOW FAR JERUSALEM ISFROM BETHLEHEM!” IV

“SO THAT GOD’S CARESS MAY REACHEVERYONE” V

DIPLOMACY OF SMALL STEPS TOBUILD TRUST VII

MSGR. ADAM PARKER APPOINTED AUXILIARYBISHOP OF BALTIMORE (USA) IX

AMBASSADOR IVAN REBERNIK APPOINTEDHONORARY CHANCELLOR IX

THE GRAND MASTER’S CALENDAR X

THE HOLY LAND COORDINATION AND THEIMPORTANCE OF FACE TO FACE MEETINGS XI

CHRISTMAS IN COMMUNION WITH THECHILDRENOF MIGRANTS IN THE HOLY LAND XIII

THE RESTORATION OF THE “AEDICULE”THAT PROTECTS THE HOLY SEPULCHRE XIV

PRAYING FOR THE UNITY OF CHRISTIANSIN THE HOLY LAND XV

“A GATE OF LIFE”, TO HELP YOUNGDISABLED PEOPLE IN THE WEST BANK XVIII

BEING A FAMILY IN THE ORDER OFTHE HOLY SEPULCHRE XXI

The Order and the Holy Land

The Life of the Lieutenancies

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IMPRESSUM GRAND MAGISTERIUM OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM00120 VATICAN CITY

E-mail: comunicazione@oessh.va

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

The Order offers regular support to the institutions of the Latin Patriarchate in the Holy Land, in addition tosome specific projects that are presented by this same diocese. Discover the diversity of our work of

solidarity, especially in the service of peace, on our website.

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It was January 1, 1968 when Blessed PopePaul VI gave the world the first messagefor the World Day of Peace, addressing

himself to all peoples and not just to theCatholic Church to proclaim that peace “isthe only true direction of human progress”.This January 1, 2017, Pope Francispublished the 50th message for thisimportant Day showing how the call forpeace never goes out of fashion, it does notage, and it does not lose its relevance. Thisshould not discourageus rather it shouldencourage us togreater responsibilityas Christians.

Yes, as Christians,as Pope Francisforcefully reminds us,because “to be truefollowers of Jesustoday also includesembracing histeaching aboutnonviolence”. TheHoly Fathercontinued: “Jesushimself lived inviolent times. Yet hetaught that the truebattlefield, whereviolence and peacemeet, is the humanheart [...]. Heunfailingly preachedGod’s unconditionallove, which welcomesand forgives. He

taught his disciples to love their enemies”.After paying tribute to the commitment to

promote peace through non-violence ofpeople like Mother Teresa and MartinLuther King but also Mahatma Gandhi andKhan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Pope invitesus all to “follow the path of non-violence inthe first place within the family”: it is therethat we learn to listen, to dialogue, to giveourselves and to live in forgiveness andmercy. If within our families we can make

peace reign, then wecan really be theleaven in the doughthat will ferment oursocieties.

May Pope Franciswish for this 2017resonate strongly inour communities: “Iwish peace to everyman, woman andchild, and I pray thatthe image andlikeness of God ineach person willenable us toacknowledge oneanother as sacred giftsendowed withimmense dignity.Especially insituations of conflict,let us respect this, our‘deepest dignity’, andmake activenonviolence our wayof life”.

“Nonviolence:a Style of Politics for Peace”

The Order in Union with the Universal Church

The Pope invites us to “tread the path of non-violence first and foremost within the family”(artistic representation of a dove of peace at

Bethlehem University. Picture taken during thevisit of the Grand Magisterium’s Holy Land

Commission).

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TThhee PPooppee rreeiitteerraatteess hhiiss ccaallllffoorr aa ssttaabbllee aanndd llaassttiinngg ssoolluuttiioonn

ooff tthhee IIssrraaeellii--PPaalleessttiinniiaann ccoonnfflliicctt

“Peace to the women and men of the beloved Holy Land, the land chosen and favored by God,” thePope said in his Urbi et Orbi, at Christmas. “May Israelis and Palestinians have the courage and

determination to write a new page of history, where hate and revenge give way to the will to buildtogether a future of mutual understanding and harmony,” he added.

During his speech to diplomats, at the beginning of the year, he reiterated his “urgent appeal” toresume dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to arrive at “a stable and enduring solution thatguarantees the peaceful coexistence of two states within internationally recognized borders.” “Noconflict can become a habit impossible to break!” Francis insisted before the ambassadors accreditedto the Holy See. “Israelis and Palestinians need peace. The whole Middle East urgently needs peace”,he said again, before receiving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in audience at the Vatican, inmid-January. On that occasion, the President gifted the Pope a rock from Golgotha from the Basilica ofthe Holy Sepulchre, before inaugurating the embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See, oneyear after the entry into force of the bilateral agreement between the two States.

“Let us allow the Child in themanger to challenge us, but let usalso be challenged by all those

children in today’s world who are lying notin a crib, caressed with affection by theirmothers and fathers”, said the Pope duringChristmas Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter,drawing our gaze towards children who arelying “in squalid ‘mangers that devourdignity’. Children who hide underground toescape bombardment, on the pavements oflarge cities, in the hold of a boat overladenwith immigrants…”.

The Holy Father’s insistent appeal isechoed by the Grand Master of the Order ofthe Holy Sepulchre during this season, whohas called for a greater spiritual engagement

by our members in favor of the children ofmigrants in the Holy Land, physicallybacked by our pontifical institution. ThePope has urged us to continue to think ofthem with the same feelings of the Motherof God, bowing over them, loweringourselves to them, becoming small in frontof their fragility, far from the “power ofappearance” which he denounced duringcelebrations for the Nativity of the Lord.

During the feast of the Epiphany, Francisreturned to this mystery: “God wanted to beborn where we least expected, or perhapsdesired, in a place where we so often refusehim”, emphasizing the attitude of Herodwho was sleeping while the Magi weretraveling ... “Jerusalem slept. It slept in

“For some of us, how farJerusalem is from Bethlehem!”

With this Newsletter at the start of the year, we recall theilluminating papal teachings that accompanied Christmas

and Epiphany, to help foster the “spirit of Bethlehem” in ourcommitment to the Holy Land.

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During the Jubilee of Mercy, morethan 21 million pilgrims passedthrough the Holy Door of St.

Peter’s Basilica while, worldwide, morethan 800 million believers experiencedthis spiritual exercise of crossing theHoly Doors open in diocesan churchesor in sanctuaries. And this Holy Yearwas a form of spiritual training, anexercise to welcome mercy and tobecome its instruments to bring iteverywhere, as the Pope explained in hisApostolic letter Misericordia et misera -Mercy with misery - publicly signed onthe last day of the Jubilee Year,November 20, the feast of Christ theKing, after Mass in the presence of thenew cardinals, in St. Peter’s Square.Among the people drawn from all walks

of life who symbolically received thisdocument from the hands of Francis, totransmit it to the world, the two chosenbishops are members of the Order:Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishopof Manila, and Monsignor Leo Cushley,Archbishop of Edinburgh.

This letter points out “the path that weare called to follow in the future,” remainingfaithful to the teachings of Christ. “Mercycannot become a mere parenthesis in the lifeof the Church,” explains the Holy Father atthe beginning of this letter, which wasofficially made available on Monday 21November, the Feast of the Presentation ofMary. “Let us trust in her maternalassistance and follow her perennial counselto look to Jesus, the radiant face of God’smercy“so that we can realize once more that

“So that God’s caressmay reach everyone”

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collusion with a Herodwho, rather than seeking,also slept. He slept,anesthetized by acauterized conscience” saidthe Holy Father, putting uson guard again against“worldly rules” or even “thecult of power, appearance,and of superiority”. “Forsome of us, how farJerusalem is fromBethlehem”, he cried,inviting each of us to have“hearts open to the horizon”as the Magi “were open tosomething new.” “The Magidid not set out because theyhad seen the star, but theysaw the star because theyhad already set out...”

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A poignant moment during the Christmas celebrations in Rome: PopeFrancis worships the Child Jesus calling for greater humility andsimplicity in human relations in the heart of the Church where “worldlylaws” have no reason to exist.

VI N° 45 - WINTER 2017

“everything is resolved in the merciful loveof the Father.”

“Like a gusting but wholesome wind, theLord’s goodness and mercy have sweptthrough the entire world,” wrote the HolyFather, and as “it has truly been like a newvisitation of the Lord among us,” that “wehave felt his life-giving breath poured outupon the Church.” The time has come tounderstand “how best to continue, with joy,fidelity and enthusiasm, experiencing therichness of God’s mercy.”

Poverty, misera in Latin, which is thesecond important word in the title of thePope’s letter, is found above all in the factthat “God himself is now a stranger tomany” “and this represents the greatestpoverty and the major obstacle to therecognition of the inviolable dignity ofhuman life” (Misericordia et Misera 18).”

Mercy is thus anurgently neededremedy for a moral andspiritual poverty linkedto “the culture ofextreme individualism“in the West which “hasled to a loss of a senseof solidarity with andresponsibility forothers.”

The Holy Fatherdevelops the ideas thatMercy must becelebrated, mostnotably in thesacraments, and thatMercy is lived in theeverydayness of ourlives, in our encounterswith others.

With regards thecelebration of Mercy,the Pope wishes thatthe word of God isabove all taken moredeeply into the

Christian community, and he proposes thatone Sunday in the liturgical year be entirelydevoted to this, on the theme of mercy,something which will hopefully lead toconcrete charitable actions and works.

Socially speaking, he indicates that, “Weare called to promote a culture of mercybased on the rediscovery of encounter withothers”. ”The culture of mercy is shaped inassiduous prayer, in docility to the workingof the Holy Spirit, in knowledge of the livesof the saints and in being close to the poor”.

“This is the time of mercy”, repeatsPeter’s successor five times at the end of hisletter – perhaps a reference to the fivewounds of Christ – “since no one can thinkthat he or she is cut off from God’scloseness and the power of his tender love”,for it is through the testimony of believersthat “God’s caress may reach everyone”.

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Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila – member of the Order of the HolySepulchre – while receiving the Apostolic Letter Misericordia et miserafrom the hands of Pope Francis which opens the future to a culture ofmercy in all areas of our personal and social life ...

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The Order of the Holy Sepulchreworks hard to be at the serviceof education and peace in the

Holy Land, notably throughsupporting schools and universitieswhere Muslims and Christians studytogether in a tangible dynamic ofinterreligious dialogue. In your view,what does this pontifical institutionrepresent and what do you expect ofit during the coming years?The Order of the Holy Sepulchre

continues a great mission of support, both

practical and spiritual, for the works of theChurch and the Catholics present in theHoly Land. Through the activities of itsmembers over the years it has shown theChurch’s concern for the faithful in the HolyLand. In the current context, we all knowhow much interreligious dialogue isessential. In particular, it is crucial toeducate towards a serene dialogue andcoexistence to ensure a durable peace forthe generations to come. The educationalefforts which enable both young Christians,who already come from diverse ecclesial

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Diplomacy of small stepsto build trust

The Secretary for Relations with States of the Secretariat ofState, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, gave an

interview to the Communication Service of the GrandMagisterium. In this Newsletter we publish an excerpt fromthis conversation, inviting our readers to read the article in

full on our website www.oessh.va

Archbishop PaulGallagher withMsgr. Antonio

Franco (behind),Assessor of the

Order, andMsgr.

PierbattistaPizzaballa,

Administrator ofthe Latin

Patriarchate ofJerusalem,during the

reception lastautumn in honor

of the BlessedVirgin Mary,

Queen ofPalestine, at theheadquarters of

the GrandMagisterium in

Rome.

VIII N° 45 - WINTER 2017

realities, as well as young people from otherreligions, to grow-up together, to learn, toshare and to evolve in a dynamic ofharmony, are the true seeds of hope.Without doubt these efforts do not make theheadlines, but they lay the foundations forthe future and already witness to truefraternity in diversity.

The Palestinian State was recognizedby the Holy See one year after thehistoric visit of Pope Francis to theHoly Land. How could thisrecognition tangibly stimulate peacein the Middle East?For many decades, the conflict in the

Middle East has not ceased to causesuffering, doubt, and lackof understanding, divisionand isolation. Time onlyworsens the situation andits wounds. Yet stabilityand peace mustnecessarily lie in justice,the recognition of therights of each person andthe security of all. Thetwo States solution haspresented itself for a longtime as the best remedy to the conflict andto guarantee a future and a stable peace forthe people who are directly affected. It isbased on safety, justice and the rights foundat the heart of the internationally recognizedborders. Enacting such a resolution certainlydemands courage, “the courage of peace”, asPope Francis says. It also demandsdetermination and consistency. In the longand difficult Israeli-Palestinian peaceprocess, it entails, above all, recognition ofthe fundamental needs of individuals andpeoples. Evidently, the resolution of such aconflict will constitute a fundamental step infavor of peace in the Middle-East.

Personally, as a man of the Church,where do you draw hope in these

obscure times of “a piecemeal war”,and what promising signs can yougive regarding a “peace in littlepieces” which advances as well,without making the headlines?That’s a very beautiful question! At times,

it can seem difficult to cultivate hope whilstwe are witnessing multiple acts of violence,touching most often innocents, children,families, people who cannot defendthemselves. The blind violence, whichcharacterizes this “piecemeal war”,according to the term used by Pope Francis,has dramatic consequences, as well ascausing suffering and injustice. The ApostleSt Paul exhorts us to be men and women ofhope, hoping, like Abraham, “against all

hope”. And so hecharges us to workhumbly in our dailylife, through little actsof peace, of fraternity,of humility and ofreconciliation which areseeds that areindispensable to theconstruction of a trueand enduring peace inwhich we must never

cease to believe in and aspire to. Peace is agift to patiently look for and which“becomes handmade in the hands of men” –as Pope Francis recently said. The HolyFather himself often makes reference to“diplomacy of small steps”. To some extent,we already have encouraging signs in recentevents relating to Cuba, the Central AfricanRepublic or Colombia. Here we cancertainly also speak of a “peace in littlepieces”, a peace which is rooted in thecommunal consciousness that we are allbrothers in humanity and which is fed byfaith in Christ Redeemer and Prince ofPeace.

Interview by François Vayne(translation from the original interview in

French)

‘‘It is crucial toeducate towards a serenedialogue and coexistenceto ensure a durablepeace for the generationsto come

’’

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Msgr. Adam Parker appointedauxiliary bishop of Baltimore (USA)

On 6 December 2016, the Holy Father has appointed two newauxiliary bishops of Baltimore (USA), one of which is Msgr.

Adam John Parker, Commander with Star of the OESSH, formerspecial assistant and secretary to the Grand Master of the Order,Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, from 2012 to 2013. Pope Francis hasassigned him the titular see of Tasaccora. On the occasion of hisepiscopal ordination, which took place on January 19 at the MaryOur Queen Cathedral of Baltimore, our Grand Master was one ofthe co-consecrators.

We congratulate Mons. Parker and accompany him in prayer inthis new service within the Church.

Ambassador Ivan Rebernikappointed Honorary Chancellor

On 12 December 2016, theGrand Master, Cardinal EdwinO’Brien, appointed

Ambassador Ivan Rebernik Chancellorof Honor. Member of the Order of theHoly Sepulchre since 2000,Ambassador Rebernik fervently servedthe Order as Chancellor from 2012 to2016. During those years he hasclosely chaired the work of theOrder’s Commission on Appointmentsand Promotions and supported thecommunications development of theGrand Magisterium of the Order thatled to the opening of the new site infive languages and entry into theworld of social media. In addition, hepromoted the reorganization of theGrand Magisterium archive given hisvaluable and long experience in thelibrary sector.

Proceedings of the Grand Magisterium

X N° 45 - WINTER 2017

In November, the Grand Master celebrated two Investiture ceremonies in the UnitedStates: on November 5 in Boston and on November 18 in New York. On December 3 inAnagni (Italy), Cardinal O’Brien received the International Boniface VIII Prize “... for a

culture of Peace”, City of Anagni 2016 and the International Prize “Misericordes sicut Pater”for his work as Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and his intense episcopalactivity.

Again in the United States in December, the Grand Master presided at Mass in Shreveport,Louisiana, for the 150th anniversary of the apparition and the miracle of Saint JohnBerchmans, a seventeenth century Belgian Jesuit who appeared supernaturally to a dyingAmerican novice who was then miraculously healed. During the liturgy it was possible tovenerate the relic of the heart of the Saint. On that occasion, he met a delegation of membersof the Order.

On his return to Rome, Cardinal O’Brien participated in the celebrations of the Christmasseason in the Vatican with the Holy Father. After the holidays, he celebrated the Investiture offour new members of the Order at the North American Pontifical College in Rome on January11 in the presence of Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich from Chicago and Cardinal DonaldWilliam Wuerl from Washington D.C., and on January 19, he was one of the co-consecratingbishops at the episcopal consecration ceremony of Msgr. Adam Parker.

In the coming months, the Grand Master will celebrate Investiture ceremonies in Sweden(11 February), in Palermo (February 18), and South Africa (March 18).

The Grand Master’s calendar

Cardinal Edwin O’Brien,along with Cardinals

Blase J. Cupich (to hisleft) and Donald Wuerl,

respectively Archbishopsof Chicago and

Washington D.C., as wellas the Governor General

of the Order, AgostinoBorromeo, and theChancellor Alfredo

Bastianelli. Behind them,the new members:

Father John Bateman(Secretary of the GrandMaster, at the top left in

the picture), FatherAustin Vetter, the Very

Reverend Father PeterHarman, rector of the

Pontifical NorthAmerican College in

Rome, and Father JohnCush.

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The Holy Land Coordination,comprising representatives ofEpiscopal conferences from different

countries, was established at the invitation ofthe Holy See at the end of the twentiethcentury in order to visit and support the localChristian communities of the Holy Land.

Three key words guide the action of theCoordination: Prayer for and with localcommunities, Pilgrimage and Persuasion, thislast aspect concerns the important work thatthe bishops are called to carry out withinstitutions on their return home to supportthe Christian communities and the entirepopulation of these lands. Another word isoften added to these: Presence, to help ourbrothers and sisters in the Holy Land feelclose to communities in other countries.

In 2017 the Coordination traveled to theHoly Land January 14 to19, preceded by a smalldelegation that visited Gazaon January 12 and 13 (readthe final statement of theCoordination after theirvisit on our website). Thegeneral program began onthe eve of the World Day ofMigrants and Refugees inJaffa with the “Mass of thePeoples”, animated by thevarious nationalcommunities living inIsrael, and then Tel Avivwith a visit to the Centrefor Migrants.

The theme that dominated the followingdays was that of 50 years of occupation withvisits to Bethlehem, Hebron and EastJerusalem. Wednesday, January 18, wasdedicated to ecumenical dialogue, tocelebrate the Week of Prayer for ChristianUnity, closing with a prayer service at theAnglican Cathedral of St. George inJerusalem.

The Lieutenant for England and Wales,David Smith, has been part of the Holy LandCoordination for years, and in this shortinterview tells us about his experience.

How did your work with the HolyLand Coordination begin? I have been attending the Coordination

since 2010. The previous Lieutenant used togo and when I took over the role of

The Holy Land Coordination and theimportance of face to face meetings

An interview with David Smith, Lieutenant of England and Wales

The Order and the Holy Land

Since the late 1990s, every year a group of bishops from variouscontinents – which form the Holy Land Coordination – visits theterritory mainly to ensure the support of the universal Church for localcommunities (Copyright: Catholic Church of England and Wales).

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XII N° 45 - WINTER 2017

Lieutenant they invited me because of thework of the Knights in the Holy Land. Everyyear it is interesting to be with the bishopsduring their visit. Our Lieutenancy also givessome financial support to the initiative.

What is the Holy Land Coordination’smission and activities? This initiative was established at the

invitation of the Holy See as a way to givesupport to the Holy Land and England wasinvited to organize it. The majority of thegroup is bishops from different countries,involved in the Middle East in somecapacities, with the Commissions for Justiceand Peace or representatives of nationalBishops’ Conferences. These people have arole and when they go back home they areable to support a change through their voices.The bishops create a statement at the end oftheir visit and publicize it within their sphereof influence. There are also some lay peoplein the group, for example the trustees ofBethlehem University and people fromCaritas.

Is there a particular place, community,

situation that you bring back home inyour prayers after your visits? The most powerful experience I had

during one of my last visits was the meetingwith Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan. In2016 we met them every day for three daysand they told us how their life used to be.140.000 Iraqi Christians were expelled fromthe Plain of Nineveh and we also met peoplefrom Mosul. Many of them were very welleducated and used to run their own business.They told us that when ISIS came along, theyknocked at their door telling them: either youbecome a Muslim; you pay a tax, or don’t behere tomorrow.

When they arrived in Jordan they lived inparishes. Now they are moving to semi-permanent accommodations and CaritasJordan helped this process a lot.Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Jordan isexperiencing heavy pressures. The bishopsmanaged to meet refugees face to face andmeetings always deepen one’s ownperspective.

Elena Dini

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Christmas in communion withthe children of migrants

in the Holy Land

This Christmas the Grand MasterCardinal Edwin O’Brien wants toremind us of all the activities that the

Order supports on behalf of the children ofmigrants in Israel so that all our membersmay celebrate the festivities in communionwith these children who today give anAfrican or Asian face to the Baby Jesus, thuswell representing the universality of theChurch. Through the regular contributionsof members, each year the GrandMagisterium of the Order is able to send asum of money to support these facilities formigrant children and thus support theirwhole families.

The situation of migrants in the HolyLand is critical and the Order of the HolySepulchre is committed to supporting themthrough the activities and facilities offeredby the Saint James Vicariate for Hebrewspeaking Catholics. In fact, more than60,000 migrants are Catholics and theyrepresent an important part of the face theCatholic Church has and will have in Israel.

Legal issues, poverty, the need to workbut nowhere to leave children, contribute tocreating a complex framework pushingparents to put their children into dangerous“baby warehouses”. Here, up to 60 babiesfrom one month old to three years old, are

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XIV N° 45 - WINTER 2017

“deposited” in darkened rooms, crammedtogether, wrapped tightly in swaddlingclothes so they do not move and can belooked after by one or two untrained adults.The children are underfed and not lookedafter properly. Lack of proper nutritionkeeps them quiet. This storage of younglives permits mothers to work and so tomake the whole family stay alive.

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre wishesthese children may have a start in life thatwill allow them to lead lives devoid ofsuffering and that will promote their rightto flourish as human beings. In order tomake that happen we support the promotionof day care units that guarantee an

acceptable environment for babies from theage of three months to three years. Atpresent 90 babies are being looked afterdaily, giving these children a chance in lifebut also applying a model of healthy childcare that can be adopted by others. We alsopromote after-school programs where moregrown-up children can receive adequatehelp in coping with the load at school andalso providing a safe haven, where childrencan come when their parents are still atwork.

To inform all the members of theseactivities a pamphlet is available on theOrder’s website at this link.

The restoration of the “aedicule”that protects the Holy Sepulchre

The aedicule (shrine) that protects Christ’s HolySepulchre, in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchreis being restored. This restoration funded by thethree main Christian denominations that guardthe Holy Sepulchre (the Latins, represented bythe Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox and theArmenians) and by public and privatedonations – such as the gift of the KingAbdallah of Jordan – aims to ensure thepreservation of this construction. The Order iscontributing to this work thanks to a financialcontribution sent from the USA NorthwesternLieutenancy. Msgr. Jacques Perrier, whopreviously served as Grand Prior of theLieutenancy for France, offers us a historicalclarification regarding this structure so dear tothe heart of all Christians.

The angel announced to the women who hadcome to embalm the body of Jesus, “Why lookfor the living amongst the dead?” The fact

remains that: the believer keeps the place where thebody of Jesus was deposed, for veneration. Itappeals to the concreteness of the faith. Particularly

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XV N° 45 - WINTER 2017

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for the members of the Order.During the second half of the 20th

century, the basilica was restored. Thecupola was once again opened to the skyand light came down on the “aedicule”,according to the term which refers to whatthe Greeks constructed at the beginning ofthe 19th century on the tomb itself.

Alas, the light showed that the aediculewas in very bad condition. The threeprincipal communities, co-guardians of theedifice (Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholicand Armenian Apostolic) decided to restoreit. Works started at the end of the summer.

In Constantine’s basilica, the tomb hadbeen excavated from the rock slope out ofwhich it had been dug. But the tomb itselfwas conserved. On October 19, 1009, theCaliph Al-Hakîm decided to destroy it. The

pics of those charged with demolishing itwiped out all that was in relief and haltedat the funeral layer carved in the rock. Afew years later, the basilica was restored,with much difficulty, until the arrival ofthe crusaders, which now leaves us withthe current building.

Since this time, the original rock hasbeen put on top of a marble slab, thatwhich the pilgrims venerate, whichprotects it. It was in 1810, during theconstruction of the current aedicule, thatthe original rock appeared for the last time.Since an identical reconstruction has beenplanned for the restoration, there is a riskit will disappear, once again, for severalcenturies.

Msgr. Jacques PerrierBishop emeritus of Lourdes

Father David Neuhaus, a Jesuit, responsible for the pastoral care ofmigrants and Hebrew-speaking Catholics for the Latin Patriarchateof Jerusalem, has agreed to enrich this newsletter with a reflectionon the theme of Christian unity. His meditation helps us to extendthe dedicated Week of Prayer in January to this essential intention

according to Christ’s will: “May they all be one” (Jn 17:21)

“For the love of Christ urges us on, becausewe are convinced that one has died for all;therefore all have died. And he died for all,so that those who live might live no longerfor themselves, but for him who died andwas raised for them” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Throughout the Christian world,ecumenism, the attempts to promoteChristianity unity and heal the

wounds of separation, are afoot. In the HolyLand, there are many forms of divisionamong Christians. The most visible is the

division among different Christiandenominations, Eastern, Orthodox, Catholic,Protestant and Evangelical. However, one ofthe deepest divides is among Christians whoidentify with different sides in the ongoingwars that tear the Holy Land apart. Thechallenge of unity is not only to bring thedenominations together but also to fosterawareness that Christians have a unique roleto play because they are situated on allsides.

There are different kinds of ecumenismin the Holy Land today:

Praying for the unityof Christians in the Holy Land

XVI N° 45 - WINTER 2017

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- Ecumenism of solidarity: A strongmotor in ecumenical relations amongChristians in the Holy Land is their sharedcircumstances. Whereas theological,religious and historical causes for divisionoften seem abstract and distant, the need forunity is underlined because of the sharedstruggle to survive. Ecumenical encounteroften deals more with occupation,discrimination and religious fundamentalismthan it does with the causes for Christiandivision. This type of ecumenism has led tothe weaving of closer relations amongChristians as awareness grows that what wehave in common is much greater than whatdivides us.

- Ecumenism of piety: A very differentkind of ecumenism is inspired by the focuson specifically Christian themes. Some see

their faith as a refuge from the worldoutside. Christians come into the religiousspace to escape conflict and submergethemselves in religious language andpractice in order to create distance fromtheir surroundings. This is often thetendency within traditional Christiancommunities that see the world as athreatening kingdom of darkness and theChristian community as shedding some lightand offering some consolation.

- Prophetic ecumenism: Some Disciplesof Christ are engaging in a new form ofecumenism that might be called “propheticecumenism”. “For (Christ) is our peace; inhis flesh he has made both groups into oneand has broken down the dividing wall, thatis, the hostility between us. He hasabolished the law with its commandments

The week of Christian unity, which is held every January, is particularly important for the "living stones"which together form the Church of Christ in Jerusalem and in the territories in which the Son of Godcarried out his redeeming ministry (Pictured, ecumenical prayer vigil in the Armenian cathedral St. Jamesin Jerusalem, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem archives)

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and ordinances, that he might create inhimself one new humanity in place of thetwo, thus making peace, and might reconcileboth groups to God in one body through thecross, thus putting to death that hostilitythrough it” (Ephesians 2:14-16). We arebeginning to reflect on thefact that God has plantedthe seed of faith in Christdeep in the soil of bothPalestinian and Israelisocieties. Does this havesignificance for thevocation of Christ’sdisciples who, thoughseparated by walls ofenmity because of theongoing conflict, are united by their faith inthe Christ who is our peace?

In conclusion, I would like to quote aman who has repeatedly reached out to allhis brothers and sisters in Christ, callingthem to contemplate the scandal ofChristian division, Pope Francis. At his

meeting with Greek Orthodox PatriarchBartholomew before the Tomb of Christ inthe Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalemon May 25, 2014, he declared: “Every timewe ask forgiveness of one another for oursins against other Christians and every time

we find the courage togrant and receive suchforgiveness, weexperience theresurrection! Every timewe put behind us ourlongstanding prejudicesand find the courage tobuild new fraternalrelationships, we confessthat Christ is truly risen!

Every time we reflect on the future of thechurch in the light of her vocation to unity,the dawn of Easter breaks forth!” It is thisdawn that disciples of Christ are called towitness to in his beloved land that is alsoours, torn for too long by conflict.

David Neuhaus, SJ

‘‘Every time wefind the courage togrant and receive suchforgiveness, weexperience theresurrection

’’

SINCE 1975

Via dell’Orso, 17 - 00186 Roma - ItaliaTel/Fax: (+39) 06 68307839 gianluca.guccione@gmail.com

Order of the Holy SepulchrePapal Equestrian Orders

Order of MaltaItalian Dynastic Orders and Orders of the Italian Republic

DECORATIONS OF KNIGHTLY ORDERS

XVIII N° 45 - WINTER 2017

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On the initiative of two of itsmembers, Frank and Rita Deiters,permanent delegates to the Holy

Land of the Lieutenancy for Switzerland,this Lieutenancy Order has supported aLifegate project. These two members cameto know about Lifegate and were deeplyimpressed by its work during a trip to theHoly Land with their family in 2010. FrankDeiters, the couple’s son, had accompaniedthem and had decided to stay on as avolunteer for three months. He was soimpressed by their work that he offered hisservices as a volunteer from 2011.

250 children and young people with

disabilities participate in weekly supportprograms. These include support for youngchildren, with a kindergarten for childrenwith physical or mental disabilities, aspecialized school and a vocational trainingworkshop for disabled young people, whoare prepared in twelve trades. Lifegate helpswith the integration of disabled children intoregular schools, and its staff provides homecare to elderly and those in need of support.Lifegate provides comprehensive medicaland therapeutic care for children and youngpeople because there is no statutory socialinsurance system or a specific allowance fordisabled persons.

“A gate of life”, to help youngdisabled people in the West Bank

“Lifegate” is a German Christian organization located in BeitJala, near Bethlehem. It helps disabled children and youth inthe West Bank as part of a project initiated in 1991. With its

team of Palestinian and German collaborators, Lifegateaddresses this challenge. Its work is based on hope and love forall men that has its roots in the Christian faith and permeates

the work of all its employees.

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Can you tell us more about thedevelopment programs Lifegate

Rehabilitation offers? Lifegate has been working for 26 years in the

field of Rehabilitation for children and youngpeople with disabilities. Our everyday work iscarried out with a holistic approach. We lookinto all the areas of a person’s life and start to

develop them where we identify a need. Weoffer education in kindergarten, school andvocational training center (we teach 14professions), medical intervention andtherapies, intensive work with families andsiblings, home visit programs. Our statement:Every child and every person is a wonderfulcreation of our God and has right for love,

We learn more about Lifegate Rehabilitation and the situationfor disabled children in Bethlehem with Burghard Schunkert,

director at Lifegate.

The Life of the Lieutenancies

XIX N° 45 - WINTER 2017

acceptance, development and access todevelopment and education.

Beside our daily program for up to 200people with disabilities, we offer with ourdisabled people a laundry service for the public,a dental clinic for specific difficult children andyoung people (but also for everyone who likes tocome), a catering and food service, a leatherand shoe repair workshop for outsidecustomers. Our therapy department with all thenecessary therapies is also open for the public(outpatients) from Monday to Saturday. We havea very skilled helping aid and wheelchair

department and we deployed our team andservices several times to aid the Syrianrefugees in Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

We start our week with a devotion from thebible, we have a weekly prayer meeting and weshare the love of Christ in our everydaythoughts, actions and words. We are working forthe people and for peace and understandingand against no one.

We believe in reconciliation between Arabsand Jews and we Christians can act as a bridgebetween them. Our faith is our source for loveand power.

65 Palestinian Christians work forLifegate. In the overall population of theHoly Land, Palestinian Christians representless than 1%, and by giving them apermanent job, Lifegate wants to encouragethem to remain.

Burghard Schunkert, founder and directorof Lifegate, describes its current activities:

“One of the specific programs ourinstitution offers is to help prepare childrenof different age groups to integrate into aregular kindergarten and regular schools:this has allowed five children to leaveLifegate and access local schools. We wereable to set up in the new wing of our schoola new special needs class that allows us toteach 60 children divided into 6 classes. Weare pleased to be able to allow children ofthe Lifegate kindergarten to continue theirstudies and we have some external childrenwho are on our waiting lists”.

“In 2016 – he continues – about 50 youngpeople were prepared by Lifegate for theirfuture profession and in doing so helped tofind their place in society.” Most of theyoung people trained by Lifegate havealready found a job in businesses in andaround Bethlehem. Apart from professionaltraining, these young people have learned toread and write Arabic and have followedcourses in mathematics and generalknowledge. In addition, a new course in our

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Art features among the many activities offeredby Lifegate: this beautiful plate was painted byKholoud, a young and highly talented artist!

XX N° 45 - WINTER 2017

workshops foroccupationaltherapy studentsfrom BethlehemUniversity was oneof the highlights ofthis summer.“

Mr. Schunkertalso noted thesupport thatLifegate offers toSyrian refugees inJordan, whichdescribes as follows:“This spring wewere able to helpmany people withdisabilities thanks tomedical equipmentthat we builtourselves at Lifegateor which weredonated to us. Our employees, accompaniedby therapists, traveled to a refugee camp inJordan, to deliver much needed wheelchairsand medical equipment. Meanwhile, theLifegate team that takes care of medicalequipment was also requested inneighboring countries. We respond to theserequests, when we can, with joy. “

The work of Lifegate is funded by

donations, the sale of the products andservices available in their workshops, suchas shoe repairs. In the future, a dental clinic,a laundry service and a catering serviceshould help generate even more funds.

Jean-Pierre de GlutzLieutenant for Switzerland

Donata Krethlow-BenzigerChancellor

Do you have any specific activities insupport of families with disabledchildren? At Lifegate we help the families to help

themselves with income generating projects,like: Second hand clothes stores, sheepbreeding, greenhouses, chicken and eggproduction, etc. We prefer when the idea comesfrom the family in fields they have alreadyexperience. We encourage families a lot tobecome our partners in the development of thechild. Therefore we have mother and fatherprograms at Lifegate where parents learn moreabout their children and how to help them.

What is life like for a disabled child inBethlehem?Better than anywhere else in the Palestinian

area, as Bethlehem has some institutions andplaces to support children and families. AtLifegate we try our best to cooperate with otherinstitutions and not to duplicate services.Wheelchair users have a hard time and wediscuss with the municipalities the need of safestreet crossings for wheelchair drivers, blindpeople and people who walk very slowly. Wereceive promises but no action.

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Although we have always nourishedstrong bonds with the Holy Land,our history with the Order begins

in 2015, with the Investiture on December19 in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, aday we will always treasure. From thevery first meeting, we were welcomedinto what has seemed like a big family,where the values ??of the Christiancommunity are fused with the principlesinherent to membership in the EquestrianOrder.

We are from Naples and Palermo, and weshare the same profession as members of theItalian Police Force, but with different roles.We were married on August 3, 2013 and onthat day our journeythrough life together andour spiritual journey as aFamily, in its broadestsense, began. This is whywe decided together to jointhe Order, to enhance ourpractice of Christian lifeand to support charitableand social works in the Holy Land.

We believe that the family, understood inthe unity of a couple, represents the primaryand original cell in which one experienceshuman sociability and makes a unique andirreplaceable contribution to the good ofsociety. With this in mind our bond with theOrder has strengthened the foundation ofour married life, providing us with a newvision of the social subjectivity of the family,which must be expressed through works of

service and demonstrations of solidarity. TheOrder also involves us in first person inmany charitable works, reminding us of oneof the most important lessons that the Lordhas left us: the importance of loving ourneighbor.

This also propels us to turn our thoughtsand prayers to the Holy Land, discovering

the importance of the roleentrusted to Knights notonly as a peace bearer butalso as a tangible supporterof works. Beyond that, weare tied to the Order by itsbond with Blessed BartoloLongo, founder of theShrine of the Virgin of the

Rosary of Pompeii, a place we have madepilgrimage to for years with great devotion.The image of the Blessed, wrapped in hiswhite cape, has allowed us to approach theOrder and to discover the values ??that areits foundation. This is why we stronglybelieve that our participation in the Orderrepresents a blessing for our family that willaccompany us in this wonderful journey thatwe have undertaken together.

Giuseppe e Angela Casamassima

Being a Family in the Orderof the Holy Sepulchre

The witness of Giuseppe andAngela Casamassima, Knight and

Dame of the Order of the HolySepulchre, Central Italy

Lieutenancy.

‘‘Our bond withthe Order hasstrengthened thefoundation of ourmarried life

’’