Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem | |
Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani | |
 Coat of arms of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre | |
| Abbreviation | OESSH |
|---|---|
| Formation | c. 1099; 927 years ago (1099) |
| Founder | Godfrey of Bouillon |
| Founded at | Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
| Type | Order of chivalry |
| Purpose | Support theChristian presence in the Holy Land |
| Headquarters | Palazzo Della Rovere |
| Location |
|
Region served | Worldwide |
| Membership | 30,000 |
| Pope Leo XIV | |
| Fernando Cardinal Filoni | |
| Latin Patriarch of JerusalemPierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa | |
Assessor | Tommaso Caputo |
Main organ | Grand Magisterium |
Parent organization | Holy See |
| Affiliations | |
| Awards |
|
| Website | oessh.va |
Formerly called |
|
TheEquestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Latin:Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani,OESSH), also called theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre orKnights of the Holy Sepulchre, is aCatholicorder of knighthood under theprotection of theHoly See. Thepope is thesovereign of the order. The order creates canons as well as knights, with the primary mission to "support the Christian presence in theHoly Land".[1] It is an internationally recognised order of chivalry. The order is estimated to have some 30,000 knights and dames in 60 lieutenancies around the world.[2] The Catholic Order is distinct from theGreek Orthodox "Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre", presided over by theGreek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.
TheCardinal Grand Master has beenFernando Filoni since 2019, and theLatin Patriarch of Jerusalem isex officio the Order'sGrand Prior. Its headquarters are situated at thePalazzo Della Rovere and its official church inSant'Onofrio al Gianicolo, both inRome, close toVatican City.[3] In 1994, PopeJohn Paul II declared theVirgin Mary as the order'spatron saint under the title "Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Palestine".[4]
The name of the knights and order varied over the centuries, includingMilites Sancti Sepulcri andThe Sacred and Military Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The current name was determined on 27 July 1931 as the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (withof Jerusalem as honorarysuffix) bydecree of theSacred Congregation of Ceremonies of theHoly See. The termequestrian in this context is consistent with its use for orders of knighthood of the Holy See, referring to thechivalric and knightly nature of order—by sovereignprerogative conferringknighthood on recipients—derived from the equestrians (Latin:equites), asocial class in Ancient Rome.
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The history of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem runs common and parallel to that of the religiousCanons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, the order continuing after the Canons Regular ceased to exist at the end of the 15th century (except for their female counterpart, theCanonesses Regular of the Holy Sepulchre).
Pilgrimages to theHoly Land were a common, if hazardous, practice from shortly after thecrucifixion of Jesus[5] to throughout theMiddle Ages. Numerous detailed commentaries have survived as evidence of this early Christian devotion.[5] While there were many places the pious visited during their travels, the one most cherished was theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, first constructed byConstantine the Great in the 4th century AD.[6]
During the era of theIslamic expansion, EmperorCharlemagne (c. 742–814) sent two embassies to thecaliph of Baghdad, askingFrankish protectorate over the Holy Land. An epicchanson de geste recounts his legendary adventures in theMediterranean and pilgrimage to Jerusalem.[7]
By virtue of its defining characteristic ofsubinfeudation, infeudalism it was common practice for knights commanders to confer knighthoods upon their finestsoldiers, who in turn had the right to confer knighthood on others upon attaining command.[8] Tradition maintains, that long before theCrusades, a form ofknighthood was bestowed upon worthy men at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In any case, during the 11th century, prior to the Crusades, the "Milites Sancti Petri" were established to protect Christians and Christian premises inthe Occident.[9][10]
Persecution of Christians in the Holy Land intensified and relations with Christian rulers were further strained when CaliphAl-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered thedestruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009.[11]
The crusades coincided with a renewed concern inEurope for the holy places, with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as one of the most important places. According to an undocumented tradition, Girolamo Gabrielli of the ItalianGabrielli family, who was the leader of 1000 knights fromGubbio,Umbria, during theFirst Crusade, was the first crusader to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after Jerusalem was seized in 1099.[12]
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After thecapture of Jerusalem at the end of theFirst Crusade in 1099, theCanons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre were established to take care of the church. The men in charge of securing its defence and its community of canons were calledMilites Sancti Sepulcri.[13] Together, the canons and the milites formed part of the structure of which evolved into the modern Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.Baldwin I, the firstking of Jerusalem, laid the foundations of the kingdom and established its main institutions on the French pattern as a centralised feudal state. He also drew up the first constitution of the order in 1103, modelled on the chapter of canons that he founded inAntwerp prior to his departure, under which theLatin Patriarch of Jerusalem (who had supplanted the Greek Orthodoxpatriarch) appointed knights in Jerusalem at the direct service of the crown, similar to the organisation ofthird orders. Adopting therule of Saint Augustine, with recognition in 1113 byPapal Bull ofPope Paschal II, with theMilites Sancti Sepulcri attached, it is considered among the oldest of the chivalric orders.[14][1][15] Indications suggest thatHugues de Payens (c. 1070–1136) was among the Milites Sancti Sepulcri during his second time in Jerusalem in 1114–16, before being appointed "Magister Militum Templi", establishing theKnights Templar.[16]
Betweenc. 1119–c. 1125,Gerard (Latin:Girardus), thePrior of the Holy Sepulchre, along withPatriarch Warmund of Jerusalem, wrote a significant letter toDiego Gelmírez,Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela citing crop failures and being threatened by their enemies; they requested food, money, and military aid in order to maintain theKingdom of Jerusalem.[17] Gerard consequently participated among others in theCouncil of Nablus, 16 January 1120. In it, Canons 20–21 deal with clerics. Canon 20 says a cleric should not be held guilty if he takes up arms in self-defense, but he cannot take up arms for any other reason nor can he act like a knight. This was an important concern for the crusader states; clerics were generally forbidden from participating in warfare in European law, but the crusaders needed all the manpower they could find and, only one year before,Antioch had been defended by theLatin patriarch of Antioch following theBattle of Ager Sanguinis, one of the calamities referred to in the introduction to the canons. Canon 21 says that amonk orcanon regular whoapostatizes should either return to his order or go into exile.[dubious –discuss][citation needed]
In 1121,Pope Callixtus II issued a bull formally erecting the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre with specific responsibilities to defend theChurch Universal, protect the City of Jerusalem, guard the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and pilgrims, and fight in the defence of Christianity.[18]
In total, as a result of these military needs, five majorchivalric communities were established in the Kingdom of Jerusalem between the late 11th century and the early 12th century: theKnights Hospitaller (Order of Saint John) (circa 1099), the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre (circa 1099), the Knights Templar (circa 1118), theKnights of Saint Lazarus (1123), and the Knights of the Hospital of Saint Mary of Jerusalem (Teutonic Knights) (1190).[19][20][21]
Today,
ThePactum Warmundi, establishing in 1123 an alliance of the Kingdom of Jerusalem with theRepublic of Venice, was later signed by Patriarch Warmund and Prior Gerard of theHoly Sepulchre, along with ArchbishopEhremar ofCaesarea, Bishop Bernard ofNazareth, BishopAschetinus ofBethlehem, Bishop Roger ofBishop of Lydda, Guildin theAbbot of St. Mary ofJosaphat, Prior Aicard of theTemplum Domini, Prior Arnold ofMount Zion, William Buris, and Chancellor Pagan. Aside from William and Pagan, no secular authorities witnessed the treaty, perhaps indicating that the allied Venetians considered Jerusalem a papalfief.
Meanwhile, beyond the Holy Land, inSpain, during theReconquista,military orders built their own monasteries which also served as fortresses of defence, though otherwise the houses followed monastic premises. A typical example of this type of monastery is theCalatrava la Nueva, headquarters of theOrder of Calatrava, founded by theAbbot of Fitero, Raymond, at the behest of KingSancho III of Castile, to protect the area restored to theIslamic rulers. Other orders such as theOrder of Santiago,Knight Templars and the Holy Sepulchre devoted much of their efforts to protect and care for pilgrims on theCamino de Santiago. Furthermore, at theSiege of Bayonne in October 1131, three years before his death, KingAlfonso I of Aragon, having no children, bequeathed his kingdom to three autonomous religious orders based in the Holy Land and politically largely independent – theKnights Templars, theKnights Hospitallers and the Knights of theHoly Sepulchre – whose influences might have been expected to cancel one another out. The will has greatly puzzled historians, who have read it as a bizarre gesture of extreme piety uncharacteristic of Alfonso that effectively undid his life's work.Elena Lourie (1975) suggested instead that it was Alfonso's attempt to neutralize the papacy's interest in a disputed succession – Aragon had been a fief of the Papacy since 1068 – and to fend off his stepson,Alfonso VII of Castile, for the Papacy would be bound to press the terms of such a pious testament.[22]
On 15 July 1149 in the Holy Land, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inJerusalem wasconsecrated after reconstruction.
Crusadevows meant that even if a person wasn't able to make the journey to Holy Sepulchre himself, sometimes hiscloak was taken there, as was the case with KingHenry the Young ofEngland (1155–1183).Robert the Bruce andJames Douglas, Lord of Douglas even asked to have theirhearts taken to the Holy Sepulchre after death.
I will that as soone as I am trespassed out of this worlde that ye take my harte owte of my body, and embawme it, and take of my treasoure as ye shall thynke sufficient for that enterprise, both for your selfe and suche company as ye wyll take with you, and present my hart to the holy Sepulchre where as our Lorde laye, seyng my body can nat come there.
Besidespilgrimages and the creation ofknights, evencoronations took place at the Holy Sepulchre. Shortly before his death in 1185,Baldwin IV ordered a formal crown-wearing by his nephew,Baldwin V, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The official arrival of the FranciscanFriars Minor inSyria dates from thepapal bull addressed byPope Gregory IX to the clergy of the Holy Land in 1230, charging them to welcome the Friars Minor, and to allow them to preach to the faithful and holdoratories andcemeteries of their own. In the ten years' truce of 1229 concluded between KingFrederick of Sicily and theSultanAl-Kamil, the Franciscans were permitted to enter Jerusalem, but they were also the first victims of the violent invasion of theKhwarezmians in 1244.
The ultimate fall of theKingdom of Jerusalem to the Muslims in 1291 did not suspend pilgrimages to the tomb of Christ or the custom of receiving knighthood there, and when theCustody of the Holy Land was entrusted to theFranciscan Order they continued this pious custom and gave the order its firstgrand master after the death of the last king of Jerusalem.[24]
The friars quickly resumed possession of their convent of Mount Zion at Jerusalem. The Turks tolerated the veneration paid to the tomb of Christ and derived revenue from the taxes levied upon pilgrims. In 1342, in his bullGratiam agimus,Pope Clement VI officially committed the care of the Holy Land to the Franciscans;[25] only the restoration of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem byPius IX in 1847 superseded the Franciscans.[26]
With the emergence of thecode of conduct ofchivalry during theMiddle Ages, conferring of knighthoods was pursued also at the Holy Sepulchre. From the period 1291 to 1847, theFranciscanCustodian of Mount Sion was the only authority representing theHoly See in the Holy Land.[27]
Documented from 1335, the Franciscan Custody enrolled applicants as Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in ceremonies frequently mentioned in the itineraries of pilgrims. Those pilgrims deemed worthy received the honour in a solemn ceremony of ancient chivalry. However, in the ceremonial of reception at the time, the role of the clergy was limited to thebenedictio militis, the dubbing with the sword being reserved to a professional knight, since the carrying of the sword was incompatible with the sacerdotal character, and reserved to previous knights.
Post misam feci duos milites nobiles supra selpulchram gladios accingendo et alia observando, quae in professione militaris ordinis fieri consueverunt.
After Mass, I made two [of my companions] noble knights of the Sepulchre bygirding them with swords and by observing those other things, which in the profession of the knightly order have been accustomed to be done.[28]
In 1346, KingValdemar IV of Denmark went on a pilgrimage toJerusalem and was made a knight of the Holy Sepulchre. This increased the prestige of Valdemar, who had difficulty in effectively ruling over his kingdom.[29]SaintBridget of Sweden, one of the futurepatron saints of Europe, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1371–1373 along with her sons. The oldest, Karl, died prior inNaples, butBirger Ulfsson became a knight of the Holy Sepulchre, followed byHugo von Montfort (1395) and more to come.
DukeAlbert IV of Austria was made a knight in 1400, followed by his brotherErnest (1414) and by theKalmar rulerEric of Pomerania (1420s) and later byHoly Roman Emperor Frederick III (1436), accompanied byGeorg von Ehingen and numerous other knighted nobles; later were CountOtto II of Mosbach-Neumarkt (1460), LandgraveWilliam III of Thuringia (1461) andHeinrich Reuß von Plauen (1461) who was also grand master of theTeutonic Order.[30]
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The significance of the pilgrimages is indicated by various commemorations of the knights. TheChurch of the Holy Sepulchre of Görlitz inSaxony was built byGeorg Emmerich, who was knighted in 1465. Of the medieval Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, notably, Emmerich, although amayor and a wealthy merchant, was neither a monarch nor a nobleman.Eberhard I of Württemberg, knighted together withChristoph I of Baden in 1468, chose apalm as his personal symbol, including in thecrest (heraldry) of hiscoat of arms. Others built church buildings in their hometowns, such as the chapel inPratteln,Switzerland, byHans Bernhard von Eptingen (knighted 1460),[31] andJeruzalemkerk inBruges, Belgium, built byAnselm Adornes (knighted 1470). The latter still stands to this day, modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and today adorned with the heraldry of the order.
Some property of the Knights in Italy was transferred to the newly establishedOrder of Our Lady of Bethlehem in 1459, but the merger proved a failure.[32] The Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem was suppressed almost as soon as it was founded and those orders whose goods the pope had transmitted to it were re-established.[33][34]
Theaccolades continued: CountsEnno I andEdzard I of East Frisia (1489), followed by ElectorFrederick III of Saxony (1493) who was also recipient of the papal honour of theGolden Rose, together withChristoph the Strong of Bavaria,[35] thenFrederick II of Legnica (1507),[36] and others.
From 1480 to 1495,John of Prussia, a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, acted asSteward for theConvent and regularly discharged the act ofaccolade. It was a frequent occurrence that a foreign Knight present among the crowds of pilgrims would assist at this ceremony. However, without other assistance, it was the Superior who had to act instead of a Knight, although such a course was deemed irregular. Around this time, the Superior of the Convent assumed the title ofGrand Master of the Knights, a title acknowledged by various pontifical diplomas.
When theCanons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre were suppressed in 1489,Pope Innocent VIII attempted to merge the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre into theKnights Hospitaller, but this was not successful. The Franciscan province of the Holy Land continued to exist, withAcre as its seat. In the territory of theLatin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, reinstituted in 1847, the Franciscans still have 24 convents, and 15 parishes.[37]
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In 1496,Pope Alexander VI restored the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre to independent status, organised as an Order. He decreed that the Knights would no longer be governed by the Custody of the Holy Land, but that the senior post of the Order would henceforth be raised to the rank ofGrand Master, reserving this title for himself and his successors.[38]
Theprerogative of dubbing Knights of the Holy Sepulchre was repeatedly confirmed by the Holy See; byPope Leo X on 4 May 1515, byPope Clement VII in 1527 and byPope Pius IV on 1 August 1561.
The privileges of the order, recorded by its guardian in 1553 and approved by successive popes, included powers to:[27]
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In France, KingHenry IV of France purchased its French possessions and incorporated them into his newly establishedOrder of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, formally established byPope Paul V through the bullRomanus Pontificus on 16 February 1608 and expanded throughMilitantium ordinum dated 26 February 1608, along with possessions of other orders which apparently were all deemed extinct and abolished, indicating reduced regional activity.[39]
Nonetheless, the dubbing and the privileges enjoyed continued confirmation, byPope Alexander VII on 3 August 1665, byPope Benedict XIII on 3 March 1727,[40] and by PopeBenedict XIV (1675–1758) who approved all but the last of the privileges of the order, and also stated that it should enjoy precedence over all orders except theOrder of the Golden Fleece and the Pontifical Orders.
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre dubbed during this era includeHieronymus von Dorne (circa 1634) andFrançois-René de Chateaubriand (1806).
Pius IX re-established theLatin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1847, and re-organized the Order of the Holy Sepulchre as theMilites Sancti Sepulcri, whereby the grand master of the order was to be the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and the order ceased to be a pontifical order for a period. Initially, theSovereign Military Order of Malta opposed the decision and claimed rights to its legacy, probably based on the papal decision of 1489. However, in 1868 it was namedEquestris Ordo Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani (Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem).
PopePius X assumed the title of grand master for the papacy again in 1907, but in 1928 this was again relinquished by PopePius XI in favour of the patriarch of Jerusalem, and for a time the order again ceased to be a papal order.
In 1932, Pius XI approved a new constitution and permitted investiture in the places of origin and not only in Jerusalem.[41]
In 1945, PopePius XII placed the order again under the sovereignty, patronage and protection of the Holy See, and in 1949 he approved a new constitution for the order, which included that the grand master be acardinal of theRoman Curia, and that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem be the Grand Prior of the order. In 1962 the Constitution of the Order was again reformed and the order was recognized as a juridical person in canon law.
The current Constitution of the Order was approved by PopePaul VI in 1977, and it maintains those arrangements. The order's status was further enhanced byPope John Paul II in 1996, when, in addition to its canonical legal personality, it was given civil legal personality in Vatican City State, where it is headquartered. An amendment to the Constitution of the Order was approved by Pope John Paul II simultaneously with the concession of Vatican legal personality for the order.[1]
The order today remains an order of chivalry and is an association of the faithful with a legal canonical and public personality, constituted by theHoly See underCanon Law 312, paragraph 1:1,[1] represented by 60 lieutenancies in more than 40 countries around the world: 24 inEurope, 15 in theUnited States andCanada, 5 inLatin America and 6 inAustralia andAsia.[2] It is recognised internationally as a legitimate order of knighthood, headquartered in Vatican City State under papal sovereignty and having the protection of the Holy See.
Its principal mission is to reinforce the practice of Christian life by its members in absolute fidelity to the pope; to sustain and assist the religious, spiritual, charitable and social works and rights of theCatholic Church and theChristians in the Holy Land, particularly of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem which receives some 10 milliondollars annually in donations from members of the order.[42] Other activities around the world are connected to their original functions.
Regional activities include participation in localprocessions and religious ceremonies, such as duringHoly Week.
InFrance, theFrench Revolution resulted in a ban on conservingrelics and all other sacred symbols linked to the monarchy, though pieces judged to be of high artistic quality were exempt. These relics were handed over to thearchbishop of Paris in 1804 and are still held in thecathedral treasury ofNotre Dame de Paris, cared for by the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and the cathedralchapter. On the first Friday of every month at 3:00 pm, guarded by the Knights, theRelics of Sainte-Chapelle are exposed forveneration by the faithful before the cathedral'shigh altar.[43] EveryGood Friday, this veneration lasts all day, punctuated by the liturgical offices. An exhibition entitledLe trésor de la Sainte-Chapelle was mounted at theLouvre in 2001.
In 1496,Pope Alexander VI vested the office of Grand Master in the papacy where it remained until 1949.[3] Since 1949, cardinals have held the office. The incumbent Cardinal Grand Master has beenFernando Filoni since 2019.
The Grand Magisterium also includes:
The offices of the Grand Magisterium are in the headquarters inRome.[46]
Its headquarters are situated at the Palazzo Della Rovere inRome, the 15th-century palace of PopeJulius II, immediately adjacent to the Vatican on theVia della Conciliazione. It was given to the order by PopePius XII.[3] Its official church is theSant'Onofrio al Gianicolo in Rome, also given to the order by Pius XII.[3] In 1307, after the suppression of theKnights Templars, theCanons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, whose main priory was atSan Luca, acquired the complex ofSan Manno.Francesco della Rovere, the futurePope Sixtus IV, was Arch-Prior there 1460–1471.[47]
By ancient tradition, the order uses the arms attributed to theKingdom of Jerusalem – a goldJerusalem Cross on a silver/white background – but enamelled with red, the colour of blood, to signify the five wounds of Christ.[48] Prior use of the symbol is in the 1573 Constitution of the Order.Conrad Grünenberg already shows a red Jerusalem cross (with the central cross ascross crosslet rather than cross potent) as the emblem of the order in his 1486 travelogue.
Above the shield of the armorial bearings is a sovereign's gold helmet upon which are a crown of thorns and a terrestrial globe surmounted by a cross, flanked by two white standards bearing a red Jerusalem cross. The supporters are two angels wearingdalmatic tunics of red, the one on the dexter bearing a crusader flag, and the one on the sinister bearing a pilgrim's staff and shell: representing the military/crusading and pilgrim natures of the order.
The motto isDeus lo Vult ("God Wills It"). The seal of the order is in the shape of an almond and portrays, within a frame of a crown of thorns, a representation of Christ rising from the Sepulchre.
The Order of the Holy Sepulchre and theSovereign Military Order of Malta are the only two institutions whose insignia may be displayed in a clericalcoat of arms.[49]
| Heraldic representation incoat of arms of members of the order | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Cardinal Grand Master Arms arequartered with those of the Order |  bear achief of the Order |  Arms areimpaled by those of the Order |  Arms are placed on the cross of the Order (not transmissible) |
The order has a predominantly white-colouredlevée dress court uniform, and a more modern, military-style uniform, both of which are now only occasionally used in some jurisdictions. PopePius X ordained that the usual modern choir (i.e. church) dress of knights be the order's cape or mantle: a "white cloak with thecross of Jerusalem in red", as worn by the original knights.[50] Female members wear a black cape with a red Jerusalem cross bordered with gold.
Thechoir vestments of Canons of the Holy Sepulchre include a blackcassock withmagenta piping, magentafascia, and a whitemozetta with the red Jerusalem cross.
The order today is estimated to have some 30,000 knights and dames in 60 Lieutenancies around the world, includingmonarchs,crown princes and their consorts, andheads of state from countries such asSpain,Belgium,Monaco,Luxembourg andLiechtenstein.[2][42]
Membership of the order is by invitation only, to practicing Catholic men and women – laity and clergy – of good character, minimum 25 years of age,[42] who have distinguished themselves by concern for the Christians of the Holy Land. Aspirant members must be recommended by their localbishop with the support of several members of the order, and are required to make a generous donation as a "passage fee", echoing the ancient practice of crusaders paying their passage to the Holy Land, as well as an annual financial offering for works undertaken in theHoly Land, particularly in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, throughout their life. There is a provision for the grand master to admit members bymotu proprio in exceptional circumstances and also for the officers of the Grand Magistery to occasionally recommend candidates to the grand master.[51]
The honour ofknighthood and any subsequent promotions are conferred by theHoly See – throughdiploma sealed and signed by the assessor for general affairs of theSecretariat of State inRome as well as the cardinal grand master – which approves each person, in the name of and by the authority of the pope. The candidate is then knighted or promoted in a solemn ceremony with a cardinal or majorprelate presiding.[52]
Knights and dames of the order may not join, or attend the events of, any other order that is not recognised by the Holy See or by a sovereign state, and must renounce any membership in such organisations before being appointed a knight or dame of the Holy Sepulchre. Knights and dames may be expelled from the order in circumstances where they breach itscode of conduct.[52]
There are several grades of knighthood. These are open to both men and women. Whilelaity may be promoted to any rank, the ranks of theclergy are as follows:cardinals are knightsgrand cross, bishops arecommanders with star, and priests and transitional deacons start with the rank of knight but may be promoted to commander. Permanent deacons are treated the same as the lay knights. Female members may wear chest ribbons rather than neck crosses, and the military trophies in insignia and heraldic additaments are replaced by bows.
| Rank insignia (knights) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Heraldry (Knights) | ||||
 |  |  |  |  |
| In the above depictions, the cross behind the shield should only be borne byarchbishops, bishops, prelates and those with a title of nobility. | ||||
| Ribbons by rank | ||||
 |  |  |  |  |
Below are shown the official titles of the ranks in English[53] (Italian, French, German, Spanish):[54]
In English, a female member of this order is sometimes called "lady" in reaction to the USslang use of the term "dame" to refer to any woman. However, in accordance with standard chivalric practice in English, female members are called "dame" (from the Latin titleDomina, ItalianDama, etc.) and this is the usual practice in most lieutenancies.[a]
In accordance with the origins of the order, and considered more consistent with ordained ministry than the military title of knight,investedclergy areipso facto Titular Canons of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, though Grand MasterJohn Patrick Foley argued that this would be better applied to clergy with the rank ofcommander.[56] Additionally, deacons, priests and bishops may also be given the distinguished honorary title of canon of the Holy Sepulchre personally by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.[57] Both titular canons of the Holy Sepulchre (EOHSJ) and Honorary Canons of the Holy Sepulchre of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem are entitled to identical insignia, i.e. white mozetta with red Jerusalem cross and choir dress including the black cassock with magenta piping and magenta fascia.[58]
Reserved to members, thePalm of Jerusalem is the decoration of distinction, in three classes. Additionally, knights and dames who made apilgrimage to theHoly Land receive thePilgrim Shell, a reference to the shells used as a cup by the pilgrims in theMiddle Ages.[60] Both of these distinctions were created in 1949.[61][b] They are generally awarded by thegrand prior of the order, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.[61]
| Awards of Special Distinction | |||
 |  |  |  |
Since 1949, the Cross of Merit of the Order may also be conferred on meritorious non-members of the order, for example non-Catholics.[62] The original five classes were reduced to three in 1977.[62] Obtaining the Cross of Merit does not imply membership of the Order.[62]
| Decorations of Merit | ||
 |  |  |
Although it shares the same symbol, theJerusalem Pilgrim's Cross is not a decoration of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.Pope Leo XIII created the award in 1901 but the Franciscan custodian of the Holy Land presents it to certain pilgrims in the name of the pope.[63]
Every knight has the power to create knights
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