THE ROOTS of ST JOHN AMBULANCE.Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

THE ROOTS of ST JOHN AMBULANCE.Pdf 1 ooth Anniversary THE ROOTS OF ST JOHN AMBULANCE The Holy Land - The memory of the Life, Passion and Glory of Jesus Christ. As early as the year 3 AD it was customary for pilgrims to visit the Holy City of Jerusalem . The Coenaculum was the only site known to have survived the wars that occurred in that reg ion over the years. After 33 AD, pilgrimages to visit these Holy Places increased fur­ ther until the Roman Empire gradually converted to Christianity. Under the rule of Constantin e, other Holy Places were discovered ..... 600 AD Abbot Probus bidden by Pope Gregory the Great to setup a hostel for pilgrims in Holy Land. 687 AD Jerusalem fell in the hands of the Arabs who did not molest the pilgrims as the latter were a source of income for them! 800 AD Caliph Haroun al Raschid allowed Emperor Charlemagne to rebuild and en large the hostel. A li brary was also added. 1000 Caliph El Hakim started a persecution against Christians and buildings were razed to th e ground, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Charlemagne's hos­ pital and library. After the death of El Hakim, merchants from Amalfi (a sma ll republic on the Italian coast south of Naples) rebui lt the hospital & the library. The Eight Pointed Cross was emblem of the Republic of Amalfi and the Cross was used by the Benedictine monks who served in this new hospital. 1099 Capture of Jerusalem by the forces of the First Crusade. The Blessed Gerard from Provence (then warden of the hospital) founded the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem . He reconstituted the Order as a religious body bound by the three vows of Poverty, Obedience and Chastity. Members wore a black robe with the Eight Pointed Cross on th eir breast. The new Order acquired the ancient monastery of St John the Baptist, formerly a Greek Church in Jerusalem, and in consequence the Baptist became the Patron of the Order. 1113 The Order of the Hospitallers was formally recognised by Pope Paschal II. 1119 Successor Raymond du Puy became the first Grand Master of the Order. He also introduced the Eight Pointed Cross. At this time two French knights started the task of protecting the travellers along the route from the coast of Palestine all the way to Jerusalem. Other knights soon ioined in . Thus came into being the Military Order. At th e same time one has to consider the gradual recovery of the Saracens. - ~ King Baldwin II granted them part of the Temple of Solomon and from this they became .• ••- .~ · known as the Order of the Templars. ;~ • T STJOHNAMBULANC_E_-_M_A_L_T_A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- ~ 1ooth Anniversary By now, the Order had three classes: KNIGHTS, CHAPLAINS and SERVING BROTHERS . The KNIGHTS were also subdivided into eight languages according to their place of origin: Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Aragon, England, Germany and Castille (to which Leon and Portugal were added in 1492). Each language had its own Auberge. The war dress {like the banner) bore a plain white cross on a red background, while in the convent, a black robe with the eight-pointed white cross on the left breast was worn. Raymond du Puy helped the Templars by setting a body of military brethren among the Hospitallers to defend the hospital, though maintaining the hospital, nursing the sick and taking care of the poor remained the priority. The death of Raymond brought about internal dissensions and discord with Ecclesiastical Authorities. 1144 Foundation of the Priory at Clerkenwell, which is the Headquarters of the Order in the British Realm today 1187 Saladin attacked Jerusalem once more and finally succeeded in capturing it from the Knights despite their heroic defence and deeds of great valour. The Knights retreated to St Jean D' Acre. 1291 The Knights were once again attacked and St Jean D'Acre fell into the hands of the Muslims. The Christian forces were expelled from Palestine and the few surviving Hospitallers escaped lo Cyprus. The wounded Grand Master John de Villiers reconstructed the Order with new volunteers from Europe and flourished in Cyprus. Despite many attempts, the Order did not succeed in gaining independence from the King of Cyprus. 1310 The Hospitallers occupied Rhodes in order to be close to the Holy Land. Many Christians enrolled themselves in the service of the Hospitallers and Order is now revamped. 1312 After expulsion from the Holy Land, the Templars tried to reorganise themselves while in Cyprus. They either returned home or resorted lo a rich and luxurious life. So the Order of the Temple was dissolved by a decree of the Pope and the property was trans­ ferred to the Order of St John, i.e. the Hospitallers. 1480 The first Siege of Rhodes by the Turks. The Hospitallers won the battle and forced the Turks to abandon the siege. The Muslims became afraid of the growth of the Hospitallers and often attacked Rhodes, only to render the name of the Order renowned all over Europe! 1522 The second Siege of Rhodes. The Knights under Philippe Villiers de l'lsle-Adam - defended with 10,000 men against 200,000 Turks under Suleiman II. L'lsle-Adam asked ~ for help from Europe but there was discord among the Christian Princes and the Order ~ was to fend for itself! The Order finally surrendered on 23rd December 1522. Suleiman II treated the defeated heroes well by giving them all honours of war. The Order left Rhodes in 12 days, after 213 years of rule . • ST JOHN AMBULANCE - MALTA 1 ooth Anniversary The Blessed Gerard, Grand Master Raymond Du Puy. founder of the Hospitallers. ~ Knight of St John in war robes and convent robes respectively (Painting by Pinturicchio, in Sienna Catherdral}. ~ l STJOHNAMBULANCE-MA-L-TA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~ 1ooth Anniversary 1530 Aller short stays in Crete and the Island of Candia, the Order moved to Messina. Welcomed but homeless, the Order scattered and fame started to fade. Finally, Pope Clement VII met the claims of Grand Master de l' lsle-Adam with sympathy. Malta and Gozo seemed right for the Order and after hard negotiations Charles V (then head of the Holy Roman Empire) granted the Order the city of Tripoli and the Maltese Islands with entire jurisdiction and authority, both civil as well as military, subject to an annual donation of a falcon to the Viceroy of Sicily on All Saints Day. 26th October - The Maltese protested but Order came in full force to occupy the islands. The Grand Master assured the islanders that he was ready to keep with the local laws and customs. De l'lsle-Adam entered the Maltese harbour aboard the Santa Anna, the first armour-plated vessel known at that time. 13th November - L'lsle Adam rode to Notabile, the Capital, and swore to observe the privileges of the Maltese and was given the keys of the City. Fortifications around the Borgo were strengthened and Fort St Angelo enlarged. Grand Master Philippe Villiers de l'lsle-Adam receiving the keys of Mdina on his arrival in 1530. 19th Century engraving found in the President's Palace, Malta. ST JOHN AMBULANCE - MALTA 1 ooth Anniversary Brothers of the Order carrying out nursing duties in the Hospital in Malta, while doctors examine patients. From the Verda/a statutes 1588. The hospitals of the Order, in the Holy Land, in Rhodes and in Malta, were established for the care of pilgrims, the sick poor, the weary and exhausted, as well as the diseased and injured. A Knight would always be in charge: at the Headquarters he was named Hospitaller. Nursing the sick was a part of every Knight's duties, and the nuns of the Order of St John also carried out nursing duties. Raising of the Siege of Malta From a printing by Lariviere, in the Gallery of the Crusades, Versailles Palace STJOHNAMBULANCE - MALT-A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-11111 1 ooth Anniversary 1565 The Great Siege of Malta. The Hospitallers under Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette held out the Moslem Turks until a relieving force arrived. The Turks were driv­ en off and never attacked the island again. 1566 28th March - First stone of the new city La Valetta laid. 1789 Start of the French Revolution. Property of the Order in France confiscated. Many French Knights escaped to Malta and lived at the expense of the Order and the Maltese population! This drove Grandmaster De Rohan to seek help from Russia. Formerly Russia had asked the Order for help in the war on Turkey, but the Order had not helped out as Russia was on bad terms with France. Thus the Order could remain neutral. However, these negotiations with Russia by De Rohan were to dissolve the posi­ tion of neutrality that the Order boasted of. 1798 A party of French Knights and Maltese noblemen promoted French interests in Malta. Low revenues, wrecked commerce, miserable provisions and high unemployment completely undermined the popularity of Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch and the Order. Documents from Russia to Malta were intercepted by the French and this blew the neutral image of the Order. This incident was enough for Napoleon to lay siege on Malta. After capitulating, the Order was expelled from Malta by Napoleon on l 0th June 1798. Remaining members of the Order escaped to Russia. 1831 Revival of the Order in England after it had been confiscated by Queen Elizabeth I in 1558. 1834 The Order's Convent was re-established in Russia under the protection of the Czar. The Parent stem of the Order, known as the Sovereign Order of Malta, was also set up with Headquarters in Rome.
Recommended publications
  • Year of Preparation Primer
    YEAR OF PREPARATION PRIMER AN EXPLANATION OF THE ORDER, ITS HISTORY, ITS MEMBERSHIP & THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta American Association 1011 First Avenue New York, NY 10022 Table of Contents Chapter 1 What is the Order of Malta Page 1 Chapter 2 The Year of Preparation Page 7 Chapter 3 The American Association Page 11 Chapter 4 Works and Ministries Page 15 Chapter 5 The Lourdes Pilgrimage Page 22 Chapter 6 A History of the Order of Malta Page 29 Chapter 7 The Daily Prayer of the Order Page 33 Chapter 8 Members of the Order: Knights Page 36 and Dames of Magistral Grace, Those in Obedience and the Professed. Appendix Our Lady of Philermo Page 44 Order of Malta American Association Year of Preparation Formation Program Chapter 1--What is the Order of Malta? This booklet is designed to give you a better understanding of the Order of Malta. With background knowledge of the Order of Malta, you will be in a better position to satisfactorily complete your year- long journey of preparation to become a member of the Order. Hopefully, many of your questions about the Order will be answered in the coming pages. The Order of Malta is a lay religious Order of the Catholic Church with 14,000 members and 80,000 volunteers across the world headed by a Grand Master who governs the Order from Rome, both as a sovereign and as a religious leader. The Order was founded over 900 years ago by Blessed Gerard, a monk and Knight, who gathered a group of men and women together to commit themselves to the assistance of the poor and the sick, and to defend and to give witness to the Catholic faith.
    [Show full text]
  • The History Journal Volume 14
    annual service of rededication Order of St John St Hohn Historyenduring faith Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs Capitular Procession of the Priory in Australia Christ Church Anglican Cathedral Frank Dunstan MStJ Darwin Historical Society of Australia annual service of rededication Order of St John St Hohn Historyenduring faith THE JOURNAL OF THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE HISTORICALCapitular SOCIETY Procession OF AUSTRALIA of the Priory in Australia Christ ChurchVOLUME Anglican 14, 2014 Cathedral ‘Preserving and promoting the St John heritage’ Historical Society of Australia Darwin Frank Dunstan MStJ Awkward Hours, Awkward Jobs The front cover of St John History Volume 14 shows the members of the Order of St John who took part in the Capitular Procession of the Priory in Australia at their annual service of rededication in Christ Church Capitular Procession of the Priory in Australia Anglican Cathedral in Darwin on Sunday 2 June 2013. enduring faith The members of the Order are pictured outside the porch of the cathedral, which is all that remains of the original structure built and consecrated in 1902. Constructed from the local red limestone, the original Christ Church Anglican Cathedral cathedral was damaged during a Japanese air raid in February 1942. After that the Australian military forces annual service of rededication used the building until the end of the war. Cyclone Tracy destroyed everything but the porch of the repaired cathedral in December 1974. Order of St John The new cathedral, built around and behind the porch, was consecrated in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Donald Coggan, on 13 March 1977.
    [Show full text]
  • RUSSIAN TRADITION of the KNIGHTS of MALTA OSJ The
    RUSSIAN TRADITION OF THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA OSJ The Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller is a collection of charitable organisations claiming continuity with the Russian Orthodox grand priory of the Order of Saint John. Their distinction emerged when the Mediterranean stronghold of Malta was captured by Napoleon in 1798 when he made his expedition to Egypt. As a ruse, Napoleon asked for safe harbor to resupply his ships, and then turned against his hosts once safely inside Valletta. Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch failed to anticipate or prepare for this threat, provided no effective leadership, and readily capitulated to Napoleon. This was a terrible affront to most of the Knights desiring to defend their stronghold and sovereignty. The Order continued to exist in a diminished form and negotiated with European governments for a return to power. The Emperor of Russia gave the largest number of Knights shelter in St Petersburg and this gave rise to the Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller and recognition within the Russian Imperial Orders. In gratitude the Knights declared Ferdinand von Hompesch deposed and Emperor Paul I was elected as the new Grand Master. Origin Blessed Gerard created the Order of St John of Jerusalem as a distinctive Order from the previous Benedictine establishment of Hospitallers (Госпитальеры). It provided medical care and protection for pilgrims visiting Jerusalem. After the success of the First Crusade, it became an independent monastic order, and then as circumstances demanded grafted on a military identity, to become an Order of knighthood. The Grand Priory of the Order moved to Rhodes in 1312, where it ruled as a sovereign power, then to Malta in 1530 as a sovereign/vassal power.
    [Show full text]
  • History, Pseudo-History, and Myth: the Origins of the Order of the Hospital
    History, Pseudo-History, and Myth: The Origins of the Order of the Hospital HMML LECTURES November 14, 2012 Theresa Van: Thank you for coming; my name is Theresa Van, and I’m the Joseph S. Micallef Curator of the Malta Study Center of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library. One of the longer job titles here at Saint John’s. And I’m talking today about history, pseudo-history, and myths, in regards to the origins of the order of the hospital. Now, I’m going to start with the definition of what is history. Yes, it’s an academic discipline. History uses primary sources; it attempts to discover the past. History is also in that uneasy boundary between science and the humanities, because historians talk about evidence; we use primary sources, original documents, in order to talk about evidence, but still it’s not hard evidence. Interpretation comes into it. Historians always have to ask themselves, is this document saying what I think it’s saying? And also, historians have to deal with the investigator’s bias. Everybody has a bias, whether they acknowledge it or not. And it’s the bias of living in the society we live in, in the 21st century. Historians are always asking ourselves, am I seeing this as a 21st century person seeing this, or am I trying to look at it in the context of somebody who’s living in the 11th century? What language are they using? What do these words mean to them? It is an on-going and never-ending question of interpretation and re-interpretation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta – a General History of the Order of Malta
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OAR@UM Emanuel Buttigieg THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA – A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF MALTA INTRODUCTION: HOSPITALLERS Following thirteen years of excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority, a thousand-year-old structure – once a hospital in Jerusalem – will be open to the public; part of it seems earmarked to serve as a restaurant. 1 In Syria, as the civil war rages on, reports and footage have been emerging of explosions in and around Crac des Chevaliers castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. 2 During the interwar period (1923–1943), the Italian colonial authorities in the Dodecanese engaged in a wide-ranging series of projects to restore – and in some instances redesign – several buildings on Rhodes, in an attempt to recreate the late medieval/Renaissance lore of the island. 3 Between 2008 and 2013, the European Regional Development Fund provided the financial support necessary for Malta to undertake a large-scale restoration of several kilometres of fortifications, with the aim of not only preserving these structures but also enhancing Malta’s economic and social well- -being.4 Since 1999, the Sainte Fleur Pavilion in the Antananarivo University Hospital Centre in Madagascar has been helping mothers to give birth safely and assisting infants through care and research. 5 What binds together these seemingly disparate, geographically-scattered buildings, all with their stories of hope and despair? All of them – a hospital in Jerusalem, a castle in Syria, structures on Rhodes, fortifications on Malta, and yet another hospital, this time in Madagascar – attest to the constant (but evolving) mission of the Order of Malta “to Serve the Poor and Defend the Faith” over several centuries.
    [Show full text]
  • Pope: Address to Order of Malta (Full Text)
    Pope: address to Order of Malta (full text) (Vatican Radio) Pope Benedict XVI received Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta on Saturday, on occasion of the 900th anniversary of the document that created the organisation as an Sovereign Order under Papal protection. Below, please find the full English text of the Pope's remarks. Dear Brothers and Sisters! I am happy to welcome and to greet each one of you, Knights and Dames, chaplains and volunteers, of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. I greet in a special way the Grand Master, His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Matthew Festing, and I thank him for his kind words addressed to me in the name of all of you; I also thank you for the gift you wished to offer me, which I will dedicate to a work of charity. My affectionate thoughts go to the Cardinals and to my brother bishops and priests, in particular to my Secretary of State, who has just presided at the Eucharist, and to Cardinal Paolo Sardi, Patron of the Order, whom I thank for the care with which he strives to strengthen the special bond that joins you to the Catholic Church and most particularly to the Holy See. With gratitude, I greet Archbishop Angelo Acerbi, your Prelate. A final word of greeting goes to the diplomats and to all the high dignitaries and authorities who are present. The occasion that brings us together is the ninth centenary of the solemn privilege Pie Postulatio Voluntatis of 15 February 1113, by which Pope Paschal II placed the newly created “hospitaller fraternity” of Jerusalem, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, under the protection of the Church, and gave it sovereign status, constituting it as an Order in church law, with the faculty freely to elect its superiors without interference from other lay or religious authorities.
    [Show full text]
  • A Hospitalis Infirmorum Sancti Lazari De Jerusalem Before the First Crusade Charles Savona-Ventura
    A Hospitalis infirmorum Sancti Lazari de Jerusalem before the First Crusade Charles Savona-Ventura The origins of the Military Hospitaller Orders, which saw their establishment during the Crusader Period, are shrouded in a haze of reality and myth stemming from the fact that 17th-18th century historians writing about these Orders assumed the role of enthusiastic eulogists to the detriment of objective history writing. The exact origins of the Leprosis ecclesia Sancti Lazari qua est in Jerusalem Confratribus and the Fratrum Sancti Lazari extra muros Jerusalem leprosis as referred in the deeds of donation dated 1144/1150 remain questionable.1 The earliest mention in the available cartulary of an ecclesiam de Caciaco, totam videlicet partem nostram, beatis pauperibus Sancti Lazari is made in an 1112 Charter given by Louis VI the Fat of France. This, however, specifically refers to the Maladrerie de Saint-Lazare-lés-Orléans and not directly to the Jerusalem establishment. 2 Another undated document attributed to Henri I of England (dated circa 1106-1120) by the 18th century historian of the Order P.E. Gautier de Sibert is, in fact, a charter document given by Henri II of England.3 1 Donation documents by Baldwin III, King of Jerusalem, and Melisende, his mother, dated 1144 & by Baldwin III, King of Jerusalem dated 1150. In A. De Marsy. (ed.). Fragment d’un Cartulaire de l’Ordre de Saint-Lazare en Terre Sainte. Archives de l’Orient Latin (Paris), 1883, 2(2), doc III, p.124, doc. VII, p.128. 2 Charte de Louis VI, dit le Gros, Roi de France, en faveur de la Maladrerie de Saint- Lazare-lès-Orléans, de l’an 1112.
    [Show full text]
  • The Complete Sacred Music of Nicolò Isouard (1773 – 1818) and Maltese Sacred Music for the Order of Malta in the Late Eighteenth Century
    The Complete Sacred Music of Nicolò Isouard (1773 – 1818) and Maltese Sacred Music for The Order of Malta in the Late Eighteenth Century. By Richard Sydney Benedict Divall Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa – Monash 1992) and Doctor of the University (Honoris Causa – Australian Catholic University 2004) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy MCD University of Divinity 2013 MCD University of Divinity To Whom it May Concern This is to certify that the thesis and music editions presented by me for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy comprises only my original work except where due acknowledgment is made in the text to all other material used. Signature: ____________________________________ Name in Full: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________________________ Abstract. Nicolò Isouard (1773-1818) is considered Malta’s national composer. After studies in France and Naples, he returned to his homeland, where from 1794 to 1798 he was an aspiring composer, and employee of the Order of Malta. In 1994 a collection of thirty-three autographs of hitherto unknown sacred music by Isouard appeared at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, and I recognised the importance of these manuscripts. My intentions are to provide a précis on the Order, as the sovereign entity ruling Malta at the time, and the sacred music composed for them in their great Conventual Church in Valletta – now St John’s Co-Cathedral. The thesis will provide the background to Isouard’s early career and a complete edition and commentary of all of his sacred music, including additional works found during the research process, and a catalogue of his stage works.
    [Show full text]
  • Activity Report 2007 Report Activity
    Activity Report 2007 Report Activity activity report 2007 hodes and of Malta hodes and of R rder of St. John of Jerusalem, of Jerusalem, of John of St. of rder O THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER ospitaller ospitaller OF ST. JOHN OF JERUsalEM, OF RHODES AND OF Malta H www.orderofmalta.org Military The Sovereign History: key dates The mission of 1048: Jerusalem 1530: Malta 1834: Rome The foundation of the Hospitallers of The next seven years see the Order Having resided temporarily in Messina, the Order of Malta St. John of Jerusalem as a monastic without territory, but retaining Catania and then Ferrara, the Order community by the Blessed Gerard. its sovereignty, a situation which settles in Rome in 1834, in properties The origins of the Sovereign, Military and Hospitaller Order of St John Knights of the Order care for pilgrims, prevailed until Emperor Charles V with extraterritorial status: the Grand of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta –‑better known as the Order of the sick and the needy, as they have granted the knights the islands of Magistry in via Condotti and the Villa Malta‑– go back to the eleventh century. done ever since. Malta, Gozo and Comino, and the city Malta on the Aventine Hill. When the crusaders arrived in Jerusalem in AD 1099, the Hospitallers were By virtue of the Papal Bull of 1113 of Tripoli, as a sovereign fiefdom. On From this time, the Order’s original administering the Hospital of St John the Baptist, which had been estab‑ issued by Pope Pascal II, the hospital October 26th 1530, the Order takes mission of service to the poor and the lished around 1048 to care for pilgrims coming to the Holy Land and for of St John is placed under the aegis of possession of Malta with the approval sick again becomes its main activity.
    [Show full text]
  • Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard
    Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard NEWS LETTER No. 20 Christmas 2000 New Year 2001 We wish you God's grace at Christmas and for the New Year 2001 Zulu Nativity Scene at Blessed Gérard's Church in Mandeni Celebration of St. John’s Feast in Mandeni on 9 July 2000 Investiture of Mrs. Clare Ann Kalkwarf as a Dame of the Order of Malta South Africa is honoured by the fact, that the first South African has been invested into the Order of Malta. Mrs. Clare Ann Kalkwarf is a founder member and the Vice-President of the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard, which is the South African Relief Organisation of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (Order of Malta). The Order of Malta is a unique community with a triple nature 1. As a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church with professed members like the Benedictines, Franciscans or Dominicans. 2. As a Sovereign subject of International Law with its own government in an exterritorial area in Rome, diplomatic relations to most countries of the earth, a seat in the United Nations, its own stamps and coins and (diplomatic) passports. 3. As an International Relief Organisation with National Relief Organisations in many countries, e.g. the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard in South Africa. On 9 July 2000 the Grand Hospitaller, who is responsible for the Relief Work of the Order of Malta internationally came all the way from Rome to Mandeni especially for this occasion and invested Mrs. Kalkwarf as a Donat of Devotion into the Order of Malta.
    [Show full text]
  • Message of His Holiness E Began with a Dinner at the Sky Club on the by John Paul II 5Th of January
    HOSPITALLERS IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA ® Volume 1 Spring 2005 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, U.S.A. ������������ Fellow members of the American Association: Message of His Holiness e began with a dinner at the Sky Club on the By John Paul II 5th of January. All of the members of the WBoard were in attendance on our first meet of the year, and, besides socializing during cocktails and Dear Brothers and Sisters! a fine dinner, we welcomed the three new members 1. Each year, the Lenten Season is set before us as a good opportunity for the inten- of our Board: Anne Burke DM, Joe Hagan KHDOb, and sification of prayer and penance, opening hearts to the docile welcoming of the divine Jack Pohrer KM. They are outstanding members of the will. During Lent, a spiritual journey is outlined for us that prepares us to relive the great Order, and will be great contributors to the delibera- Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ. This is done primarily by listening to the tions and work of the Board. (The cost of such dinners is covered by special contributions of Board members.) Word of God more devoutly and by practicing mortification more generously, thanks to At the Board meeting on the 6th, we: which it is possible to render greater assistance to those in need. This year, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to bring to your attention a theme which is • Held elections for two officer positions: Fran Hardart was reelected to the position of Hospitaller (for 3 years), and Carl Schwarz was re- rather current, well-illustrated by the following verse from Deuteronomy: “Loving the Lord… elected as Secretary (for 2 years).
    [Show full text]
  • Zakon Maltański
    Andrzej Franciszek Dziuba Zakon Maltański Saeculum Christianum : pismo historyczno-społeczne 9/1, 57-76 2002 Saeculum Christianum 9 (2002) nr 1 KS. ANDRZEJ FRANCISZEK DZIUBA ZAKON MALTAŃSKI Każde pochylenie się nad Suwerennym Rycerskim Zakonem Szpitalników świętego Jana Jerozolimskiego zwanego Rodyjskim i Maltańskim - używając pełnej aktualnej nazwy - znaczone jest prawie tysiącletnią historią1. Związana jest ono integralnie nie tylko z chrześcijaństwem, ale ma także wiele konotacji z ówczesnymi zjawiskami społecznymi, kulturalnymi, religijnymi czy politycz­ nymi. Interesującym jest, iż mimo wielu zakrętów dziejowych, trudnych mo­ mentów oraz licznych adaptacji przeżył on znakomicie całą historię, która zna­ czona jest specyficznymi dla niego instytucjami oraz znakami, które trwają i dziś. Ciągle bowiem aktualne są podstawowe zobowiązania dam i kawalerów: „obseąuium pauperum” oraz „tuitio fidei”, i one ostatecznie stają u funda­ mentów żywotności Zakonu oraz jego szerokiej działalności. 1. Ziemia Święta 1099-1291 Zakon został zorganizowany w Ziemi Świętej, podczas wypraw krzyżowych, i niezależnie od jego wcześniejszej historii, był włączony w zmagania krzyżow­ ców przeciwko niewiernym. Jego początki, jakkolwiek, muszą jednak sięgnąć bardziej wstecz, czas przed wyzwoleniem Jerozolimy przez rycerzy I wyprawy krzyżowej. Historia Zakonu rozpoczyna się zatem szpitalem czy infirmerią dla pielgrzymów, którzy przybywali do Jerozolimy i w swej nieznanej przeszłości biegnie do wspólnoty monastycznej pod przewodem osoby znanej w historii ja­ ko bł. Gerard (+ 3.09.1120)2. Niewiele wiadomo o życiu bł. Gerarda przed wyzwoleniem Świętego Mia­ sta. Historycy Zakonu różnią się, czy był on Włochem z Prowansji, czy pocho­ dził z Ziemi Świętej. Mimo wszystko zgadzają się, że Gerarda „xenodochium” albo „hospitium” należy identyfikować ze „Szpitalem w Jerozolimie”, ufundo­ wanym na początku XI wieku przez handlowców z Amalfi na polecenie kalifa 1 Por.
    [Show full text]