“It is one thing to speak of mercy and another to live mercy. Paraphrasing the words of Saint James, the Apostle, (cf. 2:14-17), we can say: mercy without works is dead in itself.” [Pope Francis speaking at his eighth “Jubilee Audience”] NEWSLETTER – JULY 2016 Annual Dinner 2016 A last minute reminder of our Annual Dinner at the RACV Club on Monday 18 July for those who have not yet made a booking. If you have mislaid the details, please contact Treasurer Michael Howard (Email: [email protected]) or Secretary Maurice Fanning (Email: [email protected]). Remember, guests are welcome. Report from the Meeting of Regional Lieutenants Regional Lieutenants met in Sydney at Cathedral House on Saturday 18 June 2016. All Australian Lieutenancies were represented. Briefly, the main items covered were: A. The legal structure, charitable status and registrations of Lieutenancies. Justice Francois Kunc (Lieutenant for NSW) provided an issues paper written by a local lawyer but this was not definitive. It was agreed that there is a need to get a ruling on: registration through the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) to obtain income tax From left: Philip Donato, SA (Chancellor), Peter exemption status and endorsement for Carroll, Qld, Francois Kunc, NSW; Bishop Peter Deductible Gift Recipient status; if not entitled Comensoli, NSW; Paul Bartley, Qld (Grand Magisterium); Will Kininmonth, VIC; Jack Gardiner, WA to registration through the ACNC whether there is a need to pay income tax; regulatory requirements to undertake fundraising; and the need to acquire an Australian Business Number (ABN). The cost of such a ruling was estimated at about $3,000, expected to be shared by the Australian Lieutenancies. There is also an issue about insurance. Given the history of the issues and the general uncertainties I supported the need for a coordinated approach. Francois and NSW will take the lead but if any in our Lieutenancy can assist with relevant information I would be pleased to convey it to the discussion. B. Expansion of the Order into Tasmania. I mentioned that this had been raised at our recent AGM and there was general support for Victoria to take the lead. It transpires that there is already a Knight and an Ecclesiastical Knight from the NSW Lieutenancy in Tasmania working closely with Archbishop Porteous and the Archbishop is ‘waiting for an approach’. It seems that the protocol is for me to seek Archbishop Denis Hart’s approval to commence a Section in Tasmania, confirm Archbishop Porteous’ agreement to have the Order’s presence in Tasmania, then seek agreement from the Grand Master. This approach had the support of all Lieutenants and I will commence. C. Coordination of Pilgrimages. There was discussion on whether there is a need to coordinate pilgrimages to the Holy Land, whether there should be an agreed format, and whether pilgrimages should include seminarians. There was not a lot of agreement except on a) the desirability of communicating information about pilgrimages to other Lieutenancies and b) at least one Lieutenancy organising a pilgrimage each year. At this time WA is organising for Nov 2017 and NSW is looking to sometime in 2019. I already have an offer from one of our Ecclesiastical Knights to participate in the next Victorian pilgrimage, whenever we might wish to hold it! (Subsequent to the meeting I circulated electronic copies of the Liturgy and Itinerary booklets produced for the recent Victorian Pilgrimage.) D. Spirituality. The Grand Master has reiterated on many occasions, including during his visit last year, that the Faith of our members is the foundation from which our generosity in good works emanates. As at the 2015 Adelaide regional meeting, Francois Kunc has taken the lead. He is proposing that a national spirituality committee of Ecclesiastic and lay members be formed. The initial focus would be on a program for a National Weekend Retreat open to all members and held in Sydney in 2018. Francois has in mind a suitable venue but the timing is yet to be determined given that the Consulta will be held in Rome in late 2018. E. ’Housekeeping’ Matters. Topics covered included the production of a national brochure; formation and attracting new members, including younger members; exchange of information on activities; potential for legacies; and general discussion on fund-raising. Following the afternoon meeting there was a sung Mass in the crypt of St Mary’s celebrated by Bishop Peter Comensoli KC*HS of Broken Bay with three Ecclesiastical Knights concelebrating and four members of the Cathedral’s Special Services Choir giving voice. Knights and Dames present were in robes and during the Mass Justice Francois Kunc was inducted into Office as Lieutenant and the Executive were announced and appointed. A reception was held in Cathedral House after Mass and then the Lieutenants and Ecclesiastical Knights adjourned to a private room in a nearby restaurant for dinner. [Photos, using password 045, can be seen at http://giovanniportelliphotography.zenfolio.com/p344714891] Papal Appointments in the Holy Land A. Father Francesco Patton, OFM: New Custos for the Holy Land. The appointment of Father Francesco Patton, OFM as Custos of the Holy Land was announced on Friday, May 20, 2016, according to a Decree of the Holy See. Father Francesco Patton, OFM, succeeds Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM who was Custos of the Holy Land since 2004. Fr. Francesco Patton was born in Vigo Meano in the diocese of Trent on December 23rd, 1963. He belongs to the Franciscan Province of St. Anthony in Italy. He is fluent in English and Spanish, besides his native Italian.The main mission of the Custos, in addition to his greater responsibility of Guardian to the Brothers, is to coordinate and direct the reception of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, and with the local Church, uphold the “living stones” of the region: the local Christians. This is a responsibility entrusted to them by the Holy See for more than 600 years. B. Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Pope Francis accepted the resignation presented by His Beatitude Fouad Twal, in accordance with can. 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law and appointed Rev. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M as Apostolic Administrator, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop, assigning him the titular see of Verbe. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. was born in Cologno al Serio, in the diocese and province of Bergamo, on 21 April 1965. On 15 September 1990 he was ordained to the priesthood in Bologna Cathedral by H.E. Cardinal Giacomo Biffi. Fr Pizzabella arrived in the Custody of the Holy Land on 7 October 1990 and completed his postgraduate studies at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem in 1993. He later served as a professor of Biblical Hebrew at the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical and Archaeological Sciences in Jerusalem. He began his service in the Custody on 2 July 1999. The General Definitory elected him Custodian of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion in May 2004. On 22 March 2010 he was re-elected. In 2013 his term was postulated for another three years. His term ended in April 2016. The Episcopal Ordination of Fr Pizzabella will take place in September. Holy Sepulchre: restoration of the Tomb of Christ begins Holy Sepulchre: restoration of the Tomb of Christ begins. The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem announced that the restoration work of the Aedicule had begun and will continue for eight months. The restoration of the Tomb is funded by the three main Christian denominations of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholics represented by Franciscans, Greek Orthodox and Armenians) and by public and private contributions (such as the gift of King Abdullah of Jordan), The Aedicule was built in the early nineteenth century after a fire, and was consolidated by a metal frame in 1947 under the British mandate. A recent study showed that the place was suffering. The objective is to reinforce the structure of the aedicule, through dismantling the marble slabs that cover it, cleaning the materials, consolidating the walls from the time of the Crusades and repairing them with materials in line with the old ones. The marble slabs that cover the holy aedicule have also suffered greatly, for example from the soot from the candles which have been lit over the centuries: so they will be restored after having been remounted and fixed with titanium bolts. As explained by Fr. Athanasius Macora, OFM: “This is a very conservative restoration: the sanctuary must remain as it is, just be consolidated. The steel beams surrounding the shrine will be removed and the aedicule will be more beautiful; there will be no new additions.” New EOHSJ Chancellor Alfredo Bastianelli Our new Order Chancellor Alfredo Bastianelli has recently communicated as follows: “Having recently assumed my role as Chancellor, I had not yet had occasion to write to you. I do so now, given that my new duties also include responsibility for communications and, in this regard, I have good news to announce in accordance with the Grand Master and the Governor General. The new website of the Grand Magisterium is now online at: www.oessh.va The website, managed by our Communication Service in coordination with the Holy See Secretariat for Communications, is available in five languages. We hope that it will grow thanks to the participation of your Lieutenancy, especially with regard to local news that we would be most happy to share. The website will certainly contribute to increased awareness of the vocation of the Knights and Dames as well as our projects in the Holy Land.