The Order has a well-defined hierarchy, and is led by the Cardinal Grand Master who is appointed directly by the Holy Father, to lead and govern the Order. In 1949, Pius XII established that the Grand Master of the Order must be a Cardinal, assigning to the Patriarch of Jerusalem the prerogative of the Grand Prior. Currently this important role at the head of the Order is filled by Cardinal Edwin O'Brien
The Grand Magisterium is a body convened and chaired by the Cardinal Grand Master to assist and support him in the government of the Order. It meets twice a year and prepares and programs the activities of the Order in the various countries in which the Order is present and, in particular, in the Holy Land. It also approves the specific projects of solidarity that the Order carries out in the Holy Land each year, in addition to approving the entire institution’s budget.
