The Grand Magisterium gathered online for its Fall meeting
The day after the celebration of Mass in honour of Our Lady of Palestine, on 21st October, which was presided over by the Grand Master of the Order in Saint Peter's Basilica, the autumn meeting of the Grand Magisterium was held. Members met virtually, due to the ongoing health crisis, while the Grand Master, the Governor General, the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Lieutenant General and the Chancellor participated live from Palazzo della Rovere in Rome.
The meeting emphasised the willingness of those responsible for the Order to step up support for the Holy Land by increasing the budget by 3.5% next year, building on the undeniable generosity of the Knights and Dames, splendidly demonstrated in recent months through the extraordinary help given by about 3 million euros to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in order to respond to the humanitarian needs of its faithful.
Cardinal Filoni's emphasis on the spiritual dimension of belonging to the Order promotes awareness among members of their great and beautiful vocation and, at the same time, it stimulates a renewal of their material commitment through the contributions made by the Lieutenancies to the life of the Mother Church in Jerusalem. Now that the main problems of the Order are resolved, in particular those related to Patriarchate’s long-standing debts - as Governor General Leonardo Visconti di Modrone has pointed out - it is important to look ahead and strengthen the development of the Order in countries where it is still under-represented. This is being achieved thanks in particular to the ongoing and direct relations between the Grand Magisterium and the Lieutenancies, as well as the prolific activity of the commissions created over the past three years.
For further details, we invite you to read the speeches given by the Grand Master and the Governor General during the meeting of the Grand Magisterium, as well as the important conclusions of Cardinal Filoni, almost a year after Pope Francis appointed him as head of the Order.
(November 2020)