TheVatican

The Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
(at the Vatican Website)

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

List of The Lieutenancies of the Order

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TheFranciscan Custody in the Holy Land

The Jerusalem Cross
- The Order's Yearly Publication -

Jerusalem Cross 2024/2025

[English, French, German, Italian, Spanish]

Unofficial Documents:

Constitution of the EOHSJ 2020

Principles of Conduct For Members - Sept. 2006

"We bow down before your holy Cross, O Lord, and we venerate your empty and sacred tomb; because by your Death on the Altar of the Cross and Your Resurrection from the dead You, "my Lord and my God", have redeemed humanity.
Thank You Jesus the Christ!!"

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (EOHSJ/OESSH) is an Order of Knighthood/Chivalry open to practicing members of the Catholic Church who are willing to support the work of the Order in the Holy Land while, at the same time, attempting to live a more Christ-like life in their daily activities. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre was formally established as a Papal Order of Chivalry in the late 1800's and later designated as a Pontifical Order of Chivalry with a Cardinal, appointed by the Holy Father, as the Grand Master of the Order. (Papal Orders have the Pope as the Grand Master). The Holy See is the "fons honorum"of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. (Fons Honorum is a person who, by virtue of sovereignty, holds the exclusive right to create and confer legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry.)
There are over 30,000 men and women around the world who are Knights and Dames of the Pontifical Order of the Holy Sepulchre.


Nr. 79/LXXIX - January 2026
[English, French, German, Italian, Spanish]

An excerpt from an interview with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Grand Prior of the EOHSJ Order by François Vayne:
Question: Agencies that periodically assist the Holy Land sometimes take advantage of the situation to seek publicity. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, of which you are Grand Prior, operates with great discretion through the regular support provided to the Latin Patriarchate by its 30,000 members worldwide. Would you say that the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Latin Patriarchate constitute a single family? How does this profound, one might even say “visceral”, bond manifest itself in the life of the Diocese of Jerusalem, of which you are responsible?
Response:Yes, one can truly speak of a family, even of an organic bond. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre does not stand alongside the Patriarchate as an external benefactor; it shares in its life, its weaknesses, and its mission. This bond is expressed primarily through enduring fidelity. The Order’s support is neither occasional nor dependent on media attention: it is regular, discreet, and rooted in a profound ecclesial communion.
Concretely, this means supporting what is essential: schools, parishes, the formation of seminarians, and pastoral presence in places where, from a human perspective, it would be impossible. Yet even more, the Order offers the Patriarchate something invaluable: the awareness that it is not alone, and that it carries a universal mission. This silent solidarity is a profoundly evangelical expression of charity.

2024: Easter Message from the Cardinal Grand Master to the Knights and Dames of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

• War destroys not only with weapons (Jan 2024)
• Not Just The Gaza
  Reflections of the Governor General following the pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Grand Master
• A pilgrimage for peace
  The Grand Master of the Order in Jerusalem and Bethlehem: