Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, is pictured in his office at the order’s headquarters in Rome. Photo: CNS. Peace must be built and understanding of Catholics in the Holy Land must be promoted, said Cardinal Fernando Filoni, former deputy Vatican secretary of state and current Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
“The Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem… has a mandate which, in truth, is an integral part of the very life of the Church and which derives – understandably – from the fact that the Church considers herself to be the heir of these places that were part of the earthly life of Jesus and whose memory she wishes to preserve not only for those who live in the Holy Land, but also for those who, over the centuries, have frequently visited it on pilgrimage,” said Cardinal Filoni, who made the trip over to Ireland this past weekend for the investiture of three new knights at a Mass in St Patricks College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
Cardinal Filoni gave three homilies over the weekend, with a distinct message in each: don’t forget about the Catholics in the Middle East, especially during the current conflict.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is an ancient chivalric order supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The cardinal remarked in his investiture homily about the importance of acknowledging the hardships of Christians in the Middle East, especially in places such as Palestine and Israel. “ We… intend today to care for another ‘Body,’ the ‘mystical’ Body of Christ: first and foremost, in the Holy Land—thinking of its faithful, the poor, refugees, families without work, the children studying in the Patriarchate’s schools, children facing difficulties.”
Cardinal Filoni also directly addressed Irish politicians, with the Irish EU presidency in mind. Talking to the Irish Independent, Cardinal Filoni said, “We have to move towards thinking of no one as against the other, but rather towards an understanding between all. Peace must be built and we must promote a better understanding among all the people of the Holy Land.”
In his Sunday homily at Maynooth Parish, Cardinal Filoni preached that the “The Liturgy of the Word invites us to abandon our usual patterns of thought and embrace God’s thoughts, which tower above our own as heaven towers above the earth.”