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Statuto

THE ECUMENICAL HOSPITALLER ORDER OF SAINT JOHN

is an ecumenical Order of the Holy Eastern Roman Empire. It is apolitical, a confessional, open to all who believe in God, regardless of race, color or creed and have proved through their humanitarian, philanthropic, cultural and social activities to be worthy of the honour of being admitted.

The aims of the Order are the relief of human suffering and the moral and spiritual strengthening of mankind and the Grand Magistry and all the members, without personal ambition or claim to any succession or connection to other existing Order of St. John, wish to bring their contribution, in all ways within their power, to these great objects.

The Emblem of the Order is the eight-pointed Red Cross with the Byzantine Crown. This Emblem is surmounted by the Imperial Crown of the Holy Eastern Roman Empire to reaffirm the dynastic character of the Order.

 

Article one

  1. the members of the Order are divided into five grades.
  2. Grand Cross with Collar.
  3. Grand Cross.
  4. Grand Officer.
  5. Knight Commander.
  6. Knight

 

  1. Lady members are divided into three grades.
  2. Dame Grand Cross.
  3. Dame Commander.
  4. Dame.

 

Knights and Dames of the Order shall be of two categories:

 “de jure” (justice)  and  “de gratia” (grace).

To the former, only persons of noble birth or who have received a Title of Nobility from the Hereditary The Prince Grand Master of the Order shall accede. To the latter persons who, by their special merit, shall be admitted.

  1. Members who are inscribed in the Roll of Honour and who profess vows of evangelic mercy for the poor and dedication to the welfare of the Order and to the accomplishment of its aims, are called “Professed”. Ladies are excluded from this category.
  2. The Grand Collar of the Order is conferred by the Prince Grand Master, “Motu Proprio”, upon Sovereign Princes, Heads of State, Cardinals, Patriarchs, those holding aristocratic Titles who have performed great service, and members of the Prince Grand Master’s Imperial Family.

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Article two

Hereditary Commanderies

1 By “Motu Proprio” the Prince Grand Master may establish a Hereditary Commandery- Priory (Delegation) of the Order and confer same upon a member of the category of justice or Grace. Hereditary Commanders of the Order have the rank of Grand Cross.

  1. Hereditary Commanderies are created with a feudal predicate.

Article three

Admission into the Order

  1. The minimum age for admission into the Order is 18 years. At the discretion of the Prince Grand Master persons between the ages of 12 and 18 may be admitted as Esquires.
  2. Membersship in the Order is limited to persons who are Ladies and Gentlemen of good character, who are considered successful in their endeavours in life and who will take the OATH of the Order, which is, I promise on my word of honour to do my best in carrying out my duty / towards God and towards the Ecumenical Hospitaller Order of. St .John / to be loyal to the dignatries of the Order promising obedience / to dedicate myself as a member to the service of my fellow man of any religious belief he may be, and, / to do all that is possible to carry out the four cardinal virues
  3. Admission to the Order is made by the Prince Grand Master upon formal application by the candidate to the Grand Chancellery. Such formal application must affirm the postulant’s willingness to conform to the Statutes of the Order, and must be accompanied by such documentation as my from time to time be prescribed. The Grand Magistry will then make its recommendation to the Grand Master.
  4. A “Passage” fee in an amount set by the Grand Magistry will be paid upon admission. Each member of the Order will pay, on the 1st day of January in each and every year a Chancellery fee to be used for the expenses of the Worldwide Order secretariate and for our charitable works. These funds to be sent to the Chancellery.
  5. The Grand Master may, in any individual case, grand a dispensation from the observance of any, or all, of the formalities prescribed by articles 3 and 4 of this Statute.

 

Article four

The Obligations of Members

  1. Members of the Order who are inscribed in the Roll of Honour are bound to make an annual

oblation to the Chancellery of the Order, and to contribute to its charitable and good works. They are active members of the Order and, as such, are bound to purchase the insignia and mantles awarded to them from the maker there of. Members of the Order are obligated to accept the disciplines of the Grand Magistry of the Order.

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Article five

Promotions in Rank

  1. Active members of the Order are elegible for promotion to a higher rank every 3 years, or at the recommendation of the Grand Chancellor to the Prince Grand Master.
  2. Promotios may also be decided, “motu proprio” by the Prince Grand Master.
  3. A new Brevet will be issued in respect of any promotion.

 

Article six

The investiture of Knights and Dames

  1. Members inscribed in the Roll of Honour must make a petition the Prince Grand Master for the investiture and installation to the Knighthood according to the approved Ceremonial of the Order. Those who do not do so are ineligible for promotion or for appointment to any office of the Order.
  2. The Cerimony of Investiture is performed only by the Prince Grand Master, whose Imperial and Royal rights of “Jus Honorum” and “Fons Honorum” give international legality to it, in a church or ar some other appointed place, on one of the festivals of the Order, or some other appointed day.
  3. The Grand Chancellor of the Order will explain all Investiture Ceremonies and will be in change if he is in attendance. All members of the Order are obligated to assist the Grand Chancellor in these cerimonies if so requested.
  4. The profession of vows is carried out at the same time and place.

 

Article seven

The Clerical Members of the Order

  1. Members of the Order who are ordained Priests are, as such, Chaplains of the Order; Prelates are styled as Almoners.
  2. The Chaplains and the Almoners form the religious chapter of the Order which have religious and charitable aims, the latter being pursued in collaboration with the Hospitallery service of the Order of St John.

 

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Article eight

The Grand Magistry

  1. The Grand Magistry is the governing body of the Order Worldwide and consists of the Hereditary Prince Grand Master, Lt. General, Grand Chancellor, Grand Marshal, Grand Bailitf, Grand Hospitaller and Grand Prior.
  2. The Grand Master is the judicial and hereditary head of the Order. He is always the Chief of Name and Arms of the Imperial and Royal House of Byzantium, in direst descent to the present Grand Master, His Imperial and Highness Prince Peter Joseph Iossif de Lemessos. The Grand Master names and appoints all dignitaries and members of the Order and all ranks and offices therein are created and appointed by him after consultation with his Grand Magistry. The Order is directed and administred by him, with the assistance of the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Magistry.
  3. The Grand Chancellor is head of the Grand Chancellery and second in command to the Prince Grand Master. He carries magisterial decisions into effect and directs the activities of the Order Worldwide through the Ecumenical Hospitaller Corporation of St John. He countersigns all warrants and briefs, decrees and diplomas issued by the Prince Grand Master. He has the custody of the Grand Magisterial Seal and causes the same to be affixed to all documents issued by the Order. He assigns the duties of the Grand Marshal, the Grand Baliliff, the Grand Prior and the Grand Hospitaller.
  4. The Grand Marshal is the Chief Cerimonial functionary of the Order and, as such, deals with all questions relative to the insignia and uniform of the Order. In case of necessity he assumes the function of Grand Chancellor.
  5. The Grand Bailiff is in change of the admission processes of the Order and is next in command to the Grand Marshal.
  6. The Grand Hospitaller is in change of all charitable causes of the Order and will report all applications from worthy causes to the Grand Magistry along with written reports of the merits of each cause. The Corporation is the organ that will carry out the humanitarian projects
  7. The Grand Prior is in change of all commanderies and priories and is responsible for recommending to the Grand Magistry changes, growth and discipline in all commanderies.
  8. A member must attain the Rank of Knight Grand Cross to be eligible to serve on the Grand Magistry.

 

Article nine

  1. The Lieutenant General Grand Master represents and replaces the Grand Master of the Order, but only in cases where the Prince Grand Master is prevented from carrying out his duties. The Lieutenant General Grand Master is nominated directly by the Grand Master in case of necessity and is always the Heir Apparent. If the Heir Apparent is a minor, the function of Lieutenant General Grand Master will be assumed by the Grand Chancellor who shall be assisted by two Knights Grand Cross with Collar who are also members of the Privy Council of H.I.S.H. Prince Peter Joseph the Prince Grand Master, . Where the succession is disputed, the Lieutenant General Grand Master shall assume office and, within 30 days from that date shall convene the Grand Magistry in Plenary session, to examine the claims and proclaim the accession of the new Hereditary Grand Master.
  2. The present Heir Apparent and Lieutenant General Grand Master is H.I .S.H. Prince Peter Joseph 1st, cousins to our Prince Hereditary Grand Master and Head of the Imperial and Royal house.

 

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Article ten

Grand Priories, Priories and Commanderies

  1. On recommendation of the Grand Magistry, the Prince Grand Master may proclaim new Grand Priores, Priores, Commanderies, or create titular or hereditary Commanderies.
  2. A GRAND PRIORY must have at least 15 Knights and Dames inscribed in the Roll of Honour. A PRIORY must have a minimum of 10 Knights and Dames inscribed in the Roll of Honour and Commanderies must have a minimum of 5 Knights and Dames inscribed in the Roll of Honour.
  3. The Prince Grand Master may create and designate Hereditary Commanderies muto proprio, and these have their own regulations and privileges, among which ia the right to pass down their Knighthood and privileges through the male and female line in perpetuity.
  4. A Grand Prior (or Tongue) of the Order has, in general, jurisdiction over all those territories speaking a common language. Hereditary Commanderies depend directly from the Grand Chancellery.

 

Article eleven

  1. Candidates who are not proposed for admission by one of the jurisdictional Organs of the Order are entered “in premio religionis” and depend directly from the Grand Chancellery.
  2. Members in gremio religionis who are inscribed in the Roll of Honour may carry out their work for the Order by forming regional associations, but such associations are not jurisditional Organs of the Order. Any constitutions of such associations shall be approved by the Prince Grand Master.

 

Article twelve

The Discipline of the Members

  1. The dignitaries of the Order, to which ever statuary Organ they belong, must take an oath of loyalty and to the Order and to the Grand Master and to the Order in the Costumary form.
  2. The Grand Magistry may expell from the Order any member who fails to honour his obligations thereto, or who is in breach of his or her oath of loyalty and obedience.
  3. The Grand Master may instruct the Grand Chancellor to convene a Court of Honour and to commence process against any offending member. The accused will be invited to appear and address the Grand Magistry. The Grand Magistry’s decision shall be rendered by majority vote but the Grand Master may overrule the majority in rendering his decision.
  4. The Court of Honour, which is not a permanent Organ of the Order, consists of the Grand Magistrys a whole, together with a prosecutor and defender, both of whom are named by the Grand Chancellor.

 

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  1. As soon as disciplinary proceedings are commenced, the accused is suspended from his functions forthwith, but not from his rank. This suspension remains in force until the definitive sentence of the Court is issued by the President of the Court or his deputy. The sentence requires approval by the Prince Grand Master, who will sign and approve it within seven days of its delivery. Thereupon the Court will communicate its decision to the accused through the statutory Organ of territorial jurisdiction.
  2. The proceedings and correspondence pf the Order are to be treated as strictly confidential. Failure by any member to observe this article may result in a proposition to the Court of Honour for his or her expulsion.

 

Article thirteen

The Official Language of the Order

  1. The official language of the Order is ENGLISH. However, all the acts and decrees of jurisdictional Organs may be compiled and set out in the most convenient language. In case of conflict the English translation shall be treated as final and definitive

 

Article fourteen

ENURING:

These Statutes abrogate all others and shall take effect as from October 20th, 2016

 

Article fifteen

All new members Know that they are in no way being Knighted as Knights of the Military Order of Malta and shall in no way abbriviate being members of the Ecumenical Hospitaler Order of St John

 

THE HEREDITARY PRINCE GRAND MASTER

H.S.I.H. Prince Peter Joseph Iossif de Lemessos

Email : info@ecumenicalorderstjohn.org

URL www.ecuorderstjohn.org