VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2000 (VIS) - Just before noon today in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received 3,000 knights, dames and ecclesiastics of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, who are in Rome on their Jubilee pilgrimage.
The order was founded in 1099 as an honor guard for the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem. Following a period of trials, when the knights had to withdraw from the Holy Land, the order was re-established in 1847 by Pope Pius IX, as John Paul II recalled in his talk today. Pius IX also re-established the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem that year.
John Paul II pointed out that the most significant change made by Pius IX was that "the custody of the Tomb of Christ would no longer be entrusted to the force of arms, but rather to the value of a constant witness of faith and solidarity towards Christians residing in the Holy Places."
He spoke of "the specific service to the Holy Land, which is proper to your Order. This is an important mission: thanks to your generous spiritual and charitable commitment in favor of the Holy Places and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, much has been able to be done to make the best use of the precious patrimony of historical witnesses which are preserved in the Holy Land."
"The Holy Year," Pope John Paul then remarked, "finds each of you intent on developing and deepening the three virtues which mark your order: 'zeal in renouncement in the midst of a society of abundance, generous commitment for the weak and unprotected and a courageous battle for justice and peace."
"In a few weeks," he concluded, "God willing, I will also have the grace of visiting the Holy Sepulchre. I can thus pray at the place where Christ offered His life and then received it back in the Resurrection. ... I am counting on your prayers for this pilgrimage. ... I entrust all of you to the motherly protection of Our Lady Queen of Palestine."
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