[The Knightly Hub] A Very Brief Overview of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

 The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

    The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was originally constructed circa 336, and is considered the holiest place on Earth even today. This church's liberation was the primary reason the Crusades began in the first place, as the Muslims were preventing Christians from entering. Legends commonly date the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre back to the time of Godfrey de Bouillon (circa 1099, the capture of Jerusalem from the Muslims after the First Crusade) due to his desire to be called a defender of the church. However, the EOHSJ was never much of a knightly order at all.  In fact, it was more or less restricted to an independent brotherhood. 

    The order still wound up adopting knighthood in order to defend the church, a position often heavily sought after. In fact, all those who were dubbed a knight and fought in the church's honor could be dubbed a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Sergeants were often selected from large troops of crusaders on account of their commitment and strength, falling under the command of the current King of Jerusalem. Like many other knights of the era, they accepted vows of poverty and obedience.

    The already limited military aspect of this order began to crumble after Saladin reclaimed Jerusalem, ceasing completely by 1291 after the fall of Acre. Despite everything, the first documented note of this order's existence as the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre arose from 1336 with significant papal interest as a candidate for the Holy See. The Church then proceeded to reorganize and adjust it multiple times under various popes. When Pope Clement allowed the Franciscans to be the official caretakers of the Holy Land in 1342, all members of the EOHSJ were required to be a member of this group. 

    While I have been referring to it as if it were a proper order thus far, in a technical sense, it should not be considered as such since it lacked a monastic rule and any regular possessions or organization. What belonged to the Holy Sepulchre actually belonged to the Canons, not the Knights. This was, however, the most inclusive of groups. When one was asked about their financial origin they were not obligated to answer and even the commander was meant to dress as an ordinary knight - with a white cloak adorned with the cross of Jerusalem in red. The order still exists with papal recognition today, largely to promote faith in Christianity, defend the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, and provide for the needy, like so many other modern knights.

Further Reading:

Anonymous. “History.” Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem - Northern Lieutenancy. © 2020 The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. All Rights Reserved. Publication Unknown. Accessed 17 November 2020. <https://www.eohsjnorthern.com/history.html>.

Moeller, Charles. “Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Copyright © 2020 by Kevin Knight. 1910. Accessed 3 November 2020. <https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07427c.htm>.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. 28 May 2020. Accessed 17 November 2020. <https://www.britannica.com/place/Holy-Sepulchre>.

Other Sites:

http://www.oessh.va/content/ordineequestresantosepolcro/en.html

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/oessh/index_en.htm

https://eohsjeastern.org/

https://www.diocesealex.org/our-faith/lay-organizations/equestrian-order-of-the-holy-sepulchre/