Papal Hierarchical Structure

from Troy:

PAPAL ROMAN EMPIRE: ORDER OF PRECEDENCE & INFLUENCE OF THE KEY KNIGHTHOOD ORDERS (BOTH OVERT & COVERT) - EXPANDED & REVISED [V.1]

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PAPAL ROMAN EMPIRE HEADS:

* The Jesuit Order (founded in 1534 by Ignatius of Loyola)
Superior-General ("Black Pope"): Adolfo Nicolás

* Pope ("White Pope"; "Papal Caesar"; "Pontifex Maximus"; Supreme Pontiff of the [so-called] Universal Church; Bishop of Rome): Joseph "Benedict XVI" Ratzinger


SUGGESTED ORDER OF PRECEDENCE & INFLUENCE OF THE KEY KNIGHTHOOD ORDERS (BOTH OVERT & COVERT) WITHIN THE PAPAL ROMAN EMPIRE:

1: The Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch) (f. 1430 by Duke Phillip III of Burgundy, Spanish/Austrian split: 1712). "Sovereign": "Prince of the Papal Roman Empire" Juan Carlos I, King of Spain [Head of the House of Bourbon; also Grand Master of eight other orders; "Stranger" Knight of the Order of the Garter; Knight of the Hispano-Neapolitan Order of St Januarius; Knight Grand Cross of the Hispano-Neapolitan Constantinian Order; Knight of the Collar of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre; Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation).

2: The Order of the Garter (f. 1344 by Edward III, King of England). "Sovereign": "Princess of the Papal Roman Empire" Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom [also "Sovereign" of the Orders of St John, the Thistle, Bath, Saints Michael & George, Royal Victorian Order, etc...; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion; Knight with Chain of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)]; Chancellor: Lord Carrington (Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington) [also Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter; Knight Grand Cross of the Orders of Saints Michael & George).

NOTE: Key knights & dames within both the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch - the far more elite of the two branches) & the Order of the Golden Fleece are: Juan Carlos I, Elizabeth II (English OSJ head), Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands (Dutch OSJ head) & Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden (Swedish OSJ head).

3: The Order of the Holy Sepulchre (and its associated Order of Merit for non-Catholics) (f. 1103 by Godfrey of Bouillon, first Latin King of Jerusalem, who was also the first head of this Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre). Grand Master: "Papal Prince" John Cardinal Foley [also Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)].

4: The Order of St Januarius (Both branches) (f. 1738 by Charles, King of Naples & Sicily [Charles VII, King of Naples/Charles V, King of Sicily] later became Charles III, King of Spain; Hispano-Neapolitan/Franco-Neapolitan split 1960).

* Hispano-Neapolitan Grand Master: Don Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria [also Grand Master of the Hispano-Neapolitan Constantinian Order; Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch); Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre].

* Franco-Neapolitan Grand Master: Prince Carlo, the Duke of Castro [also Grand Master of the Franco-Neapolitan Constantinian Order & of the Royal Order of Francis I; Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour & Devotion of the Order of Malta; Knight Grand Cross of Saints Maurice & Lazarus].

NOTE: The Dukes of Calabria & Castro are the disputing Heads of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

5: The Constantinian Order (Both branches) (f. 16th Century by the "Angeli Comneni" Grand Masters, confirmed in a series of Papal briefs & a Bull of Pope Clement VIII (Ippolito Aldobrandini); transferred to Francesco Farnese 1698).

* Hispano-Neapolitan Grand Master: Don Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria [also Grand Master of the Hispano-Neapolitan Order of St Januarius; Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch); Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre].

* Franco-Neapolitan Grand Master: Prince Carlo, the Duke of Castro [also Grand Master of the Franco-Neapolitan Order of St Januarius & of the Royal Order of Francis I; Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour & Devotion of the Order of Malta; Knight Grand Cross of Saints Maurice & Lazarus].


6: The Order of Malta (and its associated Order of Merit for non-Catholics) (f. c. 1099 as the Hospitaller Order by Gerard Thom). Grand Master: "Papal Prince" Matthew Cardinal Festing [also Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Franco-Neapolitan Constantinian Order; Officer of the Order of the British Empire].


7: Alliance of the Orders of St John of Jersualem

* English branch: (f. 1831; London-based) "Sovereign" Head: Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom [Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha a.k.a. Windsor; "Sovereign" of the Orders of the Garter, Thistle, Bath, Saints Michael & George, Royal Victorian Order, etc...; Dame of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch)]; Grand Prior, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester [also House of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha a.k.a. Windsor; Knight of the Garter; Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order; Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)].

* Dutch branch (Johanniter Orde): (became independent of the German branch in 1946, after World War II; Hague-based) Honorary Commander: Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands [Head of the House of Orange-Nassau; "Sovereign" of both the Order of the Netherlands Lion & the Order of the House of Orange; Dame of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch); "Stranger" Dame of the Order of the Garter].

* Swedish branch (Johanniterorden): (became independent of the German branch in 1946, after World War II; Stockholm-based) High Protector: Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden [Head of the House of Bernadotte; Lord & Master (Grand Master) of the Royal Orders of the Seraphim & Polar Star [also Knight of the former & Commander Grand Cross of the latter); Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spanish branch); "Stranger" Knight of the Order of the Garter; Knight Grand Cross of both the Order of the Netherlands Lion & the Order of the House of Orange].

* German branch (Johanniterorden [Bailiwick of Brandenburg - also includes Swiss, French, Hungarian & Finnish Commanderies]): (f. 1160; Berlin-based) Master: Oskar, Prince of Prussia [House of Hohenzollern - although not the Head of that House, which is Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia].


8: The Order of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch) (f. 1430 by Duke Phillip III of Burgundy, Spanish/Austrian split: 1712). Grand Master: Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduke & Prince (Austria), Prince (Hungary) [Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine].


9: Order of Saints Maurice & Lazarus (f. 1572 by Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy).
Grand Master: Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, Duke of Savoy [also Grand Master of the more elite Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (Juan Carlos I of Spain is the other most notable known member) & of the Royal House of Savoy's Order of Merit; Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice of Franco-Neapolitan Constantinian Order; Bailiff Grand Cross of Order of Malta].


10: The Teutonic Order (f. c. 1190 by Duke Friedrich of Hohenstaufen).
Grand Master/General Abbot: Bruno Platter.

- TS

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NOTES ON THE SUGGESTED ORDER OF PRECEDENCE IN THE ABOVE LIST:

I use several criteria for my ongoing assessment of which order takes precedence: any official info, the leadership & membership, how senior a position one knighthood order's GM is as a member of other orders in relation to other knighthood GM's, historical info & how that might tie into the current scene, the list goes on, but these are all good criteria. Also worth noting the differences between the two branches of the Golden Fleece & Constantinians (& the latter's more elite St Januarius Order). Number of key shared members especially Royal members (esp. notable in the Fleece, Garter & Hispano-Neapolitan CO) & the global networking potential (absolutely vast in the case of the Franco-Neapolitan Constantinian Order.

It seems that none of these Papal-loyal Orders, including the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre have claimed precedence over the Golden Fleece:

http://www.chivalricorders.org/vatican/holysep.htm

Numerous historic privileges have been claimed for knights of the Holy Sepulcher; the right to the title of Count Palatine (in any case abrogated by the nineteenth century reforms of the Roman nobility), precedence before the members of all other Orders except that of the Golden Fleece, the right to legitimize bastards, change baptismal names, grant arms, create notaries and hold religious benefices while married (similar extravagant privileges were granted at various times to the members of the Constantinian Order and several other Orders but all have been effectively abrogated and are unrecognized today). Such privileges were certainly never recognized as being the prerogatives of the knights appointed by the two French institutions, and there is little evidence that any European ruler recognized these privileges even for those dubbed at the Tomb of Our Lord.

Guy Sainty confirms in one of his online studies on the Equestrians that both Juan Carlos (Grand Master of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece) & his cousin Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria (Grand Master of the Hispano-Neaplitan Constantinian Order & its more elite sister order, the Order of St Januarius are both Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Juan Carlos has the highest grade of the Equestrians: Knight of the Collar. They are of course knights of each others orders.

http://www.chivalricorders.org/vatican/holysep.htm

Today the two Spanish Lieutenancies alone in the Order have maintained a "noble" character, requiring proof of paternal nobility for all its members. King Juan Carlos of Spain has been awarded the Collar of the Order, as was his late father, the Count of Barcelona, and both the Prince of the Asturias and the next senior male of the Royal House of Spain, the Infant Carlos of Bourbon-Sicily, Duke of Calabria have received the Grand Cross.

I contend that only the high Jesuits (including UK Provincial Michael Holman), the Pope & King Juan Carlos I are above Elizabeth II - the Cardinals are her equal. Note that these Papal Princes include Festing - but the ruling European & British Royal heads are also Princes & Princesses of the Papal Roman Empire (which I refuse to honour as "Holy" & encourage others to do likewise).

As the Garter & the Fleece are essentially Templar offshoots (or derivatives at least) & the most powerful of the Templar derived bodies is the Jesuit Order, her loyalty his to the Jesuit Superior-General & any Pope that he directs. She will of course pay respect to the Roman Cardinals & the likes of the Archbishop of Westminster as representatives of the Pope & these women-haters no doubt do not feel inclined to acknowledge her as an equal, but I see her as answering to the Jesuits. How many bosses can one have anyway? Makes for a very messy chain of command.

Note that Juan Carlos I, King of Spain is the current Latin King of Jerusalem & we read the claim here that the first King of Jerusalem founded & was the Head of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre:

http://www.governo.it/Presidenza/cerimoniale/onorificenze_araldica/documentazione/n_ordini_cavallereschi_santa_sede_eng.pdf

The Equestrian Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem 1) The Origins

The origins of this Order began with the liberation of the land of The Holy Sepulchre from Muslim domination by Godfrey of Bouillon, Chief Commander of the Militia of the first Crusade. In doing so, Godfrey of Bouillon founded the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

In 1103, as reported by the writers of the Crusade, Balduino I, the first King of Jerusalem and as Head of The Equestrian Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, he had the power to nominate new Knights. This power was for himself and his successors.

Interesting notes on the seldom discussed Order of St Januarius:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Saint_Januarius

Its statutes and foundation both date to 3 July 1738 and the first promotions to the Order were announced three days later. These statutes limited membership of the Order to sixty Roman Catholic noblemen, although non-Catholics have been admitted by successive Grand Masters in exceptional cases and the total complement of the Order has exceeded sixty on several occasions. As an Order of the collar and the highest Order of the Kingdom, it was intended to equal in rank that of the Golden Fleece, awarded by Charles' father in Spain, and that of the Holy Spirit, given by his cousin in France. Indeed, it was frequent practice for the princes of each branch of the House to receive all three Orders. As they had discussed in their correspondence, King Charles reserved for his father the right to appoint up to six knights, emphasising the unity of the House of Bourbon. ...

The order continues to be awarded today by the two claimaints for the headship of the royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria and Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro. Since 1960, the order has been awarded sparingly and total membership has not exceeded eighty, most of the knights being members of royal houses, senior officers of the Constantinian Order or Italian Grandees. The Infante Don Carlos, Duke of Calabria, and his late father both followed the example of the nineteenth century sovereigns of the Two Sicilies in awarding the order not only to the heads of other royal houses (or reigning sovereigns), but also to their closest advisers, several of whom also hold high office in the Constantinian Order.

Neither Constantinian Order Grand Master (the Duke of Calabria & the Duke of Castro, both disputing heads of Bourbon Two Sicilies; also the Grand Masters of the two Orders of St Januarius) are nominally Papal Princes - at least nowhere that I've read, but who knows? They could be, as it is a religious-military lay order like the SMOM (these being the only two).

The Franco-Neapolitan CO has the most Vatican archbishops & cardinals (62 in 2008) as nominal members at least. Hispano-Neapolitan CO Knight (as well as being a Knight of many others, incl SMOM, OSJ, etc) Guy Sainty states that many of these have just receieved the documents & that's that.

Here's my analysis of the RC archbishops, cardinals & SMOM members, based on the lists at the F-N CO site(s). Bear in mind that I posted this in October 2008 so certain details will have changed (Egan's & Murphy-O'Connor's CV's for example):

http://realityresearch.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/franco-neapolitan-constantinian-order-royal-order-of-francis-i-members/


SELECTED PROMINENT S.M.O.M. MEMBERS:
http://www.constantinian.com/dynastic-constantinian.html#maltaorder

“Since 1878, every Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta has been a senior member of the Constantinian Order … Many senior officers of the Order of Malta across the world are members of the Constantinian Order and some hold official positions within the Grand Magistry of the Constantinian Order”.

* Matthew Festing (F-N CO Knight Grand Cross of Justice; First invested as a Knight of Justice in 1991; 79th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta [Knights of Malta]).

* Fredrik Crichton-Stuart (F-N CO Knight Commander of Justice; SMOM’s Grand Prior of England).

* Princess Michael of Kent (Dame Grand Cross of Justice, F-N CO British and Irish Delegation; SMOM Dame; wife of Prince Michael of Kent, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons).

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SELECTED PROMINENT ROMAN CATHOLIC CARDINALS:
http://www.constantinian.com/dynastic-constantinian.html#apostolic

“Currently over 60 [62 to be precise - as of June 2008] cardinals and archbishops are members of the Constantinian Order and who play a very active role in the spiritual development of the Order. His Holiness The Pope is also represented in the Order through the appointment of a personal Ecclesiastical Counsellor.”

* Albert Cardinal Vanhoye (French Jesuit Cardinal; the F-N CO’s Grand Prior).

* Edward Cardinal Egan (Archbishop of New York [2000-present]; elevated to theCollege of Cardinals [Jan. 2001]; received SMOM’s Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour & Devotion immediately after; SMOM’s US Association’s Principal Chaplain; originally a SMOM Conventual Chaplain ad honorem from 1989; Association of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre’s Grand Prior; Knight of the Grand Cross (Motu Proprio) of the House of Savoy’s Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus).

* Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor (Archbishop of Westminster; F-N CO‘s UK & Irish Delegation’s Prior).

* Desmond Cardinal Connell (Archbishop Emeritus of Dublin & Primate of Ireland; former philosophy lecturer).

* + 9 other Roman Catholic Church Cardinal Archbishops; 1 other Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus; 17 other Cardinals & 31 Diocesan & Titular Archbishops.