Friday 21 September 2012

Cardinal Duka invested as Chaplain General of the Order


On September the 17th 2012 in succession to His Eminence László Cardinal Paskai, His Eminence Dominik Cardinal Duka, Archbishop of Prague, became the highest moral and spiritual authority of the Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem accepting the position of Chaplain General. While retaining its characteristic of ecumenism, the Order reasserted with pride and honour its ties with the Catholic Church and rediscovered its historic spiritual protection. 

Since 2 February 2005 the spiritual protection of the Order has been provided by His Eminence László Cardinal Paskai. The Spiritual Protector is the guarantor of the spiritual legitimacy of the Order and its relationship with the Catholic Church in an ecumenical spirit. He ensures the strict monitoring of the ecumenical character of the Order.

The Grand Master Emeritus, Prince Charles-Philippe, The Grand Master, Count Jan Dobrzensky &t the newly invested Chaplain General Cardinal Duka.

  The Grand Master and Grand Master Emeritus invest the Cardinal as 
Chaplain General to the Order.



It is wonderful for the Order of St Lazarus to now have Cardinal Duka as Chaplain General of the Order.  He has an extraordinary history of witnessing to the Faith.  A Dominican, in 1975 the Communist government deprived him of the authorisation for the sacred ministry and for almost fifteen years - until the regime collapsed in 1989 - he worked as a designer at the car factories of Škoda. In the meantime, he also worked in secret in the Dominican Order as novice master and teacher of theology.



 Some photos of the Investiture in Prague Cathedral.

Procession in.






The Grand Master and Cardinal Duka hosted a reception in Archbishop's Palace.

The splendid facade of the Archbishop's Palace.




Dominik Cardinal Duka, Archbishop of Prague and the Papal Nuncio to the Czech Lands, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, arriving for Mass at St Vitus Cathedral.



The Grand Master and Grand Master Emeritus invest the Cardinal as 
Chaplain General of the Order of St Lazarus.





Grand Treasurer Nigel Sterland and his wife Anne are introduced to Cardinal Duka at the reception after Mass held in the Archbishop's Palace.

 Fr Simon Henry, Chaplain General of the Grand Priory of Great Britain, Mgr Luigi Casolini, Dean of Tivoli Cathedral and Chaplain General of the Grand Priory of Italy, & Fr Mark Lawler, Chancellor of the Priory of Great Britain in the splendid setting of the Cathedral.

And with Mgr Bosé, Grand Prior Spiritual of the Order.

 Further photos of the Investiture in Prague can be found here.

United Nations grants NGO status to the Order of St Lazarus




 The Order of St Lazarus has been granted consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This will facilitate the Order of St Lazarus’s contributions to the work programs and objectives of the United Nations and allow the Order to play a role of technical expert, advisor and consultant to the governments and the Secretary.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is first of all a coordinating organ regulating the activities of 14 specialised UN agencies, 10 functional commissions and 5 regional commissions. ECOSOC also reviews the reports of the UN funds and programs and gives recommendation to the UN system and the states members.

As described in the United Nations Charter, ECOSOC is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, full employment, economic and social progress; it also has to identify solutions to economic, social and health issues; it has to facilitate international culture and cooperation for education matters; it has to encourage the respect of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms. To carry out its mandate, ECOSOC consults with academics, business sector representatives and the 2100 accredited NGOs.

An accredited NGO can participate to UN work programs and objectives. This provides opportunities to play a role of technical expert, advisor and consultant to the governments and the Secretary as well as participate to the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, through meeting attendance, and also oral interventions and written declarations regarding the items on their agenda. The NGO will also be invited to take part in international conferences called by the UN and to extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly.