1. Founded at the end of the
Second World War in Rouen near St. Joan of Arc’s place of execution, fortified
by Benedictine wisdom in the shadow of the ancient Abbey of Saint Wandrille,
then taking root in soil long hallowed by Our Lady in the crypt of Chartres
Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin who
should bear a child, the Order of Knights of Our Lady follows in the long
and glorious tradition of Chivalry, and of the military orders which were
created to enlarge on earth the frontiers
of God’s Kingdom8.
Regular and militant, it means
to be, by the grace of God, a school for honour and heroism in the service of
the highest values of humanity[1].
It seeks first of all the reign of God and his Justice, knowing that all else -
peace on earth and the benefits resulting from that - will be given as well.[2]
It awaits in confident hope,
amid an incessant combat against the Prince of this world, the parousia of the King, the coming of the
Kingdom of Heaven and of eternal Peace, according to the word of the Apostle For us, our homeland is in Heaven, and from Heaven comes the Saviour we
are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ.[3]
2. The essential purpose of the
Order is the glory of God through the universal Kingship of His Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has been pleased to associate with this kingship
his most holy Mother, the Immaculate and ever Virgin Mary, who is also the
Mother of the Church and of each one of its members.
Thus the Holy Mother of God
has become, by virtue of her Assumption Queen
of Heaven and earth by grace, just as Jesus is its King by nature and by
conquest[4],
by virtue of His Resurrection from the
dead.[5]
3. This is why the knights
recognise the Blessed Virgin as their own Lady and Suzerain, and as the
Sovereign of their Order. They join themselves to her by the links of
consecration, homage and dubbing, in such a way as to have her always present as their perfect model to
Imitate, and their powerful aid to support them. [6]
They also place themselves
under the protection of Saint Michael, the glorious Archangel, Prince of
heavenly chivalry and Satan’s conqueror; they repeat his cry of fidelity and
love which is also a cry of war and victory: Who is like God? They honour him and recognise him as Grand Master
of their Order.
4. The Order follows three aims
directed to the glory of God:
a) The Order serves the Christian Faith, Roman Catholic and
Apostolic, not only by confessing it before men in all its fullness, purity and vigour[7]
but also in seeking to spread it, protect it, strengthen it and make it radiate
in every field of human life. It works furthermore for the union of all
Christians in the one fold of Christ, as the realisation of a wish clearly
expressed by Christ, and as the condition for an era of unity and peace for all
nations[8]
b) The Order defends the Holy Catholic Church without fail,
on whatever ground it may be attacked, by prayer and action, against any party,
movement, sect, heresy and error denounced by the Sovereign Pontiff. The Order
loves and defends the Church, the Immaculate Bride of Christ, not only as a
mystery but also in its earthly existence, and despite the defects of its
members. It loves it and defends it in the wholeness of its faith and in its
institutions. It loves and defends it in its past and in its present, and will,
by the grace of God, defend it in the future. It fights vigorously, and always
with charity towards people, against enterprises which within the Church might
try to substitute a man-made religion for the true Faith, and which would dare
to attack not only traditional institutions and discipline, but also the purity
of sacred rites, the sanctity of Christian morals and the integrity of dogmas.
It defends the Church with all its energy against all those who, claiming to
reform, seek to change or disfigure her.[9]
(32b)
c) The Order works to promote Christendom and Peace. It is
at the service of the people of God, above all the most weak and the oppressed.
It combats ideologies which threaten the dignity and the liberty of men created
in the image of God, and opposes by all suitable means every totalitarian
movement aiming at subjugating the world, whether secretly or not, as it
opposes all those who, knowingly or not, give help to such movements[10].
(33) It strives to establish the temporal city on the foundations of the
natural law and the principles of the Gospel, with a respect for the essential
liberties of mankind and human communities[11]
(34) in conformity with the social doctrine of the Church. It seeks to unite
all the conditions necessary for the leaders of the nations to be able to give
public worship to Christ the King, for judges to honour Him, and for the laws
of the land and the arts to reflect His teaching[12]
(35), considering thrice blessed the city that Christ governs justly, in order
to apply the Laws given to the world by Heaven[13]
(36).
The Order encourages in its
members a love of their native country and a respect for the legitimate
traditions received from their forefathers. It serves Christendom, which is to
say the fraternal community of nations redeemed by the blood of Christ and
providentially called to purify and assimilate the various human civilizations
within Christian civilization[14].
(37) That is why the Order professes that fidelity
to the patrimony of Christian civilization and its fearless defence against
atheistic or anti-christian influences, is the key-stone which cannot be
sacrificed for any passing advantage, or for any alliance subject to change.[15] (38)
The Peace of Christ or the
tranquillity of Christian order[16]
(39) - and there is no true or just and lasting order outside it - such is the
noble end to which knights, traditionally honoured with the title of peacebearers, are firmly wedded,
following the precept of Scripture: Seek
peace, and pursue it[17].
(40) Every effort towards a more perfect realization of Christian order and
of peace helps the Church in the exercise of her divine mission, opens wide the
gates of salvation to poor and humble folk, and hastens the day when the Lord
Jesus shall come again with his Angels[18]
(41) for His Reign of Justice, Love and Peace.[19]
(42)
5. Any activity which is
conducive to these three aims may be undertaken either by the Order itself, or
by some of its members, with the approval of the Magisterium of the Order. Such
are the numerous social and charitable works which are undertaken, the
education of young people, the fight against the moral and social scourges of
our time, the defence of ordinary people against subversive ideologies, aid for
underdeveloped countries or the prisoners of totalitarian states, cultural
relations between people, the spread of a chivalrous spirit among servicemen,
the study of international problems, and other things of this kind.
6. The combat of the Order,
which justifies its existence as an Order of Chivalry, is truly a battle. In
truth, the assault led by the forces of hell against Christendom entails to a
large extent an ideological aspect, to which the only effective opposition is a
spiritual and doctrinal combat allied to a firm resolution to defend to the
death the supreme values of Christian civilisation. Professional armies are no
longer alone facing each other on the battlefield; whole populations are
involved, and as a result they must be led and protected by an elite, whose
spiritual, moral, intellectual and simply human values are manifest. To the
extent that it is able, the Order contributes to the formation of this elite.[20]
(43)
7. The Order declares that it
does not serve exclusively any state nor group of states nor international
organisations, nor any particular race; but it serves all men in their natural
communities. It is not at the service of political nor dynastic causes, nor of
economic interests, nor of class interests, nor of anything which is purely
temporal. The Order is at the service of Christendom alone. Like Christendom,
it is universal. [21](44)
8. Fully conscious of the
mission of the catholic laity in the world, as defined by the Second Vatican
Council (44b), the Order, governed by laymen, and enlightened by the living
Magisterium of the Church and faithfully accepting its unchanging teaching,
defines its own objectives and the manner of its action in the world, and this
action in no way commits the Holy See nor the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
[1] “Principles for a
Charter of Chivalry”, art. 16
[2] Luke 12, 31
[3] 27. Phil. 3, 20
[4] “True Devotion”, 38
[5] cf. Rom.
[6] “True Devotion”, 46
[7] Pius XII, 2-3-47
[8] 32a. “Principles
for a Charter of Chivalry”, art 5. (cf. Vatican II, decree on ecumenism, 4)
37. “Principles for a Charter of Chivalry”, art. 4a
[9] 32b. Vatican II,
Apostolate of the Laity, no.6
[10] 33. Principles for
a Charter of Chivalry”, art. 25a and 7c
[11] 34. Ibid. art I and
Apostolate of the Laity, no.5
[12] 35. Liturgy of
Christ the King, Vespers hymn
[13] 36. Ibid, Laudes
hymn
[14] 38. Pius XII,
1-9-44
[15] 39. cf. St. Augustine
[16] 40. Ps. 34, 14
[17] 41. Luke 9, 26
[18] 42. Preface of
Christ the King
[19] 43. ‘Principles for
a Charter of Chivalry”, art. 7b
[20] 44a. Ibid art. 4b
[21] 44b. Apostolate of
the Laity, no. 7 et passim
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