On Diversity within the Order, by Stephen de la Bedoyere, MSM British Preceptor

When Dom Lafond started the Order, the Church was much more cohesive than it is now, since Vatican II and the immense social changes in the Western World from the 60s. It was easier to see the role of an order of chivalry with a specific way of life which would attract men of a broadly similar culture. But for the MSM to have a role to play in the Church of 2011 we have to reach out offering our life of fraternal service to God and Our Lady to men of many differing backgrounds. We, for instance, have a couple of African knights, in the Belgian preceptory [and in the Congo].

The danger here is of course for the MSM subtly to become “all things to all men,” but in the wrong way: i.e., to be manipulated by individuals to specific causes, which can be good or bad... Nevertheless, while the unity of the MSM is important, it should not exclude the diversity of the individual knight's personal vocation.

The doctrine that outside the Church there is no salvation is one of those areas of teaching included in the studies of a brother-at-arms. If you know OTT's Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (TAN, Rockford, Illinois 61105, 4th Edition, 1960 (1974), Bk4, Chapter 5, Sect.20) there is a very clear expose of this statement and how to read it. In the GB Preceptory, we have two “prayer-friends” who are Anglicans... We would love them to become Catholics, but if they don't, we would still look forward to being with them eventually in a better world!

Regarding liturgical diversity, one of the great achievements of the present Pope is that he has restored the Tridentine rite to its position as a rightful alternative to the rite of Paul VI. The norm for the MSM remains the present Roman rite in Latin for our fraternal and international celebrations. Moreover, as there does not yet exist an English-Latin edition of the Order's breviary, in our preceptory we tend to use the (Shorter) Morning and Evening Prayer of the Roman office (in English).