Badge of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
Francisco López Muñoz, full academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 (RAED), was invested and crossed knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Lieutenancy of Western Spain, Noble Chapter of Castile and Leon, during a ceremony held at the Cathedral of the Encarnación of Malaga on October 28. The ceremony was performed by the prior of the Lieutenancy, Carlos Cardenal Amigo, in the presence of the lieutenant, the lieutenant general duke of Saint Peter of Galatina, Juan García Martínez.
Dr. Francisco López Muñoz
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the oldest chivalric order of Christianity. It was created in 1098 by the architect of the First Crusade, Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower Lorraine and protector of the Holy Sepulchre. The knights of the Holy Sepulchre constituted a noble guard, who guarded with their arms night and day the empty Holy Sepulchre of Jesus Christ, defending the walls of the city of Jerusalem, protecting its inhabitants and accompanying their kings in battles.
At present it is one of the two cavalry orders, together with the Order of Malta, recognized by the Vatican State and its objective is to watch over the Holy Places and the Christian presence in the Holy Land, territories occupied today by Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus, including the support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The order maintains a huge social work, focused on the construction and maintenance of schools, universities, hospitals and nursing homes.
The knights are appointed by the Grand Magisterium of the Order, in the name of the pontiff, who as his supreme head and head of the Vatican State, grants the placet to the appointment and grants the candidate nobility if he does not bring nobility of blood. The knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem are accompanied by other appointments, such as the Count of the Sacred Palace of Saint John Lateran and, only in Spain, the honorary canon of the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary of Calatayud.
