Religious and Spiritual Role 

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, which is not a Order of Knighthood or Merit of the Holy See, is one of the most ancient Roman Catholic dynastic Orders of Knighthood, which exists in the world today. The Royal Order of Francis I is not an exclusively Roman Catholic order and has among its members other Christian denominations, as well as those professing the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

Papal Appointments of Cardinal Protectors of the Order
Over many centuries the Constantinian Order has played an important role in defending the Roman Catholic faith. Successive Popes since the 12th century have issued Papal Bulls concerning the Order, its religious activities and function. The Pope and the Church has also expressed their gratitude and benevolence in many other ways during this long and historic relationship between the Order and the See of Saint Peter.

Significantly, the Papal Bull ‘Militantis Ecclesiae’ of Pope Clement XI in 1718, laid down new statutes of the Order and made provision for the appointment of a Cardinal Protector (the official representative of the Pope in the Order), as well as a Grand Prior. This Bull also reserved to the Apostolic See the right to involve itself in the Order’s affairs and its spiritual development and this has been confirmed and unchanged by almost every successive Pontiff.

Numerous Popes have been senior members of the Constantinian Order or have seen fit to appoint official papal representatives to the Order in the form of Cardinal Protectors. Cardinal de‘ Massimi became the first Cardinal Protector by order of Pope Clement X in 1672. In 1687 Pope Innocent XI appointed Cardinal Gaspero Cavelerio to the post, before appointing Cardinal Albani – the future Pope Clement XI in 1690. Numerous other appointments to these posts were made in the years that followed.

Spiritual Role of the Order Maintained Despite Loss of Kingdom
Since the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the newly created Kingdom of Italy in 1861, various attempts by the reigning House of Savoy of Italy to annex the Order were made, but rejected by Pope Pius IX (1846-1878).

Following the death of Francis II, last King of the Two Sicilies, and the succession of his half brother, Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, Duke of Castro, and Grand Master from 1892 –1934, the Order continued to enjoy excellent relations with the Papacy. This was particularly so with Pope Pius X and Pope Benedict XV. By Papal Brief of 7 March 1910 Pope Pius X revived the institution of a Cardinal Protector of the Constantinian Order and appointed Cardinal Domenico Ferrata to the post. On his death in 1913, the Pope appointed Cardinal Francesco di Paola Cassetta to replace him. The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Rafael Meery del Val, became a Baliff of the Order in 1912.

Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) was also favorably disposed towards the Constantinian Order and its Roman Catholic tradition and spiritual activity. In 1916 he restored the Church of Sant’Antonio in Naples to the Constantinian Knights, and when Cardinal Cassetta died in 1919 appointed as Cardinal Protector, Cardinal Vittorio Amadeo Ranuzzi de Bianhi to replace him. Pope Benedict’s Secretary of State was also appointed as a Baliff of the Order at this time.

Pope Benedict also approved the 1919 revision of the Order’s statutes and instructed the Sacred Congregation of Rites to give formal approval, in a Decree of 9 July 1919, to an official calendar of feast days, together with special prayers and Lessons for the Office. The Pope also sanctioned the building of a chapel dedicated to the Constantinian Order in the new basilica of Santa Croce al Flaminio in Rome, which was paid for by the knights.

During the same pontificate the Pope’s new Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, was invested as a Baliff on the Constantinian Order, along with numerous other Cardinals including the Archbishops of Baltimore and Boston.

The Order’s Spiritual Role under Mussolini’s Pressure
In 1922 Pope Pius XI began his pontificate and priority was given above all else to the delicate negotiations between Italy and the Holy See concerning the establishment of what became the sovereign Vatican City State. (Since the forced annexation of the Papal States in 1870 to the Kingdom of Italy, the Pope was a virtual prisoner within the walls of the Vatican).

Further attempts were made by the then Italian Prime Minister, Benito Mussolini to annex the Constantinian Order and this forced a change in the formal relationship of the Constantinian Order and the Vatican City State.

Under pressure and protest from Mussolini, the Papal appointment of a Cardinal Protector was temporarily suspended following the death in 1924 of Cardinal Ranuzzi de Bianchi. The Constantinian Order's standing in canon law remained unchanged, as was the Order’s appellation ‘Sacred’ – a status that was only granted to Orders under the direct or protection of the Apostolic See.

The Revised Spiritual Role of the Order
Yet the failure of the Pope to appoint a Cardinal Protector did not in anyway effect the religious role of the Order, and following the signing of the 1929 Concordat which created the Vatican City State, many Cardinals, including the new Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, became Baliffs of the Constantinian Order.

Pope Pius XII who pontificate lasted from 1939 to 1958 was a Bailiff of the Constantinian Order. Numerous other Cardinals, Archbishops and clergy were invested, and participated in the religious life of the Order under the Grand Masters of Prince Ferdinando Pio, Duke of Castro, from 1934-1960 and Prince Ranieri, Duke of Castro, from 1960-1973.

The relationship has strengthened under the current Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies and Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH Prince Ferdinando, Duke of Castro. Cardinal Vincenzo Fagiolo held the post of Grand Prior, and in 2000 he was succeeded by His Eminence Mario Francesco, Cardinal Pompedda, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Segnatura and President of the Court of Cassation of the Vatican City State. Cardinal Pompedda remains Grand Prior to this day.

Pope John Paul II Appoints Ecclesiastical Counselor to the Constantinian Order under the Grandmastership of The Duke of Castro
In November 2003 His Holiness Pope John Paul II formally appointed His Eminence Mario Francesco, Cardinal Pompedda, as his Ecclesiastical Counselor to the Constantinian Order under the grandmastership of HRH Prince Ferdinando of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro. This was a major act of formal recognition between the Holy Father and the Order.

In confirming the appointment, His Eminence Angelo, Cardinal Sodano, Secretary of State of the Vatican City State stated in a letter to Cardinal Pompedda, "On numerous occasions, Your Eminence has spoken to His Holiness Pope John Paul II of the need to provide greater spiritual assistance to those members of the Constantinian Order of Saint George for whom You have agreed to act as Grand Prior, by designation of Prince Don Ferdinando Maria of Bourbon Two Sicilies.

"I have now been requested to inform You that the Holy Father, out of pastoral solicitude, has appointed Your Eminence, for a term of five years, as Ecclesiastical Counselor of the Deputation of the Constantinian Order that recognizes Prince Don Ferdinando Maria of Bourbon Two Sicilies as its Grand Master.

"For my part, I shall gladly beseech the Lord to bestow abundant blessings upon Your endeavor to promote an ever more intense Christian culture among those who will benefit by Your ministry, under the banner of the Constantinian Knights’ ancient tradition of fidelity to the Church.

"A copy of this letter has been sent by me, on this day, to Prince Don Ferdinando Maria of Bourbon Two Sicilies to inform him of this and to extend most cordial greetings to him. I take this opportunity to assure You of my highest regard. Yours devotedly in Christ + A. Card. Sodano, Secretary of State."

His Eminence Mario Francesco, Cardinal Pompedda paased into the next life on October 18, 2006.

© 2003. Anthony Bailey