|
The Custos of the Holy
Land is the Minister Provincial (i.e. the major superior) of the
Friars Minor living in
the whole Middle East. He has jurisdiction over the territories of
Israel, Palestine,
Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt (partially), Cyprus and Rhodes without
counting the numerous
houses (Commissariats) in various parts of the world (worth
mentioning those of Rome
and Washington).
The main task of the
Custos, besides animating the life of he friars, is to coordinate
and direct the reception
of pilgrims who come over to the Holy Land in pilgrimage and
pray at the
shrines of our Redemption.
Such a task was handed
out by the Holy See more than 600 years ago. The term used
at those times to
designate this task was "custody" of the holy places from which
derived the terms still
in use "Custody" and "Custos".
The first and most
important role of the Custos therefore is to receive the pilgrims at
the Holy Shrines,
offering them spaces and the possibility to pray while caring to
give
shelter even to those
who cannot afford to use expensive hotels. At the same time the
pilgrims are offered the
possibility to find the friars who are ready to receive and hear
them. All the catholic
Christian sanctuaries are under his jurisdiction. He sees to it
that enough economical
support is given to fulfill this most important function at these
holy places.
Another mission which
the Custos undertakes when he takes office is to coordinate
the information about
the Holy Land and instill in the Christians of the world the "loving
care" for these sites:
archaeological excavations at the holy places, publication of
ancient pilgrimages and
above all the study of the bible through geography and history
of he same sites where
the events took place. For this reason the Custody has set up
the
SBF,
FAI,
and FPP etc.
All this activity depends mainly on the Custos who even
sponsors such
initiatives.
Another important task
the Custos undertakes is to care and sustain, in agreement
with the local church,
the Christian presence in the Holy Land by various initiatives,
amongst which we
can mention
schools and
parishes.
All these initiatives
clearly require not only the moral support of Christians throughout
the world but also an
economical one. It is for this reason that during the centuries
various "Commissariats
of the Holy Land" were set up throughout the world to foster
the awareness about the
friars living in the Holy Land and at the same time make
collections to
help sustain the work of the Custody. All these
Commissariats
(and they
are many) depend
directly from the Custos.
Given the important role
of the Custos he is not elected like all the other Ministers
Provincial of the Order.
He is directly nominated by the Holy See after a consultation
with the friars of the
Custody and the presentation made by the Order's governing
body.
In the Holy Land Custos
is considered as one of the main Christian religious
authorities. He,
together with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch and the Armenian Orthodox
Patriarch, is
responsible of the
Status Quo,
the code that regulates life at the Holy
Sepulchre and Bethlehem.
By right he forms part
of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (the
Bishops of the local
catholic church).
|
