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NAPLES AND CAMPANIA: H.R.H. THE DUKE OF CASTRO VISITED THE BASILICA OF SANTA CHIARA

25/05/2023

On Monday May 22nd, H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Head of the Royal House, went to the Basilica of Santa Chiara in order to pray on his ancestors’ graves, especially his parents’, buried together with the Kings of Naples and the Two Sicilies, in the Royal Chapel of the Bourbon Family.
King Francis II, for whom the process of beatification is underway, also rests in the Royal Chapel. He is now resting in Santa Chiara thanks to the generous commitment of H.R.H. Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon, Father of the current Duke of Castro, who proceeded to transfer the remains of the last King to the Royal Chapel.
On this occasion the Duke of Castro appointed Father Giuseppe Sorrentino, Provincial of Santa Chiara, Knight of the Order. The Prince was accompanied on the occasion by the Delegate Federica de Gregorio Cattaneo and the Knight Angelo Giovanni Marciano.

APPOINTMENT OF THE DELEGATE FOR THE U.N. – ECOSOC

25/05/2023

Rome, May 25th 2023 – H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, sincerely thanking the Marquis Don John Leopold Fiorilla di Santa Croce for the role he carried out since 2011, in leading the UN-ECOSOC Delegation, has decided to name Nob. Marc Noyer-Maingard, Knight of Justice, as the new UN-ECOSOC Delegate.

APPOINTMENT OF THE GRAND PRIOR AND THE GRAND PRIOR EMERITUS

22/05/2023

Rome – H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and Head of the Royal House, has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro as Grand Prior of the Order. His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, Protodeacon of the Holy Roman Church, appointed as Grand Prior Emeritus, has been succeeded by His Eminence Cardinal Semeraro.
H.R.H. the Duke of Castro expresses the most sincere devotion and gratitude also on behalf of the whole Order to His Eminence Cardinal Martino who, in the exercise of his duties as spiritual guide since 2010, has carried out his mission with dedication to safeguard and increase the life of faith of all the Knights and Dames of the Order.
The Grand Master also wishes to thank His Eminence Cardinal Semeraro for his willingness to assume the spiritual guidance of the Order, in the wake of the tradition traced by many Princes of the Holy Roman Church who have enriched with their pastoral commitment the heritage of faith the Knights and Dames of the Order must be living witnesses of.

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Albano, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was born in Monteroni di Lecce on 22 December 1947 and was ordained a priest on 8 September 1971.
He received his initial formation in the Pontifical Regional Seminary “Pius XI” of Apulia and subsequently completed his theological studies in the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he was awarded a licentiate and a doctorate in sacred theology. He then began his ministry teaching dogmatic theology in the Theological Institute of Apulia and ecclesiology in the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University.
He was appointed to the episcopal see of Oria on 25 July 1998. He was transferred to the suburbicarian Church of Albano on 1 October 2004. On 15 October 2020, he was appointed by Pope Francis as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He is currently also the Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the exarchial monastery of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata and Pontifical Delegate of the Basilian Order in Italy.
Over the years he has served as special secretary of the X General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on The Bishop, Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World. He participated as a Papal appointee in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and in the Contemporary World; in the XV General Assembly on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, and in the Special Assembly for the Pan-Amazon region in 2019.
He is President of the Regional Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Proclamation and Catechesis of the Episcopal Conference of Lazio; a member of the CEI Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Proclamation and Catechesis; and President of the Board of Directors of “Avvenire – Nuova Editrice SpA”. He is a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Dicastery for Communication and a consultor to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
On 13 April 2020 he was appointed secretary of the “Council of Cardinals” to aid the Holy Father in the governance of the Universal Church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution “Pastor Bonus” on the Roman Curia. He has published a number of books, articles and dictionary entries on the theme of ecclesiology.
On 15 October 2020 Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 28 November 2020, of the Deaconry of Santa Maria in Domnica.
Member of Dicasteries for the Oriental Churches; for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for Communication.

MESSAGE OF HIS EMINENCE THE GRAND PRIOR FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF SAINT GEORGE 2023

21/04/2023

Rome, April, 23rd 2023 – In the occasion of the Solemnity of Saint George, His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, Grand Prior, sent a message to all Knights and Dames of the Order.

Click HERE for the full message.

The Director of the Museum and Real Bosco of Capodimonte Sylvain Bellenger receives the prestigious award of “Constantinian Knight” Ceremony of delivery ‘motu proprio’ of Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies and Princess Beatrice of Bourbon Two Sicilies

14/04/2023

The Director of the Museum and Real Bosco of Capodimonte Sylvain Bellenger received the award of “Commander of Merit of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George” by the Grand Master’s motu proprio.

The honorary title was conferred last Friday, 7 April 2023, by H.R.H. Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro, Grand Master and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies, accompanied by H.R.H. Princess Beatrice of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Grand Prefect of the Constantinian Order, and the Order’s Delegate for Naples and Campania, Marquise Federica de Gregorio Cattaneo di Sant’Elia, who opened the doors of her historic home Ischitella Palace.

“The extraordinary commitment of Director Bellenger for the rebirth and promotion of the Bourbon jewel that is Capodimonte, keeper of the extraordinary Farnese collection” these are the basis of the motivation that led Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, motu proprio, award this prestigious honorary title. In the motivation, we can find in particular the care of the Real Bosco and the historical garden and international relations with major cultural institutions such as the Prado Museum with which the exhibition “The Spaniards in Naples. The Southern Renaissance” was organized and inaugurated last 13 March and the Louvre Museum, which will host the exhibition “The Louvre invites Capodimonte. Naples in Paris” from June 7th, a tribute not only to the great art gallery of Southern Italy that will bring together its masterpieces with those of the Parisian museum, but also a tribute to the city of Naples, its literature, its music and its cinema, thanks to a season full of events that will accompany the exhibition until January 2024.

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is one of the oldest and most prestigious dynastic orders of Europe, and the knighthood motu proprio is reserved only to important institutional offices, aristocrats of high rank, heads of state, crowned heads, ecclesiastical authorities. It takes on greater value when, as in this case, it is personally conferred by Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Grand Master. The Constantinian Order is recognized by the Italian Republic and the UN.

“This prestigious appointment of ‘Constantinian Knight’ is therefore closely linked to both the Bourbon dynasty and the Farnese dynasty, whose historical memory and whose immense artistic heritage the director Bellenger has helped to protect and enhance, with commitment and absolute dedication” declared the Royal House.

Among the many personalities who attended the award ceremony, guests of the hosts Leopoldo and Federica de Gregorio Cattaneo di Sant’Elia, Delegate for Naples and Campania of the Constantinian Order, in the historical apartment of Ischitella Palace we mention the General of Corps of Army Giuseppenicola Tota, Commander of the Southern Operational Forces Command, Director of the State Archives Candida Carrino, Lawyer Antonio de Notaristefani di Vastogirardi, President of the National Union of Civil Chambers, Lawyer Riccardo Imperiali di Francavilla, President for the Campania Region of the Italian Historical Houses Association, the Marquises Giuliano and Roberta Buccino Grimaldi, President of the Union Club of Naples, the Marquis Roberto and Allegra Mottola d’Amato, President of the italian Circle of the Oar and Sail, Countess M. Grazia Leonetti di Santojanni, Engineer Ciro Verdoliva, General Director of ASL Naples 1, Valter Luca de Bartolomeis, Head of the Institute Caselli-Real Fabbrica of Naples, based in the Real Bosco of Capodimonte, Mayor of Portici Enzo Cuomo, Mayor of Frosinone Riccardo Mastrangeli, Professor Stefano Greggi, Director of the Complex Structure of Gynecology Oncology at the National Institute of Tumors of Naples-Foundation G. Pascale and again Elena Aceto di Capriglia, Giovanni D’Antonio, Matteo Genova Bocchi Bianchi, Federico and Isabella Imbert and Dr. Gianfranco Wurzburger, Head of Ceremonial Office of the Archdiocese of Naples.

The Director Bellenger received telephone greetings from Professor Massimo Osanna, Director of the General Directorate of the Museums of the Ministry of Culture.