LATEST
(24 April 2017 - 5 April 2018)
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20 March 2019
What is the United Nations International Day of Happiness? It’s a day to be happy, of course! Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.
The United Nations invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business, organisation and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.
As Christians, we Knight Templars, are reminded of Jesus' famous 'Sermon of the Mount' which the Common English Version of the Holy Bible records His words in St Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 5 saying:
5 1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. 2 He taught them, saying:
3 “Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4 “Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
5 “Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
6 “Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
7 “Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
8 “Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
9 “Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
10 “Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11 “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12 Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.
These Words of our Saviour certainly encourage us to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Happiness and continue to be happy every day.
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8 March 2019
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
A few years ago the decision was made to alter a significant part of the Investiture Service for the admittance of Knights and Dames into this Grand Priory of Wales so that there was and is no difference in the ceremonial by any words, actions or intent between men and women. While we retain the appellations of 'Knight' and 'Dame' all ranks and posts in the Grand Priory of Wales are treated equally.
We commend the campaign and work of those involved in the promotion of International Women's Day, wishing them every success both today in the future.
[Note: International Women's Day's distinctive 'colours' are Green, Purple and White.]
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6 March 2019
LENT
Many Knights and Dames value an opportunity to spend some time taking something up rather than merely giving something up during Lent and so again some of us will try to follow a course of study. This year the theme is:
Dirgelwch Duw
Iesu ddaeth i wisgo'n cnawd:
Duw yn eiddo i ni gawn,
a Iesu i ni'n frawd.
Of our flesh and of our bone
Jesus is our brother now,
And God is all our own.
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1 March 2019
dydd gwyl dewi sant hapuS!
Happy St David's Day
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
9 February 2019
The venue for the AGM was at the Holiday Inn Express, Lakeside Drive, Duffryn, Newport, NP10 8BB
[Attendance was strictly by invitation only]
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DIWRNOD COFIO'R HOLOCOST
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
Dysgn gwersi o'r gorffennol er mwyn
cren dyfodol gwell a mwy diogel
Learning lessons from the past
to create a safer, better future
27 January 2019
2019 THEMA/THEME:
Gweledigaeth - Torn from home
The 2019 theme "Gweledigaeth" (Torn from home) encourages us to reflect on how the enforced loss of a safe place to call ‘home’ is part of the trauma faced by anyone experiencing persecution and genocide. ‘Home’ usually means a place of safety, comfort and security. On Holocaust Memorial Day we should reflect on what happens when individuals, families and communities are driven out of, or wrenched from their homes, because of persecution or the threat of genocide, alongside the continuing difficulties survivors face as they try to find and build new homes when the genocide is over:
Kindertransport - bringing children from Nazi Germany to Great Britain
Ar Ddiwrnod Cofio'r Holocost (HMD) - 27 Ionawr - fe gofiwn am y miliynau o bobl a laddwyd yn yr Holocost o dan Erledigaeth Natsiaidd, ac achosion ers hynny o hil-laddiad yn Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia a Darfur a hyd heddiw, heriwn gasineb ac erledigaeth.
On Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) - 27 January - we remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur and challenge hatred and persecution today.
This year Holocaust Memorial Day also includes marking the 25th anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda, which began in April 1994 and the 40th anniversary of the end of the Genocide in Cambodia, which ended in 1979.
HMD marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp:
In the UK, thousands of local events and activities take place every year – each one an opportunity for people to reflect on those whose lives were changed beyond recognition, and to challenge prejudice, discrimination, and hatred in our own society today.
Knights Templar have reason to remember that in the 14th century knights across Europe were rounded up and many killed or died in prison, all as a result of the trumped up charges of heresy and the like brought against the Order by King Philip of France. Eventually the Pope absolved the Order and its knights from the accusations but unfortunately this was not until after the Order had been disbanded. However many knights escaped the persecution, either having fled abroad or they were based in countries like Scotland, Switzerland or Portugal where they regrouped and survived. The Order eventually emerged again and today thrives and is growing acoss the world - including one of the most recent Grand Priories to have been established - in Wales!
A prayer:
Heavenly
Father,
whose
many gifts include memory and empathy:
we
hold in remembrance before you those many of the Jewish people
who
were murdered, harmed, or displaced in the horror of Nazi persecution,
and
whose communities were destroyed.
In
your mercy, help us to learn to accept our differences without fear
and
cleanse our hearts of all hatred.
So
may every human community flourish and every home be secure,
to
the advancement of your loving purposes
and
the glory of your name.
Amen.
Ymddiriedolaeth Diwrnod Cofio'r Holocost yw'r elusen
sy'n hyrwyddo a chefnogi Diwrnod Cofio'r Holocost yn y DU
More information can be found about Holocaust Memorial Day
on the website of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING Jn : FEDERAL HOLIDAY (USA)
21 January 2019
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a federal holiday in the United States of America and is held on the third Monday in January. It celebrates the life and achievements of the hugely influential American civil rights leader, The Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
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a new year message from the Grand CHaplain-general
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FEAST DAY OF SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
27 December 2018
Article 03 of our Statutes establishes that the Order celebrates (a 'feast' day) three particular saints - St John the Baptist (24 June); St Bernard, the Abbot of Clairvaux (20 August); and St John, Apostle and Evangelist (today, 27 December).
St John is probably best know as the author of the Holy Gospel in his own name.
The opening words of the Gospel are the classical explanation of who Jesus was and is - St John refers to Jesus as "the Word" (in Greek - the 'logos'). The first 14 verses are:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth._____________________________________________________________________________________________________
cHRISTMAS GrEETINGS
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year
The Holy Bible's account of Jesus:
John 1 : King James Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
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REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY : 11 NOVEMBER 2018
100th Anniversary of the World War I Armistice
100th Anniversary of the World War I Armistice
11.11.11 - 11.11.18
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9 OCTOBER 2018
LONDON VISIT
Our first venue was the Church of All Hallows-by-the-Tower :
The Resurrection Brass - alongside the main altar
Crypt view Knights Templar altar
Knights Templar Cross on the altar front
Secondly to Westminster Abbey where we attended Choral Evensong
Thirdly ....
At the kind invitation of Archbishop Anba Angaelos OBE a small group of us attended the Coptic Orthodox Church of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland's
Annual London Diocese Celebration of the Coptic New Year (Nayrouz)
at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey.
The church was full to its capacity with a mixed congregation from many different Christian traditions. We heard messages from:
Her Majesty the Queen
The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Right Honorable Theresa May, Prime Minister
His Royal Highness, Charles, Prince of Wales.
Addresses were given by:
The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Nicholas Henry Bourne)
[Minister for Faith and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales]
The Lord Alton of Liverpool (David Patrick Paul Alton).
The Sermon was given by:
His Eminence, Archbishop Anba Angaelos OBE
The Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London
St Margaret's Westminster
Chevalier Ian, Chevalier Ormond and Grand Chaplain-General Graham
Chevalier Ormond, Chevalier Ian, Archbishop Angaelos and Grand Chaplain-General Graham
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16 AUGUST and 12 SEPTEMBER 2018
It was with great sadness and sincere regret that we had to report the death
on 16 August 2018 of our much loved and hugely respected Grand Prior of Wales.
The funeral took place on 12 September 2018
at the Church of St Michael & All Angels, Llantarnam
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has called Brian home to glory.
May he rest in peace and at the Last Day rise victorious.
The late Grand Prior of Wales & Master of the Knights Templar in Wales,
His Excellency, The Chevalier Brian Ansen KGCOTJ
A Knight Grand Cross of the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani
[OSMTH - The Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (The Knights Templar)]
Non nobis Domine non nobis sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam
Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to your Name give glory
[Psalm 115: verse1]
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18 May 2018
THE LATE Grand Master
1960 - 2018
Fernando Pinto Campello Pereira de Sousa Fontes
19 February 1929 - 18 May 2018
It is with great regret and sadness that we mourn the passing of our Grand MasterOur Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has called him home to glory.
May he rest in peace.
Royal Birth
We, the Knights Templar of Wales send our Very Best Wishes and Loyal Greetings to
Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,
on the birth (23 April 2018) of their new baby boy.
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HOLY WeEK 2018
To enable the events surrounding the first Easter to be read more easily our normal website date order has been reversed - starting with the first Good Friday, through Holy Saturday and then the first Easter Sunday.
† ‡ †
GOOD FRIDAY 30 MARCH 2018
The events of the first Good Friday
During the night Jesus’ guards insulted and tormented him. They blindfolded and beat him, saying mockingly: ‘If you are a prophet, tell us who hit you’. When morning came Jesus was brought before the Jewish Governing Council, which consisted of the chief priests, elders and teachers of the Law. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ His reply, ‘It is you who say that I am’, was regarded as sufficient evidence for his condemnation for blasphemy. He was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and accused of claiming to be King of the Jews and thus of subverting Roman rule. After interrogating him Pilate concluded he had done nothing wrong, and was inclined to release him. When however he discovered that Jesus came from Galilee, he sent him to be judged by the ruler of that province, Herod son of Herod the Great, who happened to be in Jerusalem.
Herod had heard a great deal about Jesus and had long wanted to meet him. He questioned him at length, but Jesus refused to reply. Eventually Herod sent him back to Pilate arrayed in a gorgeous robe, thereby making up a quarrel between them.
Pilate still believed that Jesus was being falsely accused, and his wife sent him a message to the same effect. So he decided to take advantage of a custom by which a prisoner chosen by the people was released at Passover-tide. He was holding another well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas, and he asked the crowd which had gathered: ‘Which one would you like me to release - Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ The chief priests and elders had worked on the crowd, so they responded ‘Barabbas’. ‘What then am I to do with Jesus called Messiah?’ asked Pilate. The reply came repeatedly and with increasing emphasis: ‘Crucify him!’
When Pilate saw that his efforts to save Jesus were fruitless, and that there was a danger of a riot breaking out, he took water and washed his hands, saying; ‘My hands are clean of this man’s blood.’ He released Barabbas and had Jesus flogged; then he handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers made sport of him, stripping him, dressing him in a scarlet cloak, and putting a reed in his hand and a crown of thorns on his head. They paid him mock homage, spat upon him, and beat him. Then they put on his clothes again, and led him away.
(see: Luke 22.63 - 23.12; Matthew 27.15 - 31)
The Crucifixion
By then Jesus was too weak to carry his cross to the place of execution, so the soldiers compelled a man named Simon from Cyrene in North Africa to carry it for him. Among the great crowd which followed him were many women, who wept for him. Jesus told them to weep for themselves and for their children because dreadful times were coming.
When they reached the place called ‘The Skull’ the soldiers crucified him and two criminals, one of them on his right and one on his left.
From midday darkness fell until three o’clock in the afternoon. Then Jesus shouted: ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ Some of the bystanders thought he was calling upon Elijah; one of them offered him wine in a sponge held on the end of a stick, and said: ‘Let’s see if Elijah will come and help him’. Jesus then gave another loud cry and died; and at that very moment the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple building was torn in two. When the Roman officer who had supervised the execution saw how Jesus had died he said: ‘This man was really God’s Son.'
The day was a Friday, the eve of the Sabbath, and the Jews were anxious that the bodies should not remain on the crosses once the Sabbath had begun. Pilate therefore agreed that the legs of the condemned men should be broken, to hasten their deaths. This was done in the cases of the two criminals but when the soldiers came to Jesus they found he was already dead. They did not break his legs, but one of them thrust a spear into his side, causing a flow of blood and water.
(see: Luke 23.26 - 43; Mark 15.33 - 39; John 19.31 - 37)
† ‡ †
HOLY SATURDAY 31 MARCH 2018
The first Good Friday evening and Holy Saturday
That Friday evening Joseph of Arimathaea, a member of the Jewish Governing Council but also a follower of Jesus, asked Pilate if he might have Jesus’ body. Once Pilate had given permission, the body was taken down from the cross and wrapped in a linen sheet. Then it was laid in a tomb cut out of the rock, which Joseph had prepared for himself, and a large stone was rolled in front of it. Some of the women who had witnessed the crucifixion watched over the grave.
The next day the Jewish leaders asked Pilate if they could protect the tomb with a guard, lest the disciples should come, steal the body and then falsely claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. Pilate agreed to their request, and the tomb was sealed and guarded.
EASTER DAY 1 APRIL 2018
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!
Χριστός ἀνέστη!
Khristós Anésti!
HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!!
Ἀληθῶς ανέστη!
Alithós Anésti!
The events on the first Easter Day
At daybreak on the first Easter Day, Mary Magdalene and another Mary, two of the women who had watched over the tomb, visited it again. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake and an angel, descending from heaven, rolled away the stone in front of the tomb, and sat upon it. He said to the women: ‘Do not be afraid. Jesus has been raised and is going before you to Galilee. Go quickly, and tell his disciples.’
As the women hurried away in awe and joy they were met by Jesus himself. They knelt before him; he told them to continue with their errand and to deliver the message the angel had given them. Meanwhile the guards at the tomb, who had been overcome with fear when the angel appeared, returned to the Jewish leaders and told them what had happened. The leaders bribed them to say that the disciples had come by night and stolen the body; and this story was circulated widely.
Later that day two downcast followers of Jesus were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. Jesus joined them on the road, but they did not recognise him. He asked the reason for their sadness, and they told him of all that had recently occurred in Jerusalem. In response he used the Scriptures to explain that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer before being glorified. When the travellers reached their home they invited him in; and, as he blessed and broke bread, they realised who he was. Then he disappeared, and they immediately set off back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what they had seen and heard.
(see: Matthew 27.37 - 28.15; Luke 24.13 - 33)
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!
HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!!
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him,
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
[John 3: 16]
For the full account in the Holy Bible of the resurrection of Jesus
read the Gospel according to St John, Chapter 20.
Non Nobis, Domine, Non Nobis,
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
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1 March 2018
dydd gwyl dewi sant hapus!
Happy St David's Day
Dewi Sant
Dyuw ein Tad
Rydych yn enw dy was Dafydd
i gynnal y ffydd Gristnogol ymhlith pobl Cymru,
i'w hannog gan ei gadw at ymprydio ac ufudd-dod,
ac i ddangos tosturi iddynt trwy weithredoedd bach o gariad mawr.
Gan fod golau yn cael ei dywallt ar y bennau'r mynyddoedd
ac fel glaw ffres yn cael ei ysgeintio ar y bryniau,
yn ein helpu i fod yn ofalwyr da o un arall
ac o Eich Creation mawr a gogoneddus.
Amen.
† ‡ †
God our Father,
You called your servant David
to uphold the Christian faith amongst the people of Wales,
to encourage them by his observance of fasting and obedience,
and to show them compassion through small acts of great love.
As light is poured onto the mountain-tops
and as fresh rain is sprinkled on the hills,
help us to be good carers of one another
and of Your great and glorious Creation.
Amen.
(This prayer was written by the former Anglican Archbishop of Wales, The Most Reverend Dr Barry Morgan)
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NEW YEAR 2018
A Christmas Message from Archbishop John Davies of the Anglican Church in Wales.
Neges Nadolig gan yr Archesgob John Davies o’r Eglwys yng Nghymru.
P’un ai ydynt yn ffaith hanesyddol neu’n ddim ond straeon a ysgrifennwyd yn ofalus - ac rwy’n cyfaddef fod yn well gennyf yr ail opsiwn – mae gan yr adroddiadau Beiblaidd o fugeiliaid a brenhinoedd yn cael eu denu at y baban Iesu rywbeth pwysig i ddweud wrth ein cymdeithas am arwyddocad tymor y Nadolig a dechrau’r Flwyddyn Newydd.
Yn Efengyl Sant Luc y cawn stori'r bugeiliaid. Nid oedd y rhain yn unigolion dylanwadol na grymus. I’r gwrthwyneb yn wir: allan yna yn y bryniau, yn cael eu talu (ond nid rhyw lawer mae'n debyg) i ofalu am ddefaid rhywun arall. Ond i’r bobl ymddangosiadol ddibwys hyn y daw’r neges gyntaf am eni Iesu. Ystyr hyn? Yn syml, fod gan Iesu rywbeth pwysig i’w ddweud wrth y bobl gyffredin fel chi a fi. Yna trown at fersiwn Mathew o’r Efengyl lle cawn y stori am y brenhinoedd neu, os yw'n well gennych, y Doethion. Oherwydd yr anrhegion drud a symbolaidd a ddaethant, rydym i fod i ddeall fod y rhain yn bobl sylweddol; dylanwadol ac, efallai, hyd yn oed yn rymus. Deuant a chyflwyno eu hanrhegion; ond cyn gwneud hynny, dywedir wrthym iddynt “syrthio i lawr ac addoli” Iesu. Ystyr hyn? Eto, yn syml, mae gan Iesu rywbeth pwysig i’w ddweud wrth bobl o ddylanwad.
P’un ai’n fugeiliaid Luc neu frenhinoedd Matthew, mae’r straeon hyfryd hyn yn cynnwys negeseuon o wirionedd, sef fod dysgeidiaeth Iesu o Nasareth, y dyn y byddai’r plentyn o Fethlehem yn tyfu i fod, yn batrwm ar gyfer pobl gyffredin ac yn batrwm ar gyfer pobl rymus. Pwy bynnag ydym, mae ganddo rywbeth i’w ddweud am y ffordd yr ydym yn byw ein bywydau a sut y gelwir arnom i ddangos consyrn cariadus, nid yn unig atom ein hunain ond at y miliynau o bobl anghenus, pobl adref a thramor, pobl yn ein cymunedau ein hunain a chymunedau pell i ffwrdd yng ngwledydd eraill y byd; pobl y mae eu straeon bywyd o angen ac anobaith yn ymddangos yn ein newyddion bob dydd: yn eu plith mae pobl ddigartref, ffoaduriaid, dioddefwyr rhyfeloedd a thlodi, erledigaeth a rhagfarn, newyn a diffyg cyfleoedd – mae’r rhestr yn ymddangos yn ddiddiwedd!
Cariad – cariad real, gwaetgoch – yw’r arf mwyaf grymus sydd gan y byd ac mae Iesu’n dangos sut y dylid ei ddefnyddio a rhaid ei ddefnyddio er lles y byd y cafodd ei eni i’w adnewyddu.
Ein neges i ni yw fod yn rhaid i ni geisio byw ein bywydau yn dangos consyrn diffuant, croesawus a chariadus at y rhai o’n hamgylch. Ei neges glir iawn i’r rhai sy’n gyfrifol am arwain a llywodraethu cymdeithasau’r byd yw y dylid gweithredu grym o fewn fframwaith y consyrn hwnnw gan yr ymddengys fod y rhaniadau rhwng y goludog a’r tlawd, hyd yn oed yn ein cymdeithas ein hun, yn cynyddu’n barhaus, ac wrth i’r lleisiau sy’n awgrymu mai dim ond at ein hunain y dylem fod â chonsyrn yn ymddangos yn fwy a mwy croch.
Dymunaf i chi’r gwir a bendith Iesu ar gyfer Tymor y Nadolig, ar gyfer y Flwyddyn Newydd a thu hwnt.
Archesgob Cymru, John Davies
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The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Ecumenical Christmas Letter to churches around the world.
Earlier this year I made a very moving visit to the Holy Land. Amid a busy schedule of meetings and visits there were some moments of stillness and prayerful encounter with the living God. At the traditional sites associated with Our Lord’s life, ministry, death and resurrection we were able to stop and to pray:
In Nazareth we prayed with Mary, the Mother of God, at the site of the annunciation;
In Bethlehem, amidst the activity of restoration works in the Church of the Nativity, we found that place of quiet where Christians come to venerate Jesus’ birth;
In Jerusalem, in the restored aedicule within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre we rejoiced in the resurrection of our crucified Lord.
The gospel story, the saving story of Jesus Christ is good news indeed. The Gospel according to St Luke tells us the story of the good news announced to the Shepherds. On the hillsides above Bethlehem the Angel of the Lord appeared and brought good news. The good news was none other than the birth in Bethlehem of a Saviour, the Christ, the Lord.
This year we have learned a new phrase in various parts of the world. This phrase is ‘fake news’. Fake news is dishonest; it is deliberate misinformation published in order to deceive, to confuse and disrupt. Fake news is used as a weapon to achieve dishonest advantage and to subvert honest debate and discussion. It is the antithesis of the good news. Fake news is but lying and does not come from God.
But we like the Angels proclaim good news and, like the Shepherds, we receive good news. The good news is good news for all people, whatever their situation in life. It is good news for politicians and leaders but is also good news for the refugees and displaced persons who continue to flee from danger and seek safety and sanctuary.
As St Gregory Nazianzen writes:
He who gives riches becomes poor, for he assumes the poverty of my flesh, that I may assume the richness of his Godhead. He that is full empties himself, for he empties himself of his glory for a short while, that I may have a share in his fullness. (Oration 38. 13)
This is truth and this is good news. As receivers of the good news we are called to pass on the good news and to make real the promise of that good news to those in need. In a poem reflecting on the evangelist St Luke, the poet and priest Malcolm Guite wrote:
“He breathes good news to all who bear a burden
Good news to all who turn and try again,
The meek rejoice and prodigals find pardon,
A lost thief reaches paradise through pain,
The voiceless find their voice in every word
And, with Our Lady, magnify Our Lord.”
(from “St Luke”, in Sounding the Seasons, (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2012))
This Christmas I pray that we might, as Christians with one voice, proclaim again the good news that is our salvation in Jesus Christ.
In His Peace
+Justin Cantuar
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury
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A New Year Message from the Knights Templar Grand Chaplain-General of Wales
In this New Year of 2018 and next, the
Supreme Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTH) - we the
Knights Templar - will be celebrating the 900th Anniversary of the
original foundation of our Order in 1218/19 in Jerusalem. Although there
were attempts to utterly destroy the Order in the 14th Century, for
example, the execution of the last medieval Grand Master (Jacques de
Molay) in Paris, the Order survived and in more recent years has fully
recovered and continues to grow and develop to serve the Lord Jesus
Christ and the world in the 21st Century.
We have thousands of Knights and Dames
and other friends in every Continent. Our Statutes, issued by our
present Grand Master (Dom Fernando Pinto Pereira de Sousa Fontes) in
1990, lay down in Article 1 that the Order is: “traditionally Christian,
chivalrous, cosmopolitan, independent and non-political”
In further emphasising the Christian ethos of the Order, Article 2 states that it is:
“Firmly rooted in the religious and military spirit of its origins, (and) has as its contemporary vocation:
— The extension of the Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ in society by the fulfilment of Gospel precepts and the performance of works of justice and mercy.
—
The
defence of the Faith, of the Holy Church and of Christian Civilisation.
—
Maintaining
a presence and a Christian influence in the Holy Land.
—
The
service of the disinherited, the poor and the
sick.
—
The
spiritual edification of its members.”
It is my sincere hope and prayer that as each one of us puts into practice these noble aims God will continue to bless us and send others to join us.
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CHRISTMAS
2017
Illuminated Letter A - Venturino Mercati (c. 1450-1500)
At this most Holy and Joyful Christmas time we sent our very Best Wishes and Blessings to Knights and Dames of the Supreme Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem throughout the world and to the hundreds of others who visit these pages on a daily basis.
May God (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - Ever and Only One) bless, preserve and keep you safe in His Love and Care today and in the New Year ahead.
In the Holy Bible, St John tells us who the Babe at Bethlehem is - none other than Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, the Creator and Lord of All .....
John 1: 1 ─ 14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
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14 DECEMBER 2017 - In St Paul's Cathedral in London today a Memorial Service was held for the people who lost their lives on 14 June 2017 in the Grenfell Tower disaster:
The Service was attended by survivors, families and friends of those who died as well as local and national community leaders including members of the Royal Family:
The Bishop of Kensington, the Right Reverend Graham Tomlin, said he
hoped the Service would reassure those present that they were not
forgotten by the nation, and that it would signify the start of a
change for the good in community relationships.
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20 NOVEMBER 2017 - 70th Anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip's marriage.
We are delighted to send our loyal and most affectionate Greetings to Her Majesty and Prince Philip on the occasion of their 70th Wedding Anniversary. We pray that God will continue to richly bless and keep them.
God Save the Queen
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11 & 12 NOVEMBER
2017 - ARMISTICE DAY & REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
REMEMBRANCE
A hymn for Remembrance Sunday
Words – Charles Henrywood
May be sung to the music – Finlandia by Jean Sibelius
Grant peace, O Lord, across our strife-torn world,
Where war divides and greed and dogma drive.
Help us to learn the lessons from the past,
That all are human and all pay the price.
All life is dear and should be treated so;
Joined, not divided, is the way to go.
Protect, dear Lord, all who, on our behalf,
Now take the steps that place them in harm's way.
May they find courage for each task they face
By knowing they are in our thoughts always.
Then, duty done and missions at an end,
Return them safe to family and friends.
Grant rest, O Lord, to those no longer with us;
Who died protecting us and this their land.
Bring healing, Lord, to those who, through their service,
Bear conflict’s scars on body or in mind.
With those who mourn support and comfort share.
Give strength to those who for hurt loved-ones care.
And some there be who no memorial have;
Who perished are as though they’d never been.
For our tomorrows their today they gave,
And simply asked that in our hearts they'd live.
We heed their call and pledge ourselves again,
At dusk and dawn - we will remember them!
Voice:
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
ALL SAY
We will remember them
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30 OCTOBER 2017 - There is an excellent article in today's London Evening Standard about Christian Unity and the Reformation but which also stresses the personal friendship between the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols:
Justin Welby writes:
You might have heard the story about the German friar who nailed 95 provocative statements to a church door a long time ago, triggering something we now call the Reformation.
If you’re looking for a modern interpretation, 500 years ago next Tuesday (tomorrow), Martin Luther posted a particularly incendiary series of tweets. He wanted to provoke debate about corruption in the Roman Catholic Church. He certainly achieved that.
Sadly, Luther couldn’t take advantage of Twitter — and it’s generally accepted that he didn’t actually hammer his arguments to a church door. Instead he used the then cutting-edge technology of printing. But the impact was no less dramatic. What Luther wrote went around Europe incredibly quickly; it was the viral content of its day.
Within two decades Europe was split between Protestants and Catholics in a process called the Reformation. The conflict that generated (which began in England in the early 1530s) continued for hundreds of years. The first century or so was especially bloody and violent.
That is why I wanted to share the story of two Cardinal Archbishops (the most senior members of the Roman Catholic Church) — one a predecessor, the other a friend. On this anniversary they show how much there is to mourn but also how much to celebrate.
The first is Cardinal Pole, who was Archbishop of Canterbury in the mid- 16th century. In 1556 he planted a fig tree in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, where archbishops have lived for 800 years. Rumour has it that he planted it to celebrate trying his predecessor for heresy, and then having him burnt at the stake. The tree is still there today.
Fast-forward five centuries and you come to another Cardinal Archbishop — the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Recently I was at a service with him in the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral. It was a communion service, one of the most solemn services in the Christian Church globally. Because of the events of the Reformation and the history since, it remains impossible for Anglicans and Roman Catholics to receive communion together.
At that solemn moment in the service I lined up at the front with everyone else. But because I could not put my hands out for the bread and wine, I knelt down to be prayed for by Cardinal Nichols. He took my hand and lifted me to my feet. Both of us had tears in our eyes. We are the closest of friends, and being reminded of the divisions in the global Church pains us both very deeply.
But even if you have never had anything to do with the Christian faith, those statements from Luther that started to go viral in 1517 have shaped your life — from the books you read, to the job you do, to the political system you take part in.
We have plenty to be grateful for — particularly the way that the Reformation developed our language and communication technologies. The Reformation also paved the way for how faith is now conventionally a personal choice, rather than something imposed by our society. We may take that for granted today but it’s a trend whose roots are found in the tumultuous events of 500 years ago.
It opened the way to the development of much stronger ideas of the nation state — especially the different kingdoms and principalities of what is now known as the United Kingdom, and eventually the development of British identity.
The arts, sciences and literature flourished, thanks to the Bible becoming available in each person’s language, rather than only in Latin. People began to own books, starting with bibles and prayer books.
Economically, there were creative and innovative developments — especially in finance and banking. It became acceptable to charge interest on loans, which led to the sort of economic development that had not been possible before. If you’re reading this on your way home from the City or Canary Wharf, your work is partly down to that German friar.
But as the story of the two cardinals shows, there was also much to mourn, and much for which to be sorry. Entirely against the teaching of Jesus Christ, Christians learnt to hate and kill each other, even more than they had done in the past. They sought to impose faith through force when it should be a personal choice (although the Reformation eventually led to a breakdown in that coercion, it took a long time to do so).
At the heart of the Reformation was something Luther had seen as he read the Bible. He saw that God offers forgiveness of sins, and the promise of heaven, not because we do good works but because we trust in God. There’s an old hymn that says: “Nothing in my hand I bring,/Simply to your cross I cling.”
That was Luther’s immense discovery: the grace and love of God for human beings in all their failings and faults.
Tragically, those failings and faults showed themselves in the working out of the Reformation. In this year of its 500th anniversary, as my friendship with Cardinal Nichols shows, we have learned once again to love one another — and to seek to bless and love the world in which we live.
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SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER 2017
THE GRAND PRIORY OF WALES
hosted an
INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER
and held a
CELEBRATORY SERVICE
including a Vigil and Investiture
at
YR EGLWYS GADEIRIOL GWYNLLYW SANT
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH of SAINT WOOLOS
Yn Eglwys yng Nghymru
in the
CITY OF NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES
The Grand Prior and Master of the Knights Templar in Wales
Knight Grand Cross of the Supreme Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem
assisted by
and
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
17 OCTOBER 2017 - At the personal invitation of His Grace Bishop Anba Angaelos OBE, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, the Grand Chaplain-General of Wales will take part in the Procession at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey for the Service Commemorating the Coptic Feast of Nayrouz, commencing at 7.00pm.
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13 OCTOBER 2017
His Grace Bishop Anba Angaelos OBE, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, sent us the following statement regarding the appalling murder of a Coptic priest in Cairo, yesterday:
12 October 2017
Another day in Egypt with another Coptic Christian murdered; this time a priest from Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, who was in Cairo collecting humanitarian aid for those most needy in his parish. Fr Samaan was paying a pastoral visit to a family in Cairo and returned to the church where he was earlier to collect his mobile phone. On the way, he was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant who chased him, stabbed him repeatedly, and then brutally killed him.
This incident makes us once again ask so many questions. Why should a priest not be able to walk safely down a street, especially a suburban street in Cairo? Why should he be chased by a man brandishing a deadly weapon and have no one run to his aid; in actual fact, everyone was running away. Why, when he lay drenched in his own blood did the ambulance service not arrive for over an hour, and then not treat him? Why, when the police finally arrived, and he lay dead, was a crime scene not secured and forensic evidence not collected to enable a robust and serious investigation? Why is his assailant immediately deemed mentally incapable without professional diagnosis, and why, if he is incapable, and a known violent criminal, is he left in the community with weapons within his reach?
After the initial shock and the immense sadness, today is a day that brings anger and I am not apologetic for that anger. I would be just as angry if this was any other person being dealt with in this way, in any other part of Egypt or indeed any other part of the world. Yet he is a Christian, a Coptic Christian, and a Coptic priest, which makes it all the more close and all the more painful.
Just this week I have been with a Coptic delegation from Cairo seeking grants to serve not only the Coptic community but the wider Egyptian community. Grants that would cover health, education and poverty eradication. Where was this wider Egyptian community however when Father Samaan ran terrified through a street being chased by a violent criminal, and where was it when he lay dying and alone? Where was it when the assailant attacked him repeatedly, and where will it be while his family and congregation grieve the loss of their father, husband, brother, pastor and friend? These are questions that need to be addressed at every level of Egyptian community and leadership.
Crime cannot be totally eradicated, but at least it needs to be properly investigated, prosecuted, and shown to be a violation against the whole state and not just its immediate victim.
The immense pain of this incident and all that have preceded it, including: child kidnapping, forced conversion, individual targeting, bus attacks and church bombings against the Coptic Orthodox community in Egypt, leads us to hold more strongly onto the words of our Lord God in Exodus 3:7: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry…for I know their sorrows.” Coptic Christians who have endured injustice, persecution, and loss of life for centuries without retaliation, repeatedly forgiving unconditionally, deserve to live with respect and dignity in their indigenous homeland.
While recognising that anger may often open a path to hatred or resentment, there are times at which it is a natural expression of a human emotion, and reaction to a sense of deep injustice. I am sure that I am not alone in my anger, but that it is shared by every law-abiding person of any belief and indeed of none, who has witnessed this vicious and inhumane attack. In the midst of this anger and this sadness however I continue to pray. I pray repose for Father Samaan, I pray for his family, I pray for his community. I pray for the wider Egyptian Christian community that feels more and more vulnerable and targeted daily against a backdrop of negligence and injustice. I pray for the wider Egyptian society, that becomes more and more discredited and compromised as these incidents continue to happen.
This anger is not void of forgiveness, but cries out for accountability and justice.
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2 OCTOBER 2017 - MEMBERSHIP & INVESTITURE SERVICE INVITATION.
Anyone interested in joining the growing membership of The Grand Priory of Wales is cordially invited to approach us via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu alongside.
Our next Investiture will be held at Newport Cathedral on Saturday 21 October 2017.
All of our Investiture and Church Services are public events, so anyone is welcome to attend. Therefore if you wanted to make an informal enquiry just come along on 21 October and make yourself known to us - there is no oblgation to join.
Any uniformed organisation (adults or young people) wishing to attend this event will be most welcome but we must have advanced notification via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Any church or chapel interested in hosting one of our future events should get in touch, via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Further details of the next Investiture are as follows .....
THE GRAND PRIORY OF WALES
will be holding an
INVESTITURE SERVICE
at the CATHEDRAL CHURCH of SAINT WOOLOS
in the
CITY OF NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES
in the presence of
The Presiding Officer will be
The Grand Prior of Wales
T
The Investiture Service will commence at 15.30. Would members of the public please be seated by 15.15 at the latest. The Service will be mainly conducted in English; hymns will be sung together in both Welsh and English, the Blessing will be in both languages.
Knights and Dames will receive individual instructions depending upon their role but in any case all should be at the church by 15.00 at the absolute latest.
Invitations to the evening's Celebratory Dinner have been sent out and replies should be made directly to the Grand Secretary.
Anyone seeking further information should contact us via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
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31 AUGUST 2017 - The 20th Anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales:
The Grand Chaplain-General placed a floral tribute, including the scented plant Rosemary ("for Remembrance") on the gate of Princess Diana's ancestral home - Althorp House in Northamptonshire:
Althorp House
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VERY RECENTLY - Their Excellencies The Grand Prior of France and The Grand Prior of Wales met in Porto, Portugal with His Excellency, The Grand Master:
Left to Right - Their Excellencies:
Brian Ansen (Grand Prior of Wales), Dom Fernando de Sousa Fontes (The Grand Master), Gérard Willery (Grand Prior of France)
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
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AUGUST 2017 - Annual Pilgrimages.
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24 JULY 2017 - MEMBERSHIP INVITATION.
Anyone interested in joining the growing membership of The Grand Priory of Wales is cordially invited to approach us via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu alongside.
Our next Investiture will be held at Newport Cathedral on Saturday 21 October 2017 so there is still sufficient time to apply for membership of the Order and, if approved by the Grand Master, be invested on that occasion.
Meanwhile all of our Investiture and Church Services are public events, so anyone is welcome to attend. Therefore if you wanted to make an informal enquiry just come along on 21 October and make yourself known to us - there is no oblgation to join.
Any uniformed organisation (adults or young people) wishing to attend this event will be most welcome but we must have advanced notification via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Any church or chapel interested in hosting one of our future events should get in touch, via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Further details of the next Investiture are as follows .....
THE GRAND PRIORY OF WALES
will be holding an
INVESTITURE SERVICE
at the CATHEDRAL CHURCH of SAINT WOOLOS
in the
CITY OF NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES
Anyone is welcome to attend
The Presiding Officer will be
The Grand Prior of Wales
T
The Investiture Service will commence at 16.00. Would members of the public please be seated by 15.50 at the latest. The Service will be mainly conducted in English; hymns will be sung together in both Welsh and English, the Blessing will be in both languages.
Knights and Dames will receive individual instructions depending upon their role but in any case all should be at the church before 15.30 at the absolute latest.
Invitations to the evening's Celebratory Dinner being held in the City of Newport will be sent out in due course and replies should be made directly to the Grand Secretary.
Anyone seeking further information in advance should contact us via the 'Contact Us' page on the menu opposite.
Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam
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SATURDAY 24 JUNE 2017 - ARMED FORCES DAY
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
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WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE 2017 - London Tower Block Fire.
Our hearts and sincere prayers go out to all those affected in any way by the dreadful tower block fire in west London today. The tragic loss of life and many injuries are so awful that words fail us. May God Bless all those who are bringing support and help to this community.
SUNDAY 11 JUNE 2017 - TRINITY SUNDAY. This important Christian festival day is best summed up in the words of the great hymn: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty":
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
The writer of this hymn, Reginald Heber (1783-1826), was born into a wealthy, educated family. He was a bright youth, translating a Latin classic into English verse by the time he was seven and entering Oxford University at 17. He won two awards for his poetry during his time there. After graduation he became rector of his father's church in the village of Hodnet near Shrewsbury in the west of England where he remained for 16 years. He was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823 and worked tirelessly for three years until the weather and travel took its toll on his health and he died of a stroke. Most of his 57 hymns, which include "Holy, Holy, Holy," are still in use today.
The usual tune, NICAEA, is named after the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), convened in the town of Nicaea in Bithynia, at which church leaders formulated a consensus of belief and practice amongst Christians concerning the doctrine of the Trinity in order to oppose the heresies of Arius. The result was the well-known Nicene Creed, a document passed down through the ages as one of the pillars of church doctrine. The primary function of this creed was to establish a firm belief in the Trinity, countering the heresy of Arius, who believed that Jesus was not fully divine and was neither the Creator of all things, nor “being of one substance with the Father …”, as the creed puts it so neatly.
New Knights and Dames, seeking to be admitted to the Grand Priory of Wales, recite the Nicene Creed before kneeling to receive the accolade on behalf of the Grand Master.
It was this creed that inspired Reginald Heber to write this great hymn of praise to the Triune God, with the intent that the hymn be sung before or after the creed was recited in church services, and especially on Trinity Sunday – eight weeks after Easter.
The tune for this hymn is one of the finest tunes composed by John Bacchus Dykes () and is also entitled NICAEA in recognition of Heber's text. The words evoke a sense of awe at the majesty of God and call on all of creation - humans, saints and angels and all living things - to praise the non-divisibilty unity of God, three-in-one and one-in-three.
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SATURDAY 10 JUNE 2017 - Today is the 96th Birthday of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. We are pleased to express and send our Very Best Wishes to His Royal Highness and pray that his exemplary service for Her Majesty The Queen, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth will long continue to inspire and encourage us. God Save the Queen.
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SATURDAY 3 JUNE 2017: LONDON .....
See the page entitled: Terrorist Attacks in Manchester & London 2017
TUESDAY 23 MAY 2017: MANCHESTER .....
See the page entitled: Terrorist Attacks in Manchester & London 2017
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MONDAY 22 MAY 2017: Page www.knightstemplar-wales.org/templarsprimitiverule.htm on this website has been considerably updated.
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MONDAY 24 APRIL 2017: More details and photographs of our Investiture held on 1 April 2017 can now be seen on the 'Last Investiture' page.
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