From 24 to 26 September 2024, the Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, H.R.H. Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, Count of Caserta, Head of the Royal House of Two Sicilies, visited Portugal. On 25 September 2024 he presided over the investiture ceremony of five knights and two dames of the Royal Commission for Portugal at the Basilica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires in Lisbon.

The visits

On 24 September 2024, HRH the Grand Master was received in Sintra by his uncle and aunt, His Royal Highness the Duke of Braganza, Head of the Royal Family of Portugal, and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Braganza.  Their Royal Highnesses held a private family dinner for the Duke of Calabria.  The dinner was also attended by the sons of the Duke and Duchess of Bragança, HRH Dom Afonso de Braganza, Prince of Beira, and HRH Dom Dinis de Braganza, Infante of Portugal, Duke of Porto, as well as by the Duke of Bragança’s brother, HRH Dom Miguel de Braganza, Infante of Portugal, Duke of Viseu.  

HRH the Duke of Viseu, brother of the Duke of Braganza, is the President of the Royal Commission for Portugal of the Constantinian Order. 

HRH Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza and Head of the Portuguese Royal House, is Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice with Collar of the Constantinian Order and a Knight of Saint Januarius.  He is the Honorary President of the Royal Deputation of the Constantinian Order.

That evening, HRH the Grand Master awarded the Grand Cross of Justice of the Constantinian Order to the two sons of the Duke of Braganza, Dom Afonso, Prince of Beira and Dom Dinis, Duke of Porto, and to the Duke of Braganza’s son-in-law, Dom Duarte, Duke of Coimbra.

On 25 September 2024, HRH the Grand Master visited the Church of Santa Cruz do Castelo in Lisbon, where he was welcomed by the parish priest, Father Edgar Clara.

In the Church of Santa Cruz do Castelo, the oldest in Lisbon, a relic of the Holy Cross of Christ is preserved and on the vault of the main altar the Emperor Constantine, the inspiration of the Constantinian Order, is depicted with his mother, Saint Helena . Furthermore, in the church there is a remarkable life-size image of Saint George, which is still carried in procession on a white horse through the streets of Lisbon today.

This was followed by a visit to the adjacent Castelo de São Jorge (St. George Castle), on the highest hill in Lisbon.  The tour was led by its director, Dr. Susana Repolho Correia and by Dr. Inês Meira.  In addition to receiving an explanation of the castle and the history of Lisbon, the visitors could enjoy the magnificent view of the city bathed in light and the Tagus river.

In the context of the Reconquest, the castle and the city of Lisbon were freed from the control of the Moors by King Alfonso Henry, who succeeded in this feat with the help of the Northern European crusaders who took part in the Second Crusade. The castle helped Lisbon resist subsequent Moorish incursions at the end of the 12th century. When Lisbon became the capital of the kingdom in 1255, the castle became the seat of the Royal Palace (the Paço da Alcáçova), heavily renovated around 1300 by King Dionysius I. The castle was dedicated to Saint George in the late 14th century by King John I, who had married an English princess Philippa of Lancaster. The warrior saint, depicted fighting the dragon, was popular in both nations.

Subsequently, in the Church of Santa Luzia and São Brás, seat of the Assembly of the Portuguese Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta in Lisbon, HRH the Grand Master was received by the President of the Portuguese Association of the Order of Malta, Dr. António Calheiros Ferraz and by the Board of Directors of the Association. The Duke of Calabria signed the Book of Honour, after visiting the multimedia exhibition on the history of the Order of Malta. The exhibition is divided into various sections, with a part dedicated to the centuries-old history of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from its origins to the present day; a section dedicated to spirituality and pilgrimages; another to medical, humanitarian and social activities around the world; and yet another to the details of the humanitarian diplomacy of the Order of Malta. A specific section is reserved for projects that members and volunteers carry out in Portugal.

The Church of Santa Luzia and São Brás is located in the parish of Santiago. Next to the church is the Santa Luzia vista.

In the afternoon, HRH the Grand Master visited the headquarters of Dona Ajuda in Lisbon, where Dr. Cristina Calheiros Vellozo and Teresa Cancela Vilaça explained the charity’s project, setting the foundation for a closer collaboration between this institution and the Royal Commission for Portugal of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, in order to support those who are most disadvantaged.

Dona Ajuda’s goal is to improve the daily lives of many people, connecting those who need help with those who can help them, contributing to transforming the world into a better place from a social, environmental and cultural point of view, in which everyone , regardless of race, nationality or ethnicity, can live a dignified life.

The investiture ceremony

At 7.00 pm, at the Basilica de Nossa Senhora dos Mártires in Chiado in Lisbon, HRH the Grand Master presided over the investiture ceremony of five knights and two dames of the Royal Commission for Portugal, and the promotion of a knight of the Constantinian Order’s Commission for the Kingdom of Spain.

The celebration of the Mass was presided over by Canon Dr. Armando da Guia Pereira Duarte, Chaplain of the Royal Commission for Portugal.  The concelebrants were Father Tiago Ribeiro Pinto, Chaplain of the Royal Commission for Portugal and Father José Fernandes Macías, Chaplain of the Commission for the Kingdom of Spain.

As a sign of gratitude for the victory obtained in the Reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors in 1147, the first King of Portugal, Don Afonso Henriques, vowed to build in this place a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria dos Mártires, the first Catholic church of Lisbon.  This is located in the oldest parish, the parish of Saint Mary, in the territory of the ancient parish of Our Lady of Martyrs, which has its origin in a small chapel built to house the image of the Virgin brought by the English crusaders. She was called by the people as Our Lady of Martyrs in memory of all the soldiers who died in combat in defense of the Christian faith. According to tradition, King Afonso Henriques asked for the help and protection of the Virgin, and the first baptism in the city after the Reconquest was celebrated there. The original chapel of the Martyrs was completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1755, while the relics of the Holy Martyrs escaped the destruction and are now preserved in the Altar of Souls, inside the current church. The church, rebuilt in 1769 by the architect. Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, fits harmoniously into the heart of Chiado.

Dinner

After the Mass, a dinner was held at the Turf Club in Chaido, with over 70 guests and their families, presided over by HRH the Duke of Calabria, in the presence of HRH the Duchess of Braganza, Donna Isabel de Bragança, and her son, HRH the Prince of Beira, Don Afonso de Braganza.  At the end of the dinner, the President of the Royal Commission for Portugal, HRH Dom Miguel de Braganza, Infante of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, gave a short speech, welcoming the new knights and dames, thanking everyone for their presence and reaffirming the commitment of the Royal Commission for Portugal to the objectives of the Constantinian Order.

 

 

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