The Confraternity of the Knights of Saint-George of Burgundy'
HISTORY
Origines (1390)' The noble Brotherhood of Saint-George was created in 1390 by two Gentlemen of Franche-Comte to honor the relics of the Megalomartyr that had been brought back from the Holy Land. Philibert de Mollans, squire to the Duke of Burgundy, was its main driving force; his second-in-command, Jehan d'Andelot, was the son of Sir Jean of Andelot-les-Sallins, and of Marie of Usier, Lady of Vaudrey and Rougemont, where lived the precursors and was held the annual chapter.
The Confraternity (1430-1484) By the time Philippe the Good created the Order of the Golden Fleece, on the 10 th January, 1430, there were 24 holders: after the Grand-Master came immediately His Majesty William III of Vienna, in order of precedence. The Governor gathered around 1435 or 1440 a certain number of Knights to honor the relics in a chapel that he owned close to the city of Rougemont. Then he decided to celebrate every year the day of the the Saint, saint patron of the nobility because the Saint was also a Knight, often represented riding his horse with a spear.
The qualities required were sixteen quarter of nobility, the Catholic religion, the birth in "Franche Comté", to be sisteen of age and to donate 300 livre.
The Governor General was elected for life by the Knights. The other officers were a Prelat, a Chancelor, a Treasurer and two secretaries.
Since then, the most important Lords of the region wanted to be accepted in the Confraternity and gathered every year at the Chapel of Rougement on the 22nd of April, to celebrate the Day of the Saint.
At that time their insignia was a medal of Saint-George killing the Dragon, suspended to a gold chain.
Philippe the Good authorised the Confraternity to wear the medal suspended to a red ruban identical to the one of the Golden Fleece.
The Equestrian Order (1485-1788)
The Confraternity was an association of gentlement of good will who formed at the beginning a "pie Union" but on the request of Philippe the Good, in 1485 the [pie Union] was made Canonically into an Equestrian Order, immediately approved by Pope Innocent VIII.
Already granted prerogatives by Philippe l'Asseure, then by all the Kings of France from Louis XIV to Charles X, the Order benefited from special spiritual favours bestowed as much by the Roman Pontiffs than by the Oriental Hierarchs.
In 1648, the Confraternity sat up in Besançon and not at Dole, then capital of Burgundy. In fact the Confraternity at a political role, opposing itself to the parliament in Dole.
A room was dedicated to the Confraternity in the Tower of Montmartin after a decree of the town of Besançon. The Knights of Saint-Georges were the only nobles of the city, to benefit of this privilege. Nevertheless, the Confraternity also seemed to gather many times at Vesoul, which has the Saint-George for saint Patron.
Then the 25th of April 1661, the Confraternity gathered at Salin and decided that it will meet at the covent of the Grands Carmes (Besançon) founded my a fellow member: Jean de Vienne.
After the French conquest in 1668 and the annexion of the Franche-Comte to France, with the treaty of Nimega in 1678, Louis XIVth decided to tolerate the Confraterniy, regardless the resistance to the invaders. The King authorized the Knights to wear their medal of Saint-George suspended this time to a blue moiré (watered) ruban, identical to the Order of the Holy Spirit; this in order to obtain the support of the local nobility who provided him with soldiers for its army.
Louis XV and Louis XVI maintained the same privileges and even gave their own Portrait to the Confraternity with the mention "Given by the King to the Knights of Saint-George". The portraits decoreated the room of the covent of the Grands Carmes with the portrait of the Prince of Condé, protector of the Order, unfortunately the room was destroyed during the Revolution.
The Coat of Arms were registered in 1696 and during the general assembly on the 25th of April 1768 new status were written.
From the French Revolution to the Abolition (1789-1824)' Most of the members were killed during the Revolution and the Napoleonic wars, they were only 25 members left in 1814.
In 1816, at the end of the war, the survivors gathered under the control of a Colonel of the Dragons, Charles-Emmanuel, marquis of Saint-Mauris (1735-1839), baron de Chatenois et de la Villeneuve, comte de Saulx et Genevrey, then Marechal of the camps and armies of the King and inspector general of the national guard.
The status written on the 25th of April 1768 are changed and new Knights are made for a total of 78 in 1817, year of the last dubbing ceremony.
Unfortunately due to political pressure, a decree from the King on the 16th of April 1824, forbids the wearing of the insignia of the Order. The last Knigtht was the marquis Jouffroy d'Alban who died in 1869. After this date the Confraternity of Saint-Georges survived, like during its origins, as a private association of gentlement of good will.
From the private association to the Apostolic association (1825~2004)' In the most recent periods the association of the Knights of Saint-George, pursued its mission, adapting its self to the conditions of the Apostolat and following the Bible through the spirit of Knighthood.
The 14th of March 1929 the association of the Knight of Saint-George was registered as a non profitable association under the French law of 1901.
The Nobility condition to enter in the Order, was replaced by the necessity of belonging to an Elite. This change was made under the impulsion of the Cardinal Lauri. Therefore new entrants came mostly from the Catholic countries, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.
These indults were all confirmed in 1929 by his Beatitude Ignace Gabriel I st Tapouni (1879-1968), Patriarch of Antioche and of all the Orient; then in 1930 by his Eminence the Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri (1864-1941), titular Archbishop of Ephese, Major Penitientary and Camerlingo of the Holy Roman Church.
It is with the Papal Bull of the 11 th October 1929 that Patriarch Tappouni raised the Sodality's prestige by confirming its privileges and by bestowing upon it the prestigious name of "Apostolic Order". Shortly afterwards, by autograph letter dating 23 rd April 1930, Cardinal Lauri also accepted the title of High Protector and, on the 14 th June of the same year, he received in the Vatican a deputation of Knights of Saint-George, along with Mgr Cocchi
On 17 th May 1933 another delegation was justifyiably proud to be invited to a solemn reception by his Holiness Pope Pious XI: it was seated on the place of honor, to the right of the Holy Father. During the closing of the Holy Door, the Order was also authorized to lay a symbolic brick, alongside its counterparts (Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Holy Sepulcher, Teutonic, ...)
The Confraternity of the Knights of Saint-George of Burgundy (2004~)
After the Election in June 2004 of a new Governor General, H.E Louis-François Saumon, the Confraternity took a new turn in its history.
The Governor General established an international network of delegations, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Éire, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Russia, Israel etc...
This efforts are supported by many prelates of the Catholic Church and already two Catholic Bishops joined our Confraternity. See the news page of the Confraternity website: [1]
The Confraternity has been registered as a Faithful Association in Italy accordingly to the Canonic Law.
It will pursue its Apostolic mission and will spread the Catholic values of Knighthood through the world.
Sources:
- Le Vicaire Générale pour l'Italie: Le Comte Stefano SCARCELLA PRANDSTALLER.
- Jürgens G. , « Storia dell'Ordine equestre di San Giorgio di Borgogna » , Rome, 1935.
- Thiou É . ,, « La noble Confrérie des Chevaliers de Saint-Georges au comté de Bourgogne ».
- Uyttenhove J., « Ordre souverain de Saint Georges de Bourgogne », Gent, 1960.
- Le Vicaire Générale pour l'Italie: Mr. Stefano SCARCELLA PRANDSTALLER.
- http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Provinces/Franche-Comte.shtml]]
- Confraternity of the Knighs of Saint-Georges of Burgundy: [2]
[[Category:[Order of Chivalry-Knighthood]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_knighthood]] | 
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