Founded 1998 | Area served Worldwide | |
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Location Washington, D.C., United States Slogan "Pour dieu et le Roi" (French)
"For God and the King" | ||
The Archconfraternity of the Order of the Holy Ghost of Montpellier of Jerusalem of Cyprus and of Cilicia is an independent Greek Byzantine Catholic confraternity of laymen and clergy organized as a charitable organization. Despite the fact that the Archconfraternity confers the rank of knight upon its senior members and uses the terminology, ceremony and insignia similar to those used by the well known Roman Catholic orders of chivalry, such as the Order of Malta and the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, the organization does not consider itself to be an order of chivalry.
History & Organization
Founded in 1998 by a group of Anglican and Catholic laymen. The Archconfraternity is a private group, of modern origins, and has no historical connection to the medieval Order of the Holy Ghost founded in France in 1178.
The Archconfraternity is headquartered in Washington D.C. and is organized in a manner similar to that which was used by the Catholic Military Orders during the late Middle Ages. It currently has members in 14 countries.
The Militia of the Holy Ghost was in December 2010 merged with the Royal House Order of Jerusalem and formed a new combined order known as Order of Jerusalem - Militia of The Holy Ghost. The Order of Jerusalem-Militia of The Holy Ghost is a hereditary and dynastic order of the House of La Rochelle - Murat. Deriving it's Fons Honorum from the Kingdom of Naples founded in 1808, the Order of Jerusalem-Militia of The Holy Ghost is a lay religious confraternity, by practice and tradition, both military and chivalrous.