The History of the Military and Hospitaller Order
of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem
The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem was established in Palestine, in the Near East, during the Crusades. The origins of the Order date back to the same period when other chivalric orders, such as the Knights Templar, the Order of St. John, and the Teutonic Knights, began to emerge. The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is therefore among the oldest chivalric orders in the world. It was officially established by a bull of Pope Paschal II in 1115. Immediately after their arrival, the brothers began managing an old hospital, dating from the 4th century. They followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, who had been caring for lepers since ancient Rome, and thus St. Basil the Great became the Order’s third patron saint after the Virgin Mary and St. Lazarus.
The chivalric orders had to reconsider their activities after the fall of Jerusalem and the dissolution of the Christian dominions in the Holy Land. It was clear that the services of the orders would be needed in the future, because another conflict with the expansive Arab world was to be expected.
The Lazarites decided to leave for faraway Europe, where they received protection from the French crown. The French kings eventually provided the Order with auspices that essentially lasted until the 1830s. In 1847, the Roman Catholic Patriarchs of Syria took over the religious patronage of the Order, and have remained its protectors to this day. Prince Karel Schwarzenberg is credited with re-establishing the Order by introducing it to Czechoslovakia in 1937. Unfortunately, the Order’s promising and meritorious work was cut short by World War II. After the war ended and the communist regime took over, the Order was not able to reconstitute itself in this country and continue its pre-war work. The Order only saw a revival of its existence towards the turn of the 20th century. However, 1967 was a major milestone in the Order’s history that is worth mentioning: the international management of the Order was divided into two obediences, the Spanish and the French. By a decision of Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, the Czech Grand Priory submitted itself to the French wing.
A resurrection of the Order came in 1973. Jiří Weyer, a secretary in exile, and Jiří Pořízka then incorporated a group of new knights into the structure of the Czech Grand Priory in exile. However, the Order had to wait until 1991 for any real development to take place inside the country. That year marked its first official presentation since 1948.
The ceremonial investiture of the new knights took place in the Church of Our Lady Before Týn on 9 November 1991. The Czech Grand Priory was then headed by Count Radslav Kinský. There were two commandries, one in Prague and another in Brno. Two more commandries appeared over time in Plzeň and České Budějovice. The Czech Grand Priory was divided into two parts in 1992. The original organization continued to be headed by Count Václav Bořek Dohalský; the split-off part was led by former chancellor Josef Kočí and returned from the French obedience to the original Spanish one, now renamed the Grand Bailiwick of Bohemia. Both the former obediences united at a congress in Toronto, Canada, in 2004. The Spanish Marquis of Almazán became the new Grand Master. The Grand Bailiwick of Bohemia joined the reunited order. The Moravia-Silesian Bailiwick also belongs to the reunited order of the Marquis of Almazán. However, the Czech Grand Priory has remained independent, and its head, Count Dobřenský, was elected a Grand Master.
The main objective of the Order is to help the needy worldwide, especially in Africa, Asia and the Americas. There, Lazarites mainly care for the gravely ill, who will often die helplessly under difficult conditions. In Europe, too, the Order focuses on helping the most needy. They are not lepers, as leprosy is absent here, so all the more care is required for the ill and elderly towards the end of their lives and on their last journey in this world. The Order does its work in the Czech Republic in this spirit. It is involved in the operation of four hospices, provides aid for SOS Villages, and assists elderly people through Lazarite aid across the country. The most needy can make use of the Lazarite Service Centre in Prostějov; it lends rehabilitation aids for domestic use. In addition, the Moravia-Silesian Bailiwick of the Lazarite Order organizes cultural events for elderly citizens.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is a selective organization. One cannot apply for membership. Members of the Order will recommend suitable candidates for membership, who will undergo at least a year of postulate, during which they have to prove how useful they can be to the Order. After that, they can become full members of the Order with all its duties and benefits. Another option is volunteer service in Lazarite aid, from which adepts can later be chosen to become members.
