Dearest Dames and Knights,
On this solemn feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, my thoughts and prayers turn to each of you, members of the Constantinian Order, called to witness, with the nobility of your faith and the charity of your works, to the glorious mystery of the Cross of Christ, a sign of hope and salvation. On the journey of the Holy Year of Hope, proclaimed by the late Holy Father Francis, we are invited to gaze on the crucified and risen Christ, to rediscover in the sign of the Cross not only the center of our faith, but also the inexhaustible source of our Christian mission in the world.
The Cross is not only a gallows, but a tree of life. As Pope Leo XIV recalled: “We cannot reach the light of the Resurrection without passing through the shadow of the Cross: it is the ladder by which the soul ascends to heaven.” And as St. Augustine teaches us, “The Cross was a gallows for criminals; Christ transformed it into a throne of glory” (Sermon 263,3). The Cross, the beating heart of the Christian faith, is a scandal to the world but wisdom to those who believe (cf. 1 Cor 1:18). It is not only a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice, but a living presence of the love that is given to the end. In the Cross we recognize the face of God who does not dominate from above, but descends into the depths of human pain to redeem it.
By embracing the Cross, the believer enters into the paschal dynamism, where dying to oneself becomes the principle of new life. For the Constantinian Order, this means making the Cross a visible sign of humble service, effective justice, and concrete hope for those who suffer. Thus, in fidelity to the Gospel, the glory of the Cross continues to shine in the world.
In this spirit, I invite you to fervently participate in the pilgrimage of the Constantinian Order, which will take place in Rome on Saturday, October 25th, a privileged opportunity to strengthen the spiritual and fraternal bonds that unite us, and to renew together our fidelity to Christ the Lord and his Church.
In this time marked by tension and conflict, I urge you to intensify your prayers for peace in the world, especially for the Holy Land, where the Cross of Christ continues to be present in the pain of so many martyred peoples. May our spiritual commitment and solidarity be a living testimony to the faith working in charity and the hope that does not disappoint.
My wish, accompanied by prayer, is that all your actions, in your daily life and in the works of the Order, may always be illuminated by the glorious Cross, which is a sign of love given, strength in trials, and hope for humanity.
I bless you,
Marcello Card. Semeraro
Grand Prior of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
