was another order following the Rule of St. Basil that proceeded on a line of action parallel with that
of Knights of Jerusalem. Upon the fall of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Knights of the Holy
Sepulchre were driven out of Palestine, and some of them settled at Perugia. Gradually the order lost
its prestige, and was by Pope Innocent VIII (1489) united to the Knights Hospitallers. Pope Alexander
VI (1496) restored (Hélyot says, instituted) this order that by offering a most desirable and honorable
distinction as a reward for the great labor, fatigue and expense of a journey to the Holy Land, he
might incite wealthy and noble Europeans to visit and aid the holy places. He reserved to himself and
his successors the title and office of supreme head; but empowered the Franciscan Custodian of
Mount Sion, the Commissary Apostolic of the Holy Land — as long, and no longer than, the Jerusalem
Latin Patriarchate remained vacant — to confer in the name of the pope the Knighthood of the Holy
Sepulchre upon worthy persons. Popes Alexander VII (1665) and Benedict XIII (1727) confirmed the
privilege. Benedict XIV ("In Supremo Militantis Ecclesiæ", 17 Jan., 1746) remodeled the rules of the
order, fixed the forms by which the Franciscan Custodian should be guided in bestowing the
decoration, renewed its ancient privileges (similar in part to those granted to the Golden Militia), and
granted to the Knights the right to use the title of Count of the Sacred Palace of Lateran. Pius IX, upon
the restoration of the Latin Jerusalem Patriarchate (1847), withdrew the Alexandrine faculty, and
gave it to the new patriarch and his successors. The patriarchs alone can in future create Knights of
the Holy Sepulchre, and this they do not of their own right, but in the name and by virtue of the pope's
authority. It was required that a knight should, except in an exceptional case, give an alms of 100
sequins in gold (equal to $200) towards the Holy Places. This money was by decree (S. C. P. F., 1847)
ordered to be turned over to the patriarch for the needs of the Holy Land. Pope Pius IX ("Cum multa",
Jan. 24, 1868) remodeled and approved the ancient statutes, and divided the order into three
(practically four) classes:
1. Grand Cross Knights,
2. Commanders, and
3. Knights.
Commanders of conspicuous ability and eminent virtue were, in rare cases, and by special papal
faculty, permitted to wear the badge on the breast, and so constituted a grade between the grand cross
knight and the commander. Pius X "(Quam multa te Ordinemque", 3 May, 1907) fixed the number of
grades at three, granted the privilege of affixing a military trophy to the cross, approved the creation
of patriarchal representatives in other lands, as the good of the order may demand, prescribed the
uniform for them, reserved to himself and successors the title of grand master, and appointed the
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem his lieutenant and administrator in the bestowing of this papal
decoration. He also arranged that in the event of the death of the patriarch and the vacancy of the see,
the powers of the patriarch as papal lieutenant and administrator of the Order of Holy Sepulchre
should by law devolve upon the cardinal secretary of state. The decoration is a large red enameled
gold cross, with a narrow border of gold, and surmounted by a royal crown. Prior to the last century
the cross was simply gold without the red enamel. The form of the cross is what is called "potentiate",
that is, crutched or gibbet-shaped. The four extremities are shaped as the large cross and four small
red enameled crosses of simple form are attached. The ribbon is of black watered silk. A mulberry
trophy connects the cross with the ribbon. The plaque or badge is an eight-pointed or rayed silver
star, on whose center is the red cross encircled by the two green enameled branches, one oak and the
other Laurel. The collar, worn only on solemn occasions, is composed of little Jerusalem crosses, and
rings of burnished gold. Knights of the first class wear the grand cross suspended from the wide black
watered silk ribbon running saltier-wise from the right shoulder to the left side, and the badge on the
breast. Commanders carry the cross and Ribbon fastened at the neck. Knights wear the badge on the
left breast.