Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)

Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani
AbbreviationOESSH
Formationc. 1099 (1099)
FounderGodfrey of Bouillon
Founded atChurch of the Holy Sepulchre
TypeOrder of chivalry
PurposeSupport the Christian presence in the Holy Land
HeadquartersPalazzo Della Rovere
Location
Region served
Worldwide
Membership30,000
Pope Leo XIV
Fernando Cardinal Filoni
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa
Assessor
Tommaso Caputo
Main organ
Council Complete of State
Parent organization
Holy See
Affiliations
Award(s)
  • Knight/Dame of the Collar
  • Knight/Dame Grand Cross (KGCHS/DGCHS)
  • Knight/Dame Commander with Star (KC*HS/DC*HS)
  • Knight/Dame Commander (KCHS/DCHS)
  • Knight/Dame (KHS/DHS)
Websiteoessh.va
Formerly called

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Latin: Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, OESSH), also called the Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the Holy See. The pope is the sovereign of the order. The order creates canons as well as knights, with the primary mission to "support the Christian presence in the Holy Land". It is an internationally recognised order of chivalry. The order today is estimated to have some 30,000 knights and dames in 60 lieutenancies around the world. The Catholic Order is distinct from the Greek Orthodox "Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre", presided over by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Cardinal Grand Master has been Fernando Filoni since 2019, and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is ex officio the Order's Grand Prior. Its headquarters are situated at the Palazzo Della Rovere and its official church in Sant'Onofrio al Gianicolo, both in Rome, close to Vatican City. In 1994, Pope John Paul II declared the Virgin Mary as the order's patron saint under the title "Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Palestine".