International Activities and Events

		New York Benefit Concert in Monaco
		Duchess of Calabria Invested into Order of Malta
		Constantinian Knight Cardinal Silvio Oddi dies
		Duke & Duchess of Calabria Visit Saudi Arabia
		Saudi Princes Invested into Order of Francis I
		Portuguese Ambassador Promoted Within Constantinian Order

Monaco Royal Charity Concert in aid of New York's St Vincent's Hospital. Monte Carlo - October 2001.

Following the terrorist attacks in September 2001 on New York City, the Sacred Military Constantinian Order organised a charity concert of 18th century Neapolitan sacred music at the Cathedral of Monaco in aid of Saint Vincent's Hospital - the closest trauma centre to the World Trade Center. Over US$35,000 was initially raised at the cultural


event which was attended by HSH Prince Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of the Principality of Monaco(above).

The international initiative of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order was fully endorsed by His Eminence Edward, Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York(right), and the Prior of the United States delegation, His Eminence Theodore, Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington DC(below). Both Cardinal Egan and Cardinal McCarrick hold the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice within our Sacred Military Constantinian Order.

The Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Castro, accompanied by HRH The Duchess of Castro, and our Grand Prefect, His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria, together with HRH The Duchess of Calabria, joined over 1000 prominent personalities at this event. A statue of Saint George was also unveiled by the Duke of Calabria in the Cathedral of Monaco offering future visitors a permanent reminder of the patron saint of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order.

HRH The Duchess of Calabria invested into the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Rome - October 2001.

His Most Eminent Highness Frà Andrew Bertie(left), Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta has invested HRH The Duchess of Calabria(below) as a Dame Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion in October 2001. The ceremony was attended by all members of the Sovereign Council.

This award to the Duchess of Calabria is the latest in a long line of cordial exchanges between the Order of Malta and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order. Since 1878, every Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta has been a knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order or the Royal Order of Saint Januarius.

HRH The Duke of Castro(right), our Grand Master and Head of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies, was invested as a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion in December 1968. In 1988, the Duke of Castro, received from Frà Andrew Bertie, Prince and Grand Master, the rare award of an Honorary Cross of Profession.

HRH The Duchess of Castro(below) was promoted within the Order of Malta to the rank of Dame Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion in 1996, together with His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria, who became a Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion. Our Grand Prefect, the Duke of Calabria, first entered the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in May 1983.

HMEH Frà Andrew Bertie was invested into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order in 1985 as a Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Order. The Prince and Grand Master was later elevated to the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross with Collar in 1988 --the highest distinction within the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George. In 1993, HMEH Frà Andrew Bertie, Prince and Grand Master was invested as a Knight of Royal Order of Saint Januarius - the most senior Order of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies.

Constantinian Knight Cardinal Silvio Oddi dies. Vatican City - June 2001.

It is with much regret that the Grand Magistry of the Constantinian Order announces the death of His Eminence Silvio, Cardinal Oddi a Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice.

Cardinal Oddi was born in Morfasso near Piacenza on 14 November 1910, and entered the seminary at age 11 and was later ordained on 31 May 1933. Cardinal Oddi graduated in Canon Law from the Angelicum in 1936 and later from the Ecclesiastic Pontifical Academy in Rome. He was then posted to Iran and in 1939 transferred to Lebanon. On 30 July 1953 he was appointed Archbishop of the titular Church of Mesembria and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem, Palestine, Transjordan and Cyprus.

Between 1953 and 1957 Cardinal Oddi worked with Orthodox leaders on the restoration of the Holy Sepulchre. In 1957 he was transferred to Egypt and in 1962 after many years in the Middle East, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and Luxembourg. During the Consistory of 28 April 1969 Cardinal Oddi was elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals by His Holiness Pope Paul VI and became in that same year Papal Legate for the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Between 1979 and 1985 he served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Calabria visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh - February 2001.


The Duke and Duchess of Calabria officially visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Director-General of the King Faisal Foundation and Governor of Asir Province. His Royal Highness is the eldest son of the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

The invitation was extended to the Duke and Duchess so that they could participate in the opening ceremony of the Painting & Patronage exhibition. This exhibition was a unique cultural collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, which brought together HRH The Prince of Wales(above) and HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, merging their joint roles as amateur artists and patrons of the arts. The Chairman of the Advisory Group and creator of the exhibition is our delegation's Delegate, Anthony Bailey.

Their Majesties King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians (The King was elected Prime Minister of Bulgaria during the summer 2001); HRH The Prince of Venice (grandson of the late King Umberto II of Italy) and TRH The Duke and Duchess of Bragança (The Duke of Bragança is the recognised Head of the Portuguese Royal House)(right) were also officially invited to attend as part of plans to further develop cultural exchanges between Europe and Middle East.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria invests senior Saudi Princes into the Royal Order of Francis I. Riyadh - February 2001.

During the visit, the Duke of Calabria decorated HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud(left) with the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I. HH Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al-Saud(below), Secretary-General of the King Faisal Foundation, was invested as a Knight Commander. Both awards were in recognition of the two princes' major contribution to the development of greater cultural understanding between Europe and the Middle East, as well as for the many other international philanthropic initiatives they have developed over 30 years.

Mr Farid Ahmed Warsi of the King Faisal Foundation received the Gold Medal of the Sacred Military Order for his assistance with the organisation of the Duke and Duchess of Calabria's visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria promotes Portuguese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia within the Constantinian Order. Riyadh - February 2001.


His Excellency Senhor Jorge da Silva Preto, Portuguese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was promoted within the Sacred Military Constantinian Order to the rank of Knight Commander. Ambassador da Silva Preto first joined the Order in 1990.