PREFACE
The true orders of knighthood (i.e. those, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as such) are the Order of Malta, the Teutonic Order and the Order of the Holy Grave. Beside those, nowadays there is a number of other organizations calling themselves „orders of knighthood“.
Those organization are „knightly associations“ at the best, whose members try more or less to accomplish the traditional knightly virtues and (try to) live in accordance with the organization’s Constitution, Statutes, Codex of Honors or whatever the name of the relevant document may be.
CSLI is far from commenting on or evaluating of those „modern knighthoods“, as it is not her task at all. Everyone, who acts in a knightly way – under whatever conditions and circumstances – deserves the full respect of CSLI.
On the contrary! The traditional virtues of the old knighthood haven’t lost anything from their importance today. All the attempt to accomplish those virtues and all the effort to move also others to accomplish them are nowadays even more important and necessary than anytime before.
CSLI, as a voluntary, humanitarian, charitable and world-wide organization, would like to promote those virtues (faith, hope, love, mercy, wisdom, justice, courage and temperance) whenever and wherever possible, and therefore (although not being an order of knighthood proper) it was decided to introduce the symbolical „Knighthood of Honour“.
THE KNIGHTHOOD
The CSLI’s Knighthood of Honour is primarily intended for the officers of CSLI from the CSLI staff officers above. It could be also given also to the non-members of the CSLI and under the special circumstances as a reward for exceptional accomplishments also to the lower CSLI officer ranks. Women and men are equal.
The grades of the Knighthood of Honour are as such:
CSLI Knight/Dame of Honour
CSLI Knight/Dame Commander of Honour
CSLI Knight/Dame Grand Commander of Honour
CSLI Grand Cross Knight/Dame of Honour
CSLI Collar Knight/Collar Dame
Every CSLI staff officer can send a petition for the Knighthood of Honour to the Presidium of the CSLI. The petition for an award to a third person can also be send by not less then three CSLI staff officers.
The petition has to be accompanied with substantiation and relevant documents. All the charitable and humanitarian activities of the petitioner should be documented, as well as the involvement at the Fire Fighters, Red Cross and similar organizations, in the elderly, disabled and homeless care facilities and the personal involvement in the furtherance of the universal peace and understanding between the nations.
Usually the grades of the Knighthood of Honour are awarded in the order mentioned above, but under the special circumstances – mainly by the non-members of the CSLI – the respect could be taken also to the social position, age and the reputation of the future CSLI Knight of Honour. But as a general rule the „skipping“ of grades should be avoided.
The award of the Knighthood of Honour is always accompanied with the extraordinary membership in the CSLI (without member fees).
Save the mentioned grades also the following honorary titles could be awarded, always with the specification „…of the CSLI Knighthood of Honour“:
Grand Chancellor or Chancellor
Grand Marshal or Marshal
Grand Prefect or Prefect
Grand Legate or Legate
Standard of the Knighthood of Honour
The TOTAL number of members of the Knighthood of Honour of the Lazarus Union has been increased by a new resolution of the chapter to:
200 Knights of Honour (124)
50 Knight Commanders of Honour (19)
20 Knight Grand Commanders of Honour (89
12 Grand Cross Knights of Honour (4)
6 Collar Knights of Honour (1)
( ) = actual standing 19. September 2021
Knight Expectants (51)
NOTE: The number of Knight Expectants is unlimited!
THE GRANTING
The 7 Steps to the Knighthood of Honour of the Lazarus Union
(These steps are exclusively internal rules of the Lazarus Union and as such are not subject to external evaluation by third parties. Everybody who applies for membership as a Knight of Honour and is accepted into the society voluntarily accepts these rules.)
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1st Step | Knightly behaviour and a shining example for others in daily life in one‘s personal background, social engagement, and readiness for peace. Neither age nor background, race or religion play any role. Men and women are treated alike. There is no redress in law for being awarded the knighthood of honour but it is considered to be a privilege to belong to this society. |
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2nd Step | Personal application (Applicant is required to hold the rank of a staff officer in the CSLI) in which the reasons are laid out why the applicant asks being awarded the Knighthood of Honour. Alternatively an application from a third party which is supported by three CSLI staff officers. (When an application is filed from a third party the candidate shall be asked if he or she is willing to accept the honour in case it is granted.) |
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3rd Step | Discussion and vote by the chapter. Three voting rounds are possible and a decision must be unanimously. Two voting rounds are secret and the third one must be open. Also the third round must be unanimously in case acceptance is granted. Any member of the chapter who votes against membership of an applicant must give reason for this repudiation. Whatever the result is, any third voting result is final and binding. |
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4th Step | Handing out the brevet (advance notice) which informs the candidate that he or she will be awarded the Knighthood of Honour and how to proceed further. The Grand Master decides on the rang being awarded. |
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5th Step | Formal acceptance by the candidate in written form within 60 days. Then the preparation period for the candidate commences which has no fixed duration and usually ends with the next upcoming investiture. Investitures will be held as decided by the Grand Master. |
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6th Step | Formal final “observation period“ of the candidate by the chapter. Formally this time is called “postulant period.“ This is the time when the Grand Master decides the possible date for the investiture. In this period the final eligibility of the candidate is decided. Also a date for an investiture which has been fixed is subject to delay, suspension or even cancellation. |
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7th Step | The official investiture in a solemn environment according to the defined ceremony. If for geographical or financial reasons it is not possible for the candidate to personally attend an investiture the investiture is considered fulfilled if an appropriate certificate has been written out and the candidate‘s name has been read out officially but in his absence during an investiture ceremony. Only then the postulant is considered a Knight of Honour of the Lazarus Union. There is no provision for autonomous withdrawal from the Knighthood of Honour by the Knight of Honour. |
As written above, the award decides the Presidium of the CSLI after a careful discussion by voting by ballot. The result of this voting is binding and cannot be challenged. The voting can be repeated two times and the third voting should not take place on the same day. The award is approved only if the voting is UNANIMOUS. The chapter is appointed by the grand master.
After the voting, the result is communicated to the petitioner and if the result is positive the appropriate fee for the decoration is also communicated. This fee has to be paid only once. *) There are no other fees (like yearly membership). In a substantiated case the Presidium can decide about the award without this fee. In such a case the cost for the decoration lays at the CSLI.
*) As the CSLI wants in no way „trade“ with the insignia of the Knighthood of Honour, the award of CSLI Knighthood of Honour is NOT immediately connected with an award or the buy of insignia. Through the award of the CSLI Knighthood of Honour and the relevant certificate the recipient gets though the right for obtaining such an insignia.
The President of CSLI is during the period of his office the holder of the insignia of the CSLI Grand Cross Knight of Honour and the Vice president of CSLI of the insignia of the CSLI Knight Grand Commander of Honour.
They are also holding the titles of The Grand Master and The Vice Grand Master of the CSLI Knighthood of Honour. The Knights of Honour, the Knight Commanders of Honour and the Knight Grand Commanders of Honour are holding the title of „Chevalier h.c.“ and the Grand Cross Knights of Honour are holding the title „Excellency Chevalier h.c.“
