Latvia passes to a zone of spiritual and financial influence of Vatican

The branch of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosilymitani) (Order) is founded in Latvia. This branch was headed by Janis Schmelters. The archbishop Zbignevs Stankevics became the Great Prior that is the spiritual head of the Latvian branch of the Order.
On November 29, the master of the Order, the cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church St. Edwin Frederick O’Brien made the investura in St. Ekab’s Cathedral in Riga concerning J. Schmelters and eight his colleagues, that is accepted them in knights. Investura represents a mystical ceremony during which the competitors swear to protect the Christian values, to vow obedience and unselfishness, they kiss the order sacred places, make other symbolical actions. Competitors are robbed in the white cloaks decorated with large dark red «Jerusalem cross» with four smaller crosses at the edges and in black velvet berets. From the moment of consecrating the knights have to submit to senior hierarchy.
The order hierarchy consists of four classes: 1) Knights Grand Cross; 2) Knight Commanders with star (the senior officers of the Order); 3) Commanders; 4) Knights. The Knights Chain, awarded by the highest degree of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem — Chain, are superior to the members of the Order of the 1st class. The sign of the highest degree of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre surrounded with a laurel wreath from gold with green enamel order «Jerusalem» red cross with a laid on gold figure of Jesus Christ rising from the Holy Sepulchre is worn on the Chain in especially solemn occasions. On a chain there is a gold rectangle with words of the Order motto DEUS LO VULT («God wills it» is the motto of participants of the First crusade).
The modern smart Order knight vestments of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre consist of a white dress coat with the cuffs and shoulder straps embroidered by gold black velvet tops from a gold twisted cord, white trousers with gold stripes, hat with a plume, sword on the embroidered gold belt and a long white cloth cloak with a red Jerusalem cross at the left on a breast. In less solemn occasions the knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre wear the black berets, Order sign on a neck and white order cloaks over a civil suit.
All members of the Order are submitted to the Grand master. The Grand master submits directly to the Pope.
As a part of Order there are actually the friars and the laymen who accepted vows of obedience and unselfishness. The women are also accepted to the Order along with knights. They carry black cloaks and berets and they are called dames.
According to a legend, the establishment of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre gives the credit to the leader of the First Crusade, the duke of the Lower Lorraine Godfrey of Bouillon, the liberator of Jerusalem from unfaithful one, accepted an honorary title of «lawyer (defender) of the Holy Sepulchre» in 1099. Godfrey, being the pious Christian, «didn't wish to carry an imperial golden wreath while the Heavenly Father carried a crown of thorns».
The formal purpose of Order is «strengthening of pious Christian life of own members at full fidelity to the Pope and consent with the doctrine of Church, observing the principles of mercy as a basis which are the first tool of assistance to the Holy Land for the Order».
In reality the Order is engaged in formation of the highest structure of national ruling elite. For the sake of it the kindergartens, schools, seminaries are created at the Order. They bring up the young elite very carefully, without feeling sorry for time and money. The Order uses also temples, charitable organizations, hospitals as the instrument of influence. Work of the Order is financed by monetary contributions of its members. Each knight is obliged to help the lay brothers including the achievement of political tops, promotion, earning money as this does well to the Order.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the only union of laymen of the State of Vatican City. Besides it, purely religious organizations are subordinated to Vatican: Order of the Golden Spur (Golden Militia), Order of Pius, Order of St. Gregory the Great and Order of St. Sylvester.
At present the Order totals about 30 thousand members and is one of the strongest organizations of the Roman Catholic Church. The Order has 52 representations all over the world.
The representatives of royal families, successful businessmen, politicians and scientific elite are the members of the Order worldwide. For example, the members of the Order in due time were the following: Spanish kings Alfonso XIII and Juan Carlos I; Belgian kings Leopold I. I., Albert I, Baudouin I, Albert I. I. and queen Paola; Franz Joseph I — the emperor of the Austrian empire; Wilhelm I. I. — the German emperor and the king of Prussia; Konrad Adenauer — the first federal chancellor of Germany; Franz Liszt — the Hungarian composer, pianist, teacher and the conductor; Giulio Andreotti — the Italian politician who was repeatedly the prime minister of Italy.
According to the explanation of Catholic Church, the opening of Order representation in Latvia is connected with that next year 800 years will be from the date of Terra Mariana formation and this date should be celebrated adequately. Really, in 1215 the Pope Innocent III defined that the violent baptism of Aesti, Livonian people, Latgalians, Kuron people, Semigalian people and subordinated the religious and secular German feudal lords who won these natives directly to himself. However it is not so simple.
Most likely, Vatican extends the spiritual influence on Latvia in anticipation of big geopolitical changes. Despite placement of some contingent of soldiers and military equipment, the USA leaves Baltic in the short term. Its place will be taken by the leader of the European Union — Germany. The chancellor A. Merkel already was in Riga few months ago to explain to the leadership of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia that there would be no American military bases in their countries. Germany has no the developed infrastructure of «soft power» in contrast to the USA. However it can quite rely on the spiritual force of Catholic Church, especially as a large number of influential Germans are as the part of the Order.
Besides, Vatican can have interests in the bank sphere of Latvia. Vatican has own bank — one of the largest in the world and absolutely uncontrollable to the secular authorities. However this bank continuously is shaken by scandals recently. Here, even the previous Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) was compelled to abdicate in connection with disorder in the Bank of Vatican. In Latvia because of unique ethnocratic structure there are no any scandals. So, probably, the Holy See will begin to administer the world financial streams from Riga with the help of the faithful knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Doctor of Economics Alexander Gaponenko