Blessed Gérard Tonque & the early history of the Order of Malta

STATUTES OF FR. JOBERT 1172-7

A. THE CHAPTER GENERAL OF 1176

THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SICK TO HAVE WHITE BREAD. -

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Let all men know of those who are, and those in the future shall be sons of Holy Mother Church, that I Jobert, Master of the Hospital of Jerusalem, with the good will and unanimous consent of all our brethren assembled in our Common Chapter, before the presence and witness of the passion and resurrection of Our Lord, have given and granted in permanent possession to our blessed lords, that is to say to the poor of the Xenodocheum of the Hospital of Jerusalem, and to Brother Steven the Hospitaller at the present time, and to their successors who shall come after them perpetually for all time, two casales, that is to say the casales of St. Mary and Caphaer, with all their possessions and appurtenances within and without, for the provision of white bread which should be given to them forever; and if by chance it should happen that the corn should fail in the casales or be insufficient to provide for the needs of the poor, enough should be taken from the Treasury to purchase white bread and to provide sufficient for the poor; and if should happen that the wheat from the casales should be mixed with evil herbs, good wheat should be taken measure for measure from the granary of the Hospital, and so sufficient should be provided for our lords the poor. And in order that this gift may be established and unaltered forever, we have caused this charter to be sealed with our seal; and if anyone from henceforward would go to contrary to this Holy Commandment, or would distort it, may he be damned with Judas the traitor in everlasting damnation, with Cain and Dathan and Abiron, whom the earth swallowed up, may he be cursed with the curse. Amen.
Each loaf should be the weight of two marks, and should be given to two poor persons.
This decree was made in the year of the Incarnation of Our Lord 1176.

Joubert of Syria - 7th grandmaster of the Order of Malta (SMOM)

This page is part of the publication: Blessed Gérard Tonque and his "everlasting brotherhood": The Order of St. John of Jerusalem

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