PROLOGUE to the German revised printed version:

Gerhard Lagleder: Die Ordensregel der Johanniter/Malteser. Die geistlichen Grundlagen des Johanniter-/Malteserordens, mit einer Edition und Übersetzung der drei ältesten Regelhandschriften. EOS Verlag der Erzabtei St. Ottilien. 1983 (ISBN 3-88096-151-4) [2nd revised edition 1994 Order online]- (The Rule of the Order of St. John / Malta. The spiritual foundations of the Order of St. John / Malta, with a publication and translation of the Rule's three oldest manuscripts. EOS Publishing House of St. Ottilien Archabbey. 1983)

Moved by immense personal joy I submit to the reader this work on the spiritual foundations of the Order of St. John / Malta. It is based on my theological dissertation which I submitted on September 1, 1980, to the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Regensburg (Germany) as a typescript under the title:

"DAS NEUE IN DER GEISTLICHEN TRADITION DES JOHANNITERORDENS. Eine Untersuchung und Darstellung der geistlichen Grundlagen des Johanniterordens, ihrer Tradition und eigenständigen Elemente." - (The innovation in the spiritual heritage of the Order of St. John. A survey and description of the spiritual foundations of the Order of St. John, their tradition and independent elements).

In the meantime I was asked by various people for one or several copies of the work or to publish it. This may be done herewith. The study does neither claim scientific meticulousness nor completeness. It rather aims mainly at the interested member of every organisation serving under the Maltese cross, to introduce them to the foundations of the service which they render. This study originally served scientific purposes as a dissertation, but this version wants to reach a wider group of interested people. Therefore I revised it entirely and simplified it linguistically (especially in Part I), I added new scientific findings and totally restructured Part III. My brother Johannes Lagleder, Neuburg/Donau (Germany) and especially my father emeritus vice principal Hans Lagleder, Altötting (Germany), both university graduates in history , German and geography, who contributed the essential part of the transcription and translation of the medieval German manuscript, assisted me greatly.

The printing would not have been possible without somebody taking its financial risk, which was taken over in the friendly generosity, which is typical of the personality of Grand Cross of Obedience, Valentin Count of Ballestrem KM, Straubing (Germany). I would hereby also like to express my special gratitude to him. My gratitude is due to the EOS Publishing house, St. Ottilien (Germany), and its director Fr. Dr. Bernhard Sirch O.S.B. and his staff, especially Bro. Otto Steidle O.S.B. and last but not least, my venerable religious superior, His Grace, the Right Reverend Archabbot Notker Wolf O.S.B. and Rev Fr. Ansgar Schmid O.S.B., who gracefully relieved me from other duties for the revision and printing of this study. I wish all readers may benefit richly through this reading and be caught by that spirit, which is not only the basis, but - because it is Holy Spirit - the source of strength and the aim of the service under the Maltese cross.

St. Ottilien, on the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Order, Blessed Gérard, September 3, 1983

Fr. Gérard Lagleder O.S.B.


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

This page was last updated on 13.10.14 14:43:18


 

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