The Commissariats for the Holy Land
The Custody of the Holy Land increases its activity thanks to the help of the Commissaries, Friars Minor who are “bridges between the Holy Land and Christians all over the world”.
The Commissaries operate in the territory of their Franciscan Province:
- They collect the donations of the "pro Terra Sancta" collection on Good Friday
- They propose Days dedicated to the Holy Land,
- They ask for help so that the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land can continue
- They organize pilgrimages to the Biblical Places and distribute informative material and religious objects made in the Holy Land.
The historical origins
The origin of the Commissariats of the Holy Land is very ancient and is motivated by the enormous difficulties of the Custody to fulfil its tasks in a very complex political and religious situation.
Having observed that neither the lives of the friars nor preserving the Holy Places was possible without alms from the Christian princes, the first Statutes of the Custody (1377) established that the Custos appoint one or two laymen to administrate the alms. Half a century later, the figure of the Commissary of the Holy Land was officially established with the Bull,His quae by Pope Martin V (14th February 1421). In more recent times, Pope Paul VI declared that the activity of the Commissaries, “as meritorious as in the past, is still valid and functional" (Paul VI, Nobis in animo).
Commissariats Liaison Office (Clio)
Fr. Silvio Rogelio De la Fuente
Betfage
E-mail: clio@custodia.org
Currently there are 67 Commissariats of the Holy Land, distributed in 60 nations of the world
Europe
Austria
Bosnia-Erzegovina
Croatia
- Commissariato Terra Santa - Zagreb - Croazia
- Commissariato Terra Santa - Klis - Croazia
- Commissarius Terrae Sanctae - Trogir - Croazia
France
Germany
Holland
Ireland
Italy
- Commissario Generale di Terra Santa - Napoli - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Bonorva - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Castella Grotte - Italia
- Commissariato Terra Santa - Milano - Italia
- Commissario Terra Santa - Salerno - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Palermo - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Foligno - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Firenze - Italia
- Commissario di Terra Santa - Ostra Vetere - Italia
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Madrid - Spagna
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Santiago de Compostela - Spagna
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - San Sebastian - Spagna
Switzerland
Hungary
United Kingdom
America
Argentine
Bolivia
Brazil
- Comissário da Terra Santa - Recife - Brasile
- Comissário da Terra Santa - Porto Alegre - Brasile
- Comissário da Terra Santa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasile
- Comissariado da Terra Santa - Belo Horizonte - Brasile
- Vice-Comissário da Terra Santa - Santarem - Brasile
- Comissário da Terra Santa - Belém - Brasile
- Comissário da Terra Santa - Brasilia - Brasile
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Yucatan - Mexico
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Coyoacan - Mexico
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Coyoacan - Mexico
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Jalisco - Mexico
- Comisario de Tierra Santa - Tijuana - Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Perù
Portorico
United States of America
- Commissary of the Holy Land - Washington - USA
- Commissary of the Holy Land - St. Louis - USA
- Commissary of the Holy Land - Oceanside - USA
Venezuela