The Custodial Curia and Its Members

The Custodial Curia, headed by the Custos of the Holy Land, brings together all of the services of the Custody of the Holy Land allowing it, wherever it is present, to live out its vocation in order to welcome pilgrims, serve the poor, carrying out local ministry and to guard and carry out the liturgical life of the Holy Places.
It represents all of the friars, both in local church life, and with the Catholic priests of the Holy Land, and through ecumenical relations and dialogue with other religions. Furthermore, it centralizes financial services, social assistance and communication (six magazines, a printing shop, a multimedia production center, the Christian Media Center and a website), all administrative services related to the friars (from training to appointments, to procedures to obtain visas). The Curia maintains relationships with the General Curia of the Franciscan Order and every monastery of the Custody of the Holy Land in the Middle East (Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria) and those places around the world that fall under its direct jurisdiction (Argentina, Greece, Italy, Spain, are United) and the 66 Commissariats and 31 Deputy Commissariats of the Holy Land that are present in 51 countries.

The religious and official ceremonies give the different components of the Curia a very solemn appearance, but day in and day out, it works to serve the Holy Land and to help to welcome pilgrims. In recent years, several members of the Curia and other friars or lay people delegated to this task, welcomed thousands of pilgrims to St. Savior's, highlighting the current realities of the Custody, its work in the Holy Land and transmitting the “grace” of the Holy Places, in which Christianity's spiritual roots can be found.

The Custos of the Holy Land

Santissimo Sepolcro di NSJC
The Custos of the Holy Land is the Minister Provincial (i.e. the major superior) of the Friars Minor living throughout the Middle East. He has jurisdiction over the territories of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt (in part), Cyprus and Rhodes without counting the numerous houses or Commissariats in various parts of the world (worth mentioning are those in Rome and Washington).

The Current Custos

Br. Francesco Patton

Custos of the Holy Land

The Vicar

The Vicar of the Holy Land is part of the Custodial Curia.
He supports around the role of the Custos and, in his absence, presides over ceremonies and responsibilities that would be granted to the latter.
If the role of the Custos becomes vacant, it is the Vicar who, within 15 days, calls together the Discretorium Custodial so as to proceed with the election of a new Custos. 

Br. Ibrahim Faltas

current Custodial Vicar

The secretary

The General Secretary of the Custody is a member of the Curia. He is not the private secretary of the Custos: this position is currently held by a lay person. He is, above all, at the service of all the mechanisms of the Custody, including, in the first place, the Discretorium. He prepares the agenda of the meetings of the Discretorium, subsequently drawing up the minutes and ensuring the implementation of the decisions that have been taken. He is responsible for all the correspondence of the Custody with the Universal Church, with the local Church of all confessions and rites, with the Franciscan Order and the Commissars of the Holy Land and, in the last place, with all the friars, as required by the service. He is also involved in most of the administrative affairs of the Custody.

Br. Alberto Pari

Current Holy Land's Secretary

The bursar

The Bursar is elected to be in charge of the financial services of the Custody and to manage expenses and revenue under the direction of the Discretorium and in relation with the Commissars of the Holy Land. He also coordinates the personnel and the Housing and Rental Department which aids local Christians by allocating them housing belonging to the Custody.

Br. Tony Choucry

current bursar of the Custody

The discretorium

The Discretes make up the Discretorium; they are friars who are elected according to the different language groups (a linguistic group is represented by at least 12 people who speak the same language) and they are directly related to the Curia.
The Discretorium meets once a month to help the Custos in making various decisions.
The Discretorium approves the annual accounts and the reports of the Friars to who it has entrusted specific tasks.
At least once a year, it welcomes those responsible for formation, who must report on their activities. The Custos and the Custodial Vicar are members by right of Discretorium.
The Discretorium, in regards to specific situations, allow any friar or lay person to intervene in order to seek counsel and advice.

Br. John Luke Gregory

Discrete for the English-speaking group

Br. Alessandro Coniglio

Discrete for the Italian-speaking group

Br. Rashid Mistrih

Descrete Eastern group

Br. Sandro Tomasevic

Discrete for the Greek-Slavic-Franco-German-speaking group

Br. Silvio De La Fuente

Discrete for the Spanish-Portuguese group
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