Crest Order of the Knights of the Holy Cross

One Cross,
many communities

On the ecumenical dimension of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Cross

The Order of the Knights of the Holy Cross is not another Church. Nor is it a movement that dissolves confessional identity in the name of some vaguely defined unity. It is something different — and it is precisely this that makes its ecumenical dimension distinctive.

The Order unites Christians of various ecclesial traditions — Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox, Christians from free churches — under one condition: the profession of Trinitarian faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Everything else — church affiliation, liturgy, detailed theology — remains a personal matter for each Knight.

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us."

— Gospel of John 17:21

This prayer of Christ in the Upper Room is not a pious wish. It is a programme. It is a task which the Church — and with it every Christian — received for the whole of history. The Order of the Knights of the Holy Cross takes this prayer seriously.

What the Order's ecumenism is not

The Order's ecumenism is not confessional relativism. We do not proclaim that all denominations are right about everything, that doctrinal differences are unimportant, that truth is a matter of taste. Every Knight remains faithful to his Church and its teaching. No one is asked to relinquish their own convictions.

The Order's ecumenism is not diplomacy without a backbone. We are not seeking the cheapest formula of common denominator. We are seeking something deeper — a common foundation that is truer and more lasting than our divisions. That foundation is Christ himself.

Six principles of the Order's ecumenism

I
Common foundation
Faith in the Triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is the only condition for membership in the Order. Everything else is secondary.
II
Respect for tradition
Every Knight remains faithful to his Church. The Order does not replace the Church — it complements its work in the sphere of brotherhood and service.
III
Equal dignity
No Knight is discriminated against on account of his denomination. Functions in the Order depend on qualifications, conduct and service — not on church affiliation.
IV
Common prayer
We pray together with prayers that unite us: the Lord's Prayer, psalms, prayers for the unity of Christians. No one is compelled to participate in rites contrary to their tradition.
V
Culture of dialogue
Doctrinal differences are discussed with respect and humility. Disparaging, mocking or publicly insulting other Christian traditions is forbidden.
VI
Common mission
Together we defend the Christian heritage of Europe, support religious freedom and bear witness to Gospel values in the public sphere.

Discipline as the foundation of brotherhood

The Order is not a discussion group or a loose movement with beautiful slogans. It is an order — with all the consequences that word implies. This means discipline, hierarchy, responsibility, formation.

This is precisely why the Order's ecumenism is possible and real. When people of different traditions meet within a common discipline — when they form themselves together, serve together, are accountable to one another — confessional differences cease to be a barrier and become a richness.

Fides. Fraternitas. Servitium.

Faith. Brotherhood. Service.
Under this standard, the Knights of the Holy Cross meet.
Read the Ecumenical Charter → Register for the Assembly