Chaplains of the American

Association

Policies and Guidelines

Revised November 2014

Updated July 2018

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Chaplains of the American Association

Policies and Guidelines

The American Association has within its Clergy, four types of

Chaplains. They include:

Conventual Chaplain ad honorem (ChC)

Magistral Chaplain (ChM)

Deputy Chaplain (ChD)

Deacon Deputy Chaplain (ChDD)

All of the Chaplains within the American Association come under

the direction of the Principal Chaplain of the Association. Within

the American Association, we also have an Assistant Principal

Chaplain, who basically assists the Principal Chaplain. The

Assistant Principal Chaplain is assigned the duties at the discretion

of the Principal Chaplain.

The Conventual Chaplain ad honorem is a Chaplain of the Order

of Malta and is often a bishop. The Principal Chaplain of the

American Association is a Conventual Chaplain, and in actuality,

he is a Grand Cross Conventual Chaplain Ad honorem. The

Ordinary of the Archdiocese of New York has been, by tradition,

the Principal Chaplain of the American Association throughout the

Association’s history.

A Conventual Chaplain ad honorem and a Magistral Chaplain are

both Chaplains of the Order of Malta and are members of the Third

Class with all the rights and privileges except they are precluded

from holding any leadership position in the Association. A Deputy

Chaplain is considered a Chaplain of the American Association.

Clergy below the level of bishop typically would be appointed as a

Magistral Chaplain or a Deputy Chaplain. Deacons can be brought

into the Association as Deacon Deputy Chaplains.

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1. Principal Chaplain

Most of the following information is extracted from the English

translation of “Regulations for Conventual Chaplains Ad

Honorem and Magistral Chaplains” as published on 13 June

2003, by the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John

of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. It has been edited to focus on

the American Association.

This information is offered in the hope that it may help Chaplains

in their duty of giving spiritual assistance to the members of the

Order. These rules come from the Code of Canon Law and the

Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Order

of Malta.

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The Prelate, appointed by the Holy Father, is the ecclesiastical

superior of the Clergy of the Order in matters concerned with their

work in the Order. He sees to it that the religious and priestly life

of a Chaplain and his apostolate are in accordance with the

discipline and spirit of the Order, as laid down in the Constitutional

Charter and the Code.

Every Grand Priory, Subpriory, or Association has a Principal

Chaplain, who is appointed by the Prelate, in full accord with the

supervisors of said organs. The Principal Chaplain remains in

office for five years and his mandate can be renewed.

The duties of the Principal Chaplain are:

1. to assemble the Chaplains at least once a year for the purpose of:

• Coordinating and implementing the pastoral and liturgical

activities by fostering the cooperation among all the Chaplains;

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• Dealing with the competent Superiors concerning the problems of

the Order pertaining to the priestly ministry;

• Studying new forms of apostolate, in conformity with the

directives from the Holy See, the Diocesan Bishops and the

Superiors of the Order, and more suitable to the times and

circumstances;

• Proposing activities and initiatives;

2. to advise the Chaplains and help them with brotherly spirit in

carrying out their ministry particularly in case of sickness and old

age;

3. to preside at liturgical functions:

• Providing that the appointment of a Chaplain of a church of the

Order takes place in conformity with Art. 234 of the Code;

• Providing that the churches of the individual organs of the Order

be diligently maintained, that the ceremonies taking place therein

always be in conformity with the directives of the Holy See and

prudently intervening in case of possible lack of compliance;

4. to promote, in full accord with the President of the Association,

an annual course of spiritual retreat which can be held in common

with all the Areas;

5. to cooperate with the above named Superiors so that good

relationships of pastoral cooperation and spiritual harmony with

the local Churches and their Shepherds be always maintained;

6. to promote useful contacts with the Chaplains of the Order and

with the Priests of hospitals, clinics and other charitable and

assistance works existing in the territory of the Association in

order to coordinate the activity and the assistance by imparting to

them the spirit of the Order;

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7. to address every year to the Knights and the Dames entrusted to

his care an exhortation that inspires them to understand more

deeply and to put into practice the spirit of the Order;

8. to give an annual report to the Prelate about activities he has

carried out.

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It is advisable that the statutes of the American Association contain

a recommendation that the Principal Chaplains may take part in the

Annual meeting of the Organization. The Principal Chaplain may

ask to be assisted by other Chaplains, with the consent of the

Prelate, the Regent or the President of the Association, so that the

various activities of the Order may be followed up and sustained

everywhere with competence, responsibility and continuity.

2. Conventual Chaplains ad honorem

The position of Conventual Chaplain ad honorem can be held by a

bishop, an abbot, or a priest who is the principal Chaplain of the

association. A bishop holds a unique position in the Order, and

therefore is normally admitted as a Conventual Chaplain ad

honorem. When a bishop becomes seriously interested in working

with the Order of Malta, or when Association members believe the

bishop should be seriously considered as a Conventual Chaplain ad

honorem, the following procedure should be followed:

• The prospective candidate should be encouraged to participate in

the Area’s Masses, retreats, days of recollection, as well as other

events. This will enable the members to ascertain whether the

prospective candidate has a serious interest and whether or not

mutual compatibility exists.

• After a period of participation, the prospective candidate should

be proposed to come to Lourdes on the Association Pilgrimage.

This Pilgrimage should be financed by members of the Area from

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the diocese where the Bishop resides. This, again, will enable the

members to ascertain whether the prospective candidate has a

serious interest and whether or not mutual compatibility exists.

• When there is a mutual interest in the Bishop’s becoming a

Chaplain, the Area Chair should submit a substantial and

comprehensive letter of recommendation for their proposed

Chaplain to the President of the Association, recommending that

the Bishop be considered for appointment as a Conventual

Chaplain. A CV, a certificate of ordination and a letter of “nihil

obstat” should accompany the letter to the President. The letter

should explain the Bishop’s involvement with the Order’s

activities. Bishops who are Ordinaries do not require a letter of

“nihil obstat.”

• The president will then bring the recommendation of the

prospective candidate to the Board of Councillors for their

approval. The recommendation is then presented to the Principal

Chaplain for his review and approval.

• Upon approval by the Principal Chaplain, the proposal, with

appropriate documentation, is submitted to the Grand Commander,

with a copy of the documentation to the Prelate for the Conventual

Chaplain ad honorem, requesting the approval of His Most

Eminent Highness, with the Sovereign Council. If and when

approval is received from Rome, the candidate becomes a

Conventual Chaplain ad honorem designate, and is invested at the

next Investiture.

• A Conventual Chaplain is a member of the third class of the

Order and has all the rights and privileges pertaining to that class

except that he cannot hold any office within the Association.

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3. Regulations for Conventual Chaplains ad honorem

Most of the following information is extracted from the English

translation of Regulations for Conventual Chaplains ad Honorem

and Magistral Chaplains as published on 13 June 2003, by the

Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem

of Rhodes and of Malta. This information is offered in the hope

that it may help Conventual Chaplains in their duty of giving

spiritual assistance to the members of the Order. These rules come

from the Code of Canon Law and the Constitutional Charter and

Code of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It has been edited

to focus on the American Association.

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The Prelate, appointed by the Holy Father, is the ecclesiastical

superior of the Clergy of the Order in matters concerned with their

work in the Order. He sees to it that the religious and priestly life

of a Chaplain and his apostolate are in accordance with the

discipline and spirit of the Order, as laid down in the Constitutional

Charter and the Code.

The basic requirements to be considered for a Conventual Chaplain

are:

• an unblemished priestly life;

• an adequate general cultural preparation and

theological/canonical formation

• a willingness to assist the sick, the suffering, the needy and the

elderly;

• full awareness of the special characteristics of the Order and

capacity to operate spiritually in the environs of and circumstances

distinctive to the Order;

• sufficient time to devote to spiritual assistance of the brethren and

to the works of the Order, that are compatible with his other duties.

The duties of a Conventual Chaplain are:

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• to participate in the celebration of the rites in the liturgical feasts,

in the meetings and in the Pilgrimages;

• to give spiritual assistance to the movements and works of the

Order and to the initiatives sponsored by the Order;

• to provide that the members of the Order receive all spiritual aids,

particularly in case of sickness;

• to promote spiritual retreats, especially during the liturgical

periods of Advent and Lent;

• to study in depth the specific spirituality of the Order, by

promoting also the celebration of the Feasts and the Memorials of

the Saints of the Order, by using the Missal of the Order, always

respecting the mandatory norms;

• to organize annual or bi-annual courses of religious education

and spiritual formation for Knights and Dames and for those who,

though not belonging to the Order, carry out their work in the

Order’s activities;

• whenever there are no special pertinent directives, the Chaplains

should strive to take part in the religious ceremonies, the

Pilgrimages and the various meetings organized by the respective

Authorities of the Order;

• to exercise the role of “Ecclesiastical Assistant” in the various

groups or entities of the Order, in particular in the volunteer groups

and the youth groups.

The Conventual Chaplain should:

• celebrate annually at least two Holy Masses for all members of

the Order, living and dead;

• pray for His Most Eminent Highness, the Prince and Grand

Master and for the superiors of the Order and pray for the works of

the Order;

• pray daily the Prayer of the Order;

• exercise, according to the opportunity, works of corporal and

spiritual mercy, in keeping with the charisms and the traditions of

the Order;

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• be present or preside at the liturgical and Hospitaller activities of

the Order, as requested;

• be available to carry out priestly services for the sick members of

the Order.

After their acceptance, Conventual Chaplains ad honorem who are

not bishops will keep in contact with their own Principal Chaplain,

who will explain, in the light of the history and the spirituality of

the Order, the texts of the Code, of the Constitutional Charter of

the Order, and of the Statutes, as well as the pertinent liturgical

texts of the Order. In fact, it is the main duty of the Chaplains to be

well-versed in the knowledge of the history, the traditions, the

customs, and the laws of the Order, as it is their task to assist and

enlighten the members of the Order. They must make an annual

report to the Principal Chaplain about their participation in such

activities.

4. Regulations for Magistral Chaplains

The following information is extracted from the English translation

of Regulations for Conventual Chaplains ad Honorem and

Magistral Chaplains as published on 13 June 2003, by the

Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem

of Rhodes and of Malta. These rules, however, derive and take

their inspiration from the Code of Canon Law and the most recent

Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Order

of Malta. This information is offered in the hope that it may help

Magistral Chaplains in their duty of giving spiritual assistance to

the members of the Order. It has been edited to focus on the

American Association.

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The Prelate, appointed by the Holy Father, is the ecclesiastical

superior of the Clergy of the Order in matters concerned with their

work in the Order. He sees to it that the Chaplains’ religious and

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priestly life and their apostolate are in accordance with the

discipline and spirit of the Order, as laid down in the Constitutional

Charter and the Code.

The basic requirements to be considered for a Magistral Chaplain

of any rank are:

• an unblemished priestly life;

• adequate general cultural preparation and theological/canonical

formation;

• willingness to assist the sick, the suffering, the needy and the

elderly;

• full awareness of the special characteristics of the Order and

capacity to operate spiritually in the environs and circumstances

distinctive of the Order;

• for the non-professed Chaplains, sufficient time to devout to

spiritual assistance of the brethren and to the works of the Order,

that are compatible with their other duties.

The duties of a Magistral Chaplain are:

• to participate in the celebration of the rites on the liturgical feasts,

at meetings and during the Pilgrimages;

• to give spiritual assistance to the movements and works of the

Order and to the initiatives sponsored by the Order;

• to provide that the members of the Order receive all spiritual aids,

particularly in case of sickness;

• to promote spiritual retreats, especially during the liturgical

periods of Advent and Lent;

• to study in depth the specific spirituality of the Order, by

promoting also the celebration of the Feasts and the Memorials of

the Saints of the Order, by using the Missal of the Order, always

respecting the mandatory norms;

• to help organize annual or bi-annual courses of religious

education and spiritual formation for Knights and Dames, as

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appropriate, and for those who, though not belonging to the Order,

carry out their work in the Order’s activities;

• whenever there are no special pertinent directives, the Chaplain

should strive to take part in the religious ceremonies, the

Pilgrimages and the various meetings organized by the respective

Authorities of the Order;

• to exercise the role of “Ecclesiastical Assistant” in the various

groups or entities of the Order, in particular in the volunteer groups

and the youth groups.

A Magistral Chaplains should:

• celebrate annually two Holy Masses for all members of the

Order, living and dead;

• pray for His Most Eminent Highness, the Prince and Grand

Master and for the superiors and pray for the works of the Order;

• pray daily the Prayer of the Order;

• exercise, according to the opportunity, works of corporal and

spiritual mercy, in keeping with the charism and the traditions of

the Order;

• be present or preside at the liturgical and Hospitaller activities of

the Order, as requested;

• be available to carry out priestly services for the sick members of

the Order.

After their investiture, Magistral Chaplains (who are not Bishops)

will keep in contact with their own Principal Chaplain, who will

explain, in the light of the history and the spirituality of the Order,

the texts of the Code, of the Constitutional Charter of the Order

and of the Statutes, as well as the pertinent liturgical texts of the

Order. Chaplains should be well-versed in the knowledge of the

history, the traditions, the customs and the laws of the Order since

it is their task to assist and enlighten the members of the Order.

They must make an annual report to the Principal Chaplain about

their participation in such activities.

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• A Magistral Chaplain is a member of the third class of the Order

and has all the rights and privileges pertaining to that class except

that he cannot hold any office within the Association.

5. Prospective Magistral Chaplains

When a diocesan priest, or a religious priest, becomes seriously

interested in working with the Order of Malta, the Area Chair who

wishes to propose the priest as a Chaplain should write to the

president of the Association with his or her recommendation. The

letter should include a substantive statement on why the person

would be a good Chaplain. Also included with the proposal letter

should be CV, a certificate of ordination and a letter of “nihil

obstat” from the priest’s Ordinary. The President then discusses

the prospective Magistral Chaplain with the Board of Councillors.

If the Board approves, the President submits the recommendation,

with the appropriate documentation, to the Principal Chaplain.

Prospective Magistral Chaplains, as proposed members, are

expected to have at least one full year working with Area

members.

• Once a candidate is approved by the Principal Chaplain, the

President sends a recommendation to the Grand Commander, with

a copy of the documentation to the Prelate, for the prospective

Magistral Chaplain, requesting the approval of His Most Eminent

Highness and the Sovereign Council. When approval is received

from Rome, the Clergyman becomes a Magistral Chaplain and is

invested into the Order at the next investiture.

6. Deputy Chaplains

The American Association has a unique position for Chaplains

who are considering and are being considered for appointment to

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the Magistral Chaplain position. Clergy can be appointed by the

Board of Councillors with the approval of the Principal Chaplain to

the position of Deputy Chaplain. This position is intended to last

for three years and provides the Clergyman and the Area with an

opportunity to assess the interest and capacity to become a

permanent Chaplain in the Order of Malta. Generally, in the

American Association, prospective Chaplains are brought in first

as Deputy Chaplains.

At the end of three years, a Deputy Chaplain is:

a) recommended for consideration as a Magistral Chaplain;

b) recommended for reappointment as a Deputy Chaplain for three

more years; or

c) removed as a Deputy Chaplain because of lack of participation

in the Association’s activities.

A Clergyman who has been active in the Area’s activities or who

has expressed an interest in becoming involved in the

Association’s activities can be proposed by an Area Chair to the

President of the Association. A letter with a substantive

recommendation should be sent to the President of the Association

along with a CV, a certificate of ordination, and a “nihil obstat”

letter from the Ordinary. The President will present the

recommendation to the Board of Councillors; if approved, the

President will forward the recommendation with the appropriate

documentation to the Principal Chaplain for his review and

approval. If approved, the Deputy Chaplain will be installed at the

next Investiture.

7. Deacon Deputy Chaplains (Ch.DD)

Background Information:

Every year, inquiries are made from the Association’s Areas as to

how they could propose permanent deacons from their Areas to

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become members of the Order. In some cases, deacons from

various dioceses throughout the United States are performing

significant work on behalf of the Association for which a formal

affiliation would be appropriate.

Unfortunately, ordained permanent deacons are currently ineligible

for investiture as Knights of the Order since they are clerics. They

are also ineligible under the Code for membership in the Order as

Magistral Chaplains since they are not priests.

The Association possesses the authority to establish various

categories such as volunteers, auxiliary, and non-member

chaplains (Deputy Chaplains), who, though not members of the

Order, are nonetheless affiliated with the Order and aid the

Association members in living the charism, and to provide such

prerogatives, honors, duties and responsibilities as the Board may

from time to time prescribe.

To address this issue, the American Association has established the

affiliate category of Deacon Deputy Chaplains (Ch.DD)

Duties:

Deacon Deputy Chaplains will be expected to exercise their proper

diaconal ministry and role at liturgies of the Association in

accordance with liturgical norms. Additionally, Deacon Deputy

Chaplains would be expected to assist in meeting the spiritual

needs of the members, and to participate in the work of the

Association and the Order in defending the faith and caring for the

sick and the poor.

Requirements and Process:

Any ordained permanent Roman Catholic deacon who is not

already a Knight of the Order of Malta and is in good standing

with his bishop is eligible for consideration. The deacon should

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have been active in the Area’s activities or who has expressed an

interest in becoming involved in the Association’s activities.

The Area Chair should provide the following documents to the

Association President:

1) A letter from the Area Chair with a substantive

recommendation be sent to the President of the

Association, along with:

2) A Curriculum Vitae of the candidate including current

contact information

3) A copy of the deacon’s Certificate of Ordination must be

provided

4) And a letter of Nihil Obstat, i.e., permission for the deacon

to be made a Deacon Deputy Chaplain from their Ordinary.

Once the above information is received in the New York Office,

the recommendation goes to the Board of Councillors for review

and approval and then it moves onto the Principal Chaplain for

review and final approval. The deacon would then be installed at

the next Association Investiture.

Annual Contributions:

The Deacon Deputy Chaplains are exempt for all dues and

assessments and will be listed in the Association Membership

Directory with the other categories of chaplains.

Appointments:

The appointments for the deacon Deputy Chaplain is for a period

of three years, as are the Deputy Chaplains. Upon the Area Chair’s

recommendation and with the approval of the Board of

Councillors, the Deacon Deputy Chaplain can be re-appointed for

successive three-year terms. (this section on the Deacon Deputy Chaplains was included in October 2015)

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8. Celebration of Requiem Masses upon the Death of a

Member of the Association

Magistral Chaplains are asked to celebrate a Mass for the soul of

each deceased Member within a three-month period after the date

of death in the Area. As a custom, in the American Association,

the Assistant Principal Chaplain or his designee celebrates a

memorial Mass for a deceased Knight or Dame at Saint Patrick’s

Cathedral within a reasonable period after the Association is

notified of the death of a member.

9. Policy Regarding Participation by Clergy and Religious in

the Annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes

Inasmuch as the Order’s Annual Pilgrimage is first and foremost a

spiritual activity, it is imperative that a qualified and experienced

Clergy team be assembled each year, the process whereby the

Clergy, both priests and deacons, and Religious are able to

participate shall be governed by the following policies and

procedures.

1. In order to manage the spiritual element of the Pilgrimage,

the Principal Chaplain, after consulting with the AA

President, will appoint a Pilgrimage Chaplain to manage

the spiritual activities of the Pilgrimage.

2. The Pilgrimage Chaplain will assemble a Core team of

Clergy and Religious who will be responsible for the

spiritual, sacramental and liturgical aspects of the

Pilgrimage. This team will consist of Clergy and Religious

who are familiar with the Order and its activities. Others

may also be invited to serve on the team if their particular

expertise is deemed necessary. The size of the Core team

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shall be determined in conjunction with the Pilgrimage

chair(s).

3. The Core team shall participate as guests of the Pilgrimage.

The Pilgrimage Chaplain, based on the allocated number of

Clergy positions, will fill them with Association Chaplains

whose specific skills ensure they will be effective in their

specific assignments. Generally, Chaplains appointed to the

core list will have been on several Association Pilgrimages

to Lourdes and will be fully aware of what will be

appropriate and effective. This team will consist of Clergy

and Religious who are familiar with the Order and its

activities. Others may also be invited to serve on the core

team if their particular expertise is deemed necessary.

4. In addition to the Core team, other Clergy and Religious

may be invited to participate in the Pilgrimage with the

prior approval of the Pilgrimage Chaplain, working in

consultation with the Executive Director and the Lourdes

Pilgrimage Presidents. This will allow Area Chaplains and

other Clergy and Religious involved with the Order to gain

familiarity with the Pilgrimage and gain the necessary

experience for future consideration for selection to the Core

team. The cost for such participants may be covered by

the guest her/himself, by a sponsor or by the Area

where the Chaplain serves.

5. Because the Pilgrimage can only accommodate a limited

number of persons, and like every other group, Clergy and

Religious must be factored into this total number, no

Clergy or Religious may participate without the prior

approval of the Pilgrimage Chaplain who will work with

the Executive Director and the Lourdes Pilgrimage

Presidents to make final decisions beyond the core team.

Conventual and Magistral Chaplains who are not members

of the Core team are included in this provision. Due to

space limitations, it is not always possible to invite as many

Clergy or Religious as members may wish.

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6. When the number of requests for participation by additional

Clergy or Religious exceeds the space available, the

approval decisions will be based on criteria such as whether

the person is a Conventual or Magistral Chaplain, has been

designated as Deputy Chaplain; serves as an Area

Chaplain; is involved with the Order in some particular

way(s), whether their involvement brings a needed

expertise to the Pilgrimage, etc. Increasing the number of

Clergy and Religious who will be qualified to serve on the

Core team will also be a factor in such decisions.

7. Bishops who wish to participate in the Pilgrimage are

welcome to request to accompany the Pilgrimage. If

approved, they will be guests of the Pilgrimage, as will

their Secretaries. These requests will be considered in light

of the number of spaces allocated to Clergy. Every effort

will be made to accommodate the Bishops who request to

attend.

8. This policy shall not involve those Clergy and Religious

who participate as Malades and caregivers. They shall be

invited subject to the policies governing those categories.

9. Exceptions to this policy can be made by the Pilgrimage

Chaplain, in consultation with the Executive Director and

the Lourdes Pilgrimage Presidents. The final number of

Clergy for the Pilgrimage is determined by the Executive

Director and the Lourdes Pilgrimage Presidents.

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