Exactly 20 years to the day after the solemn beatification of Emperor Karl I. by Pope John Paul II, a festive service was held in the Salesian Church on Rennweg in Vienna under the aegis of the Order of St. George, which was attended by our Grand Master Archduke Karl, Archduke Michael and his wife, as well as numerous organisations associated with the Archduke’s House.
Before the festive high mass, two special honours were given in the Order Residence: Suzanne Pearson was raised to the rank of Honorary Dame by our Grand Master Archduke Karl and Dr. Pier Felice degli Uberti, President of the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC), was awarded the Extraordinary Decoration of Honour in Gold in recognition of his special services to the Order of St. George and his close ties to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Our Procurator Vinzenz Baron von Stimpfl-Abele described the new Honorary Dame in his short laudation as follows: ‘Suzanne Pearson is a special woman in many ways, especially because she is extraordinarily versatile: Suzanne is an American Catholic whose professional career has spanned the world of politics as well as music, and whose expertise on Blessed Karl of Austria and other matters of religion has made her a popular speaker both in the United States and internationally. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music with honours from San Diego State University, with history and political science as her second major. For many decades she worked for the US Senate in the Office of Legislative Counsel, which gave her an insider’s view of the workings of government, while pursuing a second career in music as a soprano soloist, church musician and member of the prestigious Choral Arts Society in Washington. For all these reasons, Archduke Eduard nominated her for this great honour and as Procurator of the Order of St. George, I am convinced that Suzanne, with her background, knowledge, all her talents and above all her solid foundation of values, not only fits us perfectly, but above all will be a great enrichment to the Dames.’
After the investiture of our new Honorary Dame by Archduke Karl, our Procurator introduced the Noble Prof. Dr. Pier Felice degli Uberti, Count of Cavaglià, to the assembled government of the Order as follows: ‘Pier Felice is a highly esteemed and highly decorated gentleman. He is the holder of numerous orders and honours, and has been awarded more than 85 honorary citizenships in the course of his life. He is also involved in humanitarian work, for example as a lieutenant colonel in the military corps of the Italian Red Cross. Above all, he played an influential and important role in organisations related to orders, nobility and heraldry from Italy to Spain and Great Britain. Many of you will know Pier Felice for his high and important role as President of the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC), a position he has held since 1999 and which this year marks his 25th anniversary in this position. In this sense, today’s honour could hardly be more fitting. From our point of view, too, the timing of the honour is perfect, as our Order of St. George was registered in the ICOC register this year. This is largely due to the commitment of Pier Felice, who was associated with the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, its values and goals throughout his life and who also recognised the importance of the work of our community, which, as a dynastic order, serves precisely these values and goals. Due to his great connection to the Archducal House, for his commitment to much of what we as the Order of St. George also stand for, especially for his sustained commitment to the serious cultivation of chivalric history, tradition and culture, he is a truly worthy recipient of the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Order of St. George in Gold, which is being awarded for the first time today.’
The ceremony was followed by the procession to the great memorial service in honour of Blessed Emperor Karl, which was celebrated by the General and Grand Master of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, Mgr. Josef Šedivý, in concelebration with Father Provincial PhDr. Marek Pučalík, PhD, O.Cr. and Abbot Prof. Dr. SL Lic. SL P. Pius Maurer OCist. Delegations from PanEuropa Austria, the Catholic-Austrian Landsmannschaften, the Wine Knights and members of the maintenance of tradition, together with the Dames and Knights of the Order of St. George, gave this anniversary an impressive setting.
Order Knight Father Marek began his homily with words that could not be more fitting for the Knights of the Order: ‘God is looking for warriors, for people who stand with both feet on the firm foundation of his words. In today’s reading, the Holy Apostle Paul calls on the Ephesians to get ready for battle: ‘Put on the armour of God’ – he writes and names the one against whom we must fight: ‘… that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ In the further course of his remarks, he built a bridge to Blessed Emperor Karl: ‘So God is looking for warriors who will stand up for his peace. In Blessed Emperor Karl, he found one who turned himself to good, who recognised the evil and misery of his time and fought against it in faith and trust in God’s love.’
Vice-Chancellor Michael Blaha, MSc, who was responsible for the overall organisation of the event, Order Marshal Senator h.c. Thomas Bernhard v. Schrempf and Bgdr Mag. Wolfgang Spalj, the Order’s Ceremonial, were once again the guarantors of perfect formal protocol.
After the final blessing, our Grand Master Archduke Karl gave very personal insights into his relationship with his grandfather and used concrete examples to illustrate why and how he should be a role model for us all. Afterwards, our newly-approved Honorary Dame Suzanne Pearson gave a touching keynote speech, which emphasised the increasing international importance that Blessed Emperor Karl plays among the faithful – especially among young people and families.
The commemoration day came to a worthy end with an aperitif in the courtyard of honour of the Salesian Sisters, with wines from the wine knights and refreshments provided by the Order of St. George, where above all the exchange between the organisations associated with the House of Habsburg was both cultivated and deepened.
Blessed Emperor Karl I. focus in ‘Die Tagespost’
Link to the interview with Honorary Dame Suzanne Pearson
Link to the ‘Die Tagespost’ free trial subscription for Dames and Knights of the Order of St. George