Conduct of Investitures

Canonical right to establish units and to conduct Investitures

The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (OSMTH — Magnum Magisterium) acts in strict accordance with the principles of direct succession of Order authority (the vertical of Tradition).

In our branch the right to confer knightly degrees and to establish new structural units is the exclusive prerogative of the Highest Order authority and is transmitted solely by named Magisterial acts. The lawful rights and legitimate powers of our jurisdiction in the Eurasian space are formally confirmed by the following fundamental documents:

• Magisterial Patent of 31 May 2016 (No. 082.0045): Issued personally by the 51st Grand Master and Prince-Regent of the Order, His Highness Dom Fernando de Sousa Fontes. This decree vested the leadership of our jurisdiction with the sovereign right to create new Priories and to celebrate the sacraments of Investiture (consecration) into all legitimate degrees of the Order of the Temple.
• Supreme Magisterial Patent of 1 April 2025 (No. GM52 - 000897): Issued by the present lawful 52nd Grand Master of the Order, His Highness Dom Albino Rodrigues Neves Filho. By this act His Highness Alexey Andreev, Master Templar (Mestre Templário), was vested with the fullness of supreme executive and spiritual authority, confirming the establishment of the Regional Magistracy with exclusive powers on the entrusted territory.

On the basis of these Highest Magisterial acts the Regional Magistracy is the sole lawful and internationally recognised guardian of the Temple Tradition throughout the Eurasian canonical territory.

All investitures, edicts establishing local units (Priories, Bailiwicks, Commanderies) and diplomas issued within the work of our Chapter possess full and undisputed international legitimacy within the Magnum Magisterium branch.