II.   Sovereign

An Ordo, or “Order” is a fraternal organization or brotherhood formed by some standard rules and embodied as some formal institute to which members pledge their allegiance and obedience by public solemn vow.

The word ordo is Latin for “type, group, arrangement or association of people of the same rank, social class or station”.

By definition, all Ordo (Orders) are religious due to the symbolic and symbiotic relationship between at least one sacred rule, at least one (1) sacred space, at least three (3) members and the ritual of solemn public vows between members.

However, Ordo (Orders) may be generally classified according to three (3) methods being by virtue, function or rank.

Ordo (Orders) may be generally classified into groupings according to the perceived Western Roman “virtues” of Chivalry, Fraternity, Piety, Austerity or Fidelity:

(i) Chivalric Orders are noble orders, some of which were originally founded under the Carolingians in the 8th Century, but have all since been consumed by the Roman Cult; and

(ii) Fraternal Orders are brotherhoods, of which the most famous are the formation of the Ordo Praeitum in 1119 CE in Pisa and the Ordo Fraternum Minori in 1223 in Venice; and

(iii) Pius Orders are religious orders usually of priests, such as Ordo Sancti Benedicti (Benedictines), and the Ordo Fratrum Minorum Capuccinorum (Capuchins); and

(iv) Austere Orders are religious orders of priests who devote themselves to extreme monastic life such as the Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae (Trappists); and

(v) Fidelity Orders, also known as military orders, are orders formed for military, geopolitical and financial management, such as Ordo Pauperes Templum (Templars).

Ordo (Orders) may be generally classified into five (5) groupings according to general function in terms of ecclesiastical life being Secular, Canonical, Monastic, Mendicant and Clerical.

(i) Secular Orders are those orders that do not require strict religious vows, such as the Sovereign Knights of Malta and other Knight Orders; and

(ii) Canonical Orders are those orders that primary perform and protect the liturgy of the church (hence canon in terms of “singing the liturgy”) such as the Augustinian Orders; and

(iii) Monastic Orders are those orders formally “cloistered” in monastic life such as the Ordo Cisterciensis (Cisternians); and

(iv) Mendicant Orders are involved in the community and depend on the alms of others such as the Ordo Fraternum Minori (Franciscans); and

(v) Clerical are Orders often involved in science, education, finance and law such as
 the Societas Iesu (Jesuits).

Ordo (Orders) may be generally classified into two (2) types based on rank being Regular versus General and Mendicant versus Clerical.

(i) Regular comes from Regularis and is Latin for regulae meaning “petty kings, chiefs, princes and rulers”; and

(ii) Mendicant is a 16th Century created word constructed from two Latin words menda meaning “fault, error, defect, blemish or lapse” and canto meaning “recite, sound, chants, proclaim or sing magic spells”. Hence the true meaning of the word mendicant is “one who recites, sounds, chants or proclaims magic spells to influence some spiritual matter concerning an alleged fault, error, defect, blemish or lapse against the soul”.

Since the 16th Century and the Council of Trent, Orders of the Roman Cult have been allocated unique names in Latin divulging a unique authority, purpose and role. The most common Latin words used to define these Latin titles are:

(i) Canoni comes from two Latin words being cano meaning “to sing, to recite, to celebrate, to prophecy, to sound” and ni meaning “if not, unless”. Hence the literal meaning of canoni is “not to sing, recite, sound, celebrate or prophecy unless authorized or permitted”; and

(ii) Clericus comes from two Latin words cleu meaning “hook, peg, guide, yard or thread (as in myth of Theseus) as used to guide one’s way through the Underworld” and Rica meaning “sacrificial veil”. Hence a Cleric is literally a “sacrificial vestment wearing guide of the Underworld”; and

(iii) Collectae comes from the Latin word meaning “donations and contributions”; and

(iv) Congregatio comes from two Latin words con meaning “with, together” and gregatio meaning “herd (of animals) or crowd of common people”. The literal meaning is “union, assembly or society for the common people or animals”; and

(v) Conventus is Latin for “meetings or trials concerning estates, assizes or agreements” and

(vi) Dis in Latin means Pluto being another name for the equivalent figure of Satan, Hades or Moloch; and

(vii) Corum comes from two Latin words being cor meaning “heart” and um meaning “about”. Hence the true etymological meaning of corum is “about (matters) of the heart”; and

(viii) Fratrum is Latin for “brotherhood or fraternity”. The word does not mean “friar”. Instead the word “friar” comes from Anglaise frère itself from Latin fre meaning “keeper or custodian” and re meaning “property”; and

(ix) Minorum is Latin for “subordinate, inferior, younger or descendents”; and

(x) Regularis is Latin for regulae meaning “petty kings, chiefs, princes and rulers”; and

(xi) Tertius is Latin for “the Third World or Underworld of Pluto, also known as Satan and Hades”.