Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar
Priests
The Degree of Knight of the Black Cross
1998/2015
Compiler's Notes: Knights of the Black Cross assemble in a
Conclave of the
Order and the Officers are the Most Wise Sovereign, SW, IW,
Prelate, Conductor,
Captain and Lieutenant of the Guard and the Sentinel, once again
the Members are
known as Perfect Knights. The Altar, which is centrally placed,
should be
covered with a white cloth on which is a black cross, and on it
are placed a
Bible and an unsheathed sword. Knights wear the Mantle and Cap
of the Temple
with the addition of the Sash of the Degree which is white on
which is
embroidered a black passion cross with P, in gold, surmounting
the upright of
the Cross. All Officers, with exception of the Prelate, should
wear swords in
frogs.
Opening
MWS gives ***, all rise: Perfect
Knight
Senior Warden, it is my will and pleasure that this Conclave of
Knights
of the Black Cross be now opened.
SW: Perfect Knight
Junior Warden, it
is the will and pleasure of the Most Wise Sovereign, as it is also
mine, that
this Conclave of Knights of the Black Cross be now opened.
JW: Perfect Knights, it
is the will
of the M.W.S., as it is of the Perfect S.W. and it also mine, that
this Conclave
of the Knights of the Black Cross be now opened. Perfect Knight,
Lieutenant of
the Guard you will be pleased to inform the Perfect Knight Sentinel.
LotG opens the door slightly and so advises the Sentinel. When
done he closes
the door and addresses the MWS:
M.W.S.,
the Sentinel is at his post and awaits your pleasure.
MWS: Then I deciare
this Conclave of
Black Cross Knights duly and truly opened. Perfect Knight Conductor,
attend to
the Altar.
Conductor opens the Bible at Mark XV and places the sword across
the Book.
MWS: *********.
SW: *******.
JW: *****.
LotG: ***.
Sent.: *.
MWS: Iesus.
SW: Hominum.
JW: Salvator.
MWS: Jesus, Saviour of
Men. Pause
Perfect Knight Prelate, Offer a prayer in his Name.
Prel.: O Prince of
Light and Son of
God, do thou now bless this Conclave which gathers in Thy Name and
works by Thy
will. Amen
All: Amen.
MWS gives * and all sit.
Reception
The Conductor retires and ensures that the Candidate is prepared
by being
clothed as a Knight Templar, then leads him to the door where he
gives *, the
door is opened a little by the LotG who demands:
LotG: Who are you who
causes this
alarm at the door of our Conclave?
Cond.: A Knight of the
Temple who is
also well skilled in other Orders of Chivalry.
LotG: What seeks he
here?
Cond.: Further progress
as a Knight
and Mason, by being created a Knight of the Black Cross.
LotG: By what right
does expect to
obtain that honour?
Cond.: By virtue of the
Word of a
Black Cross Knight, which I give for him.
LotG: Then give it to
me.
Cond. gives the Word Praetorium.
LotG: Abide here
while I report to the M.W.S.
LotG closes the door, marches to the centre of the floor on
the West side of the altar, gives the Sign and says:
LotG: M.W.Sovereign, at
the door
stands a Knight of the Temple who seeks further advancement by
virtue of the
Word of a Black Cross Knight and awaits your pleasure.
MWS: Admit the
Applicant in regular
form. Perfect Knights, prepare to receive the Stranger.
All rise, the LotG returns to the door and opens it. The
Conductor and Cand.
enter and the CotG and the LotG then take up position and follow
in procession
with swords drawn. As the procession reaches the East, the
Prelate begins to
read l Timothy Ch. VI v. xi to xvi, then Mark Ch, XV, v, xvi and
xxxxiii to
xxxxvi. As near as can be done, the Cand. should be placed
before the altar as
the Prelate finishes. Once there, he should be instructed to
kneel by the Cond.
to take the Obligation.
The CotG and the LotG then cross their swords over the head of
the Cand.
MWS: Place your right
hand on the
Holy Bible and with your left, hold this sword, point downward, so
that the
cross piece is level with your eyes. You will now repeat after me,
using your
Christian name in the appropriate place.
I, …, a true Knight of the Temple, do hereby solemnly swear and
pledge that
I will never reveal to anyone, less he be a fellow Knight of this
august Degree,
and shall have received it in the same legitimate manner as I, the
Secrets of a
Perfect Knight of the Black Cross. Nor shall I conjoin, in any
manner, in
admtting another to this Degree, unless in a constitutional Conclave
of the
Order. All this I swear and pledge under no less a penalty than that
of forever
being deprived of the rights of Masonry and being branded an
unscrupulous
Brother. You will now seal this Oath by kissing the crosspiece of
the sword
which represents that Cross on which our Prince of Light was
crucified. At
this point, a transparency or picture of the Crucifixion is
illuminated or
uncovered. Gaze now upon the suffering of our Lord
and forever
remember your oath. The Cand. is left in
silence for a
few moments to meditate upon the Crucifixion.
MWS: Since all
aspirants to this
Degree must be Knights of the Temple of Solomon, we therefore deem
it
unnecessary that you must be dubbed again. Therefore let me present
you with the
Sash of a Knight of the Black Cross, which as you can see is white
with a black
cross emblazoned upon it, upon which the letter P in gold is
surmounted. The
white represents the innocence of the Lamb, the black cross the
instrument of
His suffering, the letter P represents the Praetorium which was the
place into
which Jesus was taken before he was crowned with thorns. Thus, as I
invest you
with the Sash, so do I invest you as a Knight of the Black Cross,
with the
rights and privileges of the same.
The ceremony, as you have seen, is commemorative of the Crucifixion,
that
great expiatory offering wherein our Gracious Emmanuel, the Great
Captain of our
Salvation, gave His own life, to ransom ours. I will now instruct
you in the
Secrets of a Black Cross Knight. The sign is given by placing the
right arm over
the left, grasping the arms at the wrist as if encircling and
lowering a body
from the Cross. The Pass Word is Praetorium, which meaning you have
already
heard. The Grand Word is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a title of
our
Emmanuel. The grip is given by taking the other's hands, left to
left and right
to right, the right uppermost, and thus forming a cross. Thus,
endowed with the
Secrets of our Knighthood, you may now take up your rightful place
among us. Cond.
takes Cand. to a vacant place and resumes his station.
MWS: Perfect Knights,
the labours of
the day having been satisfactorily concluded, let all hear that it
is my will
and pleasure that this Conclave of Knights of the Black Cross be now
closed. *.
LotG: Perfect Knights
of the Black
Cross, you have heard the will and pleasure of the M.W.S. and in
obedience to
his wishes, I do now stand down the Sentinel. Opens the
door and advises the Sent. and thereafter doses the door.
Sent.: *********.
LotG: *******.
JW, *****: Consilio et
animis
SW, ***: Consilio et
prudentia
MWS, *: Constantia et virtute.
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