< The Von Palm Cremation (continued from page 4-19) >
preteace azure, an eagle dis...; saore, crowned of. The whole surmounted by any ancient baron's crown. Surrounding the stick there is shown the points of the Star of St. John of Malta and the collar of the Sovereign Order of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.
The following are from among the documents left by the Baron von Palm at his decease. The original of the first is in Latin and is the regular deed of investiture in the knightly Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The obligations under oath and vow recited at the end are a startling contrast to the religious views of the Baron at the time on his death, and the Herald gives its readers the document in its entirety, as a curiosity which one does not often come across:
Brother Cherubinus, of Civetia, of the Order of Friar's Minor of Our Holy Father St. Francis, Father of the Roman Province of Our Beloved Obedience, Lector of Theology, Member of the Sacred Congregation of the Propoganda, Prefect of the Missions to Palestine and Cyprus, in the East; Apostolic Commissary, Visitor of the Sacred Hill of Sion, Guardian of the Most Holy Sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ and Warden of all the holy Land.
To all and every of Christian who shall see our letters or shall hear them read, salvation from Him who is the true salvation.
From the monuments of history" we know that those most invincible, heroes, Charlemagne, the ever august Emperor; Louis VI., Philip the Wise, Saint Louis IX., Philip, King of Spain and many other high-minded kings and princes of the Christian commonwealth, zealous for the honor of God and that of the Catholic faith, as well as their most doughty defenders, did voluntarily pledge, and have lately vowed themselves and their properly to the immortal God, and that at various times they created most valiant knight; under certain rules, to the end solely that; having conquered the nefarious infidels, they might be able freely to guard the Holy City of Jerusalem and the sepulchre of our Lord rising from the dead, and to defend them to the best of their ability. And then at a favorable time the dignity of this knightly Order flourished when the renowned Duke Godfrey of Bouillon led the expeditions intrusted to him by Christian princes against the hosts of the infidel, and in the year 1099 from the birth of Christ, having brought together a great army of soldiers, numbering 300,000, bearing the sign of the Cross, for the storming of the Holy City, he conquered, with God's help, more than 300,000 of the enemy, Jerusalem having been captured the renowned Godfrey was solemnly proclaimed King of Jerusalem by the unanimous vote of all. In which office, without any delay, burning as he was with desire, he took into his charge the sepulchre of Christ, the Lord. And in order that it might be properly guarded, he did not, indeed, disdain to found and institute the Holy Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre under the most holy ordinances, and for this purpose he immediately created many most illustrious and most noble men knights of the sepulchre of our Lord rising from the dead, and he armed and decorated them with, red crosses engraved on a silver shield, decreeing for the future that they should be bound to wear them as a patent of nobility on their garments, both in war, in the halls of kings, as well as in all gatherings of the faithful. Hence most Christian kings were both the founders as well as the heads of this holy Order. And thus, being bucked up with such auspicious support, this Order of knights once flourished. But unfortunately, Jerusalem, having been again taken in the year 1187, when Urban VIII commanded the bark of the Church, and all Catholics having been driven out of Asia, this most holy, knightly Order remained almost paralyzed and extinct. Hence the queen of the nations became as it were a widow, and of all her dear ones there was no longer one who would offer her comfort and consolation. But in the grief in which she was placed the Lord consoled her by stirring up the mind of Robert, the King of the Two Sicilies, to make an effort to buy the places of our most holy redemption from the Sultan of Egypt, which, indeed, that worthy Prince (while Clement V. held the place of the Fisherman) obtained, not without difficulty and expense, for the humble sons on the seraphic patriarch, Saint Francis of Assi, and gave them permission to dwell on the most lively hill of Zion, where such great miracles have been performed, and in the past and most sacred basilica of the resurrection of our Lord. About which time our most lively lord, Alexander VI., Pope, in the year 1496, in order not only to restore the memory of the most ancient institute on this most worthy knightly Order, and further to increase the piety and reverence of the faithful toward the sepulchre of Christ, and to stir up their minds Vigorously for the recovery of the holy places, mercifully allowed the guardian of the most Holy hill of Zion and his Vicar General (namely, the prefect of all the Holy Land), and their successors for the time being, to create, arm and appoint knights of the most Holy Sepulchre, as of old. Allerward Leo X., on the 4th of February, 1561; Pius IV., on the 1st of August, 1561: Alexander VII., on the 3d of August, 1665: Benedict XII., on the 3d of March, 1727, granted and praised the same. But lastly Benedict XIV., while approving the statutes and constitution for the government of the Holy Land by a special favor confirmed the said permission to create knights of the most Holy Sepulchre, which had been respectively granted by his predecessor's to the guardians of the Holy Land in the bull begin by:– “In supremo militantis ecclesioe; given at Rome on the 7th of January, 1746, in the sixth year of his pontificate. Which, indeed, has been executed by our predecessors in such a way that from that time forward very many knights have been and are still created. Into whose number the most excellent gentleman, Joseph Henry Dynastes di Palm, Royal Equerry to His Majesty the King of Bavaria and Secretary of Legation of the said king of Bavaria, born at Carlsruhe, has vehemently desired to be decorated with the laurels an splendors of the aforementioned knightly Order of the Holy Sepulchre. But as on account or the various cares which press upon him he cannot come to the place himself, he has expressed to us by letter his wish that we would deign in the usual manner to admit him by proxy to the same Sacred College of the Knights of the Most Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Chris. Wherefore the Very Reverond Father Joseph Maria Rodat, of this honorable Convent of the Most Holy Saviour, act as his lawful proxy in our presence, and having shown necessary attestations, has humbly begged us to admit the same most excellent gentleman Joseph Henry into the society of the knights of this most holy Order. We therefore, yielding to his prayers, and having made cautious inquiry touching those things which according to the most ancient laws were required in a true soldier of Christ, have found the aforesaid most excellent gentleman, Joseph Henry, in all things fit and worthy of such an honor. Wherefore the aforesaid Joseph Maria Rodat, vicar of the Convent of the Most Holy Saviour, having appeared before us to receive as his proxy the order, having made the vow and taken the Apostolic oath, in virtue of the peculiar authority which we enjoy in these matters, we have created the most worthy Joseph Henry a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, have decorated him and have placed around the neck of the aforesaid Very Reverend Father Joseph Maria Rodat, vicar of St. Saviour's and his proxy, with the accustomed solemnities, the golden chain with the cross pendent from it, in the very place of the Holy Sepulchre, on the 19th day of the month of January, in the year of our Lord 1845, and by the present letters we declare and publish that he has been by us thus decorated, distinguished, created and armed, with the special right of bearing the insignia of this Order, both in private and public, and of using them as his arms, together with that of enjoying all the privileges, indulgences, favors, exemptions and prerogatives which the other knights of the same knightly Order do or shall in future enjoy. In faith ... of which things we have decreed to send ... patent signed by our hand and bearing pendant greater seal on the Resurrection of the Lord. Adieu, and may God grant thee His aid for the defence and exaltation of the holy places.
Privileges granted by popes, emperors and kings to the Knights of the Most Holy Sepulchre:–1. The Knights of the Most Holy Sepulchre have precedence of all others, of whatever order or army, except those of the Golden Fleece. 2. They may legitimatize those not born in lawful wedlock, change die Christian name, grant coats of arms and create notaries. 3. They may hold ecclesiastical property, even though they be married, for the purpose of defending the faith of Christ, without prejudice to the Church. 4. They are everywhere exempt from all taxes and tributes, both of wine and others. In time of war they are exempt from guard duty and from hospital work. 5. If they should find a corpse hung up to a gibbet, having unsheathed their sword they may cut the rope and order that the body be buried.
The obligations by which the Knights of the Most Holy Sepulchre are bound by their oath and the pow of their profession are:–1. The Knights of the most Holy Sepulchre must hear mass every day, if the opportunity offer. 2. In case of need they are bound to expose their property and life when general war is being prepared against the infidels, and either to come in person or send a proper substitute. 3. They are obliged to defend the holy Church of God and its ministers against their persecutors, and to the best of their power to free them from such. 4. They must avoid unjust war's, filthy pay and lucre, tournaments and duels, and all similar things (except it be for military exercise). 5. They must foster among the faithful of Christ peace and true concord, adorn the Republic, promote divine worship, do works of piety, show in word and example the precept of salvation, and show themselves worthy of so great an honor.
Given at the Holy City of Jerusalem in the Basilica of the most Holy Sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ, on the 20th day of January, 1845.
By order of the Most Rev. Father in Christ, Brother THESORE TESTRA, Miss ap. and Pro. Secretary.
| Brother Cherubinus de Civetia, Warden of the Holy Land
Minister General of the whole Franciscan Order. |
 We have seen this document and declare it authentic. Given at Rome, Ara Coell, June 26, 1846. |
Brother ALOYSIUS A LAURETO, Minister General.
A German document dated Vieana, September 17, 1849, and signed by W. Von Augburg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the King of Bavaria, grants permission to the royal page, Joseph Henry Von Palm, to accept the knightly Maltese Order of St. John of Malta,
Another document in Latin, dated Carlsruhe, arch diocese of Friburg, in Germany, December, 1843, and signed V. Gass, dean and parish priest, after reciting the baptism of Baron Pilm, goes on to testify that the said Joseph Henry Von Palm had always remained in the bosom of the Catholic Church, and that up to that time both in word and deed he had properly confessed the Catholic faith.
This document is curious and of value, as bearing the autograph of the celebrated Archbishop of Friburg, Herman, who was imprisoned by the Prussian government for alleged contumacy and disobedience to the Prussian ecclesiastical laws.
Among the papers is also a lengthy Latin certificate of the death and burial of the Baron's mother, signed by John Paul Grosshauser, parish priest of St. Maurice's, Aix la Chapello.
A document, bearing date November 19, 1942, contains the appointment of Joseph Henry von Palm to an attachéship at the Royal Bavarian Legation at Carlsruhe. This document is signed by Louis of Bavaria himself and countersigned by the Minister von Stemsdorl.
The attempted revolution that it indicates, however, is defended by the highest medical authority in the interest of the living. Only one other cremation has taken place in this country – that of the body of Mr. Henry Laurens about fifty years ago, on his plantation in South Carolina. When Mr. Laurens died his will was found to contain a provision that his heirs should not inherit unless his body was burned. This was accordingly done, but after the ancient method, in the open air upon a pile of wood. The circumstance excited much discussion at the time, and was generally condemned as being revival or the pagan practice. From that time until the present the subject of cremation has received more or less attention from various learned bodies, but no other body has been cremated in this country.