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Its members were entrusted with the célébration of
the liturgy in the Basilica of the Holý Sepulchre as
well as the pastoral care of the knights and pilgrims.
The chapter was submitted to the Patriarch of Jeru-
salem and transformed by him into an order of the
regulär canons with the rule of St. Augustine (1114).
Their position was very significant in the Holý Land
— they were the guardians of the Lorďs Sepulchre
and ministered in the most important church in
Christianity in which the rulers of Jerusalem were
crowned and buried. The order had the right to elect
the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the superiors of all
the orders active in Palestine. As a resuit, two canons
of the Holy Sepulchre rose to the patriarchal throne
of Jerusalem, and one of them became Bishop of
Bethlehem. Thanks to donations of numerous bene-
factors, new convents of the order were founded in
the Holy Land and in Europe, where hospital activity
and pastoral care came to the fore.* * * 4
Unfortunately, the order suffered the same fate as
the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the crusaders. After
the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin (1187), the seat
of its general prior was transferred to Acre, and after
its collapse (1291) to Perugia in Italy. However, in
Europe the structure of the order was decentral-
ised. Apart from the general priory (in Perugia),
the convent of Miechôw in Poland started to play
a leading role in the central and eastern part of the
continent. This convent was founded in 1163 by
Duke Jaxa of Miechôw after his pilgrimage to the
Lord’s Tomb in Jerusalem. At his request, one canon
of the Holy Sepulchre named Martinus Gallus ar-

Breslau 1938; DUCHNIEWSKI, J. - PßCKOWSKI, Z.
— PIWOŇSKI, H.: Božogrobcy. In: Encyklopedia katolička.
Vol. 2. Eds. F. GRYGLEWICZ - R. LUKASZYK - Z.
SULOWSKI. Lublin 1976, coll. 877-882; Božogrobcy w Pnlsce.
Materiály y sesji historycspiej „Boipgrobcy miechowscy ” w Miechowie
v dn. 21—22 paýdyiernika 1995. Ed. M. AFFEK. Miechôw
- Warszawa 1999; STARNAWSKA, M.: Mifdyy jeroyoltma a
Látkovém. 7-akony kryyyowe na yiemiach polskich w sredniowiec^u.
Warszawa 1999, pp. 73-106.
4 Božogrobcy (see in note 2).
5 TOBIASZ 1963 (see in note 3), p. 13.
6 PEKALSKI 1867 (see in note 3), p. 38 (2nd ed.).

rived from Palestine to Poland. Tradition maintains
that the mother church in Poland was built on soil
imported from the Holy Land and in the image of
the rotunda of Anastasis.5 In 1198, Monachus, the
Patriarch of Jerusalem, confirmed the confraternity
of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechôw, whose members
were mostly bishops and princes of Poland.6 In time,
a copy of the Lord’s Tomb was constructed alongside
the order’s church. As a resuit — especially after the
collapse of the Kingdom of Jerusalem — a pilgrimage
to Miechôw had the same significance as a pilgrim-
age to the Holy Land. Therefore, the sanctuary was
visited by the monarchs of Poland.
The liturgy of the Canons of the Holy Sepulchre
was based to the Council of Trient on the rite used
in the Basilica of the Hole Sepulchre in Jerusalem,
combined with some rituals transplanted here by the
French clergy during the first crusade.7 According to
lacobus Vitriaco, the canons enjoyed some privilèges
during the liturgy of Holy Saturday. They were al-
lowed to sing the proclamation “Christ is risen from
this tomlC instead of “ Christ is risenfrom the tomb“ sung
by all Christians. During the reading of the Paschal
Gospel, námely the verse “He has risen, he is nothere“, a
deacon of this order had the right to point his finger
at the Holy Sepulchre. The canons also believed in
the miracle of Holy Fire descending from heaven to
the dark Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre every year
on Easter Eve.8
The order’s historians claimed that the canons of
the Holy Sepulchre initiated a solemn célébration
of Good Friday and Holy Saturday in Poland that
7 On the liturgy of the Canons of the Holy Sepulchre, see
KOPEC, J.: Teksty oficjum Sacrosancti Sepulchri Hiero-
solymitani u Božogrobców miechowskich i w Proprium
Poloniae. In: Archiva, Biblioteki i Muzya Košcielne, 20, 1970,
pp. 179-194; PIWOŇSKI, H.: Liturgia Wielkanocna u
Božogrobców. In: ïlocyniki Teologic^no-Kanonic^ne, 16, 1969,
No. 4, pp. 93-102; PIWOŇSKI, H.: Liturgia Wielkosobotnia
u Božogrobców. In: Studia Theologica Varsaviensia, 9,1971, No.
2, pp. 131 -146; PIWOŇSKI, H.: Liturgia Wielkoczwartkowa
u Božogrobców. In: Archiva, Biblioteki i Muyea Koicielne, 35,
1977, pp. 215-280; WOLNIK, E: Tajemnica krzyža wliturgii
nyskich božogrobców. In: Studia Teologicyno-Historycyne Slqska
Opolskiego, 16,1996, pp. 289-312.
8 After NAKIELSKI, S.: De sacra antiquitate et statu Ordinis
Canonici Custodum Sacrosancti Sepulchri Domini Hierosolymitani.
Cracovia 1625, p. 20.

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