Your Highness, Excellencies, Knights and Dames, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Christian and Jan Olav – thank you for opening your splendid home to us once again. And dear Christian, allow me to offer my heartfelt congratulations on your new appointment as Bailie.
It is a great honour to stand before you tonight as the newly appointed Exarch of the Constantinian Order in Norway. The circle is not closed – it is extended. My dear uncle, Lieutenant Colonel Ingar Dobloug, was the first to lead the Order in Norway, and I myself became a member back in 2001. Since then, we have grown steadily – in numbers, in spirit, and in action.
What does it mean to be a member of an order? It is not a question many pause to ponder in the bustle of daily life – but tonight, in this company, it is fitting that we do. To be knighted is not a reward – it is a responsibility. It is to bear honour not as ornament, but as shield – not for self-glory, but for the protection of others.
Chivalry is courage – not only in battle, but in character. It is to stand for what is right, even when the cost is high. It is humility in victory, and dignity in defeat. A true knight does not serve his own greatness, but ideals far greater than himself: Justice. Loyalty. Honour. These are the values that make the title worth carrying.
The Christian knight does not bear the sword alone – he bears the cross.
His struggle is not merely against the enemies without, but against the shadows within:
Pride, greed, cowardice, indifference.
He fights for faith – not as coercion, but as confidence.
For hope – not as escapism, but as power in the face of evil.
And for love – the greatest of all virtues –
A love that gives itself for others,
That defends the weak, lifts the fallen, and speaks truth with gentleness.
As St. Paul writes:
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The Christian knight knows:
Justice without mercy is harsh.
Strength without humility is dangerous.
Therefore, his path must be the path of the Cross –
Where victory is not measured by might, but by sacrifice.
And he remembers the Lord’s word:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, love mercy,
And walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
We walk in a long tradition where faith and duty have marched side by side.
From the time of Emperor Constantine the Great – the first Christian emperor – belief and leadership were joined.
He bore both the sword and the sign of the cross, knowing that power must be submitted to a higher righteousness.
Christian ideals were no longer confined to the catacombs – they were raised in the public square, as a call to rule with justice and serve with grace.
In recent years, we have committed great effort to Ukraine – aiding thousands of soldiers with proper equipment in their spiritual, moral, and literal fight for their homeland. Yet the time has come to look again to the true purpose of our Order: founded to protect Christian pilgrims and push back the darkness.
Today, our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East are under siege.
They are dwindling in number, living in fear for their lives, unable to worship freely under the weight of rising extremism.
As your new Exarch, I believe it is time for us to once again look to the East.
Can we restore a church? Provide vital equipment? Offer financial support or simply draw attention to their plight – so that their fight to believe without persecution is seen, heard, and honoured?
This is our duty. For what are regalia and medals worth if they are not earned?
In most cases, an order is bestowed after a deed is done. But in our case, it is granted beforehand – as a charge, as a promise.
To wear our red cross with pride is to fill that cross with meaning – with purpose, and with action.
An insignia means nothing if the bearer has not striven to live by the symbol it represents.
The Constantinian Order bears the sign of the Cross – a timeless emblem of sacrifice, reconciliation, and divine authority.
Above the Cross soars the double-headed eagle – an ancient symbol of imperial vigilance, watching both East and West.
She bears two swords – not to dominate, but to defend:
One for the cause of faith, one for the cause of justice.
Here, the earthly and the heavenly are united – sword and cross, power and devotion.
Such a symbol reminds us that the Christian knight must always be double-called:
To contend in the world – but never for the world alone.
To guard the borders – but with his heart fixed upon the eternal kingdom.
Let me also take this moment to congratulate all those who have been newly invested into the Order.
Welcome. Your true work begins now. The honour you wear tonight is not the sum of what you have done – it is a token of what we believe you will do.
Let us raise a toast:
To the Constantinian Order in Norway –
To its Grand Master –
And to the high Protector of our noble fraternity.
God bless you all – and may our cross always shine bright in the face of darkness.