In this Advent season of 2025, as we celebrate the Light of Peace from Bethlehem, in a world shaken by conflicts and wars between peoples, the members of the St George’s Brotherhood are actors of Peace and Fraternity across the five continents. Through the witness of their lives of faith, their scouting commitment, and their lives as engaged citizens serving their countries and peace in the world, they offer each and every one of us an invitation to place Christ ever more fully at the heart of our daily lives.
The St George’s Brotherhood is an important component of the international Catholic scouting community. This brotherhood brings together current and former leaders who have shared their energy, skills, and experience in the service of young people throughout the world. They have been co-opted in recognition of all they have contributed to scouting through their missions in the service of Catholic youth on the five continents.
Their witness to the Gospel, lived within their National Associations, is a light that illuminates our path within Catholic scouting.
The new members co-opted in 2025 are as follows:
- Daniele Beretta (Italy),
- Rui Teixeira (Portugal),
- Raed Haddad (Israel),
- Talal Moussalam (Israel),
- Pius In-Sik (Korea),
- Iimori Yasunobu (Japan).
On 13 December 2025, at Notre-Dame de Paris, fifty Servants of God were proclaimed Blessed, including fourteen Scouts of France, for their lives given during the Second World War. Fourteen young people who deliberately chose to walk their path of faith in the footsteps of Christ himself. The World Chaplain of the ICCS, Father Luis, was present at this beatification Mass, as well as the EuroMed Chaplain, Father Benoist. How can we not draw a connection between these fourteen new Blesseds and the worldwide fraternity of the St George’s Brotherhood? Christ himself calls us to this path of self-giving and self-denial. Our elders have shown us the way.
Recently, numerous delegations of scouts from 23 member countries of the CICS gathered in Rome to take part in the Jubilee journey proposed by the Holy Father. We prayed at the tomb of Francis and celebrated the Eucharist at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Two members of the St George’s Brotherhood were honoured by the Holy See: Georges El Ghorayeb and Christian Larcher were appointed Knights of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great. This is a great recognition granted by the Holy See to these two members of the Brotherhood, and a strong sign of its support for the initiatives of the ICCS, by honouring scouting leaders who have devoted their entire lives to proclaiming the Gospel to the youth of their countries.
David CREPY
CICS Mission Officer
