The Order of Malta
The Order is a Catholic organisation, founded in the eleventh century as a Christian undertaking to help the poor and the sick with total impartiality. The Order has a strong religious inspiration. It has 13,000 members worldwide. Members who take solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are known as Professed Knights of Justice.. |
Mission
The 900 year old mission of the Order is to protect and assist the Church (tuitio fidei) and live by Christian principles, to serve the poor, the sick and the needy (obsequium pauperum). Its priority is to build understanding, fraternity and cooperation among peoples, through its work with the sick and those marginalised by society, and by reaffirming human dignity and human rights. Relief in cases of natural catastrophes or armed conflicts are a traditional focus of the Order.
It is a sovereign subject of international law, with its own constitution, passports, stamps and public institutions. The Order of Malta is neutral, impartial and non-political, caring for people regardless of race, origin or religion since 1048.
With associations in forty six nations, the Order of Malta supports charitable works on every continent. At its head is the Prince and Grand Master who is styled His Most Eminent Highness. He is accorded the ecclesiastical precedence of a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, with the diplomatic honours due to a sovereign head of state. The Grand Master is a friar who has taken solemn religious vows. He resides in the Magistral Palace which is the Order's international headquarters in Rome's famous Via Condotti.
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