The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, commonly known as the Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of a military, chivalric, and noble nature. Though it possesses no territory, the order is often considered a sovereign entity under international law.
Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie was Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1988 until his death in 2008.
The Knights of Justice or Professed Knights, form the first of the three classes of members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta together with the professed conventual chaplains. They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. According to the Order's Code, "they are religious in all respects and they comply with the universal and particular norms that concern them."
The Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood founded by Charles VII of Naples in 1738. It was the last great dynastic order to be constituted as a chivalric fraternity, with a limitation to Roman Catholics and a direct attachment to the dynasty rather than the state. The founder of the order, Charles VII of Naples, ruled from 1734 until 1759.
Fra' Angelo de Mojana di Cologna was an Italian nobleman and Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1962 to 1988.
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, also historically referred to as the Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of the Constantinian Angelic Knights of Saint George, is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Currently, the grand magistry of the order is disputed among the two claimants to the headship of the formerly reigning House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as heirs of the House of Farnese, namely Prince Pedro and Prince Carlo. The order was one of the rare orders confirmed as a religious-military order in the papal bull Militantis Ecclesiae in 1718, owing to a notable success in liberating Christians in the Peloponnese. Together with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, it is one of a small number of Catholic orders that still have this status today. It is not an order of chivalry under the patronage of the Holy See, but its membership is restricted to practising Catholics.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) is a sovereign entity maintaining diplomatic relations with 113 sovereign states. Additionally, it has observer status or representation at multiple intergovernmental organisations. The Order has non-diplomatic official relations with five more states: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Canada. The Order exchanges ambassadors with the European Union and the State of Palestine.
Fra' Robert Matthew Festing GCStJ OBE TD DL was an English Roman Catholic official who was the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 2008 until his resignation on 28 January 2017, following a dispute with the Vatican.
Mariano Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz is the current head of the Austrian House of Windisch-Graetz. He is currently a member of the Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. A former ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Slovakia, he is also currently the Order's ambassador to Slovenia. He also sits on the council of the Dynastic orders of knighthood for the Royal House of Savoy.
This is an article about the postage stamps and postal history of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Fra' Gherardo Hercolani Fava Simonetti was the Grand Commander of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta between 2009 and 2011, and as such he was the religious superior of the professed knights and of the knights and dames in obedience.
Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto was the Prince and 80th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Born in Rome to a noble family with extensive ties to the Vatican, he completed his studies at the Sapienza University of Rome and taught at the Pontifical Urban University. He joined the Order in 1985 and took full vows in 1993 to become a Knight of Justice. Dalla Torre served two separate stints as interim leader of the Order, from February to March 2008 and again from 2017 until 2018. He was elected Grand Master of the Order on 2 May 2018 and served until his death. During his time in office he endeavoured to repair the Order's relations with the Vatican, which had been strained since Pope Francis ordered his predecessor to resign.
The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See include titles, chivalric orders, distinctions and medals honoured by the Holy See, with the Pope as the fount of honour, for deeds and merits of their recipients to the benefit of the Holy See, the Catholic Church, or their respective communities, societies, nations and the world at large.
John Edward Critien was a Maltese Roman Catholic official. He served as Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and as a member of the Chapter of the Grand Priory of Rome. From 2014 to 2019 he was a member of the Order's Sovereign Council.
Fra' Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas, 5th senhor da Casa de Guilhomil is Grand Commander and a member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. As Grand Commander he automatically served as head of the Order, with the title Lieutenant ad interim, in 2020 and again in 2022.
Fra' Marco Luzzago was an Italian businessman who was the Lieutenant of the Grand Master and head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Catholic lay religious order and sovereign subject of international law, from 8 November 2020 until his death in 2022.
The Sovereign Council is the primary government body of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta which deals with the Order's regular business between the meetings of the Chapter General which occur every five years. Its powers and responsibilities are defined in the Order's Constitutional Charter and Code. It meets at least six times each year.
The Chapter General of the Order of Malta is the legislative body of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The Constitution describes it as "the supreme organ of governance of the Order." It meets every six years, mostly recently on 1-2 May 2019.
Dominique, Prince and Count de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel, Officer of the Légion d’Honneur, is a member of the House of La Rochefoucauld and was the Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the president of the French Association. He is today Vice-President of the Foundation of the Order and president of the historical academy. He is president of the foundation for Evangelization through the Media (FEM). The Prince branch of the family is closely linked with the Holy Mary apparitions in Pellevoisin (France) and the discovery of the Lascaux Caves which they owned with the marriage of Emmanuel, Prince and Count, Ambassadeur of the Order of Malta, and Simone Darblay. That branch is from the dukes of Estissac and due to their proximity with Napoléon, they are linked with Roman nobility with unions with the Borghese.
