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, Malta Order 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 a sovereign entity of international law and maintains diplomatic relations with many countries.
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 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. "They are religious for all purposes of Canon Law.". Unlike most professed members of Catholic religious orders, they are not required to live in community..
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.
Fra' Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein was the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1905 to 1931. His first name was also known as Galeazzo.
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 House of Balestrièri is an Italian family originating from Venice in the Early Middle Ages with major branches extending over time to Ancona, Parma, Florence, Siena, Naples, and Sicily.
Azelio Giuseppe Maria Manzetti de Fort was an Italian priest who was served as the Chief Chaplain of the Military Corps of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as Chief Chaplain Grand Cross ad honorem of the Grand Priory of Rome.
Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein is the former Grand Commander of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He was acting head of the order for some months in 2017.
Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager is a German lawyer and forester and a member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He served as Grand Hospitaller from 1989 to 2014 and since 2014 as its Grand Chancellor. Boeselagar was at the centre of a leadership controversy within the Order of Malta in late 2016 and early 2017. After Boeslager was suspended as Grand Chancellor, Pope Francis intervened to restore him to office and require the resignation of the Prince and Grand Master of the Order, Fra' Matthew Festing.
John Edward Critien is a Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and 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' John Timothy Dunlap is a lawyer and a member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Alberto Leoncini Bartoli is a retired Italian diplomat.
The Military Corps of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, is a voluntary auxiliary body of the Italian Army for health and humanitarian assistance.
The Association of Italian Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta brings together the Knights and Ladies of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta of Italian nationality. It was founded in 1877 in Rome, it is currently based at the Casa dei Cavalieri di Rodi in the Piazza del Grillo, Rome.
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. He served as head of the Order, with the title Lieutenant ad interim, from the death of Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre, 80th Prince and Grand Master, on 29 April 2020, until the election of Fra' Marco Luzzago as Lieutenant of the Grand Master on 8 November 2020.
Fra' Emmanuel Rousseau is as a Knight Grand Cross of Justice and a member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Marco Luzzago is an Italian medical doctor and the current Lieutenant of the Grand Master and head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
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.
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