What is the Order of Malta?
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta, better known as the Sovereign Order of Malta, has a two-fold nature. It is one of the most ancient religious Catholic Orders, founded in Jerusalem in around 1050. It celebrated the 9th centennial of its official foundation in 1999. At the same time it has always been recognized by nations as an independent subject of international law. The Order’s mission is summed up in its motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum” – defence of the faith and assistance to the suffering.
