The reform leading to the “modernisation” of the Knights of Malta’s leadership, signed off by the Pope this weekend, has seen the election of the first Maltese to the top ranks of the Order.

On Saturday, Pope Francis instituted a new constitution for the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta (SMOM), eliminating a requirement for top posts to have a noble lineage as well as the tradition of Grand Masters to be elected for life.

For the president of the Maltese branch of the order, the changes are a “bright future for the Order of Malta”.

“I believe the most important takeaway from this is to realise that the Order is three things: primarily a religious order of the Church obedient to the Pope, secondly an organisation with humanitarian assistance as its focus and, thirdly, a sovereign entity. All three must work together in that order,” Daniel De Petri Testaferrata, president of SMOM’s Maltese association told Times of Malta.

“Once you look at it in that light, you understand why the Order of Malta has bowed its head to the wishes of the Holy Father, who, in a paternalistic approach, assisted the Order of Malta in this journey towards the modernisation of its charter and code.”

The changes come after five years of debate over a reform process, ordered by the Pope, that some felt threatened the Order's sovereignty.

De Petri Testaferrata formed part of a large group that five years ago met in Rome to discuss the changes. In his role as president of the Maltese association, over the past years, he was consulted over the matter, and at times also acted as mediator.

First Maltese Grand Prior

He noted that, through the reform, the Grand Master will be allowed to stay on for two 10-year terms, while the members of the government will be allowed to hold their role for two six-year terms. 

The changes will also allow the Grand Master and other top posts to be selected from among all the professed knights, and not simply from among the nobility.

“As a nobleman, I am fully behind the changes,” he said.

“The changes have certainly opened the Order of Malta to a number of new opportunities - Fra John Critien, for example, is now the Grand Prior of Rome. He is the first Maltese individual to hold that role and he is the first non-noble member to hold that rank. What a wonderful thing this is."

‘A mistake if we allow nobility and history to shackle us’

“I believe it would be terrible to do away with the heritage and history of nobility. However, I think if we were to use nobility and history as a shackle to limit the applicability of individuals to fill certain roles, then we would be making a huge mistake,” he added.

De Petri Testaferrata said that while the cloaks and polished regalia were important, these remained “an outer shell”.

As a nobleman I am fully behind the changes

“Once you look beneath the shell, you will find an organisation that runs hospitals, ambulance corps and rescue units... it is present in 120 countries around the world doing an enormous amount of good with the sick and the poor.”

In Malta, the national association, as an organisation that ensures the implementation of the hospitaller function of the Order, supports patients at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, assists inmates at the Corradino Correctional Facility – especially those without a family in Malta, supports Dar tal-Providenza and Dar il-Kaptan, organises events for the young and the elderly and holds pilgrimage to Lourdes and Ta’ Pinu among others.

“The Order of Malta in Malta is extremely active and relevant in the modern world,” he said.

Why does the order maintain diplomatic relations?

The Order, formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for pilgrims to the Holy Land, nowadays has 13,500 members, 25,000 employees and 80,000 volunteers worldwide.

It maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union and has permanent observer status at the United Nations.

Healthy diplomatic relations formed over centuries, De Petri Testaferrata believes, help the Order access areas from where similar organisations are banned.

In Myanmar (Burma), the Order was the first organisation to enter when Rohingya people were being systematically marginalised and persecuted, he noted.

The election of the sovereign council of the Order will take place on January 25 of 2023.