It was a great pleasure and honour that the 38th International Knighthood Ceremony of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of the Autonomous Priories (KMFAP), after many years of pause was again held in Valletta, Malta, co-organised by the Hungarian and the Maltese Grand Priories, where the knights, dames and guests were present from 12 countries (Malta, Hungary, Portugal, Angola, Slovakia, China /Hong Kong, Macao/, Singapore, Czech Republic, Italy, Iran, Ukraine, Australia) of 5 continents of the world.

Day of Honour: 27th July 2019

The event started on the 27th of July, as the so-called “Day of Honour”, dedicated to the Postulants by the General Chapter of Knights, held at Grand Hotel Excelsior, Castille Room, in the presence of the members of our Order.

The meeting was opened by the host, Sir David Zammit, welcoming and introducing the leaders of the Order to the postulants. It was followed by a short welcome of the Grand Master and by general presentation of KMFAP and its institutions. There was also a presentation about FEMERAID Air Rescue. It was a very important moment when the postulants introduced themselves one-by-one. The Grand Master asked the postulants in which area of our various activities do they want to be active and involved in?

At the end the Postulant Diplomas, the “Code of Chivalry” and the Tari coins in folder with Certificates were handed over.

The General Chapter of Knights meeting was followed by an ancient and very intimate knightly tradition dating back to the origins of the knights, inherited from our great predecessors: The Watch of Arms, when all the postulants got acquainted with the symbols and their meanings – the 8 pointed cross, the red cape – that they receive when being knighted, the customs and rules of knights that they must respect, obey and preserve, while meditating on their future life and changes following this important event coming up next day: the investiture.

In the evening an exquisite dinner was served at the terrace of the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

This exclusive investiture on the 28th of July was hosted by the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC), one of the most prestigious buildings in Malta, built in the 16th century in Valletta and operated by the Knights of Saint John, called Sacra Infermeria, that time it was famous being the best hospital in whole Europe. We are very proud of its history, and we recalled the memory of our brave knights and great predecessors serving in the hospital and providing excellent medical care to all those who needed.

In 2018, we celebrated an important anniversary here: the 970 years (1048-2018) of the establishment of a hospitaller-monastic community in Jerusalem, the future Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.

And we also remembered another historic, but very sad moment that was decisive for the Order and the life of the knights: the 220th anniversary of the end of presence of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem in Malta (1798-2018). The arrival of Napoleon to Malta in 1798 put an end to the 268 glorious years of the independent and autonomous state of the Knights of Saint John in Malta and the knights had to leave Malta captured by the French Army.

Since the beginning till the present time the same knightly and humanist values had to be respected and followed by the knights to uphold the ancient and noble traditions, inherited from our great predecessors to become one with the ideals and the objectives of the Order, and participating actively in the main activities of our Knightly Order: the humanitarian work, helping the needy. According to the rules of the Order the postulants can be admitted to the Order under their merits and human qualities, on the recommendation of two Knights or Dames, who are the Godfathers or the Godmothers of the Candidate. After their investiture as new members they join the respective Priory or Grand Priory of their country, according to their mother tongue.

The 38th Knighthood Ceremony started with the processional entrance and the anthems of Malta and the KMFAP. Then we remembered our deceased Knights and Great Predecessors and prayed for the health of our ill members and listened Gounod: Ave Maria performed by Lady Lívia Ághova, the famous soprano of the Prague Opera.

Before the ceremony of investiture, the Grand Master delivered his speech to the postulants as follows:

The solemn ambience of the event was assured by Mr. Volodymir Baran (Ukraine), a Violin Virtuoso, CEO and Artistic Director at the Malta International Music Competition and Malta International Violin Making Competition.

This time the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta received 6 new members representing 5 countries.

Conforming to the traditions, as part of the event, the Grand Master conferred awards and appointments as well, to recompense the merits and the remarkable work of the knights for those in need, for the benefit of the Order and to make a difference.

The ceremony was followed by a cocktail at the La Valetta Hall of MCC.

In the evening the participants were invited by the new knights to a very nice dinner to Mdina, taking place at the Bacchus Restaurant.

10th August 2019