Also known as also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta and Knights of Malta,grew out of a brotherhood for the care of Christians in a hospital at Jerusalem following the First Crusader invasion in 1100 AD.

History

Beginnings

In the 600s, Pope Gregory the Great asked the Ravennate Abbot Probus to build a hospital in Jerusalem to care for Christians to the Holy Land. In 800, Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, enlarged Probus' hospital and added a library to it. About 200 years later, in 1005, Caliph Al Hakim destroyed the hospital and three thousand other buildings in Jerusalem. In 1023, merchants from Amalfi and Salerno in Italy were given permission by the Caliph Ali az-Zahir of Egypt to rebuild the hospital in Jerusalem. The hospital took in Christians traveling to visit the Christian holy sites. It was served by Benedictine monks.

The Hospitaller Knights were founded following the First Crusader invasions, by the Blessed Gerard, whose role as founder was confirmed by a Papal bull of Pope Paschal II in 1113.] Gerard acquired territory and revenues for his order throughout the Kingdom of Jerusalem and beyond. His successor, Raymond du Puy de Provence, established the first significant Hospitaller infirmary near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. First the group only cared for christians in Jerusalem, but the order soon extended to providing for christians in cities around Jerusalem with an armored escort, which soon grew into a powerful force.

The Knights Hospitallers and the Knights Templar became the most powerful Christian millitary orders the area. The Knights Hospitallers came to join battles against the Muslims, its soldiers wearing a black tunic with a white cross.Pope Innocent IV (1243-54), approved a standard military dress for the Knights to be worn in battle. Instead of a closed cape over their armor which restricted their movements, they should wear a red tunic with the sign of the cross on it in white.

Fast Growth

Many noblemen joined the Knights Hospitallers which soon proved to be very useful in protecting the Holy Land.The Hospitallers Knights built many fortresses in the middle east.They established numerous branches in Europe and quickly became rich.The religious knights ended up having their own states,the Hospitallers the island of Rhodes then later Malta.

Island Conquest

The rising power of Muslims eventually expelled the Knights from Jerusalem. After the invasion of Jerusalem,the Knights were confined to the County of Tripoli.So the order sought refuge in the Island of Cyprus.Their Grand Master, Guillaume de Villaret, created a plan of acquiring their own temporal domain, selecting Rhodes to be their new home. His successor, Fulkes de Villaret, executed the plan, and on 15 August 1309, after over two years of campaigning, the island of Rhodes surrendered to the knights.

The Knights Templar were disbanded in the 1310s and much of their riches were given to the Hospitallers.The properties were organized into eight 'tongues'(one each in Aragon, Auvergne, Castile, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Provence). Each was administered by a Prior or if there was more than one priory in the tongue by a Grand Prior.

On Rhodes the Hospitallers, then called to the Knights of Rhodes, had to become a more militarized force, fighting especially with pirates.

After seven years of moving from place to place in Europe the Knights became established in 1530 when Charles V of Spain gave them Malta and the North African port of Tripoli.

Arms of the Knights Hospitaller, quartered with those of Pierre d'Aubusson, on a bombard ordered by the latter. The top inscription further reads: "F. PETRUS DAUBUSSON M HOSPITALIS IHER".

The Hospitallers continued their actions against the Muslims and pirates.Although they had only a few ships they quickly drew the ire of the Ottomans.

On 23 August came a grand assault.It was thrown back with the greatest difficulty, even the wounded taking part in the defence.The Turkish forces attacks however, was now desperate. With the exception of Fort St. Elmo, the fortifications were still intact.Working night and day the Hospitallers had repaired the breaches, and the capture of Malta seemed more and more impossible. Many of the Ottoman troops had fallen ill over the terrible summer months.Food were beginning to run short, and the Ottoman troops were becoming increasingly dispirited at the failure of their attacks and their losses. The death on 23 June of skilled commander Dragut was a serious blow. The Turkish commanders, Piyale Pasha and Mustafa Pasha, were careless. They had a huge fleet which they used with effect on only one occasion. They neglected their communications with the African coast and made no attempt to watch and intercept Sicilian reinforcements. When the Ottomans departed the Hospitallers had 600 men able to bear arms.

The end...or not

In 1798, Napoleon threatened to invade Malta. The Order of St. John, headed by Grand Master Ferdinand Von Hompesch, surrendered.Some of the Knights scattered all over Europe, returning to France, Spain, Prussia, Bavaria, Italy and England, where they joined their brother Knights and arranged separate royal protection, establishing their various groups as independently functioning chapters according to their geopolitical location and religious persuasion.

Many Hospitaller Knights opposed the decision.Lead by Prince de Conde’, they established themselves in St. Petersburg,Russia under the royal protection of Tsar Paul I.In 1798, the Catholic Grand Priory of Russia (formerly of Poland), along with the newly established Orthodox Grand Priory of Russia, elected Tsar Paul I as the 70th Grand Master of the Order. Pope Pius VI, bestowed his paternal and apostolic benediction upon Paul I shortly after he accepted the office of Grand Master.

Today,the knights, like the Christian Church, are split into many branches,but the Order is true to the original tradition.

The Motto of the Hospittallers is:

PRO FIDE, PRO UTILITATE HOMINUM “FOR THE FAITH AND IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY”

Grand Masters

Peter Gerard Abbott Master French 1087-1120

Raymond de Puy (Pius) Master French 1120-1158/60

Auger de Balben Master French 1158/60-1162/3

Arnaud de Comps Master French 1162-1163

Gilbert d'Assailly Master English 1163-1169/70

Gaston de Murols Master 1170-1172

Joubert of Syria Master 1172-1177

Roger de Moulins Master 1177-1187

Ermengard d’Asp Master 1188-1190

Garnier de Naplous Master English 1189/90-1192

Geoffrey de Donjon Master French 1192/3-1202

Alphonse de Portugal Master Portuguese 1202-1206

Geoffroy le Rat Master French 1206-1207

Garin de Montaigu Master French 1207-1227/8

Bertrand de Thessy Master French 1228-1231

Guerin Lebrun Master 1231-1236

Bertrand de Comps Master French 1236-1239/40

Pierre de Vieille-Brioude Master 1239/40-1242

Guillaume de Chateauneuf Master French 1242-1258

Hugues de Revel Grand Master French 1258-1277

Nicolas Lorgne Grand Master 1277/8-1284

Jean de Villiers Grand Master French 1285-1293/4

Odon de Pins Grand Master French 1294-1296

Guillaume de Villaret Grand Master French 1296-1305

Foulques de Villaret Grand Master French 1305-1319

Helion de Villeneuve Grand Master French 1319-1346

Dieudonne de Gozon Grand Master French 1346-1353

Pierre de Corneillan Grand Master French 1353-1355

Roger de Pins Grand Master French 1355-1365

Raymond Berenger Grand Master French 1365-1374

Robert de Juilliac Grand Master French 1374-1377

Jean Fernandez de Heredia Grand Master Spanish 1377-1383

Ricardo Caracciolo Grand Master Italian 1383-1395

Philibert de Naillac Grand Master French 1396-1421

Antoine Fluvian de la Riviere Grand Master Spanish 1421-1437

Jean de Lastic Grand Master French 1437-1454

Jacques de Milly Grand Master French 1454-1461

Pierre Raymond Zacosta Grand Master Spanish 1461-1467

Jean-Baptiste Orsini Grand Master Italian 1467-1476

Pierre d'Aubusson, Cardinal Grand Master French 1476-1503

Emery d'Amboise dit Chaumont Grand Master French 1503-1512

Guy de Blanchefort Grand Master French 1512-1513

Fabrice del Carretto Grand Master Italian 1513-1521

Philippe Villiers de l’Isle-Adam Grand Master French 1521-1534

Pierre del Ponte Grand Master Italian 1534-1535

Didier de Saint-Jaille Grand Master French 1535-1536

Jean de Homedes y Coscon Grand Master Aragonese 1536-1553

Claude de la Sengle Grand Master French 1553-1557

Jean Parisot de Valette Grand Master French 1557-1568

Pietro Ciocchi del Monte San Savino Grand Master Italian 1568-1572

Jean l'Evesque de la Cassière Grand Master French 1572-1582

Hugues Loubenx de Verdale, Cardinal Grand Master French 1582-1595

Martin Garzes Grand Master Aragonese 1595-1601

Alof de Wignacourt Grand Master French 1601-1622

Luis Mendes de Vasconcellos Grand Master Portuguese 1622-1623

Antoine de Paule Grand Master French 1623-1636

Jean-Baptiste Lascaris de Castellar Grand Master French 1636-1657

Martin de Redin y Cruzat Grand Master Aragonese 1657-1660

Annet de Clermont de Chattes Gessan Grand Master French 1660

Rafael Cotoner y de Oleza Grand Master Aragonese 1660-1663

Nicholas Cotoner y de Oleza Grand Master Aragonese 1663-1680

Gregorio Carafa della Roccella Grand Master Italian 1680-1690

Adrien de Wignacourt Grand Master French 1690-1697

Ramon Perellos y Rocafull Grand Master Aragonese 1697-1720

Marcantonio Zondadari Grand Master Italian 1720-1722

Antonio Manoel de Vilhena Grand Master Portuguese 1722-1736

Ramon Despuig y Martinez de Marcilla Grand Master Aragonese 1736-1741

Manuel Pinto de Fonseca Grand Master Portuguese 1741-1773

Francisco Ximenez de Texada Grand Master Aragonese 1773-1775

Emmanuel de Rohan de Polduc Grand Master French 1775-1797

Ferdinand Von Hompesch zu Bolheim Grand Master German 1797-1798

Paul I, Emperor of Russia Grand Master Russian 1798-1801

Grand Duke Alexander of Russia Grand Master Russian 1913-1933

Crolian Edelen de Burgh Grand Master American 1960-1973

Prince Roberto Paterno Grand Master Italian 1974-1993

Prince George Korey-Krzeczowski Grand Master Polish 1993-1997

Joseph Frendo Cumbo Grand Master Maltese 1997-2006

Adrian Busietta Grand Master Pro Tem Maltese 2006-2006

Nicholas F. S. Papanicolaou Grand Master Greek 2006-

The Vow

Upon the True Faith of a Christian, may God witness that I hereby vow and dedicate myself as a servant of Christ and the Poor, the first qualification of a True Knight.

I promise to be faithful and loyal to Christ and to be guided by the ideals of the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem: to do everything in my power to contribute to it’s Glory, Protection, Prosperity, Support and Utility: to combat everything prejudicial to it’s well-being: never to act contrary to it’s Dignity, but to conduct myself always as a true Knight of Christ: a good Christian and a person of Honour.

Believing that Christ will grant me a special token of his favour, I therefore, in all Humility, Charity, and Respect agree to join with every sincere and Godly Christian of whatever Church, to bring about by prayer and deed the salvation of the Christian World by helping to promote a lasting Christian Unity.

I will adorn my Knighthood with true Charity, the mother and solid foundation of all virtues.

I will wear on my person the Christian Maltese Cross of eight points, to constantly remind me of my religious vow of always bearing in my heart the Cross of Jesus Christ, adorned with the virtues that attend it.

So help me God.