The Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap, was received in audience this morning by Pope Leo XIV, in his first official visit to the Holy Father since the beginning of his pontificate. The meeting took place on the eve of the feast of St. John the Baptist, patron of the Order, which is celebrated on 24 June.<\/p>\n
On the sidelines of his first audience with the new Pope, Grand Master Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap stated: \u201cIn a year marked by new geopolitical tensions, ongoing humanitarian crises and profound social transformations, the Order of Malta continues with dedication its millennial mission of helping the poor and the sick. This audience with Pope Leo XIV confirms us in our mission of witnessing Christian charity through service, diplomacy and care, in a spirit of peace and humility.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the Grand Master presented to the Pope the main spiritual, humanitarian and diplomatic activities of the Order of Malta. Between 2024 and 2025, the Order strengthened its presence in the main contexts of global crisis, providing medical assistance, the distribution of essential goods, psychosocial support and reconstruction programs in the most vulnerable areas of the planet.<\/p>\n
With a network of 13,500 members, 100,000 volunteers, 52,000 employees and over 100 diplomatic missions, the Order today operates in 130 countries, bringing aid to those who suffer, regardless of origin or religion.<\/p>\n
The Grand Master presented a silver medal that reflects the extraordinary dedication of the Order’s volunteers on the occasion of the Jubilee of 2025. In fact, there are over 2,000 volunteers who provide medical assistance in the first aid stations in the papal basilicas in Rome, including the first aid station in St. Peter’s Square, which has been active for 75 years, 365 days a year for all pilgrims, especially during Wednesday papal audiences and religious ceremonies.<\/p>\n
At the end of the private audience, Pope Leo XIV received the Supreme Council of the Order of Malta and the Order’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Antonio Zanardi Landi.<\/p>\n
PHOTO \u00a9 Vatican Media<\/em><\/p>\n","news_gallery":"yes","news_gallery_elements":[{"id":582,"url":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/06\/TOM5073-scaled-1.jpg"},{"id":584,"url":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/06\/TOM5034-scaled-1.jpg"},{"id":586,"url":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/06\/TOM4881-scaled-1.jpg"},{"id":588,"url":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/06\/SZA6936-scaled-1.jpg"},{"id":590,"url":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/06\/SZA6884-1-scaled-1.jpg"}],"news_excerpt":"The Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap, was received in audience this morning by Pope Leo XIV, in his first official visit to the Holy Father since the beginning of his pontificate.","cover_image_copyrighted":false},"news_categories":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":922,"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/616\/revisions\/922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/croatiaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}