A ceremony was held this morning at the Magistral Palace in Rome, during which the Grand Master, Fra’ John Dunlap, conferred the Grand Cross of the Order pro Merito Melitensi upon the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Ambassadors to Albania, Bulgaria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Macedonia, Romania and Ukraine.

“This is a very high honor for those who, like you, have served the diplomacy of the Order of Malta for many years. You have distinguished yourselves through your loyalty to the Order, your dynamism in proposing and carrying out initiatives with social impact, and the effectiveness you have brought to the work of your Embassies” said the Grand Chancellor, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, in his opening address, which focused on the founding values of the Order of Malta’s humanitarian diplomacy.

Among these values, he highlighted “neutrality”, stressing that “it is not a geographical position between two opposing sides. It is a moral choice. It means refusing to hate anyone, while never giving up the ability to distinguish right from wrong. It means keeping dialogue open precisely when everyone else shuts it down.”

The Grand Chancellor also underscored the distinctive nature of the Order of Malta’s diplomatic network: “The embassies of States are called to defend national interests. Our embassies have a different task: to represent principles. It is a more demanding responsibility, because principles are not negotiated like interests. They are witnessed.”

Following these remarks, the Grand Master, Fra’ John Dunlap, conferred the Pro Merito Melitensi award upon Ambassadors Geoffroy de Liedekerke, Stefano Palumbo, Ursula Maria Höfter Zuccoli, Francesco Saverio Giusti, Antonio Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone and Roberto Musneci.

Established in 1920, the Knightly Order pro Merito Melitensi is given in recognition of those activities that have conferred honour and prestige on the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.