The Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Fra’ John Dunlap received the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán today at the Magistral Villa on the Aventine. Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo welcomed the Hungarian delegation.
The meeting confirmed the excellent state of relations between Hungary and the Order, where diplomatic relations were established in 1990, testified to by the exchange of numerous official visits and the extensive and fruitful cooperation in the humanitarian field.
The Prime Minister expressed his full support and great appreciation for the activities of the Order’s Association and the Hungarian Relief Service, the largest social organisation in the country, assisting some 13,000 people in almost 150 institutions every day.
As already expressed in the meeting between the Grand Master and Prime Minister Orbán in Buda in 2024, the mutual desire to further strengthen cooperation in the social sphere was confirmed. Possibilities for cooperation in third countries through “Hungary Helps”, the Hungarian government’s aid program, were also discussed. In this context, the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed in September 2024 during the Grand Master’s official visit to Budapest, consolidating collaboration in support of Christians and other persecuted religious and ethnic minorities, was recalled.
An exchange of views was held on the prospects for peace in Ukraine and on the application of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The Hungarian Relief Service’s role was then recalled; since 2022 it has provided support to over 52,000 Ukrainian refugees through medical assistance and integration projects.
Finally, the Grand Master expressed gratitude to the Hungarian authorities for their constant support for the Order’s projects which, in Hungary and worldwide, aim to protect human dignity and promote social inclusion.
The Order of Malta in Hungary
The National Association has many programs for supporting families and young people with disabilities. The Order of Malta’s Relief Service in Hungary (MMSZ), founded in 1989 by Father Imre Kozma, with some 5,000 employees and over 15,000 volunteers active in 142 locations, now manages a widespread network of social and health services, such as retirement homes, centres for the homeless, inclusion projects, addiction treatment clinics and psychiatric facilities.
The Blessed Gerard Psychiatric Hospital in Pomáz plays an important role, representing one of the country’s main centres for psychiatric care and rehabilitation with 462 beds.
Particularly innovative are the telemedicine projects launched in 2023, guaranteeing healthcare even in the most remote areas, and the Roma integration program, recognized as one of the best in Europe.
