Most Eminent Highness,
It is a great honour and a renewed privilege for me to take the floor on behalf of my fellow Ambassadors accredited to your distinguished institution, to extend to you our wishes for the year 2026 which is already on its tenth day.
May this new year bring you, the Sovereign Council and all members and volunteers of the Order peace, health and serenity, while maintaining the almost millennial integrity and stability of your organisation, guarantees of the continuity of your mission summed up by your charism, which translates into “nourishing, witnessing to and protecting the faith, as well as serving the poor and sick.”
The year just ended was especially marked by the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, an event generating the conclave that elected his successor, Pope Leo XIV, on 8 May 2025. Allow me to renew to the new Pontiff our wishes for a long and fruitful Pontificate, for the benefit of the Church and of all humanity.
Among the main directions defined by the new Pope Leo XIV, Peace occupies a particular place, together with Justice and Truth. During his first meeting with the Diplomatic Corps since his election, the Holy Father stated that peace does not simply consist of a “respite, a pause between one dispute and another, because, despite all efforts, tensions will always be present, like embers burning beneath the ashes, ready to reignite at any moment.” From a Christian perspective, peace is Christ’s first gift, he recalled. “It is, however, an active, demanding gift that engages and challenges each of us.” This peace passes, inter alia, through dialogue, multilateralism and disarmament.
This vision fits perfectly with the missions of the Sovereign Order of Malta which, by applying this protocol in the field, positions itself as a pillar of missionary action. Shortly after his election, you were received in audience by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV; the content of your interview has not reached us. But you certainly discussed the dangerousness of the world and how to alleviate its suffering.
During the year, you continued in the effort to bring communities closer together through high-level meetings with governmental and multilateral actors, participating in decision-making assemblies and meetings with a view to preserving human dignity where it is trampled, developing assistance mechanisms to alleviate suffering and offering the best hospital care to the sick.
We can mention some moments of this humanitarian diplomacy, including visits by Heads of State, Prime Ministers and members of governments, as well as various dignitaries with whom you hold an ongoing dialogue. As you write so well in the letter to the Holy Father on the occasion of the 59th Day of Peace: «Peace needs words that open up spaces of understanding […] it becomes urgent to rediscover the political vocation to serve the common good and peace. Authentic leadership is not measured in the ability to accommodate collective fears, but by the courage to propose avenues for dialogue, even when they appear difficult or unpopular.»
These intentions give ample credence to the visits to the Magistral Palace of personalities such as:
– President of the Republic of Malta
– President of the Republic of Lithuania
– President of the Republic of Poland
– President of the Republic of Gabon
– President of the Republic of South Africa
– President of the Republic of Slovakia
– Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary
– Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
– Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro
– President of the Senate of Kazakhstan
– Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of the German Republic
– Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania
– Minister of European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria
– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of the Republic of Ecuador
– Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi
– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine
– European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
– European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs
– Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva
Most Eminent Highness,
Messenger of peace, you did not stand still and went to meet, discuss and promote a better world. We recall your official visits to the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of San Marino, Poland for the commemoration of the Holocaust, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, where you met, among others, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar.
Furthermore, you commissioned the Grand Chancellor to visit the Lebanese Republic, where he met with the highest authorities, as well as to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he had numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings and took the floor at the meeting of the «Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two State Solution». We also cite your intervention on «The Right of Children to Food, Nutrition and Healthcare», the theme of a roundtable discussion at the International Summit on Children’s Rights held at the Apostolic Palace.
As for the Grand Hospitaller, he went to the Republic of Cameroon, the first African country with which diplomatic relations were established in 1961 and where humanitarian activities have been carried out since 1969. He visited several Order of Malta humanitarian projects and met with institutional authorities at the highest level, including the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health and the Apostolic Nuncio. On that occasion, the Grand Hospitaller emphasized the deep and lasting ties between the two institutions.
Most Eminent Highness,
The Diplomatic Corps accredited to your organisation celebrates your action during the Jubilee Year in assisting pilgrims visiting Rome. Indeed, since the opening of the Holy Year, some 2,000 volunteers have ensured uninterrupted service at the First Aid Posts of the Basilicas, providing professional healthcare to pilgrims and the faithful. This mission was supported by a special coordination structure, service protocols, training and ongoing supervision, ensuring a high level of care throughout the period. Thank you for the quality and professionalism of the services offered.
We also pay tribute to your commitment to freedom of worship and interfaith dialogue, as demonstrated by your participation in World Interfaith Harmony Week and the organization of the round table on «The Social Value of Religious Freedom», promoted by the Sovereign Order of Malta together with the Atlantic Council, which brought together academics, religious representatives and diplomats to explore the link between religious freedom and sustainable development.
The Diplomatic Corps invites you to continue to promote the values of charity, solidarity, peace and defence of international humanitarian law in a world where the rules are fading in the face of contemporary challenges.
Regarding the recently accredited colleagues, I am thinking of the Ambassadors of Paraguay, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ecuador, Belarus, Panama, Georgia, Germany, the Gambia, the Dominican Republic, Angola, Greece and Latvia, to whom I extend a warm welcome to our family.
Most Eminent Highness,
On behalf of the Diplomatic Corps and in my personal capacity, I renew my best wishes for a 2026 in which all your desires and aspirations can be realized, so that peace, justice and charity may reign.
I thank you for your kind attention.
