As is customary, for the feast of St. John the Baptist, the Grand Master Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, accompanied by the Sovereign Council, received the diplomatic corps accredited to the Sovereign Order of Malta in the Magistral Villa.

In the church of St. Mary on the Aventine, Msgr. Angelo Becciu (who is to be made cardinal by Pope Francis on 29th June), celebrated Holy Mass together with the Prelate of the Order of Malta Msgr. Mons. Jean Laffitte.

During the mass, Msgr. Becciu conveyed Pope Francis’ greetings and best wishes to the Grand Master and all those present.

In his homily, focused on the figure of St. John the Baptist, Msgr. Becciu addressed in particular the Order of Malta’s members, inviting them to “try to be a light for those groping in the darkness of doubt and insecurity. Let us strive to be apostles of Christ’s charity for the poor, the sick and the rejected, according to the Order of Malta’s charism. To perform this mission effectively we have continually to renew ourselves from within through a constant encounter with Jesus in prayer. Renewal, conversion, encountering Jesus in the sacraments, meditation on the word of God: this is the appeal launched during today’s festivities on the birthday of John the Baptist.

At the end of the mass, the Grand Master spent some time greeting the diplomatic delegations present. The first to pay his respects to him was the Ukranian ambassador Tetiana Izhevska, doyen of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Order.

The feastday of the Patron Saint was celebrated worldwide by the Order of Malta’s bodies in their various countries.