On 2 June 1247 at Alba Regia in central Hungary, King Bela IV signed an agreement with Rembaldo, Grand Preceptor of the Order of St. John. Known as the ‘Diploma of the Knights of St. John,’ this document is the earliest testimony of a direct link between the Order of St. John and the Romanian people, as well as the expression of the long-standing relationship between Romania and the Sovereign Order.

To celebrate these historic bonds, Ioan-Aurel POP, Professor of mediaeval history and historiography at the ‘Babes-Bolyai’ Cluj-Napoca University, gave a lecture on ‘Christianitas Europaea’, attended by Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing, at the Order’s Magistral Villa in Rome.

Fra’ Elie de Comminges, Keeper of the Magistral Archives, explained: ‘This important historic memory is conserved in the Vatican Secret Archive and published in J.Delaville Le Roulx’s ‘Cartulaire général de l’Ordre des Hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jérusalem (1100-1310)’. The Diploma covers the present Romania, as well as other regions in Bela IV’s kingdom – Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Serbia and other territories.

The contract of 1247 could never be implemented, because of the numerous conditions in the agreement and other domestic and international prevailing circumstances. The ‘Diploma of the Knights of St. John’ testifies to the fact that the Order of St. John was an important historic presence in European civilization and in numerous negotiations and concordats between the countries of mediaeval Christianity in Central and Eastern Europe, fostering the foundation of the Romanian state.

‘The Order of Malta is proud of its vocation and its commitment to defend the Christian values of freedom, charity and solidarity’, Fra’ Elie de Comminges said. ‘Throughout the centuries, this mission has enabled the Order to intervene in crisis areas to bring assistance to people of every race and religion.’

The Romanian Ambassador to the Order of Malta, Marius Lazurca, who promoted the lecture, declared that Romania’s diplomatic relations – formally established in 1932 – ‘are firmly rooted in European history. With European integration, Romania is strongly committed to creating a society founded on justice and solidarity. This is why we are determined to invest our energies and resources in creating assistance and health services accessible to all. The Order of Malta has given Romania encouragement and support in this difficult process. I would therefore like this event to represent an expression of our deepest gratitude.’

The meeting concluded with a splendid concert of Byzantine music, performed by the Chorus of the Stavropoleos Monastery of Bucharest.