Article published on the Sovereign Order of Malta website on 05/02/2018
Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto has been elected the 80th Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta. The Council Complete of State, the electoral body counting 54 members, met in the Magistral Villa, one of the Order of Malta’s two institutional seats, in Rome.
Elected head of the Order of Malta on 29 April 2017, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre is now elected for life as Grand Master.
Pope Francis has been informed by letter of the election result. All the Order of Malta’s Grand Priories, Subpriories and National Associations around the world have been informed, as well as its diplomatic missions and those of the 107 countries with which the Order maintains diplomatic relations.
The newly elected Grand Master will swear his oath before the Pope’s Special Delegate to the Sovereign Order of Malta, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, and the members of the Council Complete of State tomorrow morning in the Church of Santa Maria in Aventino.
The new Grand Master will be responsible for continuing the reform of the Constitution of the Order of Malta started in 2017, to adapt it to the development that the Order has experienced in recent decades. Currently present in 120 countries around the world with over 2,000 projects in the medical-social field, the Order of Malta has more than 120,000 volunteers and medical staff. The Constitutional Charter and the Code were promulgated in 1961 and partly reformed in 1997.
The first official engagement of the Grand Master will be to preside over the 60th Order of Malta International Pilgrimage to Lourdes, which will take place from 5 to 8 May. Every year, over 7,000 members and volunteers from all over the world take part in the pilgrimage. Their number includes 1,600 sick and disabled pilgrims. The pilgrimage to Lourdes represents one of the most significant moments in the spiritual life of the Order’s members and volunteers.
The Grand Master
According to the Order’s Constitution the Grand Master is the sovereign and religious head of the Order. Elected for life, he must fully dedicate himself to the development of the works of the Order and set an example of living by Christian principles to its members. He is vested with supreme authorities. Together with the Sovereign Council, the Grand Master issues the legislative measures not covered by the Constitution, promulgates government acts and ratifies international agreements. The States with which the Order has diplomatic relations recognise the Grand Master with the prerogatives, immunities and honours reserved for Heads of State.
The Grand Master resides at the Order’s seat of government, the Magistral Palace in Rome.
Profile of Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto
His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto
Fra’ Giacomo was born 1944 in Rome. He graduated in Humanities from the University of Rome, specialising in Christian Archeology and History of Art. He took up academic posts at the Pontifical Urbaniana Institute, teaching classical Greek.
He was also Chief Librarian and Archivist for the Institute’s important collections and has published a range of essays and articles on aspects of medieval art history.
He became a member of the Sovereign Order in 1985 and took his Solemn Vows in 1993. From 1994-1999 he was Grand Prior of Lombardy and Venice and from 1999 to 2004, a member of the Sovereign Council.
At the Chapter General of 2004 he was elected Grand Commander of the Order and on the death of the 78th Grand Master, Fra’ Andrew Bertie, he became the Lieutenant ad interim. From 2008 to 2017 Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre held the post of Grand Prior of Rome. He was elected Lieutenant of the Grand Master by the Council Complete of State which took place on 29 April 2017. On 2 May 2018 he has been elected the 80th Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
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→ Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre takes oath