Some 100 ambassadors of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta converged on the Magistral Villa in Rome from January 25 to Saturday 27 for a general Conference on the state of the art and prospects of the Order of Malta’s diplomacy. The ambassadors’ conference was also an opportunity to examine, with the input of numerous authoritative guests, some strategic themes for the Order of Malta’s centuries-old spiritual and humanitarian mission, spelt out in the motto Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum – to bear witness to the faith and to serve the disadvantaged.

After mass in the Church of Santa Maria in Aventino, celebrated by Cardinal Patron Gianfranco Ghirlanda, the Conference opened with an inaugural message from the Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap.

The conference initiated with a panel dedicated to the geopolitical scenario, which could be followed in live streaming on the Order of Malta’s Youtube channel, during which several representatives of the Italian political, economic, and academic worlds took the floor. The conference continued with in-depth discussions by the Order of Malta’s highest offices on the role this almost millennial institution could play in the current international scenario. This was precisely the central theme of the speech by Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, ranging from the Order of Malta’s governance to its future strategies, including internal relations with the institution’s various entities, up to the search for partnerships and funds for humanitarian initiatives.

Diplomacy and humanitarian aid, their ethical dimensions, and operational challenges were the subject of Friday’s debate, also in live streaming, with the participation of Italian and foreign speakers from the international cooperation world and the Holy See. This panel was preceded by a speech on the very topical issue of artificial intelligence and its ethical challenges.

The last day, Saturday, began with a private audience of all the ambassadors participating in the conference with the Holy Father. Work then resumed in the Magistral Villa with particular focus on communication, combating false orders, and the management and rationalization of the Order of Malta’s assets.