Jerusalem-Rome-Cologne 16 May 2024 – His Beatitude, Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem entered today Gaza and reached the parish of the Holy Family for a pastoral visit. Together with His Beatitude was Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Order of Malta. Accompanying the small delegation was also Fr. Gabriele Romanelli, parish priest of Gaza. They met the suffering population to encourage them and to deliver a message of hope, solidarity, and support. His Beatitude presided the mass in the parish church with the local community and visited the St. Porphyrius Orthodox church and met with Bishop Alexios and the community.

The visit is also the first stage of a joint humanitarian mission of the Latin Patriarchate and the Sovereign Order of Malta, aiming at the delivery of life-saving food and medical help to the population in Gaza.

A Memorandum of Understanding establishing the joint mission was signed between the Parties on May 14th and will be carried out by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Sovereign Order of Malta and its worldwide relief agency, Malteser International and other partners.

Contacts available for interviews:

Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Order of Malta:
Operator: Ms. Marianna Balfour, Director of Communications, Sovereign Order of Malta: +39 (0) 06.67581.341, m.balfour@orderofmalta.int

Dr. Thomas Weiss, Head of Malteser International Middle East Department
Operator: Ms. Kathrin Muenker, Director of Communications, Malteser International, +49 (0)221 9822-7180, kathrin.muenker(at)malteser-international.org

The Order of Malta’s long-time presence in the Holy Land

The Order of Malta has a rooted presence in the Holy Land. Founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century with a mission of care for pilgrims of any faith and origin, religion ethnicity, gender of political belief.  The motto “Tuitio Fidei, Obsequium Pauperum” or “Witness of the faith and assistance to the poor” has guided its work for over 9 centuries. Today, the Order is present in 120 countries worldwide and remains apolitical, neutral, and impartial.

The Order of Malta continues to serve the Holy Land and operates a maternity hospital in Bethlehem where over 4,500 babies are born each year. It is the only hospital in the region equipped with an intensive neonatology ward capable of treating premature babies or those born with serious genetic disorders. The hospital has seen over 100,000 babies born since 1990, some born at less than 32 weeks’ gestation. The Holy Family Hospital serves a catchment area of one million people and is an important reference hospital for women and children’s health in the region. The staff consists of Christian and Muslim doctors and nurses.

The Order of Malta’s presence in the Holy Land is further demonstrated by the extensive assistance projects carried out in Lebanon. Over 10 medical clinics are in operation, providing relief to the neediest in different areas of the country. Many of the projects are run in close collaboration with the Sunni, Shia, and Druze communities. The Order of Malta has also special expertise in in providing aid and relief to refugees and internally displaced people in war-torn areas, including Ukraine, where it is actively present in over 70 cities proving humanitarian aid and psycho-social support.

The Sovereign Order of Malta, founded in Jerusalem around the year 1048, is a primary subject of international law and a Catholic religious and lay order. The Order’s mission is to bear witness to the faith and serve the poor and sick. Today the Order of Malta is mainly active in health and social care and humanitarian aid and is present in over 120 countries. Working alongside its 13,500 members are 95,000 volunteers, supported by some 52,000 doctors, nurses and paramedics. The Order manages hospitals, healthcare clinics, out-patient units, homes for the elderly and disabled, terminal care centres and volunteer corps. Malteser International, the Order of Malta’s humanitarian relief agency, provides emergency aid in natural disasters and alleviates the consequences of armed conflicts. The organization provides emergency and disaster relief in the immediate aftermath of acute disasters and works towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction of afflicted communities. Malteser International supports people in need regardless of religion, political conviction, origin or gender, and works according to humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

The Order of Malta is neutral, impartial and apolitical. It has bilateral diplomatic relations with 113 States, official relations with another 6 States, and relations at ambassadorial level with the European Union. It is a Permanent Observer to the United Nations and its specialised agencies. Since 1834, the Order of Malta’s government has been based in Rome, where it is guaranteed extraterritoriality rights. The 81^st Grand Master is Fra’ John Dunlap.