For those with long memories references to the archipelago of Malta bring to mind The Maltese Falcon, that 1941 film noir classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. As time goes by (apologies to Bogart and Casablanca) mention of Malta will elicit in our modern minds a very different reference because of the expanding ministry of an organization whose roots reach back almost a millennium.
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem or Rhodes and of Malta – a.k.a. The Order of Malta – was founded in the Holy Land (the Kingdom of Jerusalem) the latter part of the eleventh century and recognized as a religious Order by Pope Paschal II in the year 1113. Though linked to the Holy See, it is an independent sovereign entity with over 13,500 lay men and women members (Knights and Dames of Malta) around the world who are grouped in national associations. Today the Order has diplomatic relations with over 100 countries and is a permanent observer at the United Nations. From the year 1530 to 1798 the Order was headquartered in Malta, hence the reference in its name. Now its administrative center is in Rome.
Malteser International (MI) (www.malteser-international.org) is the Order of Malta’s international relief agency. Founded 70 years ago in Germany and headquartered in Cologne, today MI supports projects in 35 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Its American offices are in New York City.
The mission statement of MI is: “We improve the health and well-being of suffering and displace people in crises situations around the world. In this way we especially fulfil the mission of the Sovereign Order of Matla to ‘serve the poor and the sick’. We provide support regardless of gender, political belief, origin, or faith.”
Political neutrality is a key feature of the Order of Malta. Because of this, Malteser International often has access to areas in the world where other humanitarian agencies might not be permitted entry. Based on Christian values and the humanitarian principes of impartiality and independence, MI operates effectively in Christian and non-Christian countries and employs workers from various religious backgrounds in its projects. The majority of its staff are local people (approximately 1,000) and it collaborates with local organizations, including non-religious NGOs and church structures.
Its work encompasses support for medical and mental health, clean water, sanitation, food and shelter, ecological protection, and especially for refugees and victims of natural disasters. As its website states, MI’s modus operandi is to respond to local conditions and to tailor its aid projects to the respective circumstances in order to target precisely those areas where its help is most urgently needed.
Many donors in the United States who are interested in extending their philanthropy to critically affected communities overseas rely on the expert and efficient outreach of Malteser International – an outreach which in advancing the Order’s millennium long apostolate to the poor and the sick advances the Kingdom.
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