The Grand Master

Religious Superior and Sovereign of the Order of Malta

The Grand Master is elected for ten years by the Council Complete of State.

According to the Constitution, as the religious Superior and Sovereign, he fully dedicates himself to develop the works of the Order and to set a Christian example to all members of the Order.

The Grand Master’s Role

The Grand Master, together with the Sovereign Council, is responsible for issuing legislative measures not provided for by the Constitutional Charter, promulgating government acts and ratifying international agreements. He administers, through the Receiver of the Common Treasure, the Order’s assets and convenes the Chapter of Professed and the Chapter General.

The States with which the Order has diplomatic relations recognize the Grand Master with the prerogatives, immunities and honours reserved for Heads of State. The title of Most Eminent Highness is bestowed on the Grand Master, and the Holy Roman Catholic Church confers him the rank of prince of the Church. The Grand Master resides at the Order’s seat of government the Magistral Palace in Rome.

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Our Current Grand Master

His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master, Fra’ John T. Dunlap.

Fra’ John was born in Ottawa, Canada, in 1957. After his studies at the University of Nice he graduated from the University of Ottawa, he then obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Western Ontario. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Public Service by the John Cabot University in Rome.

Fra' John Dunlap is a member of the New York State Bar and the Ontario Bar Association in Canada. In 1986, he joined the New York legal firm Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller in New York City, becoming a partner in 1993. He specializes in corporate and immigration law. An internationally respected lawyer, since 1997 he has been legal adviser to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Fra' John Dunlap approached the Order of Malta and found his religious vocation in the mid-1980s during his volunteer work with patients suffering from AIDS and other diseases at the Cardinal Cooke Medical Center in Harlem (New York). He has volunteered in that hospital every week for the past 30 years.

Admitted to the Order of Malta in 1996, he took his solemn vows as a Professed Knight in 2008. For over a decade he has served the Order of Malta as Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Names and Emblems and Representative to the Alliance of the Orders of St John.

In 2009 Fra' John Dunlap was elected for a five-year term as a member of the Sovereign Council. He was re-elected for another five-year term by the Chapter General in 2014 and 2019. He has led the Order of Malta as Lieutenant of the Grand Master since June 2022, following the death of Fra' Marco Luzzago.

Fra’ John T. Dunlap

Previous Grand Masters

Blessed Fra’ Gerard photo

Blessed Fra’ Gerard

Duchy of Amalfi(modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1113-1120
Fra’ Raymond du Puy photo

Fra’ Raymond du Puy

Dauphine(modern day France)
Years Served: 1120-1160
Fra’ Auger de Balben  photo

Fra’ Auger de Balben

France
Years Served: 1160-1162
Fra’ Arnaud de Comps photo

Fra’ Arnaud de Comps

Dauphine(modern day France)
Years Served: 1162-1163

1100-1300

Fra’ Gilbert de Aissailly

England
Years Served: 1163-1170

Fra’ Gaston de Murols

Unknown
Years Served: 1170-1172

Fra’ Joubert de Syrie

Unknown
Years Served: 1172-1177

Fra’ Roger de Moulins

France
Years Served: 1177-1187

Fra’ Ermengard d’Asp

France
Years Served: 1188-1190

Fra’ Garnier de Naplouse

Kingdom of Jerusalem
Years Served: 1190-1192

Fra’ Godefroy de Duisson

France
Years Served: 1193-1202

Fra’ Alfonso de Portugal

Kingdom of Portugal
Years Served: 1203-1206

Fra’ Geoffrey le Rat

France
Years Served: 1206-1207

Fra’ Garin de Montaigu

France
Years Served: 1207- 1228

Fra’ Bertrand de Thessy

Unknown
Years Served: 1228-1231

Fra’ Guerin Lebrun

Unknown
Years Served: 1231-1236

Fra’ Bertrand de Comps

Dauphine (modern day France)
Years Served: 1236-1240

Fra’ Pierre de Vieille-Brioude

France
Years Served: 1240-1242

Fra’ Guillame de Chateauneuf

France
Years Served: 1242-1258

Fra’ Hueges de Revel

Dauphine (modern day France)
Years Served: 1258-1277

Fra’ Nicolas de Lorgne

Unknown
Years Served: 1277-1284

Fra’ Jean de Villiers

France
Years Served: 1284-1294

Fra’ Odon de Pins

Provence (modern day France)
Years Served: 1294-1296

Fra’ Guillaume de Villaret

Provence (modern day France)
Years Served: 1296-1305

1300-1500

Fra’ Foulques de Villaret

Provence (modern day France)
Years Served: 1305-1319

Fra’ Helion de Villeneuve

France
Years Served: 1319-1346

Fra’ Dieudonne de Gozon

France
Years Served: 1346-1353

Fra’ Pierre de Corneillan

Provence (modern day France)
Years Served: 1353-1355

Fra’ Roger de Pins

Provence (modern day France)
Years Served: 1355-1365

Fra’ Raymond Berenger

Principality of Catalonia
Years Served: 1365-1374

Fra’ Robert de Juilly

France
Years Served: 1374-1376

Fra’ Juan Fernandez de Heredia

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1376-1383

Fra’ Riccardo Caracciolo

Kingdom of Naples (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1383-1395

Fra’ Philibert de Naillac

France
Years Served: 1396-1421

Fra’ Antonio de Fluvia Riviere

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1421-1437

Fra’ Jean de Lastic

Auvergne (modern day France)
Years Served: 1437-1454

Fra’ Jacques de Milly

Auvergne (modern day France)
Years Served: 1454-1461

Fra’ Piero Raimondo Zacosta

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1461-1467

Fra’ Giovanni Battista Orsini

Papal States (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1467-1476

Fra’ Pierre d’Aubusson

Auvergne (modern day France)
Years Served: 1476-1503

1500-1700

Fra’ Emery d’Amboise dit Chaumont

France
Years Served: 1503-1512

Fra’ Guy de Blanchefort

Auvergne (modern day France)
Years Served: 1512-1513

Fra’ Fabrizio del Carretto

Republic of Genoa (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1513-1521

Fra’ Philippe de Villiers de L’Isle Adam

France
Years Served: 1521-1534

Fra’ Pietrino Del Ponte

Kingdom of Sardinia (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1534-1535

Fra’ Didier de Tholon Saint-Jalle

France
Years Served: 1535-1536

Fra’ Juan de Homedes y Coscon

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1536-1553

Fra’ Claude de la Sengle

France
Years Served: 1553-1557

Fra’ Jean Parisot de La Vallette

France
Years Served: 1557-1568

Fra’ Pietro Ciocchi Del Monte San Savino

Grand Duchy of Tuscany (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1568-1572

Fra’ Jean L’Evesque de la Cassiere

France
Years Served: 1572-1581

Fra’ Hugues Loubenx de Verdale

France
Years Served: 1581-1595

Fra’ Martin de Garzes

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1595-1601

Fra’ Alof de Wignacourt

France
Years Served: 1601-1622

Fra’ Luis Mendez de Vasconcellos

Kingdom of Portugal
Years Served: 1622-1623

Fra’ Antoine de Paule

France
Years Served: 1623-1636

Fra’ Jean-Baptiste Lascaris de Castellar

Duchy of Savoy (modern day France)
Years Served: 1636-1657

Fra’ Martin de Redin y Cruzat

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1657-1660

Fra’ Annet de Clermont de Chattes Gessan

France
Years Served: 1660

Fra’ Raphael Cotoner y de Oleza

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1660-1663

Fra’ Nicolas Cotoner y de Oleza

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1663-1680

Fra’ Gregorio Carafa della Roccella

Kingdom of Sicily (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1680-1690

Fra’ Adrien de Wignacourt

France
Years Served: 1690-1697

1700-2017

Fra’ Ramon Perellos y Roccaful

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1697-1720

Fra’ Marc’Antonio Zondadari

Grand Duchy of Tuscany (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1720-1722

Fra’ Antonio Manoel de Vilhena

Kingdom of Portugal
Years Served: 1722-1736

Fra’ Ramon Despuig y Martinez de Marcilla

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1736-1741

Fra’ Manuel Pinto de Fonseca

Kingdom of Portugal
Years Served: 1741-1773

Fra’ Francisco Ximenez de Texada

Kingdom of Aragon (modern day Spain)
Years Served: 1773-1775

Fra’ Emmanuel de Rohan de Polduc

France
Years Served: 1775-1797

Fra’ Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim

Electorate of Cologne - Holy Roman Empire (modern day Germany)
Years Served: 1797-1802

Emperor Paul 1 of Russia

Russian Empire
Years Served: 1802

Fra’ Giovanni Battista Tommasi

Grand Duchy of Tuscany (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1803-1805

Fra’ Johann Baptist Ceschi a Sante Croce

Austro-Hungarian Empire (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1879-1905

Fra’ Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein

Austro-Hungarian Empire (modern day Italy)
Years Served: 1905-1931

Fra’ Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere

Italy
Years Served: 1931-1951

Fra’ Angelo de Mojana di Cologna

Italy
Years Served: 1962-1988

Fra’ Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie

England
Years Served: 1988-2008

Fra’ Matthew Festing

England
Years Served: 2008-2017

Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio
di Sanguinetto

Italy
Years Served: 2017 - 2020
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