• Four recognized Orders of St. John exist apart from the Order of Malta
  • All four of these Orders originated from the Order of Malta
  • They are based in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Britain
  • The Order of Malta is the only one that remains Catholic and a religious order

Did you know that apart from the Sovereign Order of Malta, there are four other Orders of St. John that are officially recognized as orders of knighthood? They are:

  1. The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of St. John and Jerusalem
  2. The Order of St. John of the Netherlands
  3. The Order of St. John of Sweden
  4. The Venerable Order of St. John

These four Orders of St. John are recognized by the sovereign authorities of their home countries. Like the Order of Malta, they abide by the traditions of lay Christian orders, keep the Christian faith, and exist to care for the poor and the sick.

But, what differentiates these orders from the Order of Malta? Keep reading to find out.

The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of St. John and Jerusalem

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Order of Malta (still referred to then as the Order of St. John) founded a Grand Priory in Germany.

johanniter internationalBut, after the Protestant Reformation sparked in the 16th century, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg, a section of the German Grand Priory, became Protestant. It then operated independently from the Order under the Margraves of Brandenburg. Still, the newly Protestant Bailiwick of Brandenburg and the Order maintained friendly relations.

Protector of the Order, King Frederick William III of Prussia (1811)

Then, in 1811, the King of Prussia suppressed the Bailiwick of Brandenburg. This suppression lasted until 1852 when the Bailiwick of Brandenburg was restored as a noble Order of Prussia.

Today, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg is present in a number of European countries, as well as Canada and the United States.

The Kingdom of Prussia’s monarchy was terminated by the German Revolution in 1918. As a result, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg was forced to separate from the State and become independent.

Today, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg is present in a number of European countries, as well as Canada and the United States. It remains headquartered in Germany, where it operates hospitals, nursing homes, and the Johanniter Unfallhilfe ambulance service.

The Order of St. John of the Netherlands

The Order of St. John of the Netherlands stems from the Order of Malta’s German-Protestant offshoot, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg. When the Bailiwick of Brandenburg was restored as a noble Order of Prussia in 1852, it was thanks to a group of Dutch members who had worked to undo its suppression.

Johanniter NederlandIn 1909, an affiliation of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg was founded in the Kingdom of Holland. In 1946, this affiliate Order separated from the German Bailiwick of Brandenburg and was annexed to the Dutch Crown.

Today, the Order of St. John of the Netherlands runs a number of hospitals and hospices in the Netherlands. It maintains a cooperative relationship with the Order of Malta and the two work together in various charitable activities.

The Order of St. John of Sweden

Still known as the Order of St. John, the Order of Malta settled in Scandinavia in the 12th century.

Johanniterorden I Sverige

Hundreds of years later, during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the Order’s Scandinavian knights converted to Protestantism.

Hundreds of years later, during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the Order’s Scandinavian knights converted to Protestantism along with the Bailiwick of Brandenburg. The Order of St. John in Sweden was attached to the Bailiwick of Brandenburg until 1946 when it became independent from the Germans and placed under the protection of the Swedish king.

It also serves internationally on behalf of refugees and political prisoners.

Today, the Order of St. John in Sweden provides care for Sweden’s sick and elderly in collaboration with a number of Swedish hospitals, charitable organizations, and Christian groups. It also serves internationally on behalf of refugees and political prisoners.

The Venerable Order of St. John

St. John InternationalThe Order of Malta settled in the British Isles in the 12th century, when it was still the Order of St. John. Four centuries later, the Order’s British presence was extinguished during King Henry VIII’s establishment of the new Church of England and ensuing persecution of Catholics.

The Order of Malta’s British presence was extinguished during King Henry VIII’s establishment of the new Church of England.

Portrait of King Henry VIII (1543)

After that, no semblance of the Order of St. John existed in the United Kingdom until 1870, when the Venerable Order of St. John was developed as a humanitarian foundation. The new Venerable Order of St. John was recognized by Queen Victoria as an Order of the Crown in 1888.

Today, the Venerable Order has priories and associations in some 40 countries, most of which are English-speaking. It provides ambulance, first-aid, and nursing services, in addition to running a hospital in Jerusalem.

It is the only Order of St. John that has zero religious restrictions for admission into the Order.