Knight of Justice

The Knights of Justice form the first of the three classes of members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta together with the professed conventual chaplains. They make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. "They are religious for all purposes of Canon Law." (Constitutional Charter, Article 9, Par. 1).[1] Unlike most professed members of Catholic religious orders, they are not required to live in community. (Constitutional Charter, Article 9, Par. 1).[1]

The religious superior of the Knights of Justice, under the Prince and Grand Master, is the Grand Commander, currently Fra' Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein.[2] Most Knights of Justice are members of a Priory or Subpriory. Where there is no priory or subpriory, Knights of Justice are admitted in gremio religionis, reporting directly to the Grand Commander (Code, Article 150, Par. 2).[1]

All Knights of Justice have the title Fra' (an abbreviation for the Latin word frater meaning brother). They are divided into the following ranks:

  • Venerable Bailiff Knights Grand Cross of Justice Professed in Perpetual Vows
  • Knights Grand Cross of Justice Professed in Perpetual Vows
  • Commanders of Justice Professed in Perpetual Vows
  • Knights of Justice Professed in Perpetual Vows
  • Knights of Justice Professed in Temporary Vows
  • Knights admitted to the Novitiate

Until 1989 all Knights of Justice had to be nobles, but since then non-noble Knights of Magistral Grace have been permitted to advance into the category of Justice. The Prince and Grand Master is still elected for life from among the Knights of Justice who have the nobiliary requirements prescribed for the category of Knights of Honour and Devotion.(Constitutional Charter, Article 13, Par. 2).[1]

In 2016 there were fifty-five Knights of Justice.[3] In 1895 there were forty-six, in 1938 twenty-four, in 1968 twenty-three, and in 1986 twenty-four.[4]

Robes
Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, 80th Prince and Grand Master, wearing the church robe with the scapular

The black church robe worn by the Knights of Justice has a different shape from that worn by the knights of the second and third classes. It is distinguished by the cross of Malta on the left side (not on the centre of the breast). The cross is completely white (not merely outlined in white).

The Knights of Justice in perpetual vows wear an additional garment called a scapular (but different in shape from other monastic scapulars). It is wrapped from the back and rests on the left arm (similar to a maniple). It has four large tassels and is embroidered in gold with the symbols of the Passion of Christ.[5]

The red military uniform of the Knights of Justice is distinguished by a white collar, white lapels and white cuffs.[6] The feathers of the feluca worn by Knights of Justice are white instead of black.[6]

Knights in minority

Until 1961 Knights of Justice could be admitted to the Order in minority, i.e. when they were children. This would give them seniority when applying for commanderies in the Order. Most of these Knights of Justice in minority did not take solemn vows when they became adults.

Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein (born 19 August 1946) and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (born 24 October 1947) were admitted as Knights of Justice in minority at the ages of four and three on 15 November 1950;[7] Neither brother took vows as an adult; Prince Nikolaus is now a Knight of Honour and Devotion.[8] The last Knight of Justice in minority was Count Franz-Alfred von Hartig, who was admitted 31 May 1951 when he was sixteen; he never took vows and is now a Knight in Obedience[9] and the Order's ambassador to Romania.

Prominent living Knights of Justice
  • Fra' Marco Luzzago, Lieutenant of the Grand Master
  • Fra' Matthew Festing, Bailiff Grand Prior
  • Fra' Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas, Grand Commander
  • Fra' John T. Dunlap, Member of the Sovereign Council
  • Fra' Emmanuel Rousseau, Member of the Sovereign Council
  • Fra' Gottfried von Kühnelt-Leddihn, Member of the Sovereign Council
  • Fra' Roberto Viazzo, Member of the Sovereign Council and Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Rome
  • Fra' Ian Scott, former Grand Prior of England
  • Fra' Duncan Gallie, Member of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' Julian Chadwick, Member of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' John Eidinow, Member of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' Max Rumney, Procurator of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' Richard Berkley-Matthews, Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' Paul Sutherland, Member of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' Paul Caffrey, Member of the Grand Priory of England
  • Fra' James-Michael von Stroebel, Vice Regent of the Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Fra' John Collins Harvey, Councillor of the Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Fra' Thomas Mulligan, Councillor of the Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Fra' Mathieu J. Dupont, Member of the Canadian Association
  • Fra' Karel Eduard Paar, Prince Grand Prior Emeritus of Bohemia
  • Fra' Gherardo Hercolani Fava Simonetti, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Rome
  • Fra' Carlo d’Ippolito di Sant'Ippolito, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Rome
  • Fra' John Edward Critien, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Rome
  • Fra' Silvio Goffredo Martelli, Grand Prior Emeritus of Lombardy and Venice
  • Fra' Roggero Caccia Dominioni, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice
  • Fra' Angelo Chiastellaro, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice
  • Fra' Nicolò Custoza de Cattani, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice
  • Fra' Luigi Naselli di Gela, Grand Prior of Naples and Sicily
  • Fra' Fabio Curcio Rubertini, Capitolar of the Grand Priory of Naples and Sicily
  • Fra' Marco Luzzago, Secretary of the Delegazione delle Marche Nord
  • Fra' Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, Member of the Grand Priory of Austria
  • Fra' Pierre de Bizemont, Member of the French Association
  • Fra' Guy de Lustrac, Member of the French Association
  • Fra' Bertrand Allard de Sotteville de Villermont, Member of the French Association
  • Fra' Jean Michel Furlan, Member of the French Association
  • Fra' Jean-Louis Mainguy, Member of the French Association
  • Fra' João Augusto Esquível Freire de Andrade, Member of the Portuguese Association
  • Fra' Francis Vassallo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Malta

Other orders of knighthood

The term Knight of Justice is also used for a class of members in several other chivalric orders including the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George,[10] the Johanniterorden (Rechtsritter), and the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.[11] However, these knights are not professed religious who have taken the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Notes
  1. "Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta" (PDF). Rome. 1998. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  2. "Grand Commander". Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  3. H.J.A. Sire, The Knights of Malta, A Modern Resurrection (London: Third Millennium, 2016), 278.
  4. Guy Stair Sainty, The Orders of Saint John: The History, Structure, Membership and Modern Role of the Five Hospitaller Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem (New York: The American Society of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, 1991), 51.
  5. Luciano Valentini di Laviano, Abiti, Uniformi e Decorazioni del Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta (Roma: Logart, 2014), 28.
  6. Valentini, 36.
  7. Rangliste und Personalstatus des Souveränen Malteser-Ritter-Ordens im Großpriorate von Österreich nach dem Stande vom 4. April 1964; cf. Sire, 223.
  8. Genealogisches Handbuch der Fürstlichen Häuser (Limburg an derLahn: C. A. Starke, 2007), XVIII, 55.
  9. Sainty, 54.
  10. "Members of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George". Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  11. "Royal Charter and Statutes of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, Statutes, 32". Retrieved 5 September 2016.
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