Order of Malta holds national assembly in Melbourne

Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta gathered recently for their biennial national assembly, and the investiture of three new members and chaplains. The assembly focused on the Order’s mission of caring for the sick and poor, and defending the faith, the task it has upheld since its very beginnings in 11th-century Jerusalem.

A keynote lecture by ACU Associate Professor Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, who is leading research into the history of the Order, drew on this long legacy as he reflected on how historical memory should guide the present mission of the charitable organisation.

‘We must understand the members of the order not just as bearers of tradition but as agents of fidelity. For the order, history is not nostalgia; it is vocation,’ he said.

Associate Professor Natasha Michael spoke on the relevance of the hospitaller spirit in modern day palliative care, in line with the order’s advocacy for compassionate palliative care in a world of legalised assisted dying. Her talk provided insights into the positive impact that sustained, continuous and compassionate care can have on patients.

We must understand the members of the order not just as bearers of tradition but as agents of fidelity. For the order, history is not nostalgia; it is vocation.

Special guest Fra’ Max Rumney, Grand Prior of England, spoke about the life of the professed and their devotion to the order’s charism, and delved into the deeper meaning behind the three evangelical vows of poverty, chastity and obedience taken by professed knights.

Professor Francis Campbell, Vice-Chancellor of Notre Dame Australia, delivered a talk on ‘faith and navigating the public square’, highlighting the importance of faith communities actively engaging in and contributing to societal debates. Other speakers updated attendees on some of the projects undertaken by the Order of Malta Australia, including its expanding work nationwide with the homeless and disadvantaged, and the development of its medical centre in Timor-Leste to provide free primary medical care to the poorest Timorese.

Across the weekend, there were several liturgical services held in various local churches, including a vigil service at Sacred Heart Church in Carlton, where Archbishop Peter A Comensoli and Archbishop Anthony Fisher were both received as Chaplains Grand Cross ad honorem.

Another investiture Mass admitted three new knights and dames into the order, as well as three new chaplains: Fr Binh Le, Fr Max Vodola and the soon-to-be Archbishop of Hobart, Anthony Ireland.

‘Our chaplains are truly a blessing for our order,’ National President John Murphy said.

‘Not only do they provide spiritual guidance and support our members ongoing formation, but a number are also actively involved in our charitable works.’

In his homily at St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Bishop Ireland highlighted the order’s mission of faith and charity, urging new members to live their investiture wholeheartedly.

‘We gather in this beautiful sacred place not only to mark an ancient and noble tradition of investiture but, more deeply, to receive again the grace and fire of our vocation—your vocation—as Christian witnesses formed in the crucible of charity and truth.

When witness and service, prayer and presence, liturgy and love—when these intertwine, then the world sees Christ.

‘The world knows this order by its beautiful regalia, its deep roots in history and its sovereign dignity. But heaven knows the order by the poor you serve, by the sick you visit and by the aged and vulnerable you attend—and by the Eucharist you adore. Heaven knows this order by your faithfulness.’

The bishop emphasised that the new knights and dames were being invested not only in tradition but also in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

‘A knight of Malta who defends the faith but does not serve the poor is a clashing cymbal. A dame who serves the poor but does not kneel before Christ is merely a philanthropist. But when both are one—when witness and service, prayer and presence, liturgy and love—when these intertwine, then the world sees Christ.’