Every year on June 24th, the day of Saint John the Baptist – the patron of the Order, marks the National Day of the Sovereign Order of Malta. This year in Rome, the official reception organized by the Embassy of the Sovereign Order to the Republic of Italy was organized on June 19th at the Grand Magistry in Villa Malta hosted by HE Stefano Ronca, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order to Italy, his wife Mia and of course presided by HMEH Fra’ John Dunlap, 81st Grand Master of the Order and HE Riccardo Paterno’ di Montecupo, Grand Chancellor.
Most of the members of the sovereign Council, HE Cardinal Tomasi, and representatives of the diplomatic Corp accredited to the Government in Rome also joined the event alongside representatives of the Italian Government and Parliament.
Several Ambassadors of the Order, accredited in different countries were present and H.E. Roberto Musneci, together with his wife Marialaura, had the opportunity to share with several guests the activities of the Order in Romania and those in support of the population in Ukraine. In this context it was a great pleasure to discuss activities with HE Antonio Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone, Ambassador of our Order to Ukraine with whom there is a constant coordination and Mrs Adina Lovin, Charge’ d’Affairs of Romania to the Holy See and The Sovereign Order.
Over and beyond the solemnity of the celebration, these mostly informal conversations contributed to the strengthening of the operational relations among different Embassies and structures of the Order in different countries with the same objective: helping those in need. Ambassador Roberto Musneci, as a representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Romania, reiterated the importance of communication and the exchange of experiences.