Today, 24 June 2026, the Sovereign Order of Malta marks the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, the Patron Saint of our Order.<\/p>\n
To celebrate this important occasion, the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Romania hosted its annual diplomatic reception on 22 June 2026. The reception was held following the Romanian Association\u2019s Holy Mass celebrated at Saint Joseph Cathedral and co-presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, HE Giampiero Gloder, and the Archbishop Emeritus of Bucharest, HE Ioan Robu. Exceptionally this year, the reception and Mass were held in advance of the traditional feast day.<\/p>\n
The reception brought together more than 130 guests, including representatives of Romanian state institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, religious leaders, representatives of civil society, and longstanding friends of the Order. Following the welcoming remarks of Ambassador Roberto Musneci KM, guests were addressed by Mrs Clara Staicu, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who reaffirmed the excellent relations between Romania and the Sovereign Order of Malta. Mrs Staicu also expressed appreciation for the humanitarian work carried out by the Order and its volunteers in support of vulnerable communities across Romania, highlighting in particular the collaboration with the Romanian emergency services (SMURD) and the assistance provided during last year\u2019s floods.<\/p>\n
Among the distinguished guests were former President Emil Constantinescu, one of the leading figures in Romania\u2019s democratic transformation following 1989, and former Prime Minister Adrian N\u0103stase, who, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1991\u20131992, contributed to the process that led to the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and the Sovereign Order of Malta after their interruption by the communist regime in 1947. Their presence served as a reminder of the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Romania and the Order.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Ambassador Musneci reflected on the enduring mission of the Order of Malta and its activities in Romania and beyond. Particular emphasis was placed on the humanitarian assistance provided to vulnerable communities, including ongoing support for refugees from Ukraine, as well as the social and medical programmes carried out by the Romanian Relief Corps (SAMR).<\/p>\n
The Ambassador also underlined the importance of dialogue and cooperation among institutions, faith communities, and civil society, particularly at a time marked by international tensions and increasing social polarisation. He recalled that the values embodied by Saint John the Baptist\u2014service, compassion, and solidarity\u2014remain as relevant today as they were nearly a millennium ago when the Order was founded.<\/p>\n
The reception provided an opportunity for guests to exchange views in an informal setting and to strengthen the personal and institutional ties that unite the Order of Malta with Romania and its people. Guests also enjoyed a performance of traditional Romanian music and dance by\u00a0Ansamblul Folcloric Studentesc ,,Martisorul\u2019\u2019<\/strong>, and had the opportunity to view an exhibition of works by Romanian artists, who had brought a selection of pieces from their studios in Cluj-Napoca.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta expresses its sincere gratitude to the event sponsors\u2014Modvin, Crowe, UniCredit Bank, Prysmian, Generali, Sara Restaurant, Serban & Musneci Associates, CorpMed Eastern Europe, Vinju Mare, Land of Basarabia, M\u0103gura Zamfirei, WolfPack, Casa de Cultur\u0103 a Studen\u021bilor \u201cDumitru F\u0103rca\u0219\u201d, Ansamblul Folcloric Studen\u021besc \u201eM\u0103r\u021bi\u0219orul\u201d , Fain Art Gallery, and Galleria 146\u2014as well as to the media partners DC Media Group, Via Cluj TV, and Nine O\u2019Clock, whose valued support contributed significantly to the success of this year\u2019s reception.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"yes","news_gallery_elements":[{"id":5639,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/ANG8955-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5635,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/ANG8846-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5649,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/TYM_0101-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5653,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/TYM_1092-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5645,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/TYM_0051-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5647,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/TYM_0091-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5641,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/ANG8982-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5651,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/TYM_0947-1-scaled.jpg"},{"id":5643,"url":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/ANG9153-1-scaled.jpg"}],"news_excerpt":"Today, 24 June 2026, the Sovereign Order of Malta marks the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, the Patron Saint of our Order.\r\n\r\nTo celebrate this important occasion, the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Romania hosted its annual diplomatic reception on 22 June 2026. The reception was held following the Romanian Association\u2019s Holy Mass celebrated at Saint Joseph Cathedral and co-presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, HE Giampiero Gloder, and the Archbishop Emeritus of Bucharest, HE Ioan Robu. Exceptionally this year, the reception and Mass were held in advance of the traditional feast day."},"news_categories":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/5562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/5562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5655,"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/5562\/revisions\/5655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/romaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}