The Pope dissolves the leadership of the Knights of Malta.. Learn about the origin of the organization, the scope of its work, its budget and the number of its members

Pope Francesco dissolved today, Saturday, the leadership of the Knights of Malta, and formed an interim government for the organization, ahead of the election of a new senior pastor for it, amid the welcome of leading figures in the Vatican.

According to Reuters news agency, the "Knights of Malta" is a global Catholic religious order and a humanitarian relief organization.

This change came after heated discussions, often within 5 years, within the organization and between some senior members of its old guard and the Vatican about the new constitution, which some feared would weaken the Knights of Malta.

The organization was founded in Jerusalem nearly a thousand years ago "to provide medical care to pilgrims of the Holy Land", and its official name was "the Military System of Sovereignty for the Knights Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem from Rhodes and Malta."

This organization has a budget of millions of dollars, has 13,500 members, 95,000 volunteers and 52,000 medical personnel work with it.

The organization operates refugee camps, addiction treatment centers, disaster relief programs and medical clinics around the world, and is currently playing a major role in helping Ukrainian refugees and victims of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Sovereign entity

This organization has no real property other than a palace and offices in Rome and a fortress in Malta, but it is recognized as a sovereign entity with passports and license plate numbers.

The Knights of Malta has diplomatic relations with 110 countries and has permanent observer status at the United Nations, which allows it to act as a neutral party in relief efforts in areas of war operations.

Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, the Pope's special envoy to the Knights of Malta, said the organization's new constitution would not weaken its international sovereignty.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda - a member of the working group that drew up the new constitution - explained that the group as a religious system should remain under the supervision of the Vatican.

It is noteworthy that the last largest sponsor of the group is the Italian Giacomo Dalla Torre, who died last April.