The Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the Republic of Austria, H.E. DI Sebastian Prince von Schoenaich-Carolath, took part in the meeting of the Order’s Diplomatic Corps, which took place in Rome from 25 to 27 January 2024. The programme included an audience with Pope Francis.

The basis for the sovereignty of the Order of Malta is its status as a Subject of International Law, which was established in 1309 when the Order chose the island of Rhodes as its headquarters. This status under international law has been maintained to this day. The Order therefore maintains diplomatic relations in the multilateral field with 16 UN organisations, the EU, 17 other International Organisations and bilaterally with 113 countries – including the Republic of Austria.

‘The large conference, attended by ambassadors from all over the world, strengthened the Order of Malta’s Diplomatic Service as a publicly visible sign of its sovereignty and demonstrated the internationality of our institution, which has existed for over 900 years. The exchange highlighted many areas in which international cooperation can be strengthened, especially in the light of the current geopolitical situation,’ said H.E. Ambassador Schoenaich-Carolath. He added: ‘Human trafficking can be mentioned here as an example, because combating the internationally organised crime of human trafficking is a crime against human dignity.’

As part of the conference, Pope Francis received the Diplomatic Corps of the Order of Malta in audience. Ambassador Schoenaich-Carolath commented: ‘The Holy Father emphasised the historically founded, special status of the Order of Malta and that its international aid activities are supported and promoted by the ‘Diplomacy of humanitarian aid”. After all, we do not pursue military, political or economic interests, but are guided by the role of diplomacy in promoting human dignity, freedom and aid.’

The Order of Malta has more than 13,500 members worldwide, more than 95,000 volunteers and around 50,000 full-time employees. It cares for around 15 million people in need worldwide. In addition to extensive social activities and worldwide disaster and refugee aid, the Order operates a large number of medical facilities, e.g. hospitals, medical and rehabilitation centres, nursing homes, hospices, orphanages and schools.