Sovereign Military Order of Malta

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta , officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta , commonly known as the Order of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalric and noble nature. It has been called "the smallest sovereign state in the world", though it is not recognized as one by the United Nations.

SMOM claims continuity with the Knights Hospitaller, a chivalric order that was founded c. 1099 by the Blessed Gerard in medieval Jerusalem. In terms of international law, it is an establishment of the 19th century, recognized at the Congress of Verona of 1822, and since 1834 headquartered in Palazzo Malta in Rome. The order is led by an elected Prince and Grand Master. Its motto is Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum . The order venerates the Virgin Mary as its patroness, under the title of Our Lady of Mount Philermos.

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