Ambassador Sebastiani at the Sovereign Military Order of Malta on the occasion of the traditional hearing of the beginning of the New Year

The Lieutenant of Grand Master, Fra ‘ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, in the Magistral Villa in Rome, last January 9, received the diplomatic corps accredited with the Sovereign Order of Malta. During the meeting the lieutenant has retraced the rich and challenging year just spent, in which the sovereign order of Malta was measured with the great humanitarian challenges according to the principles of impartiality, neutrality, defense of the weaker population groups, brotherhood. In his speech to the diplomatic corps, he reiterated that the action of the order in recent years has focused on some thematic areas such as assistance to migrants and refugees, combating trafficking in human beings, support for dementia patients and the development of new therapies, fight against endemic diseases. His mission is not limited to the moment of the emergency, but continues later. The main objective is to bring help, relief and help in all possible ways to give hope to people devastated by wars, violence, persecution, natural disasters. In particular, last year has been marked by pressing humanitarian emergencies: those caused by man (south Sudan, Syria) and those resulting from devastating climate change (Somalia). The ensuing migrations (in particular from Libya) represent the deepest human tragedy of our time, so an important front of commitment is the assistance and integration of migrants and refugees. Another issue that focuses on the diplomatic commitment is the special role played by religious institutions in theaters of war, to bring relief and assistance to communities affected by conflict. It was also remembered, the encyclical “Laudato si’”, in which Pope Francis reiterates his “urgent call to renew the dialogue on the way in which we are building the future of the planet”, to take into account the aspects and impacts of the new paradigm of development and progress in the short, medium and long term. The lieutenant concluded by referring to the process of reform of the Constitutional Charter, which wants to strengthen the spirituality and the consolidation of the system of Government of the Order to better face the current humanitarian challenges.