The Order of Malta has elected their new Grand Master for life, Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto. As the 80th Grand Master for the Knights, he previously was the lieutenant of the Grand Master, a position only held for one year.
The 54 members of the Council Complete of State met in the Magistral Villa in Rome to hold the election, which takes place on a secret ballot. The Grand Master is then chosen from the 12 eligible candidates who fulfill the order's requirements.
Soon after, the elected had sends a letter to the pope, to announce the new election. For del Tempio di Sanguinetto, it was not his first time communicating with the pope.
Fra' Giacomo will swear his oath before the pope’s Special Delegate to the Sovereign Order of Malta and the members of the Council Complete of State May 3 at Santa Maria in Aventino.
This election comes after a difficult couple of years for the Knights. Thus, the new Grand Master, who has a close relationship with the Vatican, will continue to take care of the Order while stressing their alignment with the Holy See. It is an important step after the recent crisis that culminated with the resignation of former Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing.
