Visit of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta
On 27 January 2025 the Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra’ John Timothy Dunlap, paid a visit to the Mayor of Kraków.

The visit was an opportunity to thank the Kraków authorities for their ongoing cooperation. Mayor Aleksander Miszalski received a medal commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Polish Association of Knights of Malta and a special honorary diploma.
The Grand Master was accompanied by Niels Carl Alexander Lorjin, Ambassador of the Order of Malta to Poland; Fabiana Giovannoni, Chief of Staff of the Grand Master; Jacek Tarnowski, President of the Polish Association of Knights of Malta; Krzysztof Moczurad, Head of the Małopolska Confraternity of the Polish Association of Knights of Malta; and Adam Zając, a member of the Lesser Poland Confraternity. At the guests’ request, Szczęsny Filipiak also attended the meeting and received special thanks for his cooperation.
This was the Grand Master’s second visit to Kraków; the first took place in March 2024 during the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the Maltese Center for Assistance to Disabled Children and Their Families at ul. Kasztanowa 4a. Providing such assistance is a core mission of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta—commonly known as the Order of Malta. It is one of the oldest Catholic orders and the oldest knightly order.
The Order is also a sovereign entity under international law, maintaining bilateral diplomatic relations with 112 countries, official relations with 6 additional countries, and ambassadorial-level contacts with the European Union. The Order of Malta is neutral and apolitical. In line with its motto, Tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum (Latin for “Defense of the faith and service to the poor”), it engages in charitable activities in dozens of countries wherever help is needed. It operates hospitals, medical centers, outpatient clinics, care homes for the elderly and disabled, as well as hospices for the terminally ill.
Mayor Miszalski expressed gratitude for all the activities of the Order of Malta, which in Kraków have been particularly focused on helping refugees from Ukraine. He emphasized that such selfless commitment—since the Order operates 97% on a volunteer basis—deserves great respect. He also assured continued openness to cooperation with the Order in fulfilling its mission.
Fra’ John Dunlap, Prince and 81st Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, elected in May 2023 in Rome, is a 68-year-old Canadian and the first non-European Professed Knight to be elected leader of the Order of Malta. He will hold office for 10 years, until 2033.