“The Order [Knights of Malta]was originally established in 1085 as a community of monks responsible for looking after the sick at the Hospital of St. John in Jerusalem. They later became a military order, defending crusader territory in the Holy Lands and safeguarding the perilous routes taken by medieval pilgrims.”
“The Siege of Malta was, in the first instance, a defensive battle, and certainly a bloody one. The knights would encounter Muslim forces again at the Battle of Lepanto, in 1571. Knights of Malta fought at the Siege of Candia (in Crete) in 1668, and at the Conquest of Belgrade in 1689. With the defeat, at least for the time being, of Christendom’s most serious foes, the Order’s attention began to shift to the philosophical plain embodied by the Counter Reformation.”
“The Order of Malta has ambassadors or diplomatic representatives in more than eighty nations, and enjoys Permanent Observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.”
These are some excerpts of the history of the Knights of Malta. I find this history to be VERY interesting in view of the present-day war being waged by Muslims. It will be exceedingly interesting as well to see how this history plays out in the days ahead.
:-)
History seems to be kinder to the Knights of St. John than with the Templars.