Promoting an atmosphere of joy and brotherhood during the Investiture ceremonies
Lieutenant Buontempo (to the right of the Archbishop of Malta), along with several other Lieutenants and the Order's Treasurer, Saverio Petrillo, during the celebration held in Malta.
“In 2022 the Lieutenancy for Malta finally reached its 100th member. Six Knights, four Ladies and a clergyman were invested and are now part of this growing family. The Maltese reality has shown that, even during the pandemic, the number of faithful interested in the Order has increased rather than decreased [...].
The pomp and ceremony is important, but by itself it means nothing. On the contrary, I believe that pomp alone creates a kind of boundary that separates the simple believer from those who think they are important because they become a Knight or Dame.
We care about promoting an atmosphere of joy and fraternity [...]. Furthermore, we are keen to emphasize the ecumenical dimension, and every year I invite leaders of other Christian denominations... Who knows, maybe next year we will also invite the Imam!
We do not organize dinners after the Vigil, because we prefer the atmosphere to remain as sober as possible. In fact, we offer refreshments - a standing buffet - so that everyone, from the oldest and most decorated to the newcomers, can mingle, feel fully part of the same community and exchange experiences in a much smoother way than they would during a dinner.
Later, at the convivial lunch after the Investiture Ceremony, we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to have a foreign lieutenant or representative at their table, which would show the openness of our lieutenancy to the universal dimension of the Order, which reflects that of the Church of which we are first and foremost members [...]”.
Roberto Buontempo
(April 2023)