Membership

Membership in the Order of Malta is by invitation only, and the emphasis today is on a nobility of spirit and conduct. The 13,500 Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta remain true to its inspiring principles, summarized in the charisms of “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum” – nurturing, witnessing, and protecting the faith and serving the poor and the sick – which become reality through humanitarian projects and social assistance in 120 countries. Members must demonstrate dedication to these principles and are admitted country-by-country through Priories and National Associations. In the case, of the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, it is an Association that essentially operates in exile.

According to the Constitution of the Order of Malta and of the Statutes of the Cuban Association, the members of the Order are divided into three Classes. All the members are to conduct their lives in an exemplary manner in conformity with the teachings and precepts of the Catholic Church and to devote themselves to the assistance activities of the Order.

First Class

Members of the First Class are Knights of Justice, or Professed Knights, and the Professed Conventual Chaplains, who have made vows of “poverty, chastity and obedience aspiring to perfection according to the Gospel.” They are religious according to Canon Law, but are not obliged to live in community.

Second Class

The members of the Second Class, by virtue of the Promise of Obedience, are committed to living according to Christian principles and the inspiring principles of the Order.

They are subdivided into three categories:

• Knights and Dames of Honor and Devotion in Obedience
• Knights and Dames of Grace and Devotion in Obedience
• Knights and Dames of Magistral Grace in Obedience

Third Class

The Third Class consists of lay members who do not profess religious vows or the Promise of Obedience, but who live according to the principles of the Church and of the Order.

They are divided into six categories:

• Knights and Dames of Honor and Devotion
• Conventual Chaplains ad honorem
• Knights and Dames of Grace and Devotion
• Magistral Chaplains
• Knights and Dames of Magistral Grace
• Donats (male and female) of Devotion

The requirements of each of these classes of Honor and Devotion, Grace and Devotion and Magistral Grace are spelled out in the By-laws of the Cuban Association, but all share the common requirement of being persons of proven high moral character, faithfully following the precepts and teachings of the Catholic church, and being prominent in their field of work and in society.

 The Flag of the Order’s works

The red flag with the the eight-pointed white cross is the flag of the Order of Malta’s works. The eight-pointed cross has been used in the Order as long as the Latin cross, and stems from the Order’s ancient links with the Republic of Amalfi. Its present form dates back over 400 years; the first clear reference to an eight-pointed cross was its representation on the coins of Grand Master Fra’ Foulques de Villaret (1305-1319). This is the flag flown by the Order’s Grand Priories and Subpriories, its 48 National Associations and over 100 diplomatic missions around the world. It also flies over hospitals, medical centers and out-patient departments, as well as wherever the Order of Malta’s ambulance corps, foundations and specialized units operate. 

The Emblem of the Order’s works

The emblem is the symbol of the Order of Malta’s medical and humanitarian activities worldwide. It is a red shield with a white, eight-pointed cross (as described in Article 242 of the Order of Malta’s Code).

 The Flag of the Order’s works

The red flag with the the eight-pointed white cross is the flag of the Order of Malta’s works. The eight-pointed cross has been used in the Order as long as the Latin cross, and stems from the Order’s ancient links with the Republic of Amalfi. Its present form dates back over 400 years; the first clear reference to an eight-pointed cross was its representation on the coins of Grand Master Fra’ Foulques de Villaret (1305-1319). This is the flag flown by the Order’s Grand Priories and Subpriories, its 48 National Associations and over 100 diplomatic missions around the world. It also flies over hospitals, medical centers and out-patient departments, as well as wherever the Order of Malta’s ambulance corps, foundations and specialized units operate. 

The Emblem of the Order’s works

The emblem is the symbol of the Order of Malta’s medical and humanitarian activities worldwide. It is a red shield with a white, eight-pointed cross (as described in Article 242 of the Order of Malta’s Code).