Knights of Malta. First called “Knights of St. John of Jerusalem,” otherwise “Knights of Rhodes.” The most
celebrated religious military order of the Middle Ages. In 1048 a hospital was dedicated to St. John the Baptist,
which had been built by some merchants of Amalfi, to receive the pilgrims from Europe visiting the Holy Sepulchre.
The nurses were first called the “Hospitaller Brothers of St. John the Baptist of Jerusalem.” The hospice was
plundered by the Seljuk Turks; and the Crusaders under Geoffroy de Bouillon, in 1099, rescued the first superior
Gérard from prison. He resumed his work at the hospital, being joined by several of the Crusaders. The order
then became military as well as religious. After various vicissitudes, the Knights, in 1310, under their grand-master,
Foulkes de Villaret, captured Rhodes and seven other islands from the Greek and Saracen pirates, but they had
to surrender Rhodes to Solyman in 1523. In 1530 they were given the island of Malta, with Tripoli and Gozo,
by Charles V. The order has existed in parts of Italy, Russia, and Spain.
=======================
The Maltese Cross: From the days of the first Crusade, this cross has been the symbol of the Christian warrior. It was the insignia of the The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, one of the oldest Christendom orders which took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Also known as Hospitallers, knights maintained a hospital for pilgrims in Jerusalem and were known for their care of the poor and the sick.
Therefore this cross reflects the sometimes contradictory dimensions of organized Christianity: its militancy and also its compassion. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the Knights of St John moved to the island of Malta. Today, in the US, the Maltese Cross is also used as a symbol by firefighters.
The Maltese Cross it is universally agreed that the four arms of the Cross stand for the four Cardinal Virtues namely:prudence,
temperance,
justice and
fortitude.
For the eight points and the meanings given is not so straight forward.
Various authorities give differing meanings to the eight points.
The original version would be The Beatitudes as given by the Lord Jesus Christ, in the fifth Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
In other documents, it is given as The Eight Obligations of the Knights.
Here is an additional list of The Eight Knightly Virtues.
The Maltese cross is named after the island of Malta, which came to be the home of the Knights Order of St. John. The armor worn by the Knights covered their entire bodies as well as their faces. Because of this it was often difficult for the knights to recognize one another during battle. They realized they would need some type of symbol that could be used to quickly and easily identify them selves. They chose the Cross of Calvary, which would later be known as the Maltese cross. During the Crusades, the enemies of the nights commonly used fire as a weapon. It was quite common for a Knight to have to risk his own life to save another Knight or extinguish a fire.
The Knights of St. John were also known for their care of the sick and injured. Combined with their abilities to fight fires, and the pride and honor they took in their work, the Maltese cross seems a fitting symbol of the modern fire service. Firefighting is a proud profession, and only a symbol of pride would exemplify the work of a firefighter.
The Order of St John of Jerusalem is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization. Present in Palestine in around 1050, it is a lay religious Order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. Its 11,000 members include Professed Friars and others who have made vows of obedience. The other Knights and Dames are lay members, devoted to the exercise of Christian virtue and charity. What distinguishes the Knights of Malta is their commitment to reaching their spiritual perfection within the Church and to expending their energies serving the poor and the sick.
The Order of Malta remains true to its inspiring principles, summarized in the motto:
"Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum",
defense of the Faith and assistance to the poor and the suffering,
which become reality through the voluntary work carried out by Dames and Knights in humanitarian assistance and medical and social activities. Today the Order carries out these activities in over 110 countries.
================
Modern Sovereign Military Order of Malta
A courageous band of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but a horrible device of war. It wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracen's weapon was fire.
As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths.
Thus, these men became the first “firemen” and the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each here a badge of honor - a stylized cross similar to the one firemen wear today. Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea named Malta, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.
The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection. Worn as a fireman’s badge, it means that the fireman who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a fireman's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.
TEXAS Chapter, Knights of St. John of Jerusalem
© 2003-2007, Mexican National Catholic Church, MNCC - Official web site
This site was last updated 05/06/08
