For nearly one thousand years Our Sovereign Order has dedicated itself to Saint John, and at the present time Our State, in accordance with its Constitutional Letter, has chosen the day of Saint John to be its National Day.

During the present year and the next, our State celebrates also its Hundredth Anniversary. In fact our Federation was founded and established 100 years ago, by the representatives of several Autonomous Priories of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also said of the Hospitallers or of the Knights of Malta, as the legal and direct successor and heir of that glorious and ancient Knightly Order.

Saint John is probably the only Saint who is respected in other religions than the Christian, and, at the present time, we all - as His Knights and Dames - are also open to all Religions and Churches in a true and sincere Ecumenical spirit and with deep respect for all.

In accordance with the Jewish tradition Saint John used to work the " living water " of the Jordan River, so nowadays we work for the People, because they are the " Living Water " of the Earth.

Like Saint John, we fight now for Peace and Purity.

Like Saint John, we work nowadays for the betterment and the progress of Mankind.

Like Saint John, we defend the Dignity, the Honesty, the Righteousness and the Goodness in the World.

Like Saint John, we fight, we defend and we stand for our principles, and, if we continue existing as a Knightly Order for nearly 1.000 years, and in the XXI Century we continue to be useful and necessary to the World, is only because we are guided by our principles and we stand for them.

For us International Cooperation and Humanitarian Work are nor a business neither an end - as they are for many - but instead they are a fundamental principle that we have to carry out with respect, brotherhood and consideration for those to whom we help and assist.

Nowadays, in more than 60 countries, the growing number of our Embassies and of our Femeraid International national units, our State University, our Foundation, and our Chamber of Commerce, as well as all the other State Institutions, the Government of our State and all the national structures of our Sovereign Order are working for the Progress, for the Development and for the Well-being of the Mankind and like this will continue.

If "To Save a Life is to Save the World" then, only to mention the last few years, we have saved the World many, many times, but our work does not consist only of saving or preserving Life: our objective is to contribute to give more Quality, more Dignity and more Safety to the life of the People, and also to contribute to make of this Planet a more habitable home for all.

We can not and will not change the World, but we can and will continue to make a difference, as we have been doing for nearly one thousand years.

As Grand Master and Head of the State I want to thank to all of you for your support to our Work in different countries and in different continents from the Americas to Africa and from Europe to Asia, and remind you all that " he, who works for his brother Man, is not working for the others, but for himself."

Yours in Saint John

24th June 2009