Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta ®
The Insignia of the Order of Malta
The insignia of the Order symbolizes the character of the Knights and Dames, and the work they perform on behalf of the Order.
- THE SHIELD with a white cross on a red background from which the insignia hangs represents the ensign of the Order.
- TWIRLED RIBBON represents fidelity.
- SMALL CROSS just above the crown – the wooden cross upon which Christ died.
- THE CROWN directly below the cross – the sovereignty of the Order.
- THE MALTESE CROSS hanging below the crown – the badge of the Order.
- THE FOUR ARMS OF THE CROSS – the virtues of temperance, prudence, justice and fortitude.
- THE WHITE IN THE ARMS OF THE CROSS – purity of deed.
- THE EIGHT POINTS OF THE CROSS – the eight Beatitudes as proclaimed by Christ in his Sermon on the Mount
The photograph is the insignia of a Knight of Magisteral Grace, a member of the third class which is the predominant class. Please click here for an explanation of the three classes of membership.