The Military Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (the Knights Hospitaller) is known in modern Catholic circles today less as defenders of Christendom at the siege of Acre (with knights tying themselves to chairs with ropes when too wounded to fight standing) and more as a group that goes on pilgrimage to Lourdes, hosts charity events and provides soup kitchens for the homeless.
I’ve been familiar with the Order’s modern iteration since 2006, when I became a knight, but along the way I’ve also discovered that somewhere in the ancient DNA of most religious orders there remains a strand that hasn’t entirely managed to become extinct: the crusading warrior knight part which is echoed in the prayer that is recited by new knights and dames at every investiture Mass: “Lord Jesus, Thou has seen fit to enlist me for Thy service among the Knights of St John of Jerusalem… Be it mine to practise and defend the Catholic, the Apostolic, the Roman Faith against the enemies of religion; be it mine to practise charity towards my neighbours, especially the poor and sick.”
