The five Orders of St. John
Besides the Sovereign Order of Malta there are four other Orders of St. John recognised as orders of chivalry.
They differ from other national orders in being founded on the Christian faith and in their tradition as lay Christian orders. The four Orders of St. John of Jerusalem are joined in the Alliance of the Orders of St. John and share with the Sovereign Order of Malta the same historical tradition and the same mission: helping the sick and the poor.
These orders are recognised by the sovereign authorities of the countries in which they are based. Below is a short description of the four Orders of St. John recognised by the Sovereign Order of Malta.
The Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Order of St. John
The Order of St. John settled in Germany in the 12th and 13th centuries and founded a grand priory there. In the 16th century part of that grand priory, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg (a bailiwick is a territorial unit of the Order), became Protestant and remained under the protection of the Margraves of Brandenburg, later Kings of Prussia.
The bailiwick kept up friendly relations with the Sovereign Order of Malta. In 1811, however, it was suppressed by the King of Prussia, who later founded the Royal Prussian Order of St. John as an order of merit. In 1852 the order took back the name of the Bailiwick of Brandenburg.
In 1918, after the fall of the monarchy, it was separated from the state and became independent. Today it is present in a number of European countries, in Canada and in the United States. In Germany it runs or works with hospitals and homes for the elderly and runs an important emergency service, the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe. It also has independent branches in Finland, France, Hungary and Switzerland.
The Order of St. John in the Netherlands
The Order of St. John spread to the Netherlands in the 12th century. A decisive year was 1811, when the King of Prussia suppressed the Bailiwick of Brandenburg.
In 1852 a number of its Dutch members came together to refound it. In 1909 ties were established with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and in 1946 the group separated from the German order and was attached to the Dutch Crown, though not as an order of state.
Today the order runs hospitals and hospices and works with the Sovereign Order of Malta in various charitable activities.
The Order of St. John in Sweden
The Order settled in Scandinavia in the 12th century and became Protestant in 1530.
The new Order of St. John originally belonged to the Bailiwick of Brandenburg. In 1920 it was reorganised, still dependent on the German order but now under the protection of the Swedish Crown.
It became independent of Germany in 1946. Today it provides care for the elderly and the sick and works with Swedish hospitals, charities and Christian communities. It also takes part in international work for refugees and political prisoners.
The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem
The Order of St. John settled in the British Isles in the 12th century and, apart from a short period under Queen Mary, ceased to exist there under King Henry VIII.
The Venerable Order arose after an unsuccessful attempt to restore the Order of St. John in Britain in 1830. It was established as a humanitarian foundation only in 1870. In 1888 Queen Victoria recognised it, not as an order of state but as an order of the Crown.
Today it is well known for its ambulance services in many countries, for its eye hospital in Jerusalem and for first aid and nursing care. The Venerable Order has priories and associations in some 40 countries, most of them English-speaking.
It is the only one of the Orders of St. John that sets no religious requirement for admission.