Rome, 19 February, 2026 – The first international conference of Receivers and Treasurers of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, entitled “A Culture Change”, is currently being held in Rome at the Villa Magistrale on the Aventine Hill. A three-day event dedicated to the administrators of the Priories and all the Order’s associations worldwide, to promote a cultural evolution in transparency, corporate governance, the proper use of public resources, anti-money laundering and accountability, critical issues to ensure that every resource is used with the greatest efficiency in support of humanitarian activities serving the poor and sick.

The proceedings were opened by the Receiver of the Common Treasure, Fra’ Francis Vassallo, who recalled the cultural change inherent in the Constitution that came into force in 2022, which “represents a decisive moment in the life of the Order, requiring a full understanding of the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, as a concrete expression of collaboration and harmony between the central level and local situations”. In his speech, he highlighted the value of good governance and strict and responsible management of resources, saying that the Order preserves a spiritual and material heritage built over 900 years of history and that there is “a moral duty to preserve this legacy”. Faced with cuts inglobal resources for humanitarian works and the difficulties of fundraising, he said that “careful and responsible management of funds is not an end in itself, but an essential tool toeffectively support the Order’s humanitarian and spiritual activities worldwide, serving the poor and sick”.

A video message for the Receivers meeting on the Aventine Hill came from the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, who stressed the importance of cooperation in global institutions: “No global institution can function as a collection of isolated entities. Diversity of experience is a strength, but the impact is greater when we act in unison. That is why dialogue, shared standards and collective responsibilities are important. In a world where fragmentation is often presented as autonomy, choosing unity is an act of leadership”.

There were also speeches by prominent speakers from the international economic and financial scene, such as Professor Giulio Tremonti, President of the Foreign and Community Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, in dialogue with Il Sole 24 Ore journalist Carlo Marroni, on the topic “Between Demographic and Democratic Crises: A Proposal”, and Professor Marina Brogi, Professor of Economics of Financial Intermediaries at the University of Milan-Bicocca, who closed the day with a report on Corporate Governance in Financial Institutions. “Good governance is based on people’s integrity and competence, their genuine independence of judgment, and on structured processes, supported by robust documentation and comprehensive and reliable information flows”, she explained. 

The Grand Chancellor, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, also spoke at the event created by the Receiver, speaking of ‘culture change’ as a return “to our ancient, original, fantastic culture which involves full collaboration, a great unified vision, faith embodied in works and a cultural avant-garde”. Looking to the future, he called for “raising one’s head”, not only to manage “what we have” but to “imagine what we can become”.

The Secretary General, Marchesino Josef Formosa Gauci, and the Treasurer, Frederick Mifsud Bonnici, represented the Maltese Association.