Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto |
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| Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta | |
| Reign | 3 May 2018 – 29 April 2020 (Acting: 30 April 2017 – 3 May 2018) |
| Predecessor | Ludwig von Rumerstein |
| Successor | Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas (Acting) |
| Grand Commander | Ludwig von Rumerstein |
| Reign | 7 February 2008 – 11 March 2008 (Acting) |
| Predecessor | Andrew Bertie |
| Successor | Matthew Festing |
| Grand Commander of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta | |
| Reign | 2 June 2004 – 12 February 2009 |
| Predecessor | Ludwig von Rumerstein |
| Successor | Gherardo Hercolani Fava Simonetti |
| Grand Masters | Andrew Bertie Matthew Festing |
| Born | 9 December 1944 Rome, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 29 April 2020 (aged 75) Rome, Italy |
| Burial | 5 May 2020 Santa Maria del Priorato Church, Rome, Italy |
| Father | Paolo dalla Torre, Count of Sanguinetto |
| Mother | Antonietta Pulvirenti De Grazia |
Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto (born 9 December 1944 – died 29 April 2020) was an important leader. He was the Prince and 80th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. This is a very old Catholic order that helps people.
Giacomo was born in Rome, Italy. His family was noble and had strong connections to the Vatican. He studied at the Sapienza University of Rome. Later, he taught at the Pontifical Urban University. He joined the Order of Malta in 1985. In 1993, he became a Knight of Justice by taking special vows.
He served as a temporary leader of the Order twice. First, from February to March 2008. Then, again from 2017 to 2018. He was chosen as the Grand Master on 2 May 2018. He led the Order until he passed away. During his time, he worked to improve the Order's relationship with the Vatican. This relationship had been difficult before he took office.
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Early Life and Interests
Giacomo dalla Torre was born in Rome on 9 December 1944. At that time, Rome was part of the Kingdom of Italy. His family was noble and came from Treviso. They had close ties to the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church.
His father, Paolo dalla Torre, was an art historian. He was also the Director General of the Vatican Museums from 1961 to 1975. His mother was Antonietta Pulvirenti De Grazia. Giacomo's brother, Giuseppe, was a lawyer. He was the President of the court in Vatican City. Their grandfather, Giuseppe Dalla Torre, was a journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano for many years.
Giacomo studied Christian archaeology and art history at the Sapienza University of Rome. He also taught classical Greek at the Pontifical Urban University. He was the Chief Librarian and Archivist there. He wrote many academic papers about medieval art history. He was known as an expert in this field. He also loved music, especially Italian opera. People described his knowledge of music as "amazing."
His Role in the Order of Malta
Becoming a Knight
Giacomo dalla Torre joined the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) in 1985. He became a Knight of Honour and Devotion. Eight years later, in 1993, he took special vows. These vows were about poverty, chastity, and obedience. This made him a Knight of Justice. Only about 60 knights out of 13,500 take these full vows.
He quickly moved up in the Order. In 1994, he was elected Grand Prior of Lombardy and Venice. He held this position until 1999. From 1999 to 2004, he was a member of the Sovereign Council. This is like the Order's main governing body. In 2004, he was elected Grand Commander of the Order.
In 2008, the 78th Grand Master, Andrew Bertie, passed away. As Grand Commander, Giacomo automatically became the temporary head of the Order. He was seen as a strong candidate to become the next Grand Master. However, Matthew Festing was elected instead on 11 March 2008.
Giacomo was elected Grand Prior of Rome in 2009. He was re-elected in 2015. He held this role until 2017. On 29 April 2017, he was elected Lieutenant of the Grand Master. This meant he was the acting head of the Order again. This happened after Fra' Matthew Festing resigned as Grand Master. Giacomo was a top choice for the permanent Grand Master role.
In December 2017, another leader, Ludwig Hoffmann-Rumerstein, tried to change the rules. He asked Pope Francis to remove the rule that the Grand Master must be from a noble family. This would have allowed more people to be candidates. But Pope Francis said no to this idea. So, on 2 May 2018, Giacomo dalla Torre was elected Grand Master.
Leading the Order
Fifty-seven members of the Order of Malta voted for Giacomo dalla Torre. For the first time, two women were among the voters. When he became Grand Master, his full title was very long. It included "Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta." He took his oath of office on 3 May at Santa Maria del Priorato Church.
Giacomo worked to quickly improve the Order's relationship with the Holy See. This relationship had been difficult after Pope Francis asked the previous Grand Master to resign in 2017. Under Giacomo's leadership, the Order started making changes. People who wanted reforms became more influential.
In June 2019, Giacomo dalla Torre sent a letter to the Order. He said that all official religious services of the Order must use the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This is the standard Catholic Mass used today. It meant they should not use the older form, also known as the Tridentine Mass. He explained that the leader of religious groups like the Order of Malta has the power to decide which form of Mass to use. He also made it clear that this rule was only for official Order events. It did not apply to members' personal preferences outside the Order.
During his time as Grand Master, Giacomo visited many countries. These included Benin, Cameroon, Germany, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. In each country, he visited the healthcare facilities run by the Order of Malta. He met with staff and patients. He also showed interest in visiting Russia because of the Order's history there.
Giacomo was very involved in the Order's charity work. He helped the sick and the poor. He often served food to homeless people at train stations in Rome. He also took part in the Order's trips to holy places like Lourdes. He joined their summer camps for young people with disabilities.
His last official action was a meeting on 2 April 2020. They decided to hold a special meeting in November 2020. This meeting would approve changes to the Order's rules. Giacomo sent a letter about this on 28 April.
His Passing
Giacomo dalla Torre passed away in Rome on 29 April 2020. He was 75 years old. He had been getting treatment for throat cancer for several months.
Pope Francis praised him. He called him "a dedicated man of culture and faith." The Pope said Giacomo showed "a spirit of service for the good of the Church." The Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of Malta, Evarist Bartolo, also sent his condolences.
His funeral was held on 5 May at Santa Maria del Priorato Church. He was buried in the crypt of that church. He rests next to two past Grand Masters, Angelo de Mojana di Cologna and Andrew Bertie. Usually, a new leader is chosen within three months. However, the election was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grand Commander Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas became the temporary leader of the Order.
Awards and Recognition
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Knight Grand Cross since 2017 Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi
Awards from Other Countries
Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (1995)
Knight Grand Cross with Star of Gold of the Order of Prince Danilo I (31 January 2006)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (3 April 2006)
Collar of the Order of Saint Januarius (17 December 2018)
Grand Cordon of the Cameroon Order of Valour (18 July 2018)
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (21 October 2019)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (13 December 2019)
See also
In Spanish: Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto para niños
