Pie postulatio voluntatis facts for kids
Pie postulatio voluntatis (which means "The Most Pious Request" in English) is a very important papal bull (a special letter from the Pope). It was issued on February 15, 1113, by Pope Paschal II. This letter officially recognized the establishment of the Knights Hospitaller and confirmed that they were independent and could govern themselves. Today, you can find this ancient document safely kept at the National Library of Malta in Valletta, Malta.
Contents
How the Knights Hospitaller Started
The story of the Knights Hospitaller began around the year 1048. At that time, the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah gave permission to some merchants from the Republic of Amalfi to build a hospital in Jerusalem. This hospital was built to help pilgrims (people traveling for religious reasons) who visited the Holy Land.
The group of people who ran this hospital became independent during the First Crusade, which happened around 1099. Their first leader was a man named Blessed Gerard.
What the Papal Bull Said
Pope Paschal II gave this important bull to Blessed Gerard on February 15, 1113. In this letter, the Pope officially recognized the Hospital. It became a special religious group that was protected only by the Church.
The bull gave the Knights Hospitaller the right to choose their own leaders, called Grand Masters. No one outside the Order could interfere with their choices. The knights who joined the Order made three important promises: to live in poverty, to remain chaste, and to show obedience.
This papal bull was very important because it gave the Order its legal basis for being independent and self-governing.
The original document is still preserved today at the National Library of Malta in Valletta, Malta.
Celebrating the Anniversary
The 900th anniversary of this important papal bull was celebrated by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM). They held a two-day international conference in Rome in 2013. About 5,000 people attended this special event.
The conference started on February 7, 2013, and ended on February 9 with a mass led by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone at St. Peter's Basilica. Other branches of the SMOM around the world also celebrated the anniversary with various events.
To mark the occasion, Poste Magistrali, which is the Order's own postal service, released a set of two special stamps. Malta's postal authority, MaltaPost, also issued a miniature sheet of stamps to commemorate the anniversary.
See also
- Omne datum optimum, a similar bull that gave Papal protection to the Knights Templar
In Spanish: Pie postulatio voluntatis para niños
