Rome, December 2016. The Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John has appointed Frà John Edward Critien to the office of Grand Chancellor a.i. Within the Government’s structure of the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Grand Chancellor is both the Foreign Minister and the Minister of the Interior.
The Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro sent a congratulatory message to the new Grand Chancellor. Frà Critien was invested into the Constantinian Order in 1994 and holds the rank of Knight Grand Cross of Justice.
The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George enjoys a longstanding relationship with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and this dates back to the time when the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies historically enjoyed a close relationship with the island of Malta. Since 1878, every Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta has been a senior member of the Constantinian Order. The current and 79th Prince and Grand Master, His Most Eminent Highness Frà Matthew Festing has served on the Council of the British and Irish Delegation of the Constantinian Order from 2002-2009. In 2010 he has been elevated to the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross with Collar decoration of the Constantinian Order and the Grand Master has further honoured him through the appointment as a Knight of Illustrious Royal Order of Saint Januarius.
Frà John E. Critien, born in Sliema, Malta, graduated in Arts from the Royal University of Malta before settling in Pisa, Italy for 22 years where he taught English Language and Literature. He was a member of the Sovereign Council (Government) of the Order of Malta between 1994 and 1999 and was elected again in 2014. He also occupied the position of Conservator of the Magistral Palace Library and Archives and Curator of the art collections of the Order. In 2012 he was elevated to the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice, the first ever Maltese to hold this grade within the Order of Malta.