Flag of our Sovereign Order OVERVIEW The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller is an ecumenical, international, Christian organization directly descended from the close collaboration of crusader knights with the hospitaller activities of the hospice founded by Amalfi merchants for pilgrims in Jerusalem before the turn of the 12th century. The resultant knight/hospitaller organization was recognized as a Sovereign Order by Pascal II in a Papal Bull dated February 15, 1113. The Sovereign Order strongly influenced history in the Holy Land, Rhodes and Malta over the next six tumultuous centuries, and established itself in its hospitaller role as well. Our modern Sovereign Order of St. John descends from the Russian Priories established by Grand Master Tsar Paul I of Russia, who welcomed the Sovereign Order following the conquest of Malta by Napoleon in 1798.