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The Cardinalis Patronus
The Pope appoints a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church as his
representative to the Order - the "Cardinalis Patronus", vested with
special authority. The Cardinalis Patronus is in charge of promoting the
spiritual interests of the Order and of its members, as well as the
relations between the Holy See and the Order. From May 1993, the
Cardinalis Patronus of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is:
His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Pio Laghi.
 Cardinal
Pio Laghi, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Catholic Education
(association of seminars and educational institutes), was born in
Castiglione, dioceses of Forlì-Bertinoro (Italy) on May 21, 1922 and
received the Orders on April 20, 1946. After the Salesian School of
Faenza, he joined the Episcopal Seminar to study philosophy, then
attended the Faculty of Theology at the Pontificia Università
Lateranense as a student of the Papal High Seminar. In 1942 he graduated
in Theology, and in 1950 in Canon Law, at the Pontificia Università
Lateranense.
After having attended the Papal Ecclesiastic Academy, in March 1952 he
entered the service of the Holy See and was sent to Managua, Nicaragua,
as Secretary of the Nunciature. Three years later, at first as Secretary
and then as auditor, he served the Apostolic Delegation in Washington
and, in 1961, the Nunciature of Delhi, India. Again in Rome in 1964, for
five years he served the Secretary of State in the Council for Public
Affairs, now Division of Relations with States.
Elected at the official archbishopric seat of Mauriana on 24 May 1969
and appointed as the Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, he
was ordained Bishop on June 22, 1969. In the five years spent in
Jerusalem he was also Pro-Nuncio in Cyprus and Apostolic Visitor in
Greece.
In April 1974 he was appointed to Argentina as Apostolic Nuncio, and
there he remained until December 1980, when he was appointed Apostolic
Delegate to the United States. In March 1984, once the official
relations between the Holy See and the Government in Washington were
established, he became Apostolic Pro-Nuncio.
On April 6, 1990 he was appointed Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for
Catholic Education.
John Paul II made him Cardinal during the Consistory of June 28, 1991,
Deacon of S. Maria Ausiliatrice in Via Tuscolana (Protodeacon as from
January 1999).
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