By A. DiNardo 
H.R.H. Sire Rubén, Royal Protector
of the Order of St. John
ROME-RUTHENIA 17 November 2025 (NRom)
The United Roman-Ruthenian Church today formally announced the signing of a historic concordat between the Russian branch of the Hospitaller Order of St. John, led by His Highness Don Basilio Calì, Prince of Rhodes, Grand Master, and the Russian-Yugoslavian branch of the Order of St. John, maintained under the ecclesiastical protection of the Church.
The concordat was solemnly signed earlier this month by His Apostolic Highness Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope, Sovereign of the Russian-Yugoslavian Order of St. John, and His Royal Highness Sire Rubén (Esteve IV), Chief of the Merovingian Dynasty, Royal Protector of both historic branches of the Order.
Church officials described the agreement as “a reaffirmation of historical legitimacy, fraternity, and continuity” within the ancient chivalric tradition rooted in the Crusader Knights of St. John.
H.I.M. Tsar Pavel I of Russia as Grand Master of the Knights of Malta
A Renewal of a Shared Heritage
The cooperation between the Russian obedience and the Yugoslavian obedience (also known as Russian-Yugoslavian) represents a reunion of two lines that share a common origin in the upheavals following the fall of Malta in 1798. When Tsar Pavel I gave sanctuary to the displaced Knights of St. John, he established the order under his sovereign authority, becoming the first Orthodox Grand Master in the Order’s history. That tradition endured within the Romanov dynasty (the order later being known as a Grand Priory in Russia) until the early twentieth century, when Tsar Nikolai II placed the care and continuity of the Order under the Royal House of Yugoslavia. King Peter II later renewed the statutes of the Yugoslavian continuation in 1964 while in exile.
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| H.M. King Peter II of Yugoslavia |
In the complex history of the Russian–Yugoslavian succession of the Order of St. John, the United Roman-Ruthenian Church ultimately became the principal steward of the line descending from King Peter II. His Apostolic Highness Pope Radislav I had long held the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross under the authority derived from King Peter II’s statutes, and had also been admitted to a Russian successor branch recognized by Prince Trubetskoi, who served as Lieutenant Grand Master in the time of Peter II. While various modern bodies claim heritage from the original Knights Hospitaller of St. John, including from the Russian and Yugoslavian traditions, what can be clearly affirmed is that the branch maintained within the United Roman-Ruthenian Church is the only continuation that unites both the Peter II succession and the Trubetskoi connection under a single, traceable line of authority supported by the ecclesiastical endorsement of the Orthodox Old Catholic Roman-Ruthenian Pope. In this sense, the Church’s custodianship represents not exclusivity, but the responsible preservation of the specific lineage entrusted to it.
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| H.R.H. Sire Rubén, Royal Protector, at the Magistral Palace of the Russian obedience of the Order of St. John located in Malta |
The related Russian branch, under Grand Master Don Basilio Calì, preserves the active charitable and chivalric dimension of the legacy. The new concordat formally links the two living continuations of the same historic institution, recognizing shared roots, mutual legitimacy, and a commitment to safeguarding the Order’s heritage for future generations.
Also, the United Roman-Ruthenian Church recognizes that the centuries-long history of the Knights of St. John has resulted in several successor bodies around the world, each preserving aspects of the Order’s charitable and chivalric mission. While the Church maintains its own historic Russian-Yugoslavian continuation, it affirms respect and Christian fraternity toward all legitimate traditions descending from the ancient Hospitaller heritage. The concordat announced today is thus not exclusive in spirit, but stands as a testament to unity, mutual goodwill, and shared devotion to the timeless ideals of the Order.
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| First page of the concordat document |
Details of the Concordat
The concordat establishes mutual recognition between the two branches as continuations of the historic Russian and Yugoslavian tradition of the Order of St. John. It also appoints H.R.H. Sire Rubén (Esteve IV) as the Royal Protector of both obediences.
Church officials emphasized that, while the Russian-Yugoslavian branch remains primarily custodial and honorary in nature, the concordat allows deeper cooperation with the active charitable works of the Russian branch.
Significance of the Agreement
The concordat marks one of the most meaningful developments in the Order’s modern history. For the first time in decades, the two obediences that stem from the same Russian and Yugoslavian inheritance have formally affirmed a shared mission of Fides, Caritas, et Servitium (Faith, Charity, and Service).
Its significance includes a restoration of unity in a divided legacy. The Order’s survival through political turmoil—from Napoleon’s conquest to the Bolshevik Revolution and the fall of Yugoslavia—left multiple lines of succession. The new agreement strengthens unity among the legitimate continuations of the Russian tradition. And, the concordat ensures that this distinctive heritage is preserved both spiritually (through the Church) and actively (through the Russian branch).
With both branches under the Royal Merovingian Dynasty’s patronage and, for the Yugoslavian branch, the sovereignty of the Roman-Ruthenian Pope, the Order gains renewed stability.
Statements from Church Leadership
In remarks following the signing, Pope Radislav I stated that the agreement “honors the memory of Tsar Pavel I and King Peter II, and solidifies the shared vocation of the Order across its historic branches.” He noted that the Church remains committed to preserving the Order’s legacy with dignity and fidelity.
H.R.H. Sire Rubén, Royal Protector of both branches, praised the concordat and stated that for him “it will be a great honor to accept this responsibility.”
An Enduring Mission
The Order of St. John, from its origins in the medieval Hospitaller tradition to its Russian and Yugoslavian chapters, has remained steadfast in its dedication to Christian charity and chivalric service. The 2025 concordat reaffirms that legacy, ensuring that both the active and custodial aspects of the Order continue to work in harmony, preserving a tradition that has endured for nearly a thousand years.
