One of the first official acts of the new Lieutenant of the Grand Master, Fra’ Marco Luzzago, was to confer the title of Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice on Fra’ Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas-Boas, Grand Commander.

Fra’ Marco Luzzago – elected yesterday by the Council Complete of State – warmly thanked Fra’ Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas-Boas for having ‘devoted himself with commendable commitment to the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta as Lieutenant ad interim during the six months following the death of the 80^th Grand Master Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto. Six extremely complex months,’ said the Lieutenant of the Grand Master, ‘rendered even more difficult by the Coronavirus pandemic’.

The short ceremony was held in the Magistral Palace in the presence of members of the Sovereign Council.