The American University of Rome will host a lecture on 7 September by the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Knights of Malta, Fra Matthew Festing. As part of its International Relations series the university has asked the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta to speak on the subject of the Order's role in the 21st century.

The Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta is an international aid agency and also provides health care and development aid in non-emergency situations.

Fra Festing, an expert in decorative arts, became a member of the order in 1977, took religious vows in 1991 and from 1993-2008 was the Grand Prior of the Order in England before being elected as Grand Master in 2008. He led humanitarian missions to Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia in the 1990s.

At present the Order