JOHN, Order of Saint, a military religious order of medieval origin. The Knights Hos pitallers of Saint John, subsequently known as Knights of Rhodes, and lastly as Knights of Malta, were once a great power in Christian Europe. The origin of the order is unknown, but most probably it was early in its history that a rich merchant of Amalfi built not far from the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem a cer tain church known as Santa Maria della Latina, with a monastery for monks, under the rule of Saint Benedict, and a hospital for pilgrims. The first patron of the order seems to have been Saint John the Compassionate, patriarch of Alexandria in the 7th century. Afterward Saint John the Baptist was chosen patron, and the Benedictine brethren assumed the title of Johannites, or Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John. Pope Paschalis II in 1113 gave them the privilege of electing their own rector. Later, in addition to the vow of poverty, chas tity and obedience they were pledged to make war upon the infidels, and assumed a black cloak with a white cross on the left side. The members were divided into three classes, knights of noble birth, the fighting class, priests bound to the service of the Church, and brethren of service who took care of the sick and acted as guides to the pilgrims. In 1291 the order was driven from Palestine by the conquests of the Saracens, and after holding Cyprus for a time they occupied Rhodes in 1309, from which they were ultimately driven by Sultan Soliman II in 1522. After that the knights retired to
Candia and other places, but finally to Malta, which Charles V granted them in 1530. Here they continued to be a bulwark of western Europe against the Turkish navies till modern times. The chief of this order, which had great possessions in almost every part of Europe, was called "Grandmaster of the Holy Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, and Guardian of the Army of Jesus He lived at Valetta, in the island of Malta.
The military duty of the knights consisted in taking the field at least three times against the Turks or the pirates of Barbary. In war they wore a red jacket or tabard, charged with a white cross. In 1798 Malta was unexpectedly attacked and taken by Bonaparte, and about the same time the extensive properties belong ing to the order in various countries were con fiscated. This may be considered the end of the order as a vital institution, although shortly after the capture of Malta, Paul I, who had been chosen grand master, took the order under his protection, and it still exists nominally at least. After the death of Paul the nomination of the head of the order was vested in the Pope.