Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Luis Manuel Cuña Ramos, of the clergy of the Diocese of Orense, as Prelate of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta.

The appointment was announced by the Holy See Press Office. Monsignor Cuña Ramos was born on January 22, 1966, in Orense (Spain) and was ordained a priest on June 14, 1992, for the Diocese of Orense. In 1994, he earned a Licentiate in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Italy).

From 1996 to 2020, he worked in the Historical Archive of the then Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Since 2012, he has been a Historical Consultant for the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. In his home diocese, he holds the following positions: Archivist and Librarian Canon of the Cathedral; Episcopal Delegate for heritage and cultural assets; Teacher of Ancient and Medieval History at the “Divino Maestro” Theological Institute; Parish Administrator.

But what does the Prelate of the Sovereign Order of Malta do? 

According to the official website of the SMOM, “He oversees the religious and priestly life of the Chaplains and their apostolate, ensuring they are conducted according to the discipline and spirit of the Order of Malta – assists the Grand Master and the Grand Commander in caring for the life and religious observance of the Order’s members and in everything that concerns the spiritual character of the Order’s works. He is appointed by the Supreme Pontiff, who chooses him from a list of three names proposed by the Grand Master, after a deliberative vote by the Sovereign Council. The Prelate aids the Cardinal Patron in exercising his office within the Order.”

Monsignor Laffitte is the emeritus Prelate of the Order of Malta, appointed on July 4, 2015.