Since being appointed in February 2025 as Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, Josef Blotz has been dedicated to strengthening the Order’s humanitarian efforts across the globe.

A former Major General in the German Army, Dr. Blotz joined the Order of Malta in 1992 and has been a Member of the Sovereign Council since January 2023.

In an interview with Vatican News, he highlighted how new developments and projects are being implemented to reach the most desperate areas of the world, like Ukraine and Gaza. 

Work in Ukraine and Gaza

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta is currently providing services to 64 different places in Ukraine, along with maintaining relief efforts in Gaza and Bethlehem.

Through a partnership with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, food has successfully been delivered to war-torn Gaza and planning for the construction of a basic healthcare facility there has begun.

“This partnership has turned into a success story,” Dr. Blotz said.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, connected with the Order in Spring 2024 to ask for help providing aid to Gaza. Since then, the Order and the Patriarchate have delivered hundreds of tons of food to families in need. Their partnership will also soon result in the construction of an urgently needed hospital, as soon as a durable ceasefire is achieved.

Dr. Blotz affirmed that they have the infrastructure prepared, saying they are “ready to act as soon as the security situation allows.”

Dr. Blotz speaks with Grace Lathrop in the studios of Vatican News

Spiritual devotion and service

Dr. Blotz emphasized that the intertwining of spiritual devotion is one of the most important factors when performing acts of service to those in need.

He described it as the “DNA of the Order of Malta,” saying it has been “the focal point for what we have been doing for the last thousand years.”

Both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have called for spiritual renewal of the Order in order to focus on its original identity and to ensure that faith remains at the heart of all philanthropic work.

“The Holy Father reminded us that these two elements must go hand-in hand,” Dr. Blotz said. “It is the essence of who we are.”

Vision for the future

Despite security challenges, Dr. Blotz and the Order of Malta have continued to provide aid through their diplomatic status.

The Order currently has diplomatic relations in 115 different countries, making it easier to navigate any obstacles their humanitarian efforts may face.

The Order of Malta is dedicated in continuing to find new and innovative ways to serve others. Dr. Blotz described their ability to adapt to new situations as one of the reasons the Order can respond quickly to disaster and war.

“We must ensure that the work we’ve been doing for nearly a thousand years continues sustainably and effectively,” he said. “But we must also remain flexible and modern by tradition- we’ve always adapted to meet the needs of the time.”

Dr. Blotz described the combination of faith, flexibility and unwavering service as “the fuel that will keep us going for the next thousand years.”