The Council Complete of State, on May 3rd, 2023, elected Fra’ John Dunlap as Prince and 81st Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, in the Magistral Villa on the Aventine, by an absolute majority of votes.
Fra’ John Dunlap communicated his election to Pope Francis with a letter in his own hand, delivered by His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi and the Order’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Antonio Zanardi Landi.
At 6.30 p.m. the same day, the newly elected Grand Master took the oath, thus entering into the fullness of his powers for the next ten years, according to the Article 13 of the new Constitution.