Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta Order of St. John mistakenly called the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. This is wrong: The Order of Jerusalem called the most, but not St. John. Among the saints there are, for example, are: John the Baptist - Forerunner of the Lord, John the Evangelist - the Apostle of God and the Evangelist, author of the Gospel, the Apocalypse and the three Epistles of the Apostles, John Eleymon (Sir) - Patriarch of Alexandria, but as a saint John of Jerusalem did not exist. Patron, the patron of the Order is John the Baptist.
Order of Malta
Concerning the name “Order of the Hospitallers” should be borne in mind that this name is slang or familiar. The official title of the Order is no such word “Hospitallers» ( «des hospitaliers»). In fact, the official name of the Order is hospitable Order (l’Ordre hospitalier), rather than “Order of the Hospitallers. Initially, the main task of the Military Order of St. John’s hospitality was to protect pilgrims on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the present time, when the military task relegated to the background, the Order has been active with humanitarian and charitable activities. Thus, in the new historical conditions, the name “Friendly Order” takes on a new, special touch.

From the standpoint of international law, the Order of Malta is not the state, and gosudarstvopodobnym education. [1] [2]

Sometimes seen as a diminutive state-enclave, the smallest nation in the world (on the territory of Rome, but independent of Italy), sometimes - as extraterritorial public education, sometimes - just as the order of chivalry. In international law the sovereignty of the Order is considered at the level of diplomatic relations (diplomatic missions), but not as the sovereignty of the state.