On June 26, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem,

Rhodes and Malta - H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli, hosted a reception on the occasion of the feast of St. John the Baptist. The event took place at the "Vrana" residence and was attended by numerous guests, including H. M. King Simeon II and Queen Margarita, Prince Boris of Tarnovo, senior representatives of the Bulgarian state administration, Members of the European Parliament, ambassadors, diplomats, representatives of religious communities in Bulgaria, journalists, cultural figures, businesspeople, and friends.

E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli first greeted her guests with a "Welcome!" and then shared:

A big thank you to everyone for taking the time to come on this hot evening. We are joined to celebrate the feast of Saint John the Baptist, patron of the Order. Ever since his birth, he has fulfilled the mission he received from God to be the herald of Jesus. I would like to cite Pope Leo XIV from his message to the Order: "Your Order has as its purpose the tuition fidei and the obsequium pauperum. Two aspects of a single charism: the faith that is propagated and protected in loving dedication to the poor, the marginalized, all those who are in need of support, and the help of others".

In a year marked by new geopolitical tensions, ongoing humanitarian crises, and profound social transformations, the Order of Malta continues in its thousand-year mission of assistance to the poor and sick. We are going on in our mission as witnesses of Christian charity through service, diplomacy and care, in a spirit of peace and humility.

With a worldwide network of 13,500 members, 100,000 volunteers, 52,000 employees and some 100 diplomatic missions, the Order operates today in 130 countries, bringing relief to those who suffer, regardless of origin or creed.

Only a month ago, the Prime Minister Rosen Zheliazkov visited the Order of Malta during his stay in Rome. I express my deepest gratitude for the fruitful collaboration with the Bulgarian authorities, especially the diplomatic officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Here, in Bulgaria, we continue our social projects in support of the poor elderly people and to the disadvantaged children living in institutions. I want to thank very much all our sponsors and volunteers for the efforts that they dedicate to our mission. Without you, none of this would be possible.

I rise the cup to the health of all of you and wish you to enjoy the evening!

And indeed, the guests spent a pleasant evening, enjoying the coolness of the residence's garden, exchanging thoughts on various current topics of the day.

The photos were kindly provided by the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Above: H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Bottom: First row (left to right): H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli with H. M. King Simeon II and Queen Margarita, Prince Boris Tarnovsky, Mrs. Iva Mihaylova, Deputy Head of Mission, colleague; H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli with H. E. Mrs. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Bulgaria; Mons. Christopher Seiler, H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli, Apostolic Nuncio Mons. Luciano Suriani, Mrs. Iva Mihaylova, Deputy Head of Mission, colleague; The embassy team with MEP Andrey Novakov. Second row: H. E. Mrs. Ursula Hӧfter Zuccoli with the Regional Governor of Sofia, Mr. Stefan Arsov; with colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; with Father Nikolay Georgiev from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church; with Mr. Roberto Santorelli, President of Confindustria Bulgaria, and his wife Fiorella.