John T. Dunlap


John Timothy Dunlap is a Canadian attorney and the reigning Prince and 81st Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since his election in 2023.
Dunlap previously served as Lieutenant of the Order of Malta from 13 June 2022 before becoming the first Sovereign Prince and Grand Master without noble or aristocratic descent, as previously required, following Pope Francis' revision of the Order's constitution in 2022.

Education and career

The only son of John G. Dunlap and nephew of Judge Frank Dunlap, his grandfather was Henry Joseph Dunlap, late of the Royal Canadian Engineers, of Scottish descent.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Dunlap received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ottawa and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Western Ontario, having also studied at the University of Nice, France
Admitted to the New York State Bar and the Law Society of Ontario as barrister and solicitor, in 1987 Dunlap joined the New York law firm Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller, becoming a partner in 1993. Specialising in corporate and immigration law, he was appointed legal advisor to the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Order of Malta

Appointed a Knight of Magistral Grace of the Order of Malta in 1996, Dunlap professed temporary vows in 2004. On 7 June 2008, he professed perpetual vows as a Knight of Justice at the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village. In 2006, he was elected the First Regent, or religious superior, of the Sub-Priory of Our Lady of Lourdes, which comprises Knights, First and Second Class, who are members of either the American Association and the Federal Association.
In May 2014, Dunlap was elected to a five-year term as a member of the Order's Sovereign Council. He also serves as President of the Committee on the Orders of St John, set up as a collaborative body between the Order of Malta and the four non-Catholic orders of St John.
On 13 June 2022, Pope Francis appointed Dunlap as Lieutenant Grand Master of the Order of Malta, before, on 3 May 2023, being elected Sovereign Prince and 81st Grand Master. Dunlap's election was made possible by Pope Francis's 2022 revisions to the Order's constitution, which removed the traditional requirement for the Grand Master to prove noble ancestry.

Charitable activities

Dunlap is President Emeritus of the Canadian Club of New York, former Vice-President of the Royal Conservatory of Music Foundation, former President of the Friends of the Certosa di Capri and currently serves as a Trustee of John Cabot University.

Honours and decorations

Fra' John Timothy Dunlap received the title of Canon ad honorem of the Saint Lawrence Collegiate Chapter of Vittoriosa by solemn decree of His Grace the Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta Mgr Charles Jude Scicluna on 16 June 2023. His Most Eminent Highness was decorated with the pectoral cross which is one of the insigna bestowed by the Holy See on the Collegiate Chapter.
Fra' John Dunlap has also been awarded the following honours:

Papal orders

Commonwealth honours

“Your exceptional contributions to Canada, as well as your dedicated service within the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, exemplify the values of leadership and commitment that this honour seeks to recognize. Your leadership reflects a new era of inclusivity and progressive change within the Order. This medal is a testament to your enduring dedication and the profound influence you have had within both your community and the broader global stage”.

National orders

Dynastic orders

“As Head of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies and heir of the Farnese house, I have the privilege of remitting today to your Exellency the insignia of the Distinguished Royal Order of San Gennaro. The conferral of such honor, named after the Holy Martyr Januarius, the Patron of Naples, to you, the Head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, represents a further confirmation of the centuries-old and special relations of my House with the Sacred Religion, both during the ancient Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and even more in subsequent times".