Vcwxvwligen, this isn't really the essential point of your post, but that's no ceremony of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and here's why:
- Knights of Malta (SMOM) - around the world - uniformly wear a closed black ceremonial robe with a white Maltese cross on the chest -- not a
red mantle or cape with a cross on the shoulder. The real deal looks like
this:SMOM Knights @ St. Patrick's NYC
- The flags present in the room aren't the banners or flags of the Sovereign Order of Malta or its grand master, which look like this:
SMOM Flags and ... interestingly, note the US Flag is displayed wrong with blue
canton at its own left. (Not a mistake SMOM would make.)
- SMOM investitures are elaborate public ceremonies typically held in great cathedrals -- such as in New York at St. Patrick's, and in San Francisco
at St. Mary's and presided over by a bishop or archbishop. The photo link above shows other photos from the New York event. It's not likely that a
SMOM investiture would take place in a (forgive me, but ...) rather shabby basement and with such a variance of strange regalia.
- I can't say for sure, but I think the YouTube video supplied is related to this group:
Example of a Mimic Order -- a self-created group claiming a Russian lineage and patronage of a
Hungarian prince, but not a player on the world stage.
At any rate, that wasn't the point of your OP, but I wanted to point out that the group in the video is not the Knights of Malta (SMOM) -- the Roman Catholic chivalric order to which I believe you're making reference.
Cheers,
Sandalfon
[edit on 7/30/0909 by Sandalfon]
[edit on 7/30/0909 by Sandalfon]
[edit on 7/30/0909 by Sandalfon]
