Thousands of members of the Order of Malta donned their uniforms, robes and Sunday finery as they attended a mass in St. Peter's Basilica as part of celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the organisation being placed under the protection of the Holy See. In the year 1113, Pope Paschal II officially recognised the Knights of Malta as a religious order and Pope Benedict took part in the anniversary celebrations. Members expressed their positive emotions on the day.
