On the 14th of December 2005 in a New York Hospital in the sequence of a massive brain hemorrhagic stroke died His Most Eminent Highness Dom Lorenzo OSB - Metropolitan Primate of the American Catholic Orthodox Church and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of Autonomous Priories.

Born in Madrid, Spain, on the 15th of May 1939, Lorenzo Abruńedo Romero made his studies in the catholic seminar and later, in 1973, went to America where he joined the American Catholic Orthodox Church as a clergyman. Later he becomes successively Bishop, Archbishop and Primate of his Church.In 1994 His Beatitude Dom Lorenzo OSB, as Metropolitan Primate of the Church, succeeded His Eminence Archbishop Count Michael Paul Peter De Valich - who had been for near 30 years leading the Federation of Autonomous Priories - and, on the 22nd January of the same year, the Grand Council of the Federation in a meeting at La Valletta, Malta, reconfirmed Dom Lorenzo as successor to the vacant Great Magisterial See of the Federation.

During his 11 years as the Head and Chief of State of the Federation, first as Regent and recently as Grand Master, His Most Eminent Highness Dom Lorenzo preformed a brilliant work, conducing it to new stage of growth and development.In fact it was under the regency of Dom Lorenzo that several countries recognized the Federation as a Sovereign State and its network of Embassies was created to execute the humanitarian program of actions of the Order. It was also in this period that the Order grew in number and quality of knights and expanded to other countries such as Hungary, Angola, Romania, Guinea-Bissau, Czech Republic, Portugal, South Africa, Latvia, and Israel among other, and that new institutions of humanitarian nature, as FEMERAID were created.

Dom Lorenzo, the Grand Master, the Grand Knight has departed, and after his departure the Knighthood in general, and the Federation in particular, suffered a great loss.

The Man has departed but he did not die, for only those who are forgotten die, and the Memory of Dom Lorenzo will stay forever alive in all those who have known him.

Requiescat in Pacem.

Jose Cosmelli, Knight of Malta