Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas

Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas
Grand Commander of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
In office
1 May 2019 – 3 September 2022
MonarchsGiacomo dalla Torre
Himself (Acting)
Marco Luzzago
Himself (Acting)
John T. Dunlap
Preceded byCarlo d'Ippolito di Sant'Ippolito
Succeeded byEmmanuel Rousseau
Lieutenant ad interim of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
In office
7 June 2022 – 13 June 2022
Grand ChancellorAlbrecht von Boeselager
Preceded byMarco Luzzago
Succeeded byJohn T. Dunlap
In office
29 April 2020 – 8 November 2020
Grand ChancellorAlbrecht von Boeselager
Preceded byGiacomo dalla Torre
Succeeded byMarco Luzzago
Personal details
Born (1939-11-27) 27 November 1939 (age 85)
Porto, Portugal
Alma materUniversity of Porto

Fra' Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas, 5th senhor da Casa de Guilhomil[1] (born 27 November 1939) is Grand Commander and a member of the Sovereign Council of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. As Grand Commander he automatically served as head of the Order, with the title Lieutenant ad interim, in 2020 and again in 2022.

Family

Villas Boas was born in Ramalde, Porto, Portugal.[1][2] His father was Gonçalo Manuel Coelho Vieira Pinto do Vale Peixoto de Sousa de Vilas Boas, 4th senhor da Casa de Guilhomil (1901–1971), second son of the 1st Visconde de Guilhomil.[1] His mother was Margaret Neville Kendall (1917–2007),[1] the daughter of an English family resident in Portugal. His nephews are the football manager André Villas-Boas and the actor João Villas-Boas.

On August 15, 1966, in the Capela da sua Quinta da Fonteireira, Villas Boas married Maria da Conceição Ulrich Pinto Basto, senhora da Casa da Fonteireira (October 9, 1946 – September 17, 2008), only child of Dr. António Gomes da Silva Pinheiro Ferreira Pinto Basto and his wife, Maria Luísa do Casal Ribeiro Ulrich.[1] Villas Boas and his wife had four sons, each of whom married and had children: Gonçalo (deceased 2020), Frederico, António, and Diogo.

Professional life

Villas Boas earned a degree in industrial chemical engineering at the University of Porto.[2] After fulfilling his military service requirement, he worked as an engineer for the Portuguese Tobacco Company, where he became Director of Research and Development.[2] He has been a full member of the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).[2] In 1986 he was Vice-President of the Scientific Commission of CORESTA.[3]

Order of Malta

In 1984 Villas Boas became a member of the Order of Malta's Portuguese Association.[2] In 1996 he became a Knight in Obedience.[2] Following the death of his wife in 2008, he became a professed Knight of Justice, taking his solemn vows in 2015.[2] He has held many positions in the Order, including that of the Grand Master's Delegate in Brazil, Councillor, Chancellor, Vice President of the Portuguese Association, and Vice Delegate of the National Associations. For many years he has made the material and spiritual welfare of inmates of a Portuguese prison his personal mission. He participates in the Order's pilgrimages to Fátima and Lourdes.

At the Chapter General of 30–31 May 2014, Villas Boas was elected a member of Government Council for a five-year term from May 2014 to April 2019.[4] He was elected Grand Commander by the Chapter General on 1 May 2019.[5]

As Grand Commander Villas Boas automatically succeeded as Lieutenant ad interim of the Order at the death of Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre, 80th Prince and Grand Master, on 29 April 2020; he served until the election of Fra' Marco Luzzago as Lieutenant of the Grand Master on 8 November 2020.[6] Again as Grand Commander Villas Boas automatically succeeded as Lieutenant ad interim of the Order at the death of Fra' Marco Luzzago on 7 June 2022; he served until the appointment of Fra' John Dunlap as Lieutenant of the Grand Master by Pope Francis on 13 June 2022.

Villas Boas has also served as a member of the Council and the Spiritual Coordinator of the Portuguese Knights of the Order.[7] He is a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.[1]

Publications

  • Asociación de los Caballeros de la Soberana Orden Militar de Malta de Paraguay. Fonteireira, 2006.
  • Associação Brasileira do Rio de Janeiro da Ordem Soberana Militar e Hospitalária de S. João de Jerusalém, de Rodes e de Malta. Fonteireira, 2006.
  • Rol dos cavaleiros de Língua portuguesa dos sécs. XII a XIX e registo das comendas, governadores do hospital e das Maltesas. Fonteireira, 2002.
  • "Igreja de S. Brás e Santa Luzia". Filermo 7–8 (1998): 163–183.
  • "Os Grão-Mestres portugueses da Ordem de Malta". Filermo 5–6 (1996/97): 93–107.
  • Rol dos cavaleiros de Língua portuguesa nos sécs. XVIII e XIX e registo de alguns Cavaleiros anteriores a esse período. Fonteireira, 1995.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Bandeiras, de Lisboa", pages 320-321.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Grand Commander". Order of Malta. n.d. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  3. ^ "CORRESTA 1956-2006" (PDF). Retrieved 29 April 2020. CORESTA lists him "Ruy VILLAS BOAS".
  4. ^ "The Chapter General of the Sovereign Order of Malta is held in Rome". Order of Malta. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  5. ^ Gagliarducci, Andrea (29 April 2020). "Ordine di Malta, la riforma continua con un nuovo Sovrano Consiglio" (in Italian). ACI Stampa. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Grand Magistry Announces Death of H.M.E.H. Grand Master Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto". Order of Malta. 29 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Conselho da Assembleia Portuguesa". ordemdemalta.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 May 2020.