The pope was already critical of the ornate dress favored by the Knights (red military jacket and gold epaulets) and by Cardinal Burke (a long train of billowing red silk known as a cappa magna). Francis also had a history of run-ins with the Knights during his time as a cardinal in Argentina.

So on Dec. 21, Francis wrote directly to Mr. Festing, conveying his decisions on what he called the “painful circumstances” and making clear that those decisions had “value, regardless of anything else to the contrary.” Attached to his letter, signed simply “Francesco,” were more letters from his second-highest-ranking official, Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, stating that “His Holiness asked for dialogue as the way to confront and resolve eventual problems” and that “he never spoke, instead, of kicking someone out!”

Cardinal Parolin also wrote that the firing “not be attributed to the will of the pope.” Critically, he noted that the Knights, because of the group’s status as a lay religious order, fell under the pope’s authority, and that the pope had formed a commission to investigate the firing of Mr. Boeselager. But Mr. Festing refused to comply with the papal commission, citing the order’s status as a sovereign entity and raising questions about the integrity of a commission full of Mr. Boeselager’s allies.

“I think maybe he was getting bad advice” from Cardinal Burke, said one senior Vatican official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak by the Vatican. (Cardinal Burke and Mr. Festing declined to comment.)

Others say Mr. Festing hardly needed to be egged on by Cardinal Burke, and note that despite having no territory, the order is, in fact, sovereign, issuing its own passports and stamps and conducting diplomatic missions.

Either way, the Vatican was not thrilled. On Jan. 17, it issued an unusually tough statement supporting the commission and rejecting “any attempt to discredit these members of the group and their work.” The commission ultimately ruled that the pope did have authority over the Knights of Malta.

On Tuesday, he exercised it. He called Mr. Festing to the Vatican and asked for him to step down, a move the Vatican announced the next day. The order followed with its own statement, saying Mr. Festing’s resignation would become official once the order’s counselors met on Via dei Condotti to formally accept it. On Saturday, they did just that, immediately reinstating Mr. Boeselager and promising to collaborate with the pope’s delegate.</s>One of Europe’s smallest states, the Vatican, has overrun another. After weeks of tension, on Wednesday Pope Francis effectively took control of the Sovereign Order of Malta, a 900-year-old religious group that also exists as an independent state under international law.

The rift between the Holy See and the order is more than a fascinating legal drama: It’s a proxy for a wider spiritual rift between Catholic traditionalists and a...</s>ROME (AP) — The Knights of Malta say Pope Francis has written to their leaders stressing the sovereignty of the ancient Catholic lay order, following a condom scandal linked to the order's charitable work.

The order's Sovereign Council in Rome on Saturday accepted the resignation of Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing, who had sacked the order's foreign minister, Albrecht von Boeselager. The minister was removed as grand chancellor following revelations that condoms were distributed in Myanmar under his watch.

The Vatican intervened on the minister's behalf. On Saturday, the council scrapped the disciplinary measures against von Boeselager, who resumes his post. The Knights say Francis in his letter Friday stressed the order's sovereignty.

FILE - In this June 23, 2016 file photo, Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his meeting with Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Matthew Festing, left, at the Vatican. The Knights of Malta is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and announced a papal delegate would govern it through a "process of renewal." ( Gabriel Bouys/ Pool Photo via AP, files)

Until Festing's successor is elected, Fra' Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein serves as its interim leader.

FILE -- In this June 20, 2014 file photo, Pope Francis blesses the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra' Matthew Festing, during a private audience in the pontiff's private library at the Vatican. The Knights of Malta is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and announced a papal delegate would govern it through a "process of renewal." (AP Photo/Claudio Peri, Pool)

FILE -- In this June 23, 2016 file photo, Pope Francis, flanked at left by Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Matthew Festing, stands during a family photo at the Vatican. The Knights of Malta is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and announced a papal delegate would govern it through a "process of renewal." ( Gabriel Bouys/ Pool photo via AP)</s>Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein will temporarily be in charge of the Order. (Order of Malta)

The Order of Malta’s Sovereign Council voted this afternoon to accept Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing’s resignation, with just a small number members voting against.

The Register understands from sources inside the Order that just a "handful" of members voted to reject the resignation, and that the Holy See applied “very strong and direct pressure” on the Sovereign Council to accept Fra’ Festing stepping down as it was unsure that a majority would vote in favor.

In a statement, the Order said Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, who is reputed to be very frail, now assumes the office of Lieutenant ad interim, and will “remain the Order of Malta’s head until the election of the successor of the Grand Master.” That vote is expected to take place soon.

The statement added that as well as accepting the resignation, the Sovereign Council also “annulled the decrees establishing the disciplinary procedures against Albrecht Boeselager and the suspension of his membership in the Order.”

The German-born Knight “resumes his office as Grand Chancellor immediately,” the statement added

Fra’ Festing had dismissed Boeselager Dec. 6 after he twice refused to resign over a “failure of trust”, other “confidential” matters, and for being held ultimately responsible for the distribution of contraceptives by the Order’s humanitarian wing.

His dismissal led to a clash with the Holy See that, in turn, resulted in a speedily completed Holy See enquiry into the sacking — a move which the Order protested breached its sovereign status. Three of the commission’s five members, including its head, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, were also known to be close associates of Boeselager, leading to the accusation they were sitting in judgment on themselves.

The three and Boeselager have also been involved in a $118 million bequest to the Order held in a Swiss trust. The Register has asked both Boeselager and Archbishop Tomasi for details on the trust and their involvement but neither has so far responded.

The day after the commission’s report was handed to the Pope Jan. 23, the Pope summoned Fra’ Festing to the Vatican and asked for his resignation on grounds that he wished to carry out his own investigation into the Order in light of the commission’s findings. To do so effectively, he told Fra’ Festing he thought it better that he step aside.

The Pope then ordered the former Grand Master to write his resignation letter during the meeting, which the former Grand Master did mainly out of obedience. He also was unaware that a day later, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, would send a letter announcing that the Pope had determined all of his acts from Dec. 6 “null and void” and a papal delegate would be appointed to lead the Order.

In its Jan. 28 statement, the Order said that the Pope had been informed of today’s vote, as had the 106 Heads of State with whom the Order has diplomatic relations. The Sovereign Council thanked Fra’ Festing for his “great commitment” as Grand Master.

It also made reference to a letter to the Order from Pope Francis, dated Jan. 27, in which the Pope “reaffirmed the special relationship between the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Apostolic See.” The Pope also noted “precisely that his Special Delegate will be operating on ‘the spiritual renewal of the Order, specifically of its professed members.’”

The statement stressed that the Order would give its “full collaboration” to the papal delegate, and closed by stating that the Order “is most grateful to Pope Francis and the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin for their interest in and care for the Order.”

“The Order appreciates that the Holy Father’s decisions were all carefully taken with regard to and respect for the Order, with a determination to strengthen its sovereignty,” the Order stated, adding that Fra’ Rumerstein will “soon convoke” a meeting to elect the successor of the Grand Master according to the Order’s constitution.

The news of the vote has been greeted with dismay by some within in the Order as well as in the Holy See. One member told the Register he feared the sovereign Order, founded in the 11th century at the time of the First Crusade, “is finished”.

“What has been done to the Grand Master and the Order is shameful and completely arbitrary,” he said.

A Vatican official speaking on condition of anonymity regretfully compared the actions of the Holy See imposing its will on the governance of a sovereign subject to an “Anschluss.”

A significant section of the Order views much of the dispute as being orchestrated by the Order’s German Association, keen to “modernize” and lead the Order by ridding it of its First Class ranks who take religious vows. The overriding motives are said to be money and power. “The Germans are seen as responsible for all of this and extremely unpopular,” said a member.

The association strenuously denies such accusations, although inside sources claim such ambitions have been apparent for decades, and not limited to the Order's German members.

Despite the obvious anger within the Order, others nevertheless think today’s vote may not be as bad as some think, but will require careful handling and respect for the Order’s Code.

The Register has learned that the ousted Grand Master and the Council carefully took all the steps required by the Code, so as not to accept dictates unconditionally and keep actions in their hands as far as possible. Members tentatively welcome, for instance, that the Pope has allowed for a future Grand Master to be re-elected soon.

Sources in the Order say much will depend on who the papal delegate is and how far he will want to interfere and effect changes. It is not yet clear how the relationship between the papal delegate and the soon-to-be elected Grand Master will be managed, but members of the Sovereign Council are reportedly committed to calling out any injustices and violations of the Code and international law that might take place.</s>Robert Matthew Festing, the Prince and Grand Master of the Order, submited his resignation after being asked to do so in a meeting with Pope Francis.

The Knights of Malta have confirmed that Matthew Festing, the Prince and Grand Master of the Order, has agreed to submit his resignation after being asked to do so in a meeting with Pope Francis Tuesday.“The Grand Master met the pope yesterday evening and (Pope Francis) asked him to resign,” Eugenio Ajroldi di Robbiate, Communications Director for the Order of Malta, said on Jan. 25.He said the decision “wasn’t anticipated...no one knew anything,” but Festing was cooperative and agreed to submit his resignation to the government of the Order. The Grand Master’s resignation cuts short his lifetime appointment, to which he was elected in 2008.However, according to the Order’s constitutions, if a Grand Master wants to resign he must convoke the governing council, submit his resignation request to them, and they must then approve it in order for the resignation to be official.Until then, Festing “technically is still Grand Master,” Robbiate said, explaining that the vote is set to take place on Saturday.He said that given the Order’s constitutional requirement for a Grand Master’s resignation to be accepted, there is “absolutely theoretically” a possibility that Festing’s request will be rejected, however, “it’s improbable.”Robbiate had no comment on the current Vatican investigation into the Order’s dismissal of their former Grand Chancellor, saying “I honestly can’t say” if Festing’s resignation would in any way affect the Vatican’s inquiry.A Jan. 25 communiqué from the Vatican confirmed the news, saying Festing “resigned from the office of Grand Master” during his meeting with the pope Tuesday.Pope Francis, it read, accepted Festing's resignation Wednesday, “expressing appreciation and gratitude to Fra’ Festing for his loyalty and devotion to the Successor of Peter, and his willingness to serve humbly the good of the Order and the Church.”The Vatican also confirmed that until a papal delegate is appointed to oversee governance of the Order, their Grand Commander, Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, would guide it in the interim.Festing's agreement to resign follows a conflict between the Order of Malta and the Holy See over the dismissal of the Knights' former Grand Chancellor, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, in December 2016. Among the reported reasons for the dismissal was that under Boeselager’s watch, the Order's charity branch had been involved in distributing condoms in Burma to prevent the spread of HIV.However, a senior official of the Order has said that while the incident was a contributing factor in Boeselager’s resignation, the reasons—while confidential—are much broader.The Holy See announced Dec. 22, 2016, shortly after Boeselager's dismissal, that Pope Francis had formed a group to investigate the matter.On Jan. 10, the Knights issued a statement defending their decision, calling Boeselager’s dismissal “an internal act of governance,” making the group established by the Holy See to investigate the decision “legally irrelevant” given the Order’s sovereignty.The Holy See, in turn, reiterated Jan. 17 its confidence in its investigative group and indicated it was awaiting the group's report “in order to adopt, within its area of competence, the most fitting decisions for the good of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and of the Church.”The Order of Malta is a chivalric order, which was founded in 1099, originally to provide protection and medical care to Holy Land pilgrims. It now performs humanitarian work throughout the world, and its two principle missions are defense of the faith and care for the poor. It maintains sovereignty, holding diplomatic relations with more than 100 states and United Nations permanent observer status.</s>“One of the difficulties with the Order (of Malta) is that there is a split between those like Matthew Festing who regard the Order as a religious institution doing charitable work in the light of the teachings of the Church and others who would like to see it becoming a merely secular institution following the mores of the world at large. This is the essence of the Festing v Boeselager issue. The distribution of contraceptives was part of the issue…” — a comment several days ago on the American Catholic website onePeterfive “It seems that pills and condoms are diverting attention from another very serious story, involving money. A huge bequest from a French member directed towards the French association was instead secretly placed in a slush fund of some sort. The lawyer who did the work on it in Switzerland is under investigation, and those in the know include various members of the Vatican commission, who would in effect be examining their own actions.” —private email from a member of the Knights of Malta “In 1314, the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved and the major part of its property was conferred on the Hospitallers, that is, on the elite troops of the Knights of Malta.” —interview in La Stampa of Turin with Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, for 28 years professor of Medieval History at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, an expert on the history of the Knights of Malta. His words indicate that the Knights inherited much of the the enormous wealth of the dissolved Knights Templar “Deep Throat: You thought I’d help out on specifics? I’ll confirm what you get, try to keep you on the right track, but that’s all. Are you guys really working? [Woodward nods] How much?

 Woodward: I don’t know maybe 16, 18 hours a day — we’ve got sources at Justice, the FBI, but it’s still drying up.

 Deep Throat: Then there must be something, mustn’t there. Look, forget the myths the media’s created about the White House — the truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

 Woodward: If you don’t like them, why won’t you be more concrete with me?

 Deep Throat: Because the press stinks too — history on the run, that’s all you’re interested in. You come up with anything?

 Woodward: John Mitchell resigned as head of CREEP to spend more time with his family. That doesn’t exactly have the ring of truth. Howard Hunt’s been found — there was talk that his lawyer had $25,000 in cash in a paper bag.

 Deep Throat: Follow the money. Always follow the money.

 Woodward: What do you mean? Where?

 Deep Throat: Oh, I can’t tell you that.

 Woodward: But you could tell me that.

 Deep Throat: No, I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I’ll confirm. I’ll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that’s all. Just… follow the money.” —dialogue from the film All the President’s Men, a 1976 film about the Watergate investigation. “Deep Throat” told the two young journalists that to get to the bottom of the Watergate affair, they needed to “follow the money” “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” —Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 6:3



 Once they told tales of the Knights of Malta, young soldiers fighting for their beliefs against impossible odds.

In some battles, they were just a few thousand against as many as 100,000, or more, and yet they stood fast, with even the wounded returning to the front lines to help avoid defeat.

In 1565, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent sent an invasion force of about 40,000 men to besiege the 700 knights and 8,000 soldiers and expel them from Malta and gain a new base from which to possibly launch another assault on Europe.

At first the battle went badly; about half the knights were killed.

On August 18, the position of the besieged was becoming desperate: dwindling daily in numbers, they were becoming too feeble to hold the long line of fortifications. But when his council suggested the abandonment of Birgu and Senglea and withdrawal to Fort St. Angelo, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette refused.

On August 23 came yet another grand assault, the last serious effort, as it proved, of the besiegers. It was thrown back with the greatest difficulty, even the wounded taking part in the defense.

The perplexed and indecisive Ottomans heard of the arrival of Sicilian reinforcements in Mellieħa Bay. Unaware that the force was very small, they broke off the siege and left on September 8.

The Great Siege of Malta ended, barely, in victory.

Today, the Order is a shadow of its former self. Perhaps the present crisis will, in a paradoxical way, lead to a rebirth and renewal of the Order. Would that it be so…

The memorable phrase “follow the money,” used by “Deep Throat,” the anonymous “source” who helped American journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein unravel the mystery of the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, really means “discover the motive and follow it back to its source.”

It might more fully be stated “follow the money until you trace it back to its source and you will have the key to explain all of the actions that have unfolded.”

The case we are now investigating, the recent chaos in the leadership of the 900-year-old, highly-respected Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta, has grown tangled.

The latest, startling development was the decision of Pope Francis to summon the Master General of the Order, Fra Matthew Festing, 67, to the Vatican on January 24, the day before yesterday, to inform him that his resignation as head of the Knights of Malta was desired.

We have no other details as yet about that meeting. Were the two alone, face to face? Were others present? Did Festing protest? Was there an argument?

It was an abrupt retreat from his stance of several days earlier.

Then, Festing had proclaimed the sovereignty of the Knights of Malta against even the Vatican, which was attempting to begin a 5-person “investigation” into the order’s decision in early December to dismiss one of its top officials, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.

The charges against Boeselager amounted to a type of “dereliction of duty,” not preventing the distribution of condoms and other contraceptive pharmaceuticals over several years as part of the order’s well-known medical charity initiatives worldwide.

Boeselager has stoutly denied the charges, saying he did not know of the irregularities, and when he discovered them, he took action to end them.

Some reports have made the interesting suggestion that a document, drawn up prior to the meeting, was put before Festing for him to sign, and that he did sign it.

This document is said to have included passages detailing the events leading up to the decision to dismiss Boeselager, including specific testimony on the advice and actions of the Order’s Cardinal Protector, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an American, during the process.

This suggests that Festing was being asked to fill out a sort of affidavit, a record of the recent events in the Order, which could possibly be used at some future time even against Burke.

Some are whispering that that is what is about to happen: that Burke will be accused of having mishandled the matter. It will be said that, despite the clear instructions of the Pope in their meeting on November 10 to “handle the matter quietly” through “dialogue” and “without the dismissal of anyone” from any post, Burke nevertheless went ahead and pushed for the dismissal of Boeselager.

If this accusation is about to be made, then what we are now watching is the final act in a long and elaborate process to prepare a case against Burke, playing out before our eyes.

If Burke is judged to be guilty of such an accusation, some are saying, then the Pope could be justified in taking severe disciplinary action against him, up to and including removing him from the College of Cardinals.

So, we have several questions: What instructions did Pope Francis give to Burke during their November 10 meeting? Did Burke carry out those instructions? Was this entire matter of Boeselager and the resignation of Festing merely a cover for developing a case against Cardinal Burke for negligence or disobedience in carrying out the wishes of the Pope with regard to the Knights of Malta, with the ultimate goal to discredit him?

One problem with all human affairs is that they involve humans(!).

That is, they involve beings who are, by definition, limited, not omniscient; imperfect; subject to being moved by emotion rather than by reason; doomed to choosing a course of action on the basis of partial, or even false, information.

So, when attempting to understand the decisions men take, we must always try to reconstruct what information was available when to those who take decisions.

Clearly, Francis had been told something about the Knights of Malta situation, and as a consequence of that, he decided to summon Festing and to ask for his resignation.

But what had Francis been told? And when? And by whom? And for what purpose?

In order to follow this case in an orderly case, we need a chronology:

November 10, 2016 — Cardinal Burke meets with Pope Francis. Burke tells Francis of his concerns about some non-Catholic, immoral activities being carried out under the sponsorship of the Knights of Malta. The Pope shares his deep concern over this news, and allegedly urges Burke to do all he can to end such activities. Edward Pentin will later report that the Pope tells Burke to “clean out” all “Freemasons” in the Order of Malta.

December 1, 2016 — Pope Francis writes a follow-up letter to Cardinal Burke, encouraging him, as discussed, to promote the Catholic faith in the life of the Order of Malta. The contents of this letter have not been made public, but Cardinal Parolin will refer to the contents in his letter of December 12 and 21.

December 6, 2016 — The moment of decision. At a meeting of the top leadership of the Knights of Malta, Boeselager is asked to submit his resignation. The reason? That he has not prevented the distribution of various contraceptive devices and pills over a number of years. But Boeselager refuses. The Order leadership then forcibly removes him from his post, voting him out. Boeselager is not happy with this outcome.

December 6-11, 2016 — Boeselager contacts Vatican officials, tells them what has happened, and, it appears, the Vatican promises him support.

December 12, 2016 — Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, reportedly a personal friend of Boeselager, writes a letter to Festing, saying that Pope Francis, in his November 10 meeting with Burke, had not instructed Burke to counsel or embark on a course of action which would lead to the dismissal of any of the Order’s leaders.

December 13, 2016 — The Order of Malta issues a statement on the case. Here is that text:

The Current Situation between the Order of Malta and Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager

“Because, unfortunately, some details of the events of last week are being circulated and discussed in an unbalanced manner, the Grand Master of the Order, HMEH Fra’ Matthew Festing, would like to communicate the following. On Tuesday, December 6, an extremely grave and untenable situation became apparent concerning Albrecht von Boeselager’s position as Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, and the Grand Master called Boeselager for a meeting in presence of the Grand Commander, Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein and Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke as the Holy Father’s representative to the Order of Malta.

“In the meeting the Grand Master said that the situation called for Albrecht von Boeselager to resign as Grand Chancellor, which is especially regretful because of his service to the Order for so many years.

“After Boeselager refused this, eventually the Grand Master had no choice but to order him, under the Promise of Obedience, in presence of the Grand Commander and the Cardinal Patronus, to resign. Boeselager refused again.

“Thus, the Grand Commander, with the backing of the Grand Master and the Sovereign Council and most members of the Order around the world, initiated a disciplinary procedure after which a member can be suspended from membership in the Order, and thus all Offices within the Order.

“The reason for his removal as Grand Chancellor was due to severe problems which occurred during Boeselager’s tenure as Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, and his subsequent concealment of these problems from the Grand Magistry, as proved in a report commissioned by the Grand Master last year.

“It has to be noted that, for any member of the Order, to refuse a command of the Grand Master – regardless of the reasons behind it – is disgraceful. However, for a member in Obedience to refuse an order under the Promise betrays a disregard for the Order’s spirituality and laws, his Religious Superior and Sovereign, and for the Holy Father’s representative to the Order who was supporting the Grand Master in his decision.

“The Grand Master asks all Members of the Order to remain in the ardent desire that the Order stays united. Although some members of the Order have been publicly protesting, these claims are erroneous and also illustrate a similar disrespect for the Grand Master.

“The Sovereign Council of the Order of Malta will appoint the new Grand Chancellor in the next few days.”

December 21, 2016 — Parolin sends a second letter to the Knights, repeating the same essential points. He says: “As I already said in my prior letter of December 12: regarding the use and distribution of methods and means contrary to the moral law, His Holiness asked for a dialogue on how these eventual problems could be faced and dealt with. But he never said to oust someone!”

December 22, 2016 — Cardinal Parolin establishes a commission of five members to investigate the Boeselager case. The five members of the new commission are: Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the former permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N. in Geneva; Jesuit Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University; and laypeople Jacques de Liedekerke, a lawyer, Marc Odendall, an investment banker, and Marwan Sehnaoui, the head of the Knights of Malta in Lebanon. They are to report back the results of their investigation by January 31, 2017.

January 5 — The Tablet of London reveals the existence of the two letters from the Secretary of State to the Knights of Malta of December 12 and 21.

January 10 — The Knights of Malta issue a statement saying that, because they are a sovereign state under international law, they will not cooperate with the Vatican investigation, which is characterized as an interference in an internal Knights of Malta matter. Here is the text of that statement:

The Grand Magistry of the Sovereign Order of Malta, in response to the activities being carried out by a Group appointed by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, considers it appropriate to reiterate that the replacement of the former Grand Chancellor was an internal act of the government of the Order.

Thus, considering the legal irrelevance of this Group and of its findings relating to the legal structure of the Order of Malta, the Order has decided that it should not cooperate with it. This is to protect its sovereignty against initiatives which claim to be directed at objectively (and, therefore – quite apart from its intentions – reveals it to be legally irrelevant) questioning or even limiting said Sovereignty.

Article 4 paragraph 6 of the Constitutional Charter is clear when it states that “the religious nature of the Order does not prejudice the exercise of sovereign prerogatives pertaining to the Order in so far as it is recognized by States as a subject of international law” and Article 4 paragraph 5 reiterates that “the Order has diplomatic representation to the Holy See, according to the norms of international law.”

The confirmation of such status under international law is also attested to in the Annuario Pontificio of the Holy See, where the Order is mentioned only once and not amongst the religious orders, but rather amongst the States with Embassies accredited the Holy See.

The different ranks of the members of the Order belonging to different classes should be noted, and therefore also the hierarchical relationships that exist between those members and their superiors. The Second Class, to which the former Grand Chancellor belonged, is for members of the Order ‘in Obedience’ who make the Promise according to Article 9 paragraph 2 of the Constitutional Charter (see also Article 8 paragraph 1 b) of the Constitutional Charter). This Promise has nothing to do with the Vow of Obedience taken by the Knights of Justice, who belong to the First Class. Therefore the Knights of Justice “are religious in all respects” (Article 9 paragraph 1 of the Constitutional Charter), whilst they are not ‘Knights in Obedience’.

In addition, according to Article 4 paragraph 2, the Constitutional Charter states that members of the Second Class who have taken the Promise of Obedience are only subordinate to their superiors within the Order.

 In the light of these fundamental legal regulations, it is clear that, in strictly legal terms, a refusal to a command ‘in Obedience’ does not justify in any way the involvement of ‘religious superiors’, all the more so as they do not all belong to the Order.

Such involvement, in addition to being legally impossible, is also superfluous in terms of protecting members of the Order: from the time that the members of the Second and Third Class who wish to appeal against disciplinary measures they consider too harsh, can dispute these before the Magistral Courts, as provided for by Article 129 of the Constitutional Code.

Failure to cooperate with the aforementioned Group has therefore strictly legal grounds, thus it is not and cannot in any way be considered as a lack of respect towards the Group, nor towards His Eminence Secretary of State.

The position of the Grand Magistry is that the depositions that individual members consider that they could make to the Group cannot, in their terms and judgments, be in contradiction, directly or indirectly, with the decision of the Grand Master and the Sovereign Council concerning the replacement of the Grand Chancellor.

January 14 — In a statement, Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing seeks to offer reassurance that the legality of the process used to remove former Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager has been “clarified by numerous sources,” in particular the avvocato di stato (attorney general).

January 16 — The Tablet of London reports the existence of a letter by Grand Master Festing which alleges that at least three members of the papal investigation commission may have “conflicts of interest” because of connections to “a fund in Geneva.” The title of the article by Christopher Lamb: “Grand Master Festing says Order won’t cooperate with Holy See until own inquiry is complete, in letter seen by The Tablet; Order of Malta chief withdraws cooperation after accusing Vatican’s inquiry of links with fund in Geneva.” Festing stresses “there is nothing to suggest anything untoward,” but he claims that evidence presented to him warrants his action to set up his own inquiry. “The makeup of the group of people has raised serious questions within the Grand Magistry. There are serious accusations of a conflict of interest for at least three of the members who have been proved to be linked to a fund in Geneva,” the Grand Master writes in a letter sent to the order’s leadership. Festing does not name the fund in question, although Odendall is listed as treasurer of the Swiss-based Caritas in Veritate Foundation which has the Holy See’s representative to the UN in Geneva as its president. The foundation’s aims are to promote the Church’s position in public debate and international negotiations. There is no suggestion that Odendall’s involvement in this fund causes a conflict of interest.

January 17 — The Vatican confirms its trust in the papal commission investigating the forced resignation of the Order of Malta’s former grand chancellor following a letter by the order’s grand master to discredit the group. In a statement today, the Vatican says it “reaffirms its confidence” in the five-member group established by Pope Francis “to inform him about the present crisis of the central direction of the order.” The Vatican also rejects “any attempt to discredit these members of the group,” led by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, former Vatican representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva.

January 24 — The Pope summons Festing to the Vatican and asks him to resign as the head of the Knights of Malta. Festing agrees to resign.

January 25 — Festing’s resignation is publicly announced by the Order of Malta and by the Holy See. A meeting of the Order’s governing board is called for January 28 to accept the Grand Master’s resignation. And the Vatican announces that the Pope will soon name a “Delegate” to run the Order.

As all this is happening, there are whisperings in the underbrush, here and there, in articles and on the internet, that influencing this affair is a struggle between the “German” and “Italian” wings of the Order (the General Chapter of May 2014 reportedly ousted Italians from most of the top spots in the Order, and there are decisions to take on the possible sale of many ancient properties in Italy owned by the Order), and also the question of what to do about a considerable sum of money, $120 million, reportedly left in a bequest to the Order several years ago by a wealthy French gentleman named Jehan du Tour.

The problem with this information is that it is being reported by the Dagospia website in Italy, which, to put it mildly, does not have the highest level of professionality or credibility (link). Still, given the rapid unfolding of this case, and its possible importance for the Church, it seems necessary to point attention to this alleged bequest in the hope that someone else might be able to confirm or deny this report, and in either case, bring the facts to the attention of the Holy Father.

Reportedly, the $120 million have been administered since the death of the donor several years ago by an expert in offshore fund management named Ariane Slinger, who lives in Geneva, and who is reportedly the trustee for the funds, keeping the principal safe and giving out the interest to the four name heirs, one of which is the Order of Malta in France. Allegedly, Chancellor Boeselager in 2014 decided to negotiate with Slinger about these funds, and was assisted by Odendall and Sehnaoui, who allegedly helped draw up a detailed proposal. Boeselager, Odendall and Sehnaoui are said to have exchanged numerous emails with Tomasi and Slinger on a proposed plan for these funds. But, reportedly, the Grand Master, Festing, has refused to engage in any transaction, even as recently as December 7.

The younger brother of Boeselager, Georg, until last year the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Merck Finck & Privatbankiers AG Monaco of Bavaria, has recently replaced Carlo Salvatori in the Council of Superintendence of the IOR, showing the close relationship between the Germans in the Knights of Malta and the Vatican. (link) The younger Boeselager was chosen by the Cardinals Commission of Vigilance of the Institute of Works of Religion. The announcement of the appointment was made on December 15, 2016, just days after the elder Boeselager was removed from his top post in the Knights of Malta.

It is not clear whether Pope Francis himself has been told of all of these connections.

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What is the glory of God?

“The glory of God is man alive; but the life of man is the vision of God.” —St. Irenaeus of Lyons, in the territory of France, in his great work Against All Heresies, written c. 180 A.D.</s>ROME: The Knights of Malta's sovereign council has officially accepted its chief's resignation, the Order said on Saturday (Jan 28), following a month-long bitter power battle linked to a row over condoms.

Grand Master Matthew Festing resigned his lifetime position on Tuesday, at the request of Pope Francis, effectively putting an end to a prolonged stand-off that had become a test of the reforming pope's authority over rebellious Church conservatives.

The sovereign council thanked Festing in a press release "for his great commitment during his nine years in office" and said the pope had been notified of its decision.

The council also said it accepted the Vatican's decision to name a papal delegate to oversee "the spiritual renewal of the Order," a Church-linked charity body descended from the crusaders of the Middle Ages.

The Order's number two, Grand Commander Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein will serve as the Knights' interim chief until a new head is elected.

In what was a key sticking point of the dispute, the sovereign council also reinstated the Order's number three, Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager, dismissing disciplinary actions against him.

Von Boeselager's dismissal last month sparked the unprecedented and very public row between the Vatican and the Knights.

Francis appointed a five-strong team to examine the circumstances in which von Boeselager was forced out of his job, but the Knights refused to cooperate.

Reports in the specialist Catholic press suggested von Boeselager was targeted because Order charities he oversaw had taken part in a programme distributing free condoms.

Conservatives say this violates Church teaching but it has been deemed acceptable by Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI.

The dispute was seen by Holy See watchers as a proxy war between Church liberals and conservatives, led by American cardinal Raymond Burke, who has acted as the Vatican's liaison with the Order since being sidelined from more important roles by Francis.

Burke is a prominent conservative figure who has been outspoken in his criticism of Francis' efforts to reform Church teaching on questions related to the family, marriage and divorce.

Von Boeselager's dismissal was widely interpreted as being the result of him being too liberal for Burke's tastes.

The Order of Malta was founded in Jerusalem in 1048 as a community of hospitals caring for the sick.

The Order was recognised by the pope in 1113 and operates in 120 countries, managing hospitals and clinics, with 13,500 members and 100,000 employees and volunteers.

In its press release, the sovereign council said it was "most grateful" to Pope Francis for his "interest in and care for the Order".</s>Pope Francis Declares All of Festing’s Recent Acts ‘Null and Void’

Declaration made in a letter from Cardinal Parolin to the Order of Malta as details emerge about what happened during the Pope’s meeting with the Grand Master.

Pope Francis has declared that all actions taken by the head of the Order of Malta and its governing council since the dismissal of Albrecht von Boeselager last month are “null and void,” including the election of Boeselager’s replacement.

Writing on the Pope’s behalf to members of the Order’s governing council Jan. 25, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin wrote that the Holy Father, “on the basis of evidence that has emerged from information he has gathered, has determined that all actions taken by the Grand Master after December 6, 2016, are null and void.”

He added: “The same is true for those of the Sovereign Council, such as the election of the Grand Chancellor ad interim.” The Council elected Fra’ John Critien as Boeselager's temporary replacement.

Cardinal Parolin began his letter by re-emphasizing that the Grand Commander, Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, is now in charge of the Order, adding that “in the renewal process which is seen as necessary,” the Pope would “appoint his personal Delegate with powers that he will define in the act of appointing him.”

Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing submitted his resignation Jan. 24, according to a Jan. 25 Vatican statement. The Vatican added in the communiqué that the next day “the Holy Father accepted his resignation.”

The Vatican also said the governance of the sovereign Order would henceforth be undertaken “ad interim by the Grand Commander pending the appointment of the Papal Delegate”.

The Pope summoned Fra’ Festing to the Vatican on Jan. 24 on the strict instruction not to let anyone know about the audience — a modus operandi that has been used frequently during this pontificate, the Register has learned. During the meeting, Francis asked Fra’ Festing to resign immediately, to which the Grand Master agreed. The Pope then ordered him to write his resignation letter on the spot, according to informed sources.

The Register has also learned that the Pope told Fra’ Festing that the reason for asking for his resignation was the Pope's conviction that he has to do a new, “complete investigation” of the Order, and that such an investigation would be “more easily conducted” if the Grand Master resigned.

The Register has been told that the Pope then had Fra’ Festing include in his letter of resignation that the Grand Master had asked for Boeselager's dismissal “under the influence” of Cardinal Raymond Burke, the patron of the Order. However, as patron the cardinal has no governance in the Order and can only counsel the Grand Master, meaning the decision to dismiss the Grand Chancellor belonged solely to the Grand Master.

Asked if it could confirm this version of events surrounding Fra’ Festing's meeting with the Pope, the Vatican told the Register Jan. 26 it gives “no comment on private conversations.”

If the Grand Master was pressured to resign, some within the Order are speculating about the validity of his resignation as it was demanded immediately without giving him time to consider the matter. They also are concerned it heralds a future purge of the Order.

Furthermore, some are asking that if all the acts of the Grand Master since Dec. 6 are null and void as Cardinal Parolin stated in his letter, would that also include Fra’ Festing’s act of tendering his resignation to the Pope.

On Saturday, the Sovereign Council meets to vote on whether to accept the Grand Master's resignation.

For background to this story, please see these two previous Register articles here and here.

Here below is a translation of Cardinal Parolin’s letter:

I wish to inform you that H.M.E.H. Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Order, on January 24, 2017, tendered his resignation to His Holiness, Pope Francis, who accepted it. As the Order’s Constitution provides in Art. 17 § 1, the Grand Commander will assume the responsibility of governance ad interim. Pursuant to Art. 143 of the Order’s Code, he will inform Heads of State with which the Order maintains diplomatic relations and the various organizations belonging to the Order. To help the Order in the renewal process which is seen as necessary, the Holy Father will appoint his personal Delegate with powers that he will define in the act of appointing him. The Grand Commander, in his role as Interim Lieutenant, will exercise the powers contained in Art. 144 of the Order’s Statute until the Papal Delegate is appointed. The Holy Father, on the basis of evidence that has emerged from information he has gathered, has determined that all actions taken by the Grand Master after December 6, 2016, are null and void. The same is true for those of the Sovereign Council, such as the election of the Grand Chancellor ad interim. The Holy Father, recognizing the great merits of the Order in carrying out many works in defense of the faith, and in service to the poor and the sick, expresses his pastoral concern for the Order and hopes for the collaboration of all in this sensitive and important moment for the future. The Holy Father blesses all members, volunteers and benefactors of the Order and supports them with his prayers.</s>Yesterday, the Grand Master of the 13,000-strong Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Fra Matthew Festing, hurried across Rome from his order’s headquarters near the Spanish Steps, on the most luxurious shopping street in all of Rome, the via Condotti, toward Vatican City.

Pope Francis had summoned him to a meeting.

At about 5 in the afternoon, Festing entered the Vatican and proceeded to the Domus Santa Marta guest house, where the Pope lives.

There, the two men huddled for a private meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis asked Festing to submit his resignation as the head of the Knights of Malta.

Today, Festing did so, with communiques from both the Vatican and the Knights of Malta announcing the news of the resignation, and the news that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation. (Though, technically, the resignation must be presented on January 28 to the Malta order’s governing council, which must accept it to make it official, and only then inform the Pope for his knowledge; but the Pope’s acceptance of the resignation having already occurred, it is not clear what purpose the January 28 meeting can have.)

Here below, a picture of Pope Francis with Festing, who has just resigned as head of the Knights of Malta; in the background on the left is Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, Prefect of the Pontifical Household and personal secretary of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI



 So the Knights of Malta are suddenly without a leader.

Moreover, in a further startling development, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will soon announce his personal choice to be his “delegate” to temporarily run the more than 900-year-old military order. of Malta.

This is unprecedented. The order has always elected its own Grand Master. Never has a Pope acted in this way before toward the order. And this has raised eyebrows worldwide. (link and link)

In the first link just cited, Ed Condon writes in the Catholic Herald of London, “The most remarkable thing about the Order of Malta controversy is not that the Grand Master, Fra’ Matthew Festing, has resigned. That is extraordinary enough, especially given that it was apparently on the invitation of Pope Francis. No, the most astonishing feature of the story is today’s announcement that the Pope will install an Apostolic Delegate to run the Order. In effect, this abolishes the Order as a sovereign entity. Under international law, what we are seeing is effectively the annexation of one country by another.”

So this action of Pope Francis is a dramatic break with all of the order’s history up to now.

What does it mean?

In this case, as in so any others, the old adage again applies: “Those who know don’t talk, and those who talk don’t know.”

But perhaps we may catch at least a glimpse into the meaning of these events if we study the various official communiques and media reports, while for context and background we rely on several off-the-record conversations recently in Rome.

These reports and these conversations suggest that a struggle of considerable importance is currently underway in Rome, in the global Church, and in the world outside of the Church, over the direction humanity will take in the years and decades to come.

There are presently two huge threats to the Church, a Scylla and a Charybdis which the Church must pass between or be profoundly harmed: the rejection of traditional Church teaching in order to accommodate the Church to the teaching of “the world,” on the one hand, and, on the other hand, schism.

The first would betray the Church’s nature and mission; the second would cost the Church dearly as the world would likely exploit the divisions in a devastating way.

The battle over the leadership of the Knights of Malta must be seen in this context.

Moreover, during the past several months, quietly and privately on most occasions, but sometimes publicly, a word has been whispered and spoken aloud in Rome in a way unlike any other time in the 33 years that I have been writing about Vatican affairs. That word is freemasonry.

“The fact is that the thought of freemasonry, which was the thought of the Enlightenment, believes Christ and his teachings, as taught by the Church, are an impediment to human freedom and self-fulfillment,” a retired Vatican official told me. “And this thought has become dominant in the elites of the West, even when those elites are not officially members of any freemasonic lodge. It is a pervasive modern worldview.”

This bears repeating and emphasizing: in any particular case, it may not be so much actual membership in a masonic lodge that is involved, but rather adherence to principles of that “masonic thought” which views man in a “Promethean” way, that man should “steal fire from heaven,” wrest it from the gods for the benefit of men, seek ever greater knowledge (computers, the genetic code, transhumanism, Homo Sapiens Version 2.0, “better” than the species currently is), not accepting any limit to the human ambitions to “be like gods.”

How does this relate to the shake-up at the top of the Order of Malta?

Well, there have recently been an allegation that a high-ranking member of the order (not Festing) approved decisions not in keeping with Catholic moral teaching, and more precisely, sent condoms and other contraceptives in shipments of medical supplies to poor countries — that is, allowed a certain “non-Catholic moral view” to enter into the order’s decision-making.

And, published reports have stated something that few have noted, but which must be studied and explained: that Pope Francis, in a meeting in November with Cardinal Raymond Burke, gave Burke a very unusual instruction.

The Pope, it is reported, during their November 10 meeting, asked Burke, the American cardinal who is the ecclesial Patron of the Knights of Malta,

 to carry out an important and delicate task: to ferret out and remove from the Knights of Malta all members who are… freemasons.

Here is the published source for this information, which comes about halfway through a quite thorough and rather lengthy article which bears reading in full. It is by Edward Pentin published in the National Catholic Register on January 7:

“Hopes that the contraceptive scandal would be addressed came on Nov. 10, when Cardinal Burke was received in private audience by Pope Francis.

“During that meeting, the Register has learned, the Pope was ‘deeply disturbed’ by what the cardinal told him about the contraceptive distribution.

“The Pope also made it clear to Cardinal Burke that he wanted Freemasonry ‘cleaned out’ from the order, and he demanded appropriate action.

“The concern was followed up by a Dec. 1 letter to Cardinal Burke, in which the Register has learned that the Holy Father underlined the cardinal’s constitutional duty to promote the spiritual interests of the order and remove any affiliation with groups or practices that run contrary to the moral law.” (link)

Here, repeated, is the critical phrase:

“The Pope also made it clear to Cardinal Burke that he wanted Freemasonry ‘cleaned out’ from the order…”

Where does this information come from? How reliable is it?

Pentin tells us quite matter-of-factly that “the Register has learned” about the contents of Burke’s November 10 meeting with the Pope.

Evidently, Pentin either spoke with Burke himself, or with someone close to Burke, perhaps one of his secretaries, or he spoke with Pope Francis, because it does not seem possible that anyone other than Burke and Pope Francis could be the source of news about a private conversation between the two men, and about a private letter sent by one to the other.

In short, Burke, seen as one of the leaders of the “traditional” faction in the Church and in the College of Cardinals because of his raising questions about the “progressive” teaching of Pope Francis, especially in Amoris Laetitia, was evidently, in this case, as recently as November 10, and again in a December 1 letter, asked by Pope Francis to carry out a very delicate task, and to do so urgently.

But this would suggest that the two men have a different relationship than the one most of the world seems to have concluded they have…

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What is the glory of God?

“The glory of God is man alive; but the life of man is the vision of God.” —St. Irenaeus of Lyons, in the territory of France, in his great work Against All Heresies, written c. 180 A.D.</s>The head of the Knights of Malta has resigned on the request of Pope Francis, the Order said on Wednesday, ending a bitter power battle linked to a row over condoms.

The resignation of Grand Master Matthew Festing followed a month-long stand-off that had become a test of the reforming pope's authority over rebellious Church conservatives.

"The Grand Master was received on Tuesday by Pope Francis who requested his resignation, which the Grand Master agreed to," a spokesman for the Order told AFP.

 

 Confirming Festing's departure, the Vatican said Francis had "expressed his appreciation and recognition for (Festing's) loyalty and devotion to the successor to St Peter (the pope) and his readiness to humbly act in the interests of the Order and the Church."

 

 In theory, Briton Festing was in the job for life. His resignation has to be approved by the Order's sovereign council, which has been convened for Saturday.

 

 The unprecedented and very public dispute between the Vatican and the Knights was seen by Holy See watchers as a proxy war between Church liberals and conservatives, led by American cardinal Raymond Burke.

 

 The row erupted last month when Francis appointed a five-strong team to examine the circumstances in which the Order's number three was forced out of his job.

 

 The Knights, a Church-linked charity body descended from the crusaders of the Middle Ages, refused to cooperate.They said the December dismissal of Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager was an internal affair.

Festing subsequently claimed in a leaked letter that three of the Vatican's appointees had a conflict of interest because of links to a Geneva-based fund in which the Order also had a stake.

 

 That blatant defiance of papal authority appears to have been the last straw.

 

 Von Boeselager's dismissal had been seen by some as being the result of him being too liberal for Burke, who has acted as the Vatican's liaison with the Order since being sidelined from more important roles by Francis.

 

 Others said the issue was whether the Vatican was properly kept in the loop and whether Von Boeselager, who has a brother who is said to be close to Francis, was wrongly informed the pope had approved his sacking.

 

 Burke is a prominent conservative figure who has been outspoken in his criticism of Francis's efforts to reform Church teaching on questions related to the family, marriage and divorce.

 

 Reports in the specialist Catholic press suggested Von Boeselager was targeted because Order charities he oversaw had taken part in a programme distributing free condoms to prostitutes and others in Myanmar to prevent the spread of AIDS.

 

 Von Boeselager had claimed that he stopped the Order's involvement as soon as he became aware of it and refused to resign. Burke reportedly insisted he had to go.

Conservatives say any use of condoms violates Church teaching that considers all forms of contraception to be an unacceptable barrier to life.

 

 Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI have both adopted a more flexible stance, signalling that the use of condoms can be acceptable in circumstances where their use preserves life, such as in AIDS-ravaged communities.

 

 The Order of Malta was founded in Jerusalem in 1048 as a community of hospitals caring for the sick.

 

 It was recognized by the pope in 1113, and now operates in 120 countries, managing hospitals and clinics, with 13,500 members and 100,000 employees and volunteers.

 

 Burke was one of four cardinals who wrote to Francis last year openly questioning the pontiff's revision of Church guidance to allow priests to decide on a case-by-case basis whether divorced and remarried believers should be able to receive communion.

 

 Under the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage, Catholics who divorce and remarry are deemed to be living in sin.
Pope Francis takes de facto control of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the entity retains sovereignty under international law), forcing its leader Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing to resign.