Heres what I found from my research, but first, here is what practicing Catholics believe about Holy Communion.
“In Pope St. John Paul II’s letter, it states, “the church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon sacred scripture, of not admitting to eucharistic communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the church which is signified and effected by the eucharist.”
“Besides this there is another special pastoral reason,” said Pope St. John Paul II. “If these people were admitted to the eucharist the faithful would be led into error and confusion regarding the church’s teaching about the indissolubility of marriage.”
Cardinal Burke, and other Cardinals, have asked the Pope for a clarification of Amoris Laetitia, specifically because there is confusion over part of Amoris that relates to the above. The Pope has not addressed it.
Issues with Order of Malta arise because of this confusion. Big issues - concerning obedience, doctrine.
What St. Pope John Paul II wrote in his letter is Church doctrine, it is Truth.
Practicing faithful Catholics, including Cardinals, Bishops and priests, are bound to follow St. John Paul II’s letter.
In a lot of ways, the Pope’s handling of the Order of Malta is like a drunk father coming home from a bar and beating the hell out of his family’s old, loyal dog in front of the children. There is no doubt that, in the very end, he has the legal power to do so. But everyone knows that what he has done is unspeakably wrong and evil. Never again will the man be seen in the same light by his family as he wipes the blood of the beloved old pooch off his hard, old fists.