Can you go back and explain, rather summarize, the situation in Malta that started this all.
Are you a practicing Catholic?
Yes, I’m a practicing Catholic. Unfortunately, the answer to your other question is going to be a lot longer. ;-)
The Order of Malta is a unique animal, since it’s both a religious order (think Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, or the Jesuits) and it’s the world’s smallest sovereign state. The Pope has spiritual authority over the Order of Malta, but he does NOT have any authority over how they govern.
The #3 guy in the Order of Malta, Boeselager, was caught having allowed condom distribution on his watch for years, unbeknownst to the rest of the Order. It was documented by the UN, WHO, and a third organization that I’ve never heard of before, so there’s absolute proof that he’s guilty. (The documentation was given to the spiritual director of the Order, Cardinal Burke, who’s currently in a fight with Francis over Francis trying to change the doctrine of the Church. Burke then turned it over to the #1 guy, Festing.) Since contraception is totally against Catholic teaching, Boeselager was called on the carpet for it.
He lied about it, tried to cover it up (and was caught), and refused to obey two direct orders (he has taken vows of poverty, chastity, and ***obedience***). So, Festing, fired him. He has the authority.
Boeselager is a buddy of the Secretary of State of the Vatican and contacted him to complain. The SoS told the Pope about it and Francis set up a commission to investigate. But since the Order of Malta is a sovereign state, Festing refused to cooperate. Festing also objected that the commission was biased, because it consisted of four friends of Boeselager and a Jesuit friend of Francis. He ordered the rest of the Order not to cooperate, too, also because it might affect their sovereignty to allow themselves to be investigated by another sovereign country (Vatican City).
The Pope ordered Festing to resign, and since he had also taken a vow of obedience, he did. Francis reinstated Boeselager. What’s weird is that when the #1 guy resigns, he’s supposed to do it to the Order’s council, which then informs the Pope of the resignation. This is happening backwards; Festing submitted his resignation to Francis and the council doesn’t meet until Saturday to decide whether to accept the resignation or not.
According to international law and the constitution of the Order, this whole thing is illegal because the Order is a sovereign state. And everyone believes this is a way for Francis to discredit Cardinal Burke and get him off his back. But who’s going to call Francis on it?