Posted on 02/02/2017 6:43:50 PM PST by ebb tide
After weeks of turmoil that saw Pope Francis, the Vatican and the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta locked in a power struggle, a top official of the order now says they won’t let the crisis deter them from their humanitarian work, particularly with immigrants and refugees. The Order of Malta “is not fighting the pope,” said Albrecht Boeselager, the Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Malta, who was fired last December but reinstated on Saturday after the resignation of Grand Master Matthew Festing.
Boeselager contested impressions that Francis essentially sacked Festing. “It’s not right to say that the Grand Master was ousted,” Boeselager said. “He was asked, I supposed, nobody of us was present, but in a pastoral way [by Pope Francis] to consider resignation. And Grand Master graciously offered his resignation to the sovereign council.”
Boeselager said there was never any actual consideration of the order removing Festing, because the Knights were caught off guard and had not expected the crisis to escalate.
According to Boeselager, who met with the press in Rome on Thursday, by appointing a delegate Francis is not trying to “weaken” the order and its mission but to “strengthen” it.
He also said that the Knights’ sovereignty was never questioned, because the Vatican only interfered in the crisis after the pope was used as a front for trying to sack the chancellor late last year. “The Vatican only started to take care of the crisis when it was made aware that the name of the Holy Father was invoked when I was asked to resign,” he said. “And that’s the reason the Holy Father and the Vatican had to step in.”
Boeselager insisted that upon reading the letters from the pope it’s clear that both Francis and the Vatican realize the sovereignty of the Knights is at the service of the Church. The Knights of Malta is unique in the sense that it’s internationally recognized as a state, including by the United Nations, where it has a “permanent observer” status.
Yet they are also a religious order, the two being “sides of the same coin,” as Boeselager put it. The order, he insisted, “reaffirms its fidelity to the Holy Father, will remain at his service. Our loyalty is irrevocable and indisputable.”
Regarding the future role of American Cardinal Raymond Burke, currently the patron of the order, but who throughout the crisis sided with Festing, the Grand Chancellor said he couldn’t comment because he didn’t know. At the moment, Burke’s role is that of spiritual leader and liaison between the order and the Vatican. Yet according to a letter sent by the pope to the Order’s general council, Francis will soon be appointing a papal delegate who will be the point of reference between the Knights and the Vatican. The chancellor was also asked about the differences between Burke and previous patrons. He said that there were some disagreements, which is understandable due to the fact that they are different people. Urged to respond about how the American fulfilled his role, Boeselager said: “I think you know Cardinal Burke - his special attention was adhering to Church teaching.”
Though he refused to name Burke, Boeselager also said that throughout the crisis, which began when he was asked to resign, Festing had been, in his opinion, “ill-advised by whomever.”
Despite the controversies his firing last December generated, Boeselager also said that the reasons behind it remain “a mystery” to him, but acknowledged that there had been increasing tensions and disagreements between the elected government of the order and people brought in by Festing, who were hired without regard for the order’s constitution. Addressing the reports that he had been sacked for allowing one of its programs to distribute condoms, something the Grand Master and Burke had reportedly accused him of, Boeselager said that the accusations were groundless, and that when he discovered condoms were being distributed in a program in Myanmar, he stopped it.
“I feel bound to the teachings of the Church, and if you ask my friends they would rather see me on the conservative, not the liberal, side,” he said. On Saturday, the order had also announced that Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein will serve as the new Lieutenant ad interim until a new Grand Master is elected. He’ll remain in his position until the “Council Complete of State” is summoned- which has to happen within three months of Festing’s resignation.
Boeselager said they expect for this to happen sometime in April, and that it’s possible someone will be elected for a one-year term, giving the order and the papal delegate enough time to settle things, while at the same time not jeopardizing the Knights relations with over 100 states. Dominque de La Rochefoucauld, Grand Hospitaller of the order, meaning the man who coordinates the charitable programs of Knights in 120 countries, was also present at Thursday’s press conference. “We will not allow the recent distractions in the government of the order to jeopardize our humanitarian and socio-medical work,” La Rochefoucauld said.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged, the current crisis did have an impact in the donations they receive, which pour in from around the world from both individuals and companies, government agencies and state organizations. Talking about an experience in France in recent days, La Rochefoucauld said that they received some $26,000 to $32,000 less than during the last campaign, but in both cases still raised millions.
“People decided not to help us because they thought we were fighting against the pope,” La Rochefoucauld added “But it was not true. We need to restore the trust.”
There’s still some work to do to restore said trust, both with the donors and with the Vatican. Yet, when all is said and done, according to Boeselager, this crisis will be “a marginal event in history.”
With teary eyes, he delivered a final appeal to a room packed with reporters: “What is more at stake is the crisis we’re facing in the world, the misery and the plea of the millions of people migrating and flying, drowning in the Mediterranean, tortured on their way.”
“Please, don’t forget to report about these cases,” he continued. “Fight the arrogant ignorance regarding this crisis. And the indifference.”
So says the hypocritical Boeselagar, who himself refused to tender his resignation upon his superior's request for reasons of supporting immoral conduct
“People decided not to help us because they thought we were fighting against the pope,” La Rochefoucauld added “But it was not true. We need to restore the trust.”
It's the opposite La Rocehfoucauld. It's why people have been withholding donations: because you are supporting immorality.
So the Pope is asking the Knights of Malta to held Islam invade Europe. This is beyond bizarre.
St. Pius V and Our Lady of Victories, pray for us.
Good. So they are going to go to the “home” countries of the disposed and kill off the bad guys (islam I assume) instead of importing all the filth that allowed their “home” to be run by “religious” morons, retards, inbred and islamic dung.
I’m a lifelong Catholic who has completely given up on the Church. I cannot stand Dope Francis and his politics. Plain and simple. They’ll never get another dime of my money nor a minute at Mass. And I feel great about it.
Malta has been turned against the very civilization it used its strategic location to protect for 1,000 years?
I can see being selective in your distribution of money, but to deprive yourself of the Mass? Go to please God and in search of sanctifying yourself. To quote Anne ROche Muggeridge—”DOn’t let the b*stards drive you out.”
But face it they did, from the end of May and all through the Summer they fought fiercely with massive losses on both sides until the Turks, broken in spirit, prepared to leave Malta and return home. This was when the lords of Europe finally arrived with a substantial releif force of 8,000 men and fell upon the retreating muslims. The Turks fled Malta finally on September 11, of all dates.
What would Grandmaster La Vallette think of his order now being forced by a Pope to assist the invading Muslim hordes into Europe?
Did you know there are several religious organizations claiming to be the original Knights of Malta? Today on TRUNEWS, Rick Wiles is joined by Reverend Rick Joyner, the President of MorningStar Ministries, and a member of one of these competing factions. In this exclusive interview, Rick Joyner explains his participation in the Florida Priory of the Knights Hospitallers of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta, The Ecumenical Order, and provides never before heard background to a group often misconstrued with the official Catholic order.
https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/10479283/trunews_02_02_17.mp3
I think that he would think that some one is trying to give Honorius a run for his money
Did you know there were no prots in existence when the Catholic order of the Knights of Malta was established?
Which reminds me:
The difference between the Dominicans and the S.J.s:
THe Dominicans were founded to combat the Albigensians, the Jebbies to combat Protestantism. Have you seen an Alibigensians lately?
Classic.
Our Lord was on the Cross for three hours for you. Worship Him at Holy Mass in spite of the stupid human tricks that are going on around us. He will give you the strength and the peace to endure to the end.
Amen
We each have a fox hole to man. For Pete’s sake, man it!
The namby pambies are abandoning their position and proud of their cowardice. Stunning, really.
Thanks for the fact, ebb tide.
The siege took place in 1565 and it was a different era then. I choose to say no more, except to pray that God may guide the Church in these evil days.
1565, you are correct. Sorry. 1551 was the year of an earlier, smaller invasion that the Turks abandoned quickly in favor of other targets. Sorry.
So, THIS is why Francis wanted to take over the Order.
Pope Francis is worse than the head of ISIS. Yes I mean that
Vestiges of Catharism abound - Camisards, Quakers and Protestants.
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