[Hieronymus]

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.

[BenLurkin]

Malta has been turned against the very civilization it used its strategic location to protect for 1,000 years?

[pepsi_junkie]

In the seige of Malta in 1551 the Knights of Malta were abandoned to their fate when a massive muslim army under Suleiman the Magnificent showed up on their shores to wipe them out on their way to Rome. Outnumbered 8 to 1, their 6,000 men stood against as many as 48,000 Turks. When they looked to the Pope and Kings of Europe for assistance they received mostly silence and a small relief force of just 600 men. They would have to face this horde alone.

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?