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Ex–grand chancellor: Pope's reforms are catastrophic for Order of MaltaVATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Knights across the world are considering leaving the Catholic Church because of Pope Francis' reforms, the former grand chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta revealed. In a confidential letter obtained by Church Militant, Albrecht von Boeselager lamented that many confreres had expressed to him "their great disappointment in the Holy Father — they could no longer regard him as the father he promised to be for the order." Boeselager sent the letter to an elite group of knights after Pope Francis issued a Sept. 3...

Order of Malta would be 'subject' of Holy See under new constitutionCenturies of diplomatic independence for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta could come to an end if a new Vatican-drafted constitution for the order is put into effect. The new constitution could see the religious order lose its permanent observer status at the United Nations, and would imperil its bilateral diplomatic ties.The new constitution, which would explicitly define the order as a “subject” of the Holy See, would end nearly a millennia of sovereign independence for the religious order, have sweeping implications for its diplomatic relationships with more than...

Wikileaks Publishes Crucial Papal Letter on Order of Malta Affair The letter from December 2016 reveals Pope Francis supported Cardinal Raymond Burke’s view that the distribution of contraceptives by its humanitarian arm had to stop. Edward Pentin Wikileaks today published a confidential letter confirming that Pope Francis strongly opposed the Order of Malta distributing contraceptives as part of its humanitarian work and that he wished the issue be “completely resolved.”  In the letter, dated Dec. 1, 2016, and addressed to Cardinal Raymond Burke, the patron of the Order of Malta, the Holy Father stressed that the Order “must ensure that...

Vatican officials have mounted an extraordinary challenge to the ancient Order of Malta. But what is the row really about?The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is one of the more improbable success stories of the 21st-century Church. Founded in 1099 to provide hospital care and military defence in the Holy Land, it has retained much of its medieval tradition and ceremony. But it has also, by gradual reform, become a powerhouse of international aid. More than 100,000 members, medical staff and volunteers are offering practically every form of charitable assistance around the world, from handing out sandwiches to the homeless...