VATICAN CORNER
Continued…Pope Francis saw first-hand the mafia side of the Order of the Knights of Malta when in 2008 senior Knights made a failed attempt to remove him as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and replace him with a bishop who was the Knight’s chaplain in Argentina. A similar removal action was attempted internally within the Knights of Malta in early December, 2016 to the figurehead of the German-speaking reformist Knights – Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, a harsh critic of Grand Master Festing and his chief rival. Festing, emboldened by American Cardinal Leo Burke undertook the removal action of Boeselager. Cardinal Burke is the same Cardinal Burke who has been the outspoken critic and leader of the anti-Pope Francis crusade from the start. Burke was demoted by Francis from head of the Vatican’s Supreme Court to the patron of the Order of the Knights of Malta in 2014. That new generally ceremonial job includes being the communication link between the Order and Pope Francis. Cardinal Burke while in his new job has continued to voice his concerns about the Church’s leadership and in recent months has opening challenged Francis. With Cardinal Burke encouragement, Grand Master Festing began removal of Boeselager, his real irritant. Grounds for the removal were apparently manufactured and Boeselarger claims his removal was only because he is a liberal Catholic. Boeselarger refused to resign and was fired claiming it was an illegal and unconstitutional action. There was a false assertion that Pope Francis wanted Boeselager removed from office, which the Vatican denied several times. Pope Francis stepped in and asserted this authority over a “lay religious Order” and announced his decision to have an investigation conducted. A commission was formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding Boeselager’s removal. Festing sent a message to Pope Francis that the removal was an internal matter, and that the investigation was unacceptable to the Order. There was a tense stand-off, but on January 24, 2017 when the investigation found serious dysfunction in the Order’s leadership and that reform was needed, Pope Francis asked Festing to resign as Grand Master and he agreed to do so. Cardinal Burke met with Festing and tried in vain to persuade him to rescind his resignation. Pope Francis appointed an interim delegate who he said would strive to “renew the spirituality of the Order, specifically of those members who take vows.” He added that the delegate would be “my sole spokesman…” thus ending Cardinal Burke’s role at the Order for now. The actions of Pope Francis were considered by some to be a hostile takeover and probably resulted in the posters of the scowling Pope found on the walls in Rome. Pope Francis assured the Order of his respect for its sovereignty and Boeselager was reinstated, and the Knights said that their charitable programs, humanitarian and socio-medical work in 120 countries will continue despite the recent distractions in their internal government.
Sources: foxnews.com, knightsofmalta.com, independent.co.uk, cruxnow.com