The Order has made a surprise announcement informing that Matthew Festing is stepping down as leader of the Knights of Malta in light of tensions with the Holy See. Francis will be placing the Order under the administration of an external commissioner
The Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Matthew Festing handed in his resignation after Pope Francis requested him to do so. A spokesman for the Order announced the news to Reuters news agency: “The Pope asked him to resign and he agreed.” Holy See sources confirmed to Vatican Insider that the news about the requested resignation is true. “The Grand Commander will be temporarily taking over” leadership of the Order “until the Papal Delegate is appointed,” the Holy See announced. Francis will essentially be placing the Order under the administration of an external commissioner. This is the latest dramatic turn of events in a dispute that began with the dismissal of the Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager last December. He was accused of allowing an NGO that was working with the Order, to distribute condoms in Africa and Asia a few years ago. Boeselager has always defended himself saying he knew nothing about the initiative and that he stopped it the minute he heard about it.
American cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, Patron of the Order of Malta, had firmly requested Boeselager’s removal, asking the Pope to back such a move, in an audience which took place in November 2016. Francis had prepared a letter addressed to Burke, calling for respect of Catholic morality. He also, however, urged for the problem to be resolved through dialogue within the Order itself. It is not clear whether the heads of the Order had been informed of this letter but the Grand Chancellor, the Order’s second most important figure was removed anyway, despite the Pope’s request for the issue to be resolved otherwise.
Boeselager did not passively agree to his dismissal but appealed to the Holy See. After two letters were sent by the Vatican Secretary of State, recalling the real content of the Pope’s letter and calling – in vain – for the Grand Chancellor’s removal to be reconsidered, Francis appointed a commission led by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, to shed light on the matter.
Sixty-seven-year-old Festing who was meant to hold his post as Grand Master for life, responded in a very harsh way to the papal decision, emphasising that the Knights of Malta’s full independence and affirming that the Order’s leadership had apparently not co-operated in any way with the commission set up by the Pope. There was also an attempt to discredit the commission with the claim that some of its members had links with Boeselager and the financial operations conducted by the Chancellor himself. Once again, the Vatican sent a swift response, reiterating its faith in the Order of Malta and in its charity work across the world At the same time, however, it expressed its complete trust in the commission headed by Mgr. Tomasi.
Festing’s resignation is a clear sign that the equilibrium in Order of Malta’s leadership has been entirely broken. According to some observers, there is a clash between the English and German spirits of the Knights, some of whom are professed Knights and therefore constitute a religious order. Cardinal Burke played a key role in the affair. By
