Civil
war has broken out in the Knights of Malta after the Order’s leader
threatened disciplinary action against any member criticising the
decision to sack one of his top aides.
The Grand Master, Matthew Festing, last week dismissed senior Knight Albrecht Boeselager after he was accused of being a “liberal Catholic” who refused to follow Church teaching.
It
is a move which has sparked open warfare inside the Church’s oldest and
most illustrious military order, a group that was founded in the 11th
century after their defence of the Holy Land during the crusades.
The
Grand Master has now upped the ante by accusing Boeselager of behaving
in a “disgraceful” way for refusing to follow his orders and resign.
Boeselager,
who held the number three post in the organisation as its Grand
Chancellor, told friends he had been accused of being unwilling to
follow Church teaching, with sources inside the Knights explaining the
problems centred around the distribution of condoms in Africa.
Festing
denies the dismissal was related to distribution of condoms but would
only say that the dismissal was down to “severe problems” relating to
Boeselager’s period running the Order’s charitable work, problems which
he claims his former Grand Chancellor sought to conceal.
The
crisis now involves arch conservative and Pope Francis critic Cardinal
Raymond Burke, who is the Order’s patron and Vatican liaison.
It was he
who was present in the meeting when Boeselager was asked to resign.
And
when he refused, Festing sacked him from his job and suspended him from
the Order.
But
the Grand Master’s decision, which critics argue did not follow due
processes, has led to accusations he violated the Order’s constitution.
Festing
strongly denies the charges and has now written to his fellow Knights
saying that those who object to his decisions could be subject to a
disciplinary process.
Accepting there has been criticism of his decision
to dismiss Boeselager, Festing said those who disagreed with him are
"free to resign" from the Order.
"The
members who continue to object, and who do not resign, could be
submitted to disciplinary procedures," the Grand Master wrote in a
letter, seen by The Tablet. “For the good of the order, I ask you to no
longer circulate opinions and concerns of this matter around the world.”
Nevertheless,
one senior Knight based in Prague has written to Festing saying that
“grave damage” is being done to the order by the affair while
questioning the legal basis of his ruling that the Knights should either
resign or stop complaining.
The
row threatens to undermine the good work of the Knights which operate a
global charitable enterprise offering humanitarian assistance in 120
countries worldwide. This work is aided by the Order being a sovereign
state that has diplomatic relations with 102 countries and observer
status at the United Nations.
Boeselager held the position of Foreign
Minister and Interior Minister equivalent within the Order.
“Up
to last week it was the rock solid reputation of a sovereign state
under professional leadership which made us trusted partners of
institutions and governments around the world,” a letter from the
Procurator of the Grand Priory of Bohemia, states. “I am unhappy to see
that grave damage is being done to the reputation of the order.”
In
an email to friends, Boeselager, a highly respected member of the
Order, has strenuously denied that he refuses to accept Church teaching
and believes that his sacking is in “violation” of the constitution. But
in a statement issued yesterday, Festing said Boeselager was in breach
of duty for failing to follow orders.
“It
has to be noted that, for any member of the Order, to refuse a command
of the Grand Master – regardless of the reasons behind it – is
disgraceful,” he said. “However, for a member in obedience like Albrecht
von Boeselager to refuse an order under the Promise betrays a disregard
for the Order’s spirituality and laws, his Religious Superior and
Sovereign, and for the Holy Father’s representative to the Order who was
supporting the Grand Master in his decision.”
He
continued: “Although a few friends of Boeselager have been publicly
protesting Boeselager’s innocence and the invalidity of his suspension,
these claims are erroneous and also illustrate a similar disrespect for
the Grand Master and willingness to throw the order into turmoil for
their own aims.”
After
being founded in Jerusalem the Order occupied the entire island of
Malta until surrendering to Napoleon following the French revolution.
Today the Grand Master, referred to as “His Most Eminent Highness”
lives in a palace in Rome, is treated as a quasi-head of state and has
the rank equivalent to a cardinal
But the Knights who lead the order are male, of noble birth, who make vows of celibacy, poverty and chastity.