Pope Francis meets with the Order of Malta’s Fra’ Marco Luzzago on June 25, 2021. / Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Mar 31, 2022 / 04:42 am (CNA).
Pope Francis received two drafts of a new constitution for the Order of Malta at an audience with members of the 1,000-year-old institution on March 19. He reserved the right to read them calmly and then make his final decisions.
To understand what’s at stake, it’s essential to know how the order is structured. The organization’s members belong to three classes.
The First Class consists of the Knights of Justice, or professed knights, and Professed Conventual Chaplains, who take the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are defined as religious but not required to live in a community.
The Second Class is composed of Knights and Dames in Obedience, who promise to strive for Christian perfection in the spirit of the order.
The Third Class comprises lay members who neither take vows nor make promises but are committed to living a fully Catholic life according to the order’s principles.
Only First Class knights who descend from a family of four quarters of nobility are eligible to be elected as the Grand Master, the order’s religious superior and sovereign. This provision means that fewer than 40 people in the order can be considered for the position.
The Grand Master oversees the order with the help of a body called the Sovereign Council, whose members are elected for five-year terms by the order’s General Chapter.
Members of the Sovereign Council include the influential figure of the Grand Chancellor, who oversees the order’s 133 diplomatic missions, and the Grand Hospitaller, responsible for the order’s extensive humanitarian initiatives.
The order has three different types of national institutions spread around the world: six grand priories, six sub-priories, and 48 local associations.
The participants in the meeting with the pope on March 19 represented two sides in a years-long debate over reforms to the order’s constitution.
Some of those present were members of the group entrusted with drafting the new constitution, led by the papal delegate Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi. Also attending were representatives of the professed knights, the government of the order, the procurators of the priories, and the presidents of the associations, as well as the order’s current leader, Fra’ Marco Luzzago, who is known as the Lieutenant of the Grand Master.
The gathering enabled Pope Francis to hear the advocates of two contrasting visions for the order. First, that of the working group led by Tomasi, which stressed the need for the Order of Malta to be led above all by the professed. And second, that of the group set up by the Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeslager and entrusted to the leadership of Marwan Sehanaoui, president of the order’s Lebanese association, which called for a more collegial style of government.
The private papal audience lasted for two and a half hours instead of the expected hour and a half. According to participants who spoke with CNA, the pope said that he wanted to retain everything that makes the Order of Malta such an effective provider of humanitarian aid and he would review material provided by both sides before making a decision.
The two colliding visions have shaped the debate ever since Pope Francis launched the reform process in 2017 after he accepted the resignation of Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing in the middle of an internal governance crisis.
The debate over the new constitution became even more problematic following the death of Festing’s successor, Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguineto, in 2020.
Luzzago was then chosen to lead the order, not as Grand Master but as Lieutenant of the Grand Master, who typically serves a one-year term. But this term was extended by the pope himself, to an unlimited extent, amid the push to conclude the constitutional reform.
Pope Francis believes that the reform must, first of all, strengthen the Order of Malta as a religious institution and, secondly, reinforce its service to the poor. The draft presented by Tomasi’s working group should be read in this light.
The Tomasi-led group is composed of the canon law expert Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J., Msgr. Brian Ferme, the secretary of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, and Maurizio Tagliaferri, Federico Marti, and Gualtiero Ventura.
Ghirlanda is understood to have spent about an hour explaining his position that the professed should lead the organization because it is at heart a lay religious order.
In practice, Ghirlanda derives authority from religious consecration. This, however, is only valid if the Order of Malta is considered primarily as a spiritual body. The situation is different if its governing bodies are considered “governing bodies” in the strict sense.
Ghirlanda was among the speakers at a recent press conference after the launch of Praedicate evangelium, the new Vatican constitution reforming the Roman Curia. At the press conference, he commented on the change allowing any baptized person, not only a bishop, to lead certain Vatican dicasteries. He said that this was possible because it was not ordination but receiving a canonical mission that gave dicastery heads their authority.
Ghirlanda said that this decision resolved the question posed by Canon 129 of the Code of Canon Law, according to which authority derives from priestly ordination. Ghirlanda noted that the decision had resulted from extensive debate.
But if the possibility for the laity to participate in government applies to the Roman Curia, why doesn’t it apply to the government of a body such as the Sovereign Order of Malta?
This is a much-debated topic that is at the heart of the reform proposals. Although the order’s sovereignty derives from a concession from the Holy See, it is constituted as a state without territory. With this international personality, it maintains diplomatic relations with other states and it is its sovereignty that allows it to continue working with the poor.
Many in the Order of Malta have stressed that a reform highlighting only the religious character, mainly submission to the Holy See, would dilute its sovereignty forever.
The importance of the order’s sovereignty was also raised by Luzzago in a speech to the diplomatic corps accredited to the order on Jan. 11 (although the text of the address can no longer be found on the order’s website.)
The pope’s affirmation that he wants to keep everything that allows the order to continue its work for the poor stems from this debate.
The vision of the group led by Sehnaoui, according to a source inside the order, is markedly different. It proposes that the General Chapter, the body bringing together representatives of all classes, would have 15 representatives of the professed knights. The associations would be represented not by assessing the number of works carried out but rather based on the budget allocated to these works. If the budget was less than $20 million, an association would be entitled to one delegate. If it exceeded $20 million, there would be a right to another representative, up to a total of four.
In this way, associations would see some of their concerns represented. Marc Odendall, a member of the first commission established by the pope to clarify the order’s internal problems in 2016, summed up this reasoning when he told CNA that “$2 billion turnovers, 45,000 employees, 100,000 volunteers in the world cannot be managed by 19 professed who are under 70 and have no professional qualifications.”
Sehnaoui’s draft reflects this concern, trying to find a balance between the need to maintain the order’s religious character and having a government more independent from the Holy See that also considers the professional work of many associations.
It remains to be seen which of the two world views will prevail. Now, everything is firmly in the pope’s hands. At the same time, the role of the papal delegate, Cardinal Tomasi, seems to be increasingly marginal.
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Dysfunction that goes all the way to the top.
XI: Thou shalt not be on the wrong side of the AP’s ethical standards for news photography.
Has there ever been a pontificate in the modern era serving as the greatest magnet for corruption? The Sicilian proverb is apt: Fish rots from the head!
Fr. Stravinskas,
They say that Pope Francis was elected to reform the curia. I guess the electors didn’t specify whether he was to reform it in holiness or in corruption.
Not to defend Francis, but it was JPII who named Bernardin to Chicago.
Later, it was McCarrick to head Metuchen, then Newark, then DC (with a redhat). And it was his hand picked Sec of State, Sodano, who protected Maciel.
It was Paul VI who promulgated a highly Protestantized mass, and strong armed priests to make sure it was said versus populum in the vernacular. And the great punch line was canonizing him. Whatever happened to the necessity of Pastoral Prudence in the holiness of a pastor? Or a pope keeping his word (cf Cardinal Mindszenty)?
Well said. The collapse of Catholic Rome has been a multi-papacy endeavor.
As John Zmirak noted, we have a Renaissance Papacy. All the same financial corruption, scheming and sexual misconduct, but sadly without any of the art (and no, that blasphemous pornographic mural that Archbishop Paglia commissioned in his Cathedral does not deserve to be called “art”). No wonder Gregg Burke resigned as the Vatican’s head of communications; he clearly concluded he could not spin what is unfolding.
“Teatro Francesco” is so extensive and dense one can be excused for allowing “lettergate” to slip
from awareness. Ah, I do now remember that matchless howl from the guts as I read “…a new 11-volume set of books on the theology of Pope Francis…”
That was a good one.
Eleven volumes!
On theology!
Doubtful he could independently produce eleven sentences on his preferred perspective of third world Marxist social analysis. Yet I should not jump to judgement. Who can yet determine what the Anaconda Synod will inspire?
Nevertheless this display of Bergoglian nepotism does seem to have moved the earth under the feet of the “Crux” arm of the fan club. Even John Allen perceives the shameless absurdity to some extent. The ascent of Viganò “the less” serves at least the purpose of rallying to marginal awareness those subsumed in the Bergoglian opioid. It is perhaps the best we can expect before they slip into jungle fever.
Can we look forward to the editorial staff of Crux and checkbook Carl Anderson and his Knights of Columbus sporting safari attire come October?
Unsure what the fuss is about ..even after reading the red letter notationed
articles ; seems the Msgr . thought highly enough about the Pope Emer . to deduce that the latter’s good remarks about the ‘little volumes’ are from a good discerning heart , in spite of his mention of not having read through them .
The Holy Spirit does not blame the Gospel writers , for editing out massive extents of the details of the incidents in the life of our Lord, which to this day also cause difficulties for those who want to find ways to doubt and those of other faiths to misinterpret the passages . Such can be the case with passages such as the one of striking on one cheek , turning the other – our Lord Himself also showed the example of questioning the servant who struck Him unjustly , showing the readiness in courage , to be struck again , for the sake of truth ..
or the one about being asked for the robe – how a discerning heart would know that the
real robe that is asked for by a greedy one would be for the robe of a good relationship with The Father , being set free from the nakedness of shame of being a child of the father below and so on ..
Holy Father ‘s intentions for this month , blessing those who can help find ways to clean the oceans ..
it is Pope Emer. Benedict who mentioned how the external deserts grow , in line with the internal ones ..
Similarly , the papal blessing and intention for this month – let us hope and pray with him for the Holy Spirit , to gently yet powerfully clean out the internal pollutions , seeing each other , as the gifts that we are in The Lord, for The Father , that we are open to raise our hearts , also in response to the calling from the countless holy angels and saints to praise The Father ..
even as easy as it is , to fall into mumrmurings ,as in the desert ..
Immaculate Heart of Mary , pray for us all, help us to be more of persons of praise and gratitude with the Holy Father , to be set thus free from being stuck in fears and darkness ! 🙂
For those who keep watch for the justice of The Righteous Judge, the prayer is to drive out the “Amazonian” spirit of McCarrick and Inzoli and Danneels and Zanchetta, the characters recruited by “His Holiness of Argentina.”
May the prayers for justice of the FFI Franciscans, and the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Redeemer and the underground Church in China, brutally abused by this pontificate and its henchmen, join those of the families and victims of abuse at the hands of all of the McCarricks and Inzolis and Danneels and Barros and Zanchettas etc etc etc, and ascend to heaven, so that the sun of justice dawns.
Comparing the Gospel writers to a high official of the Vatican caught in a major scandal?
The Gospel writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and reveal as much, but not beyond, what we need to attain Eternal Life.
A ‘comprehensive’ Bible would not have served humanity in its primary purpose – salvation. From a child I had endless questions but far less when I matured. A thousand volume Bible would only interest Bibical scholars and those still lost in deconstruction. And the ability of people to pay attention grows less with time and technology.
Since when does the Holy Spirit need to be more comprehensive or less than honest whether in its inspired direction of the Bible or in ‘influencing’ the actions of a Vatican official?
Faith is not a user guide but a gift.
Thank you for responding ( hopefully 🙂 ) to The Spirit’s invite , to offer fraternal correction and opening up an occasion for more clarification .
Right indeed that the Holy Spirit did guide the Gospel authors , to only write down so much , leaving a good bit of the ongoing sharing of the truth to be through The Spirit Himself , as our Lord also promised and as St.John alludes to – how the whole world itself could not contain what our Lord has done, from The Incarnation on down ..
The Last Supper alone to fulfill those words too …
An ordained minister in The Church , the Msgr in this case , having the share of that wisdom , in The Spirit , to also assume that the Pope Emer . gave the blessing for his writings in that wisdom – not that far fetched to see .
The Holy Father too thus very likely was moved to make the correction for a previous judgement from others may be .
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Your-Hands-Father-Abandoning/dp/1586174770 – on the freedom , ‘ like a child playing in it’s Mother’s lap ‘ – is how this book mentions
what the life is , of one who has truly surrendered to The Spirit .. and how it only happens in stages .. good customer reviews too ..
Having dreaded the word ‘ surrender ‘ , as seen in the book cover , associating same with our Lord’s words on The Cross , grateful to hear all the good in it , to trust more :).
The mention in the original comment was related to same , having heard recently how those who are bent on seeing Christianity as ‘impractical ‘ , uses some of the verses in such a manner – my own heart too having been not too far from same , shedding light on the need for ongoing growth in trust , in the goodness of The Father , how there are modern day saints too such as St.Faustina , who has also shown the heroic side of showing the other cheek .. in the freedom in The Spirit ..
Thank you and God bless !
While Jesus does teach that the faithful are like His sheep, it is not commanded that being Catholic requires us to act like cattle.
Acknowledging reality is a necessity for following Jesus. Making lame excuses to explain away dishonest acts by “Viganò-the-less” is unworthy of serious Christian disciples (it even offends the low ethical standards of the Associated sprees).
Our story begins in Buenos Aires, with a little boy who had a dream of blending the “conservative” pieties of old women, the rhetoric and dance moves of Juan Peron…and as required…varieties of materialism. What ultimately worked best for him and summed it all up? Machiavelli!…a name that sounded delicious to him and yes, he liked his pasta! The best part? It wasn’t “boring” or “static” like another Italian…Thomas Aquinas…
I’m just so proud of what I see and hear coming from this Vatican, I could burst.
NOT. Not now, not ever.
This pope and his lieutenants are doing evil things for evil reasons. Something wicked this way comes.
Bet on it.
“…fake news scandal…”
A scandal that is itself “fake news”? Or, a scandal caused by someone’s fabricating “fake news”?
Viganò fabricated (via photoshopping) an apparent “endorsement” by Pope Benedict of a set of “little books” (as he called them) about Bergoglio’s “theology”–books which Benedict assured the world he would never find time to read.