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Pope Francis convokes

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Edward Pentin
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BLOGS | JAN. 30, 2019
with Vatican R
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Wikileaks Publishes Crucial Papal Letter correspondent

Catholic Register. He has also re

on Order ofWe'veMalta Affair

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Holy See and the Catholic Chu
of other publications including
Newsmax, Zenit, The Catholic H
The letter from December 2016 reveals Pope Francis supported
Holy Land Review, a Franciscan
Cardinal Raymond Burke’s view that the distribution of specializing in the Church and
contraceptives by its humanitarian arm had to stop. Edward is the author of “The R
Vatican Synod? An Investigati
Edward Pentin Manipulation at the Extraordi
the Family”, published by Ign
Wikileaks today published a confidential letter confirming that Pope Francis strongly Follow him on Twitter @edwa
opposed the Order of Malta distributing contraceptives as part of its humanitarian work and
that he wished the issue be “completely resolved.”
Trending
In the letter, dated Dec. 1, 2016, and addressed to Cardinal Raymond Burke, the patron of the
The Crusades Were a
Order of Malta, the Holy Father stressed that the Order “must ensure that the methods and 1. Reasonable Respons
means it uses in its initiatives and healthcare works are not contrary to the moral law.”
to Unchecked Islamic
Aggression
He added that if, “in the past, there has been a problem of this nature, I hope that it can be
completely resolved.”
Can In Vitro
The Pope was referring to the findings of an investigation by the Order, published in January 2. Fertilization Ever Be
2016, which documented that Malteser International, the Knights’ large humanitarian aid Morally Permissible?
agency, had distributed thousands of condoms and oral contraceptives, mainly to help
prevent prostitutes in the Far East and Africa from contracting HIV/AIDS, but also as a
program for family planning. Pope Emeritus
3. Benedict Is Right: The
This had taken place while Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager was grand hospitaller (1989— Sexual Revolution Is
2014) and ultimately responsible for the work of Malteser International. Boeselager had been Part of the Problem
made aware of the issue at least since 2013, according to the Order, but was accused of taking
inadequate action — an accusation he disputed.
 What is the Common
In his Dec. 1 letter, the Pope told Cardinal Burke he would be “very disappointed if — as you
4. Link in Marian
told me — some of the high Officers were aware of practices such as the distribution of any
Apparitions?
type of contraceptives and have not yet intervened to end such things.”

“I have no doubts,” the Pope continued, “that by following the principles of Paul and
‘speaking the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15), the matter can be discussed with these Officers Cardinal’s Former
and the necessary rectification obtained.”
5. Secretary: Vatican
Knew About
The letter was written in response to an earlier, Nov. 10 private audience between the Pope McCarrick’s
Misconduct
and Cardinal Burke.

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The Register learned at the time that Pope was “deeply disturbed” by what the cardinal told
him about the contraceptive distribution. Francis had also made it clear during that meeting
that he wanted Freemasonry “cleaned out” from the order, and demanded appropriate
Padre Pio’s Relics Ma
action. 6. Be Visiting Your Town
Soon
Francis made an oblique reference to that in the Dec. 1 letter, writing that members of the
Order “must avoid secular and frivolous behaviour, such as membership of associations,
movements and organisations which are contrary to the Catholic faith or of a relativist
Once Again, Melinda
nature.” 7. Gates is Wrong Abou
Catholic Teaching
If any Knights are members of these groups, the Pope went on, they “should be asked to
remove themselves from the Order, because their behaviour is incompatible” with the faith
and membership of the Order.
Draft of Vatican’s New
Based on these strong words of the Pope, on Dec. 6, Cardinal Burke and then-Grand Master,
8. Curial Constitution
Fra’ Matthew Festing, confronted Boeselager and ordered him to step down — an order he Would Reform Lines
of Authority
twice resisted, leading to him being forcibly dismissed for insubordination (unlawfully,
according to Boeselager) using a disciplinary procedure.
Want to Change Your
About a week later, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, then expressed his 9. Life? Go to Mary
disapproval of the dismissal, saying the Pope had asked for “dialogue” to be used and had
never called for the expulsion of anyone.

Some alleged Cardinal Burke had told Boeselager that the Pope had instructed him to tell him
Lay Group Asks
to resign, but the cardinal firmly denied this. 10. Archbishop Scicluna
to Discipline Pro-LGB
Priest

Known Freemason

In a separate confidential letter to Fra’ Matthew, dated Dec. 6, 2016, and also revealed today
by Wikileaks, Cardinal Burke wrote that the Pope requested “necessary vigilance” over the
works of the Order, “especially the purification of a mundane spirit and of the use of methods
and means contrary to the moral law.”

He asked for the grand master’s “fullest cooperation lest the Holy Father find it necessary to
address directly his concerns through a visitation of the Order.”

Following the dismissal of Boeselager, the then-former grand chancellor appealed to Pope
Francis leading to Cardinal Parolin forming a five-member commission of inquiry. Three of
the members were linked to a mysterious $118 million fund in Geneva (as was Boeselager),
and one Fra’ Matthew said was a known Freemason — according to a separate document
published today by Wikileaks.

The leadership of the Order resisted the commission largely on the grounds that it interfered
with the Order’s sovereignty, but on Jan. 23, 2016, the Pope asked Fra’ Matthew to resign
which he agreed to do immediately. All the earlier decrees dating back to Dec. 6 were
annulled and Boeselager was reinstated as grand chancellor on Jan. 28. The Pope
subsequently appointed Cardinal Angelo Becciu as special delegate to represent the Holy See
to the Order, supplanting Cardinal Burke’s role.
Wikileaks’ publication of the Pope’s letter and other documents today has brought some
clarity to the Pope’s approach at that time over the contraceptive issue — an approach that,
on paper at least, was clearly allied to that of Cardinal Burke.

But many questions relating to this troubled chapter in the Order’s history remain
unanswered, particularly why the Pope sided with Cardinal Parolin and Boeselager over
Cardinal Burke and Fra’ Matthew, and the role the mysterious Swiss fund played in the
affair.
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