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| Ex-Knights of Malta leader to defy papal order and attend succession meeting | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The ousted grand master of the Catholic charity Knights of Malta will attend a meeting that could elect his successor, the group has said, in direct defiance of Pope Francis’s order for him to stay away. | The ousted grand master of the Catholic charity Knights of Malta will attend a meeting that could elect his successor, the group has said, in direct defiance of Pope Francis’s order for him to stay away. |
| A spokesperson for the Knights said Matthew Festing, who resigned on 24 January, had informed the group that he would come to the meeting this Saturday at its headquarters in Rome. | A spokesperson for the Knights said Matthew Festing, who resigned on 24 January, had informed the group that he would come to the meeting this Saturday at its headquarters in Rome. |
| It was not clear whether he would stand for re-election, as some of his supporters have urged him to do. | It was not clear whether he would stand for re-election, as some of his supporters have urged him to do. |
| On 15 April, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, the Vatican’s deputy secretary of state whom the pope named “special delegate” to the ancient chivalric group, ordered Festing not to travel to Rome for the election. | On 15 April, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, the Vatican’s deputy secretary of state whom the pope named “special delegate” to the ancient chivalric group, ordered Festing not to travel to Rome for the election. |
| “Your presence would reopen wounds only recently healed and would prevent the event taking place in an atmosphere of peace and regained harmony,” Becciu said in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters from a Vatican source. | “Your presence would reopen wounds only recently healed and would prevent the event taking place in an atmosphere of peace and regained harmony,” Becciu said in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters from a Vatican source. |
| Becciu said in the letter that the pope shared his decision and asked Festing to stay away as “an act of obedience”. | Becciu said in the letter that the pope shared his decision and asked Festing to stay away as “an act of obedience”. |
| Festing tendered his resignation to the pope after a month-long, highly public spat with the Vatican over the group’s sovereignty. | Festing tendered his resignation to the pope after a month-long, highly public spat with the Vatican over the group’s sovereignty. |
| The turmoil began in December when Festing, a Briton, fired Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, the German-born grand chancellor of the aristocratic order. | The turmoil began in December when Festing, a Briton, fired Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, the German-born grand chancellor of the aristocratic order. |
| Festing and a conservative US cardinal, Raymond Leo Burke, the group’s chaplain and a frequent critic of the pope, had accused Boeselager of violating church rules by turning a blind eye to the use of condoms in aid projects in the developing world when he was in a previous post. | Festing and a conservative US cardinal, Raymond Leo Burke, the group’s chaplain and a frequent critic of the pope, had accused Boeselager of violating church rules by turning a blind eye to the use of condoms in aid projects in the developing world when he was in a previous post. |
| Festing, who ordered members not to cooperate with a papal investigation of events surrounding Boeselager’s dismissal, lost his battle with the Vatican and became the first grand master in centuries to resign instead of ruling for life. | Festing, who ordered members not to cooperate with a papal investigation of events surrounding Boeselager’s dismissal, lost his battle with the Vatican and became the first grand master in centuries to resign instead of ruling for life. |
| The Vatican concluded the condom issue was just an excuse by Festing and Burke to wield more power in the 970-year-old organisation, and Boselager was reinstated. | The Vatican concluded the condom issue was just an excuse by Festing and Burke to wield more power in the 970-year-old organisation, and Boselager was reinstated. |
| The Knights of Malta comprises 13,000 members, 80,000 volunteers and about 25,000 paid employees, mostly medical staff who run charities and development projects around the world. | The Knights of Malta comprises 13,000 members, 80,000 volunteers and about 25,000 paid employees, mostly medical staff who run charities and development projects around the world. |
| The all-male top leaders are not clerics but take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope. | The all-male top leaders are not clerics but take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope. |
| The Vatican wants this weekend’s vote to elect an interim leader to run the group for a year while its constitution is changed. But the group could also decide to elect a new grand master. | The Vatican wants this weekend’s vote to elect an interim leader to run the group for a year while its constitution is changed. But the group could also decide to elect a new grand master. |