The leader of the Knights of Malta has
doubled-down his opposition to a Vatican inquiry into his sacking of a
top official by seeking to discredit members of the investigation and by
setting up his own commission to investigate them.
In a letter the Grand Master, Matthew
Festing, claims the make-up of the commission announced by the Holy See
is unfit to investigate because they have links to a fund in Geneva,
thus making them unable to objectively assess the situation.
The move is the latest in an ongoing battle between the Order of Malta and the Vatican over the sacking of Grand Chancellor, Albrecht von Boeselager, in a row about the distribution of condoms in Myanmar.
Festing provides no further details to
back up his latest assertion and stresses “there is nothing to suggest
anything untoward”. But he claims that evidence has been presented to
him that warrants his action to set up his own inquiry.
“The makeup of the group of people has
raised serious questions within the Grand Magistry. There are serious
accusations of a conflict of interest for at least three of the members
who have been proved to be linked to a fund in Geneva,” the Grand Master
writes in a letter sent to the order’s leadership which has been seen
by The Tablet.
“Needless to say there is nothing to
suggest anything untoward, but personal and financial links make the
commission members clearly unfit to address the situation objectively.
The proof presented to me have prompted me to put in place a
professional commission of inquiry into the situation.”
As a result Festing says the Vatican’s
commission will be kept at “arms length” until his own investigation
concludes, a position that further ups tension between the order and the
Holy See.
The order has already refused to
co-operate with the Vatican commission into von Boeselager’s dismissal
as they are a sovereign entity (the group has diplomatic relations with
more than 100 countries and observer status at the United Nations).
But the Vatican has insisted it has the
power to inquire into the circumstances around the action against von
Boeselager’s as the knights are also a Catholic religious order who
ultimately owe obedience to the Pope.
Francis set up a commission before
Christmas to be led by seasoned papal diplomat Archbishop Silvano
Tomasi, a former envoy to the UN in Geneva.
He is being assisted by Fr Gianfranco
Ghirlanda, a former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University; Marc
Odendall, an investment banker; Jacques de Liedekerke, a lawyer; and
Marwan Sehnaoui, president of the Order of Malta in Lebanon.
Festing does not name the fund in
question, although Odendall is listed as treasurer of the Swiss-based
Caritas in Veritate Foundation which has the Holy See’s representative
to the UN in Geneva as its president. The foundation’s aims are to
promote the Church’s position in public debate and international
negotiations.
There is no suggestion that Odendall’s
involvement in this fund causes a conflict of interest, and Festing’s
claims are so far unsubstantiated.
The Grand Master sacked and suspended his
respected Grand Chanceller in what also appears to have been about a
long running power struggle at the top of the order.
Cardinal Raymond
Burke, the order’s patron and prominent Francis critic was present at
the dismissal with both he and Festing claiming the action was backed by
the Pope and the Holy See.
But letters have revealed Francis made no
request for Boeselager to be dismissed and instead called for the
situation to be resolved with dialogue.
The row has laid bare the internal
resistance faced by the Pope with Cardinal Burke also threatening to
“formally correct” Francis over his concessions to divorced and
remarried Catholics.
This dispute over condom distribution -
something which von Boeselager says he stopped - reveals the clash
between the Pope’s vision for a Church of compassion and dialogue, and
Cardinal Burke's vision of a Church based on rules.