Communiqué of the International UNA VOCE Federation on Order of Malta ban of the Traditional Latin Mass

Rome, June 13, 2019

The FIUV notes with regret the letter, dated 10th June, from Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaler Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta (the ‘Order of Malta’), forbidding the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (the Extraordinary Form) in the context of the Order’s liturgical life.

Since this letter has become public, we would like to observe that it does not accurately present the provisions of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Letter, given motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. Article 3, cited in the Grand Master’s letter, explicitly allows religious communities to have not only private but conventual celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form, without reference to the Major Superior (in the case of the Order of Malta, the Grand Master or the Prelate). His permission is required only in cases where the community ‘wishes to have such celebrations frequently, habitually or permanently’.

The Grand Master’s letter also neglects the right of the faithful, from which the religious and lay members of the Order of Malta are not excluded, from requesting celebrations of Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Article 4). Celebrations in the context of special occasions such as pilgrimages are explicitly anticipated (Article 5 §3). Pastors and rectors of churches are directed to accede to such requests (Article 5, §1 and §5).

The Federation would like to emphasise that the Extraordinary Form is a part of the liturgical patrimony of the Church which represents ‘riches’ for the Church, which should not be neglected or excluded, and certainly not on the basis of a narrow conception of unity which excludes the variety of liturgical expressions permitted in the Church. As Pope Benedict expressed it:

‘These two expressions of the Church’s lex orandi will in no way lead to a division in the Church’s lex credendi (rule of faith); for they are two usages of the one Roman rite.’ (Summorum Pontificum, Preamble)

Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

De Mattei - Last Chance: Will the Malta Knights fold or resist? - Cardinal Parolin's Unconstitutional Letter

Corrispondenza Romana

Special Edition

January 27, 2017

The following letter we are publishing constitutes the latest slap in the face to the Order of Malta; it is an offence to its constitution, history and dignity.

All scholars of the law agree in attributing the Order of Malta’s complete independence from the Holy See as far as its internal governance is concerned. The Holy See cannot interfere in the administrative affairs of the Order, but only intervenes in what regards the religious life of its professed Knights.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State, in a letter dated January 25, addressed to the Members of the Sovereign Council of the Order, who, on January 28 are to gather together in Rome at their headquarters in Via Condotti, writes, that Pope Francis:

• will nominate a “papal delegate”; an utterly odd figure for the Order of Malta

• confirms the resignation of the Grand Master, which will not be official until ratified by the Sovereign Council

• attributes to himself the power to render null and valid, all of the Grand Master’s and the Sovereign Council’s acts carried out after December 6 2016, re-integrating therefore Albrecht von Boeselager and dismissing the new Grand Chancellor Fra John Critien.

The position that each of the components of the Supreme Council will take on January 28 is to be made public. If they accept the diktat without a murmur, they will go down in history for having surrendered completely; if, with due respect toward the Vicar of Christ, they resist, they will show to the world that their Catholic and chivalrous spirit is still alive and is able to oppose the unjust exercise of power.

Roberto de Mattei

***

A translation of Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s letter:

A Note on the Sovereignity of the Order of Malta and the Temporal Power of the Pope

In his op-ed on the Holy See's intervention in the affairs of the Order of Malta here at Rorate, Prof. de Mattei states that the Holy Father “knew he hadn’t any legal title to intervene in the internal affairs of a sovereign Order,” and our editor, New Catholic, stated that the Holy See’s intervention was “absolutely contrary to the Constitutional Charter of the Sovereign Order.” Certain persons, however, have noted that the Holy See has claimed the right to depose sovereign rulers in the past, and therefore a certain amount of explanation and defense of our position is in order.

Francis: a Pontificate of Violence and Irrationality - and remembering Pope Benedict

The details of the naked and unconstitutional (absolutely contrary to the Constitutional Charter of the Sovereign Order) intervention of the Holy See in another Sovereign Entity (the Sovereign Order of Malta), revealed this evening by Edward Pentin, are nothing short of astonishing.

Excerpt:

The Pope summoned Fra’ Festing to the Vatican on Jan. 24 on the strict instruction not to let anyone know about the audience — a modus operandi that has been used frequently during this pontificate, the Register has learned. During the meeting, Francis asked Fra’ Festing to resign immediately, to which the Grand Master agreed. The Pope then ordered him to write his resignation letter on the spot, according to informed sources.

Op-Ed: "Francis destroys the Sovereign Order of Malta" - by Roberto de Mattei

The Pope and the Order of Malta: a Pyrrhic Victory*?

Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

January 25, 2017

(Malta Knights at Lepanto - Francis did what the Turks couldn't do)

The resignation of Fra Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, imposed on him by Francis on January 23rd, risks being a Pyrrhic victory for the Pope.

De Mattei - The Pope and Malta: A bogus commissioning

Robert de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana 

December 24, 2016

Has the Pope appointed an external commissioner to the Order of Malta? Pope Francis undeniably likes the strategy of appointing external commissioners as he has already adopted this draconian measure against two religious communities considered too “traditional”: the Franciscans of the Immaculate and the religious of the Incarnate Word.  Further, it is not by chance that the announcement of a commission to “gather suitable elements to inform the Holy See thoroughly and swiftly with regard to the matter which has recently involved the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Mr. Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager”, was given by the Vatican Press Office on December 22^nd, precisely while Pope Bergoglio was transforming his traditional Christmas greetings to the Curia into a bitter chiding against those who are resistant to his project of radical change in the Church, with implicit reference to Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, Patron of the Order of Malta. However, in this case, the appointing of an external commissioner is not at all possible.

Guest Op-Ed: "The Upcoming Burke-Bergoglio Battle over the Knights of Malta"

A special Christmas guest Op-Ed, by Rev. Father "Ignotus".

(Oh, and a very blessed Christmas to all our readers and their families!!!)

***

The Upcoming Burke-Bergoglio

 Battle over the Knights of Malta

by Pater Ignotus

It is no secret that Pope Francis’s removal of Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke from the tribunal of the Apostolic Signature and his installation as “Patron” of the Knights of Malta was intended to consign the trad-friendly Ur-canonist to an ecclesiastical backwater. No “promoveatur,” just “amoveatur,” and don’t let the door slam on your cappa magna on your way out.

How much trouble, Bergoglio and his entourage probably figured, could Burke possibly cause heading a charitable organization that now specializes in disaster relief?

Well plenty, it seems. Rorate readers are well aware of the cardinal’s strenuous efforts to defend the traditional Catholic teachings on marriage and the reception of the sacraments, especially in the affair of the “dubia,” which has yet to play out completely.