The reform of the Order of Malta is now in the hands of Pope Francis – Catholic World Report
Vatican City, 7 March 2022 / 09:35 am (CNA).
The future of the Order of Malta is in the hands of Pope Francis. Following a meeting with senior members on February 26, the Pope will take time to think about proposals for renewal and eventually decide on a path to reform.
Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi, the papal delegate to the organization, reported on the meeting in a letter to the confreres of the order.
Tomasi stressed that “we have explained to the Holy Father that the reform under study better maintains and frames the order as a secular religious order and at the same time gives its consent to continue its charitable, diplomatic and humanitarian action for ‘Our Sick Lord’ and for the service of the Church. “
The Italian cardinal added that the Pope had “decided to listen to us, and gave us another hearing. After the meetings, the Pope will decide on the projects presented to him. “
Also present at the papal meeting was Fra Marco Luzzago, Lieutenant of the Grand Mastermembers of Tomasi’s reform working group, and a delegation representing members of the order.
On the 27th of February press releasethe 1,000-year-old institution stressed that “the focus of the meeting was the reform of the Order of Malta.”
He said that “in a letter to the leaders of the Order of Malta around the world, Marwan Sehnaoui, chairman of the steering committee for the constitutional reform process, expressed his gratitude to His Holiness. for devoting two hours of his precious time to the Order of Malta. Malta. ‘”
Sehnaoui said: “The Holy Father began and ended the hearing by stating that he had taken the final decision on the critical issues of the constitutional reform of the order.”
“Pope Francis listened carefully to the presentations and interventions of both sides. Following an exchange of views, the Pope said there was no urgency in making a final decision. His Holiness also said that he would like to gather and review more information and that he will probably convene another audience. “
These statements require close reading. First, explaining that the diplomatic and humanitarian work of the order will not be affected by the reform, Tomasi implicitly addressed a criticism raised after the circulation of a draft text of the reform, which described the Order of Malta as “subject to the Holy See”. This has raised concerns about the new statutes dilute the sovereignty of order.
Although it has no real territory, the order has the characteristics of sovereignty, such as its own official currency, postage stamps, and vehicle registration plates. He has diplomatic relations with more than 100 states and permanent observer status at the United Nations. It also monitors flourishing humanitarian network which is currently delivery of aid to refugees fleeing Ukraine.
He spoke to the National Catholic Register on January 23, Tomasi highlighted that in a subsequent draft, the order was no longer described as subject to the Holy See.
“We have not kept that expression,” he said, “and it will not be in the text of the constitution that we will circulate.”
He continued: “In a letter to the order, I said that, when the work was completed under the constitution, the government, and the special delegate’s working group, we would send the text to the ‘phrase’. – the religious. – the presidents of associations, the sovereign council and members of the government to have everyone’s input and objections – if there were aspects of the constitution or text that were not acceptable or considered objectionable . ”
The most important reform is, in a[[ardiktal-fraslihumamag[rufab[alakavallieri tal-ewwel klassi. Kavallieri tal-ewwel klassi biss li jinżlu minn familja ta’ erbgħa kwarti tan-nobbli huma eliġibbli biex jiġu eletti bħala l- Gran Mastru, is-superjur reliġjuż u sovran tal-ordni. Din id-dispożizzjoni tfisser li inqas minn 40 persuna fl-ordni jistgħu jiġu kkunsidrati għar-rwol.
Il-Papa Franġisku ħa f’idejh il-proċess ta’ riforma wara dibattitu qalil fi ħdan l-ordni.
Il-grupp ta’ ħidma fdat biex jabbozza l-istatuti l-ġodda kien magħmul mill-espert fil-liġi kanonika Patri Gianfranco Ghirlanda, Mons. Brian Ferme, segretarju tal-Kunsill tal-Vatikan għall-Ekonomija, Maurizio Tagliaferri, Federico Marti, u Gualtiero Ventura.
Il-grupp ġie mkabbar aktar tard biż-żieda ta ‘ftit membri anzjani tal-ordni, inkluż il-Kanċillier tal-Gran Albrecht von Boeselager. Iżda Boeselager ħabbar f’Jannar li kien iwarrab mill-grupp estiż. Sehnaoui, president tal-assoċjazzjoni Libaniża tal-ordni, inħatar biex jieħu post Boeselager, assistit minn Péter Szabadhegÿ.
Tomasi irrifjutat biex jirrikonoxxi l-ħatra ta’ Sehnaoui, u għalhekk ma setax jattendi l-laqgħa ta’ jumejn biex jiddiskuti l-abbozz tat-test.
Huwa partikolarment sinifikanti, allura, li Sehnaoui ġie inkluż fil-grupp li ltaqa’ mal-Papa fis-26 ta’ Frar. Il-preżenza ta’ Sehnaoui tista’ titqies bħala ġest ta’ distenzjoni.
Tomasi bagħat ittra lill-kavallieri wara laqgħa privata mal-papa fid-29 ta’ Jannar, wara l-laqgħa ta’ riforma ta’ jumejn, li saret bejn il-25 u s-26 ta’ Jannar.
Il-Kardinal qal li “l-Papa ddeċieda li jrid jiltaqa’ mal-grupp ta’ ħidma mħallat b’xi membri li jirrappreżentaw lill-professi, il-gvern tal-ordni, il-prokuraturi tal-prijorat u l-presidenti tal-għaqdiet, biex jippreżentalu proġetti konkreti ta’ riforma. .”
Għalhekk, kiteb Tomasi, “il-Qaddis Missier, għalhekk, iddeċieda li jissospendi l-attivitajiet l-oħra kollha sakemm issir din il-laqgħa, u warajha jieħu deċiżjoni finali.”
“Għalhekk, il-laqgħa tal-grupp ta ‘ħidma imħallat tat-22-23 ta’ Frar hija sospiża, u l-laqgħat tal-kumitat ta ‘tmexxija ppresedut mill-President Marwan Sehnaoui huma wkoll sospiżi.”
Tomasi saħaq li “kwalunkwe attività oħra qabel il-laqgħa mal-Papa titqies bħala att ta’ diżubbidjenza lejn is-Santu Missier.”
Kienet stqarrija notevolment ħarxa li indikat li l-Papa se jkun qed jieħu r-responsabbiltà għall-proċess.
Il-Kavallieri li ħadu sehem fil-laqgħa papali qalu lis-CNA li “għandhom sentiment pożittiv” u li l-Papa “sma ‘b’attenzjoni l-kwistjonijiet tagħhom.”
Il-membri tal-ordni issa jridu jistennew biex jaraw x’jiddeċiedi l-Papa. Eventwalment se jsir ċar jekk għażilx li jittratta l-ordni prinċipalment bħala ordni reliġjuża jew hux se jqis ukoll in-netwerk umanitarju vast issorveljat minn din l-entità sovrana mingħajr territorju.
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