Edit: they have a "warm" relationship with a man clearly bent on persecuting the few faithful Catholics in the clergy.
ROME-In a process that can be only defined as “anti-climatic,” on Monday Opus Dei chose its new leader and the third successor to St. Josemaria Escrivá, the group’s founder. Well before the electoral congress began, it was widely expected the winner would be the group’s number two man, Spanish Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, and that’s exactly what happened.
One day later, Ocáriz defined the challenges facing the institution over which he now presides as in alignment with those of Christianity generally, and society at large: reaching out to youth, families, the poor, and the infirm, and working towards Christian unity.
Ocáriz, a Spanish priest born in Paris because his father, a military man at odds with the regime of Fernando Franco, had been exiled, began his first encounter with the international press by thanking “God, the 150 electors of 20 nationalities, and Pope Francis” for the trust given him.
[Translation by Rorate] 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.
Pope Bergoglio has in fact obtained what he wanted, but had to use force, violating both law and common sense. And this is destined to have serious consequences not only inside the Order of Malta, but among Catholics from all over the world, increasingly perplexed and bewildered about the way Francis is governing the Church.
The Pope knew he hadn’t any legal title to intervene in the internal affairs of a sovereign Order and even less so to demand the resignation of its Grand Master. He knew also the Grand Master himself would not have been able to resist the moral pressure of a request for his resignation, even if illegitimate.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ChurchMilitant.com) - A Catholic priest in charge of one of the most important Anglican Catholic parishes in the United States is being removed by the archbishop of San Antonio.
Parishioners of Our Lady of the Atonement (OLA) Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas are claiming Abp. Gustavo García-Siller is removing Fr. Christopher Phillips in order to repurpose the parish, which has a solid reputation for orthodoxy and reverent liturgy.
Siller distributed a letter to parishioners on January 19 stating, "I have asked your pastor ... to dedicate some time to reflect on some specific concerns that I have shared with him."
[Reuters] The head of the Knights of Malta, who has been locked in a bitter dispute with the Vatican, has resigned, a spokesperson for the Rome-based Catholic chivalric and charity institution said on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said Grand Master Matthew Festing, 67, had resigned after Pope Francis asked him to step down at a meeting on Tuesday. Grand masters of the institution, which was founded in the 11th century, usually keep their positions for life.
"The pope asked him to resign and he agreed," the spokesperson said, adding that the next step was a formality in which the group's Sovereign Council would have to sign off on the highly unusual resignation. The order would be run by its number two, or grand commander, until a new head is elected.
Under Henk Rijkers, the Dutch Katholiek Nieuwsblad has published articles in which the communion registration of newly married divorced persons is criticized.
Herzogenbusch (kath.net/LSN/jg) Henk Rijkers (59), the chief editor of the Catholic weekly newspaper Katholiek Nieuwsblad (KN), will lose his job on 1 February. Between Rijkers and Huub Vromen, the chairman of the Foundation, which is part of the weekly newspaper, a conflict has been smoldering in the debate about "Amoris laetitia".
Under the aegis of Rijkers, the KN has published several articles which contain criticism of approval of Communion for divorced laymen. Vromen saw this as too harsh a criticism of Pope Francis. He wanted to show "the good in other positions" in the KN more clearly. Vromen justified this, among other things, with the declining number of subscribers, for which he blamed the strictly Catholic line of the newspaper under Rijkers.
Rijkers was compelled to negotiate the termination of his employment relationship in 2013. A dismissal was not possible under Dutch employment law, as Rijkers had always fulfilled his obligations under his employment. One day before Christmas it was agreed that Rijkers would leave KN on February 1st.
He had lost his position because he had "defended the Catholic truth", said Rijkers to LifeSiteNews. Vromen strives to present the change of the chief editor as a natural development in the face of new challenges for the newspaper.
KN will continue to teach, in the midst of the Church in the Netherlands and the World Church, writes Vromen on the 13th of January. But "the tone must become more positive, the focus less on teaching and more on pastoral subjects," he adds. "Polarization must be avoided," Vromen adds. The editors regretted the tone in which the newspaper had written about Pope Francis. This was "too one-sided".
(Rome) Archbishop Luigi Negri of Ferrara had to announce the serious news to the faithful gathered in the cathedral last Sunday: "From a church of our diocese, a chalice with many consecrated hosts was stolen. During these hours I have lost peace." [When sacrileges like this occur stateside, you never hear the local ordinary lamenting them. It's usually ho-hum time for them.]
"Whoever removes the body of Christ from the tabernacle is capable of all things"
At present, the offender (s) are still unknown. Archbishop Negri is one of the most prestigious bishops in Italy. He was the target of an orchestrated campaign throughout Italy in the fall of 2011, alleging that he wanted "the death of Pope Francis". He could not be pushed out of office, which was probably the goal. Still, he has become somewhat quieter. Such slanderous attacks leave scars.
For the time being, "the worst" was to be expected, the archbishop said. He who breaks a tabernacle, and lays hands on the body of Christ, "is capable of all things."
"It is a great pain that hurts the heart and aggrieves. In those hours I have lost peace. "
He said of the man who had committed this sacrilege, repeating the words of Jesus: "It would be better if he had never been born (Mt 26:25)." At the same time, the Archbishop called on the perpetrator (s) to return the consecrated Hosts promptly and undamaged.
The sacrilegious robbery took place in the church of Santa Chiara, the former Capuchin convent of Ferrara. In this and other churches of the diocese, there have been at this time an overflowing of atonement and reparation. Archbishop Negri recalled that "there is nothing more precious in the world and in the Holy Church of God than the Holy Eucharist, in which the body, the blood, the soul, and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ are truly present."
Atonement and reparation in the entire archdiocese
The archbishop ordered, even on Sunday, "that in all the parishes and religious houses, and to the extent possible in the ecclesial associations and movements, at least one Mass of restitution celebrating according to the Roman p form Pro remissione omnium peccatorum." In addition, a Mass of reparation will be celebrated in Santa Chiara next Saturday, in which the whole diocesan community should participate. The Archbishop himself will celebrate the Holy Mass. Afterwards, a Eucharistic procession will take place through the city.
The Archbishop asked this week to emphasize specifically Eucharistic worship in catechesis, and to promote all occasions of encounter with the Eucharistic Lord.
Tomb of the Atonement Veronica of the Most Blessed Sacrament
The Capuchins had come to Ferrara in 1609, where, thanks to their benefactors, they built the church in honor of the Saint Clare of Assisi. During Napoleonic despotism, their monastery was abolished in 1810, but they were able to return as early as 1817 and re-establish the cloister. In 1987, the convent left the city and moved to San Giovanni Rotondo, where, near the tomb of Saint Capuchin Padre Pio, it moved into a new monastery. In 2012, the church of Santa Chiara was so badly affected by an earthquake that it had to be closed for two years for backup and restoration work.
In the church is the tomb of the Capuchin Veronica of the Blessed Sacrament (1896-1964), whose beatification process was opened in 2015 by Archbishop Negri. She is regarded as a master of the spiritual life who could penetrate deeply into the sufferings of Christ, and even became a part of His mystical suffering as an atonement. She recalled "the importance of a holy life in the struggle of everyone against evil," Archbishop Negri told Archdiocese.
The grave of Sr. Veronica is often visited by the faithful people of Ferrara, and the Order's patroness is called upon to intercede.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Ferrara News (screenshots)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com Link to Katholisches...
AMDG
(Rome) The Spanish daily El Pais published in yesterday's Sunday edition an interview with Pope Francis. In this, the leader of the Catholic church said that "liberation theology was a positive thing for Latin America," that "one can practice religion in China" and that he "must be much more incomprehensible because of my sins." An excerpt.
On Liberation Theology
El Pais : Do you not think that the Church has lost many positions for the benefit of other religions and sects even after the failed attempt of liberation theology? Why is that?
Pope Francis : Liberation theology was a positive thing in Latin America. The part was condemned by the Vatican which opted for the Marxist analysis of reality. Cardinal Ratzinger issued two instructions when he was prefect of the Congregation of the Faith. It was very clear about the Marxist analysis of reality, and a second in which he came back to the positive aspects. Liberation theology had positive aspects, but also deviations, especially in the Marxist analysis of reality.
To the People's Republic of China
El Pais : Can Vatican diplomacy soon be broadened in China?
Pope Francis : In fact, there is already a Commission working with China and meets every three months, once here [Vatican], once in Beijing. And there is a lot of dialogue with China. China has always had the aura of mystery, which is fascinating. Two or three months ago they were happy with the exhibition of the Vatican Museum in Beijing. And they will come to the Vatican in the coming year with their things, their museum.
El Pais : Will you soon travel to China?
Pope Francis: When I am invited. They know that. In China, by the way, the churches are full. They can practice religion in China.
Europe
El Pais : Do you think, Holy Father, that the signs are similar in Europe today, which were present in Germany in 1933? [It's like Hitler!!]
Pope Francis : I am not a technician in it, but on today's Europe, I refer to my three speeches. The two in Strasbourg, and the third, when I received the Charlemagne Prize, the only prize which I have accepted as a service because of the moment which Europe is going through. These three speeches say what I think about Europe.
About Paul VI. And misunderstanding
El Pais : 50 years ago there was almost everything. The Second Vatican Council, the journey of Paul VI. And the embrace with the patriarch Athenagoras in the Holy Land. Some say to understand you, they should come to know Paul VI. At a certain moment he was a misunderstood pope. Do you also feel a bit like an uncomfortable pope?
Pope Francis : No, no. I think I am much more misunderstood because of my sins. Paul VI was the martyr of disagreement. Evangelii gaudium was in the framework of the Pastoral. What I want to give to the Church now is an update of Evangelii nuntiandi of Paul VI. He is a man who went forward in history. And he suffered, suffered much. He was a martyr. And many things he could not do, because he knew as a realist that he could not, and so he suffered, but he offered that suffering. And he did what he could do. And what Paul VI did best: sow. He sowed things that were later harvested in history. Evangelii gaudium is a mixture of Evangelii nuntiandi and the Aparecida document [2007 Latin American Episcopal Conference]. Things that have grown from below. Evangelii nuntiandi is the best post-conciliar pastoral document and has lost none of its topicality. I do not feel misunderstood. I feel accompanied, accompanied by all types of people, boys, old people, ... Yes, some out there are disagreeable, and that's their right, because if I felt bad, because some disagree. that would be the beginnings of the dictator in my attitude. You have the right to disagree. You have the right to think that the road is dangerous, that it could bring bad results, that ... they have the right. But always on the condition that they enter into a dialogue, and not that they throw stones and hide their hand, not that. No man has a right to that. [Except for you and your close circle of intimates who rules the Vatican like oriental despots?] Throwing a stone, but hiding the hand is criminal. Everyone has a right to discuss, and hopefully, we will discuss a lot, because this is what sets us apart. The discussion unites. The discussion with good blood, not with slander and all that ... [Unless it's you who's doing the slander, Holiness?]
Introduction / translation: Giuseppe Nardi Image: OSS / El Pais (Screenshot)
Edit: how is this filth tolerated? These people should be ashamed of broadcasting their shameful behavior publicly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even in the USA, a deviant dating show wouldn't fare well. The comments don't criticize the vice, but encourage it! In fact, people aren't calling up to complain about rampant immorality, or the man leaving his wife, but to complain how he treated one of the contestants. No wonder Ireland is the only country in the world that approved of deviance in a national referendum!
Pederasty is the next thing. Just you wait.
One of the stars of last week's First Dates Ireland has been forced to defend his "horrible" date after fans of the show criticised him online.
Richard McNeil has defended his date Timmie Murphy after fans of the show slated him for the way he rejected Richard.
Both men had seemingly enjoyed a pleasant first date, despite the fact that Timmie said things like: "When people look at me they think they see an alpha male but what I actually am is a princess.”
Edit: a word to the priests. If the Bishop of Rockford has no respect for ecclesiastical law, why should you respect his unjust rulings? Frankly, he can't say anything about it.
Bishop Malloy of Rockford, which is in Illinois in the USA, has sent a rather remarkable letter to his priests. Rorate Caeli received a copy on 16th January, and it is reproduced in full here.
(Rome) The Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta , Fra 'Matthew Festing, repeated his accusation against the fact finding mission set up by Pope Francis on the Boeselager case. This commission is not legally competent because the Maltese government is a sovereign entity of international law and the deposed Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, as a member of the Second Order of the Order, is not subject to the Vatican in his tasks and functions concerning the Order. Moreover, some of the five commissioners have personal and financial ties and would therefore not guarantee objectivity.
Grandmaster Festing expressed serious doubts about the composition of the Commission and accused three of the five Commissioners of conflicts of interest. At least three Commissioners are associated with a fund in Geneva, which was managed by former Grand Chancellor Boeselager.
According to Festing, he does not raise any personal accusations, but asserts that the personal and financial connections between at least three Commissioners and Boeselager, mean that "they are clearly prejudiced about their objective."
According to information in the National Catholic Register the three members of the inquiry commission are Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Marc Odendall and Marwan Sehnaoui. Together with Boeselager, they are linked to a gift of 120 million Swiss francs, in favor of the Order.
The Vaticanist Edward Pentin wrote in an article that the majority of the commissioners were personal friends with the ex-chancellor, including Archbishop Tomasi.
The National Catholic Register reported: Boeselager has exercised with respect to the composition of the commission of inquiry, considerable pressure on the Vatican - according to information internal to the Order. It was therefore assumed that the Commission constituted a plea in favor of Boeselager.
(Rome) Matteo Maria Zuppi of theCommunity of Sant'Egidiowas appointed Archbishop of Bologna in late October 2015 by Pope Francis as the successor to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra.He has been in office for 13 months. He is the opposite of his predecessor, one of the signatories of theDubia(doubts) to Pope Francis on the controversial post-synodal LetterAmoris laetitia.
Upon taking up his position in Bologna, Msgr. Zuppi, committed himself to build mosques. The anger of the well-known Spanish Catholic columnist and blogger, Francisco Fernandez de la Cigoña, the Archbishop moved himself to do a "stupid" gesture for Christmas.
Zuppi, together with other appointees, is reckoned, among the shepherds "with the smell of the sheep," which Pope Francis several times suggested of model shepherds.
De la Cigoña, well-known for his blunt language, described Msgr. Zuppi as "a fool who we shall soon see as a cardinal." De la Cigoña's anger was aroused by a Holy Mass celebrated by Archbishop Zuppi with the Jesus Child in a crib on a rainbow flag.
"Symbols are not meant to be playthings. The crib for the Jesus child can also not be adorned with a swastika or a communist flag or a Coca-Cola flag. It can't even be a gay flag, or the flag of a soccer club.
Perhaps in the future we will also see a Jesus child with a condom, or with the portrait of Donald Trump. With such 'original' bishops, everything is possible."
When De la Cigoña was made aware that in Italy the rainbow flag, is almost identical to the aberrosexual flag, is a symbol of the Christian peace movement, he took it into his "foolish head" and apologized to Archbishop Zuppi.
However, what de la Cigoña has written also applies to the peace movement: the crib of the Jesus child should not be draped with the flag of a peace movement.
The jury is still out on the use of a symbol that is similar to the other. There is no doubt that the aberro-movement has for the time being has carried through with the flag conflict and has usurped the rainbow, symbolizing the "covenant" with God in the Old Testament. That the Christian peace movement in Italy has continued to use the rainbow colors, although it could be confused with the gay movement, as De la Cigoña did, gives proof that has to do with the fact that this peace movement is supported mainly by the left Catholic circles who usually have no problems with the aberrosexual flag. The potential confusion is obviously accepted.
[BBC] Heavy snow and disruption caused by multiple earthquakes have hindered rescue efforts in the rubble of the Rigopiano hotel, in the Abruzzo region.
Rescuers say they have heard nothing in the rubble while sniffer dogs are reportedly unable to locate victims.
Two people who were outside the hotel at the time of the avalanche survived.
A series of strong earthquakes hit central Italy on Wednesday, including the capital Rome, forcing schools to be evacuated and rail links to close, although there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injury.
The multiple tremors, including three above magnitude five, were clustered around a region which was battered by a spate of deadly quakes last year.
Buildings in Rome wobbled and the city's underground metro system was shut as a precaution. Schools across the capital were also closed.
Artist: "I did not want to make fun of the Catholic Church or hurt the feelings of believers." - With VIDEO controversial action in Saarbrücken Baroque Basilica - UPDATE: Artists pay a fine!
Saarbruecken (kath.net) "I did not want to make fun of the Catholic Church or hurt the feelings of believers." According to the "Saarbrückener Zeitung", the 38-year-old Alexander Karle has to appear in Saarbrücken District Court. He had entered the sanctuary illegally in the Catholic Baroque Basilica of St. John in Saarbrücken (Diocese of Trier) and performed about 30 pushups on the altar. According to the prosecutor's office, this was a "crudely inappropriate behavior demonstrating a purely disrespectful attitude." The event, which took place approximately between Christmas Eve on 2015 and January 1 2016, had been recorded by Karle with a video and published in a Saarbrücken shop window and also via Youtube. Karle has studied at Saar University of the Arts and understands his action as art, as other media reported. The video, entitled "Pressure to Perform", was designed to investigate the extent to which religion and performance pressure were related.
In the Catholic church community, however, the video was perceived as provocation and defamation, said Rev. Eugen Vogt. Therefore, the church community had contacted the police. According to the public prosecutor's office, the action does not fall under the rule of freedom of artistic expression and speech and has therefore applied for a fine of 1,500 euros at the Court of Justice. Justification: violation of religious freedom and trespassing. After the artist's appeal, the court is now adjudicating the decision.
The "Saarbrückener Zeitung" summed up Karle's further explanations as follows: During the action "a few people were praying in the basilica, who did not say a word," assures Karle. And he is also a Catholic, if only on paper. "After all, he had also taken a small camera," so very discreetly, "and carefully removed the white cloth on the altar before performing his pushups, then laid it back down again.
The church of St. John was consecrated in 1758 by Pope Paul IV. [thanks DJR] as a minor Basilica. It is listed as a monument in Saarland's memorial list.
UPDATE
The Court of Saarbrücken decided a few days ago that the defendant must pay 700 euro fine for trespassing and disturbance of the free exercise of religion. This was reported by "Bild" and other media. Judge Simon explained in the reasoning of the verdict that freedom of art is not guaranteed without limits. If an altar is equated with a gymnastic mat, then that shows disrespect of faith.
The documentation: The video of the artist with the controversial action
Edit: in the US, Catholics probabaly would have bleated ineffectually about freedom
of speech and done nothing.
(Rio de Janeiro) The "pastoress" of a Protestant congregation smashed a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida. The scene was filmed and released to the public. The great indignation caused by this caused the woman apologize in a video for her deed.
The incident occurred in the hinterland of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. In Botucatu, a Protestant female pastor of a local congregation performed a memorial service for Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's most important pilgrimage destination, in a meadow, and beat her with a hammer. The hammer attack left the Marian statue in pieces. Brazilian media talked about it as the act of frenzy and even obsession. The fact is that in certain parts of Protestant free churches, they are strongly influenced by Calvinism, where there is a radical dislike for Mary and the worship of the Mother of God. The sectarian attitude must be repelent to all members of the Catholic and Orthodox Church.
The devotees of the "pastoress" cshouted "Hallelujah" during the destruction, praised Jesus and spoke of a "purification".
The destruction scene was filmed and the video released. The indignation was so great that the "pastoress" was compelled to publicly apologize for her misdeed.
2017 marks the 300th anniversary of Aparecida's Matian apparition. On 24th of July, Pope Francis visited the pilgrimage site in the State of Sao Paulo. At that time, the police uncovered a bomb. It was a professionally produced explosive set with deadly intent. Whoever had set the bomb could not be found out. In the run-up, left-extreme and aberrosexual organizations had protested against the papal visit. Francis had traveled to Brazil for World Youth Day.
Text: Andreas Becker
Image: Youtube (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekrin99@hotmail.com
AMDG
On January 23rd the third Prelate of Opus Dei will be selected to chose the successor of Prelate Javier Echevarria who passed on Dec 12th.
(Rome) This coming January 21 begins in Rome to elect a new prelate of Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei , called Opus Dei for short, the only previously existing personal prelature in the Church. Upon the death of Prelate Javier Echevarría on December 12 in Rome, an has election become necessary.
The "Work of God," founded in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás (1902-1975) in Madrid received the legal status in the Church of a personal prelature. The approximately 90,000 members are directly subordinate to the prelate of the bishop's rank and not to the respective diocesan bishop. The third successor of the founder, and also the third prelate, will be elected. Josemarìa Escrivá was sanctified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His feast day is June 26, his dies natalis (death).
His first successor, and also the first prelate, Álvaro del Portillo, was proclaimed as beatified in 2014 by Pope Francis. He directed the Opus Dei from 1975-1994.
As Opus Dei explains on its website, the new prelate must be a priest who has completed his 40th year of life, be a member of the electoral body, and belong at least ten years of the Prelature and be incardinated as a priest for at least five years. These prerequisites are currently fulfilled by 94 priests from 45 states.
The election meeting will begin on 21 January with the General Assembly of the Council for the female members. On the 23rd, the actual election congress will follow. Any member of the Women's Council may give a vote. The election congress, which is occupied by men, would take these recommendations into account.
If the chosen person accepts the election, Pope Francis is asked for his confirmation. Officially, he has the right of appointment for the prelate of Opus Dei. Election and appointment of a prelate is for lifetime. The favorite candidate is Fernando Ocáriz, the long-standing Vicar General of the "Work", who was named by Prelate Echevarría to be his representative a few days before his death until the choice of his successor. Ocáriz has been the primary co-author of the Declaration Dominus Iesus of 2000. Since 1986 he has been Consultor of the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith. Under Pope Benedict XVI he was one of three theological members appointed by the Holy See who participated in doctrinal discussions with the Society of St. Pius X.
The electorate will have 194 voters, priests and laity. They must have reached the age of 32 and have been a member of the Prelate for at least nine years.
Besides the election of a prelate, the election congress will also make the choice of the General Council that supports the prelate in the management of the Prelature. The term of office of the General Council lasts eight years.
The elections, however, are not the only issue. It examines the situation of prelature and talks about worldwide apostolic activities. For the forthcoming, eight-year term of office of the General Council, the election congress will elaborate a corresponding management program.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Infovaticana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com Link to Katholisches...
AMDG
[journalistenwach] In Brühl, in the night of December 30, the parish center was broken into. The walls were smeared with Islamic slogans, doors broken and glass panes destroyed. The officials offered a picture of the devastation, despite the Islamic slogans, the police do not assume a "situation requiring federal intervention."
It was not the only an attack on Christian communities around the turn of the year.
In Austria statues were destroyed in a chapel in Saint Radegund near Graz. The figures were beheaded. Prayer books burned.
In Auerbach in Upper Austria the glass boxes were crushed by two Marian figures and 22 murals were stolen. They were burned in a nearby forest.
Within a short distance, perpetrators broke into a chapel, stole a statue of Christ and decapitated the statue of Saint Barbara. They caused damage in excess of 5000 Euros alone.
It was only in November that Christian figures were repeatedly damaged in public places in the Westphalian town of Dülmen. The noses and fingers had been torn off; in some cases monuments were also beheaded.
In all the cases there are no suspects being apprehended, but a culprit ap motive has been suspected.
OBERLIN. The best-seller author and journalist Udo Ulfkotte is dead. He succumbed to a heart attack on Friday according to information from JUNGE FREIHEIT. Ulfkotte was 56 years old.
Ulfkotte worked for many years as a journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He then worked as a freelance journalist, including JF.
Ulfkotte wrote numerous bestsellers about news services, Islamization and immigration. Because of death threats by radical [sic] Islamists, Ulfkotte and his wife were temporarily under police protection. Since 2008, his books have been published by Kopp-Verlag. Ulfkotte frequently made the bestseller list on the Spiegel. (Krk)
LEIPZIG. The police in Leipzig on Thursday proceeded with a large operation against the organized crime. More than 500 police officers and revenue officials searched offices and apartments throughout the city. Roads were blocked because of the bust. The mission lasted until the evening.
Because of the measure was a decision of the district court of Leipzig, said Bild citing the State Criminal Office of Saxony representative, Tom Behrend. The proceedings were concerned with the infringement of weapons violations and the suspicion of tax evasion. "United Tribunes" Clubhouse Searched One of the main points of the raid is at Eisenbahnstraße. There, at the noon, the clubhouse of the so-called street gang "United Tribun" was searched. The Leipzig vice-chief of the associated rock group from Baden-Württemberg is an Iranian. [United Tribune is involved in white slavery, and prostitution.] The searches were not related to a shooting in June 2016 on Eisenbahnstraße. At that time, there was one dead and three seriously injured, all four belonged to "United Tribunes". 14 persons, excluding members of Hells Angels, were later arrested for the time being. (Mec) https://jungefreiheit.de/kultur/gesellschaft/2017/grossrazzia-gegen-organisierte-kriminalitaet-in-leipzig/ Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMDG
"Long before the civilized countries came to establish international law, long before they formulated the dream of a common force to protect the healthy freedom of man, the independence of peoples, and a peaceful equilibrium in their mutual relations, The Order of St. John had gathered in a religious fraternity with military discipline, men from eight different 'languages' dedicated to the defense of the spiritual values that form the common heritage and prerogative of Christianity: faith, justice, social order and peace ."
These words, which Pius XII. January 8, 1940, the Knights of the Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order taught, summarize the essentials of the oldest order of knights, the only currently existing sovereign state whose flag flew on the field of the Crusades. An order whose charism was always, that which is stated in its motto: Tuitio fidei et Obsequium pauperum (Testimony of Faith and Help the Needy).
Is it possible that a pope wants to destroy this institution, which is the glory of Christianity? Unfortunately, this impression comes from the recent events that affect the Maltese presidency.
On December 27, 2016 a first reconstruction of these events was carried out at this point. Edward Pentin deepened and enriched the scenario in an article in the National Catholic Register on 7 January 2017 with further details. The following is a summary: On the 6th of December, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager,resigned in the presence of two witnesses, one of them the Cardinal Patron Raymond Leo Burke, and Fra Matthew Festing. It had come to light that Grand Chancellor Boeselager had abused his power during his term as the Grand Hospitaller of the Order by promoting the distribution of condoms and preventive means, even those with an abortive effect in Third World countries.
In spite of his promise of obedience (promises), which obliged him to the Grand Master, the Grand Chancellor refused to resign. Thereupon, proceedings against him were initiated which suspended him from the exercise of any offices. Boeselager appealed to the Vatican Secretariat for help, who appointed an investigation commission to collect "elements that were capable of informing the Holy See completely and swiftly of the matter which recently concerning the Grand Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager," as the Vatican Press Office said on 22 December.
On December 23, the Grand Master of the Order declared the decision of the State Secretariat "unacceptable" and reminded the Vatican that Boeselager's dismissal is an "internal administrative act in the direction of the Sovereign Order of Malta and therefore falls exclusively within its jurisdiction." In a further statement of 10 January, the Grand Master reaffirmed his intention not to cooperate with the Vatican Investigation Commission, "also to protect his own sovereignty against initiatives that occur in a form which is objective (and therefore independent of the intentions, legally irrelevant) aim at challenging or at least restricting this sphere."
The Vatican initiative immediately gave the impression of a sensational gaffe . The legal order of the Order of Malta is defined by the 1997 reformed constitution. Article 3 of the Constitution states in paragraph 1:
"The Order is the subject of international law and exercises the functions connected with the rights of sovereignty."
These functions are: the executive, represented by the Grand Master, assisted by the Sovereign Council; The Legislative, represented by the General Chapter; The judiciary, represented by the magistral tribunals. The Maltese Vicar provides diplomatic passports and has offices in Rome where he officially receives the representatives of more than 100 states with whom he has equal diplomatic relations. The Order enjoys priveleged relations with the Holy See, but in complete independence. The Holy See appoints a Cardinal Patron and an Ambassador to the Order, according to the provisions of international law. As Professor Paolo Gambi noted, the Order, in spite of its religious nature, which is common to ecclesiastical orders, occupies a completely special position, "enjoying an almost unique autonomy in the Church framework and the influence of this state [religious] is limited to members with perpetual vows" (La Soberana Orden de Malta militar en el orden juridico eclesial e internacional , Ius Canonicum , XLIV, no. 87 (2004), pp 197-231).
Article 4, paragraph 6 of the Constitution of the Sovereign of Malta, is clear:
"The religious character of the Order does not preclude the exercise of the rights of sovereignty granted to it, insofar as the Order is the subject of state recognized by international law."
The confirmation of this international law status, even against the Holy See, the Pontifical Yearbook , in which the Order is mentioned only once, not among the religious orders, but among embassies accredited by the Holy See. The 1997 Constitution has eliminated various ecclesiastical interventions that have existed before, including the approval of the Holy See to validate the vows.
Coat of arms of the Order of Malta
The responsibility of the Holy See on the religious life of the knights is limited to the members of the First Estate. These are the judges or professors who solemnly and forever take the three monastic vows. The members of the Second Class, the Knights and Ladies of obedience, take no vows, but are committed by the Promess of obedience and are therefore subject only to their superiors. Ex-Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager is married and a father of five children, a layman and belongs to the Second Estate. He is not subordinate in any way to the Holy See. Apart from this, the Chevalier de Justice [Knight Judge] who (according to Art. 9, para. 1 of the Constitution) "Religious with all effects of Canon Law", are not obliged to live in community, which is an unicum representing the life of the Church. Fra Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere (1866-1951) was Prince and Grand Master of the Order from 1931-1951. After the death of his wife (1898), he gave solemn vows as a Judge, but still lived in the Palazzo Chigi, which until 1916 belonged to his family (at that time also home to the Austro-Hungarian Embassy and today is the seat of the Italian Prime Minister). There he led a life according to his status and rank.
Of course, the Church has the same right against the Maltese ordinance that it has against any sovereign state when it comes to problems that directly affect faith and morality. The Pope has the right and the duty to intervene in all political and social questions that have to do with the attainment of the highest goal of man, eternal life. When a state legitimates a natural sexual union, the pope has the duty to take a position and to challenge the grave violation of the Divine Law and Natural Law. When the Maltese ordinance promotes contraception and abortion, the Pope has the duty to raise his voice. Today, however, the opposite happens. The Church withdraws from its right of judgments on questions of morality which are of its own area and instead takes a position on political and administrative issues which are not part of its competence.
Christopher Lamb cited the Tablet of 5 January a letter from Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the went to Fra Matthew Festing on 21 December. In this, the Grand Master is informed that Pope Francis desires the rescission Boeselager's deposition.
"As I expressed to you in my previous letter of December 12, 2016, as far as the use and diffusion of methods and means contrary to the moral law, His Holiness has asked for a dialogue on the way in which possible problems are dealt with and can be solved. But he has never spoken of sending someone away!"
Let us summarize: for those who violate the law of God and natural law, there is dialogue and the outstretched hand. For those who, on the other hand, for those who defend the faith and Catholic morality, the truncheon of the political commissioner and the commission of inquiry is ready.
The group of knights around Albrecht von Boeselager is a secularized current in the Order, which would like to convert the Maltese order into a humanitarian NGO. On the other hand, the Order's current leadership is defined by fidelity to the religious roots of the Order. Perhaps that is their greatest sin, to which another is joined. In the course of more than 950 years of history, the Sovereign Order of Malta has never lost its aristocratic, chivalrous and sovereign form. This image represents the exact opposite of miserabilism and egalitarianism, represented by those who govern the Church today. The result is that clericalism is criticized, but in fact is practiced with devastating consequences. The massive interference of the State Secretariat in the name of Pope Francis provokes chaos and division in the interior of the Order.
In its long history, the Sovereign Maltese Knights has survived all vicissitudes. In the 250 years in Palestine, the 210 years on Rhodes, the 270 years on Malta, its mission seemed to have ended many times, and yet it rose again and again, even as the storm of the French Revolution and Napoleon swept across Europe. It is to be hoped that Grandmaster Fra Matthew Festing and the Sovereign Council, who stand by him, will be able to withstand decisively the strong pressure exerted on them in these days. Nobody could ever have doubted the love and affection of Grand-Master Ludovico Chigi Albani for the Pope, who, in his function as Marshal of the Holy Roman Church, took part in the election of three Popes. Nevertheless, he resisted every ecclesiastical attempt to interfere with the life of the Order. The Holy See had to recognize the sovereign nature of the Order of Malta "without interference by a secular or ecclesiastical authority," as Benedict XVI. remembered when he received the knight on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the granting of the privilege Pie postulatio voluntatis on 15 February 1113. With this solemn act, Pope Benedict emphasized, "Paschalis II placed the young Brotherhood of Jerusalem, named after St. John the Baptist, under the protection of the Church and made it sovereign."
* Roberto de Mattei , historian, father of five children, Professor of Modern History and History of Christianity at the European University of Rome, President of Lepanto Foundation, author of numerous books, most recently appeared: Vicario di Cristo. Il primato di Pietro tra normalità ed eccezione (Vicar of Christ. The primacy of Peter between normality and exception), Verona 2013; In English translation last: The Second Vatican Council - a hitherto unwritten story, Ruppichteroth 2011.
Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: orderofmalta.int (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancre vekron99@hotmail.com Link to Katholisches...
AMDG
