Vatican condom row: pope prevails as Knights of Malta chief resigns

The head of the Knights of Malta, an ancient Catholic order, has resigned over a dispute with the Vatican about free condoms that has become a battle of wills between the heads of two of the world’s oldest institutions and a test of Pope Francis’s authority.

The Rome-based chivalric and charity institution said Grand Master Matthew Festing, 67, resigned after the pope asked him to step down on Tuesday. Grand masters of the institution, which was founded in the 11th century, usually hold their posts for life.

“The pope asked him to resign and he agreed,” the order’s spokesperson said, adding that the group’s sovereign council would sign off on the highly unusual resignation within days.

Festing and the Vatican have been locked in a bitter dispute since one of the order’s top officials, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, was sacked in December after the charity distributed condoms as part of a medical project for the poor.

Von Boeselager and his supporters said the condom issue was an excuse by Festing and the papal envoy to the order, Cardinal Raymond Burke – an American arch-conservative who has accused the pope of being too liberal – to increase their power.

Burke has been outspoken in his criticism of Francis’s efforts to reform Catholic teaching on questions related to the family, marriage and divorce. He was one of four cardinals who signed an open letter to Francis last year questioning new guidance allowing priests to decide on a case-by-case basis whether divorced and remarried believers should be able to receive communion.

After Von Boeselager was sacked by Festing, he appealed to the pope, who appointed a five-member commission to look into the unusual circumstances of the dismissal.

Festing, a Briton who has been grand master for nine years, refused to cooperate, saying the papal commission was an illegitimate intervention in the order’s sovereign affairs. He defiantly set up his own internal commission.

The Vatican, in turn, rejected what it said was an attempt to discredit members of the commission and ordered the leaders of the institution to cooperate with the inquiry. The papal commission was due to deliver its findings to the pope at the end of January.

“Behind this dispute is an internal struggle within the Knights between reformers who want the order to focus on humanitarian work and a traditionalist clique out of step with Francis,” said Austen Ivereigh, the pope’s biographer.

“Historically, the Knights have mixed ecclesiastical policy and high finance in a way which is repugnant to Francis. He is naturally inclined to support the reformers, and seized the opportunity to encourage them.”

The all-male top leaders of the Knights of Malta are not clerics but take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope. The institution has 13,500 members, 25,000 employees and 80,000 volunteers worldwide.

The order – formed in the 11th century to provide protection and medical care for pilgrims to the Holy Land – has the trappings of a sovereign entity. It maintains diplomatic relations with more than 100 states and the EU, and permanent observer status at the United Nations.

When Festing fired Von Boeselager he accused the German of hiding the fact that he allowed the use of condoms when he ran Malteser International, the order’s humanitarian aid agency.

The church does not allow the use of condoms as a means of birth control and says abstinence and monogamy in heterosexual marriage is the best way to stop the spread of Aids.

Von Boeselager said he closed two projects in the developing world when he discovered condoms were being distributed but kept a third running for a while because closing it would have abruptly ended all basic medical services to poor people.

The order’s leadership said the scandal was serious and it was “disgraceful” that Boeselager had refused to obey Festing by resigning.

Francis has said he wants the 1.2 billion-member church to avoid so-called culture wars over moral teachings and show mercy to those who cannot live by all its rules, especially the poor.

Vatican condom row: pope prevails as Knights of Malta chief resigns

AIDS: The Issue Is The Pope

Those of you who shell out interest to the journal Science most likely already know that they put an picture — just a body shot — of transgender ladies on the cover, to highlight a special part on AIDS.

Here’s the offending image:

There is a good summary of the controversy right here. Separately from the problems of the male gaze and transgender rights, I want to level out one thing else: most of the difficulties in combating AIDS have been due to guys in power: Ronald Reagan, the last 3 Popes, and different other people. If you want to highlight the true challenges in defeating AIDS, they are your cover image they are the ones who made policies that made it tougher for vulnerable populations to get the one particular issue we know protects against AIDS: condoms. A cover shot of headless transgender women is titillation that doesn’t strike at the actual dilemma: policy.

With out creating condoms available, with out educating people about their protective choices, we exacerbate a dilemma in which we previously have a remedy in hand. In that sense, the most significant obstacle to AIDS is none other than the Catholic Church.

In Could 2005, one particular of the first items that Pope Benedict XVI deigned to inform us was that the traditional teaching of the Church is the only way to shield against HIV. This is madness we know condoms safeguard men and women. It is not anti-science — it is anti-fact. And before you level out that we have a new Pope now, let me just display you that we’ve acquired far more of the same coming from celibate guys who really do not truly fret about feasible sexual assaults, dumb teenage sexuality, or kid marriages. Kissing the feet of AIDS individuals is not the very same as protecting the vulnerable, anything Francis has abjectly failed at.

It’s also well worth reminding the globe about Ronald Reagan’s toxic legacy: I wouldn’t mind generating him the poster-boy for the epidemic, offered how small he did to end it. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of deaths can be laid immediately at his feet.

If you want to modify AIDS policy, make the face of AIDS issues the policy-makers. Transgender prostitutes are usually not in the same positions of power to make decisions that will impact hundreds of thousands of people. Target the real sinners: the ones who make the decisions that harm the vulnerable.

*Full disclosure: I am Catholic. Even though if the Pope decides to excommunicate me, I do not consider I’ll mind it also significantly often that’s the price you shell out for morality and compassion.

AIDS: The Issue Is The Pope

AIDS: The Difficulty Is The Pope

These of you who shell out interest to the journal Science probably already know that they place an image — just a entire body shot — of transgender females on the cover, to highlight a unique area on AIDS.

Here’s the offending image:

There is a nice summary of the controversy right here. Separately from the concerns of the male gaze and transgender rights, I want to stage out something else: most of the problems in combating AIDS have been due to males in power: Ronald Reagan, the final three Popes, and various other people. If you want to highlight the true challenges in defeating AIDS, they’re your cover image they are the ones who manufactured policies that created it harder for vulnerable populations to get the a single point we know protects towards AIDS: condoms. A cover shot of headless transgender ladies is titillation that doesn’t strike at the actual dilemma: policy.

With no producing condoms available, with out educating people about their protective possibilities, we exacerbate a dilemma the place we previously have a answer in hand. In that sense, the largest obstacle to AIDS is none other than the Catholic Church.

In Could 2005, one particular of the very first items that Pope Benedict XVI deigned to inform us was that the standard teaching of the Church is the only way to safeguard against HIV. This is madness we know condoms defend men and women. It is not anti-science — it is anti-fact. And ahead of you stage out that we have a new Pope now, let me just display you that we’ve received a lot more of the identical coming from celibate males who do not actually be concerned about attainable sexual assaults, dumb teenage sexuality, or little one marriages. Kissing the feet of AIDS sufferers is not the very same as guarding the vulnerable, anything Francis has abjectly failed at.

It is also worth reminding the planet about Ronald Reagan’s toxic legacy: I wouldn’t mind generating him the poster-boy for the epidemic, provided how little he did to stop it. 1000′s, if not millions, of deaths can be laid directly at his feet.

If you want to change AIDS policy, make the encounter of AIDS issues the policy-makers. Transgender prostitutes are frequently not in the same positions of electrical power to make choices that will impact hundreds of thousands of men and women. Target the actual sinners: the ones who make the decisions that harm the vulnerable.

*Full disclosure: I am Catholic. Despite the fact that if the Pope decides to excommunicate me, I do not feel I’ll mind it as well much sometimes that’s the value you pay out for morality and compassion.

AIDS: The Difficulty Is The Pope

AIDS: The Issue Is The Pope

Those of you who spend attention to the journal Science possibly currently know that they put an picture — just a body shot — of transgender ladies on the cover, to highlight a unique section on AIDS.

Here’s the offending picture:

There’s a good summary of the controversy here. Individually from the concerns of the male gaze and transgender rights, I want to stage out anything else: most of the troubles in combating AIDS have been due to men in electrical power: Ronald Reagan, the last three Popes, and a variety of other individuals. If you want to highlight the genuine challenges in defeating AIDS, they’re your cover picture they’re the ones who made policies that created it more difficult for vulnerable populations to get the 1 point we know protects against AIDS: condoms. A cover shot of headless transgender females is titillation that does not strike at the genuine dilemma: policy.

With no generating condoms obtainable, with out educating folks about their protective options, we exacerbate a dilemma the place we previously have a answer in hand. In that sense, the biggest obstacle to AIDS is none other than the Catholic Church.

In Could 2005, one particular of the very first items that Pope Benedict XVI deigned to tell us was that the traditional teaching of the Church is the only way to defend against HIV. This is madness we know condoms protect folks. It is not anti-science — it is anti-reality. And prior to you point out that we have a new Pope now, let me just present you that we’ve acquired far more of the identical coming from celibate males who don’t truly worry about feasible sexual assaults, dumb teenage sexuality, or youngster marriages. Kissing the feet of AIDS patients is not the very same as protecting the vulnerable, anything Francis has abjectly failed at.

It is also well worth reminding the planet about Ronald Reagan’s toxic legacy: I wouldn’t mind generating him the poster-boy for the epidemic, provided how small he did to cease it. Thousands, if not millions, of deaths can be laid right at his feet.

If you want to modify AIDS policy, make the face of AIDS troubles the policy-makers. Transgender prostitutes are frequently not in the exact same positions of energy to make selections that will result millions of folks. Target the real sinners: the ones who make the selections that harm the vulnerable.

*Full disclosure: I am Catholic. Although if the Pope decides to excommunicate me, I do not think I’ll thoughts it as well a lot occasionally that is the value you spend for morality and compassion.

AIDS: The Issue Is The Pope