Catholic Herald: The Vatican said Wednesday it was taking over the embattled Order of Malta in an extraordinary display of papal power after the Order’s grand master publicly defied Pope Francis in a bitter dispute over condoms.
The move marks the intervention of one sovereign state — the Holy See — into the governance of another, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, an ancient aristocratic order that runs a vast charity operation around the globe.
The Vatican said Fra’ Matthew Festing, 67, offered to resign as grand master Tuesday during an audience with the Pope, and that Pope Francis had accepted it on Wednesday. Read more here.
