On the morning of Wednesday, August 6, the Holy Father Benedict XVI has met, in the Cathedral of Bressanone, the clergy of the diocese of Bolzano-Brixen. Responding to questions of some of priests and deacons present, the Pope cited as example the Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra’ Matthew Festing.
We publish below the question and the answer of the Holy Father.

“Take Me Higher” was the motto of the Order of Malta’s international summer camp for disabled youth held this year at Stift Stams in Austria from 26 July to 2 August.

Sadly, the number of seriously undernourished children in north Darfur is growing. To tackle the situation, Malteser International has stepped up its nutrition programme in the Wada and Tabit health centres. Over the last four months, 5875 children have been monitored. Those found to be undernourished were inserted in the integrative food programme for three weeks.

It is with deep sadness that we have learned from Ordre de Malte France, the relief service of the French Association of the Order of Malta, of the death of our highly esteemed colleague and friend, Anne Broquet.
Anne died on 16 July 2008, aged 60 years, in the ‘Hôpital des Invalides’ in Paris after suffering from cancer for over two years. Although Anne with all her strength and all her energy had done her utmost to fight this malicious sickness, it finally claimed her. But we can now at least know that her suffering is over, and she has rendered her life into the hands of the Lord.

Malteser International’s assistance to the Ugandan population hit by the heavy floods last September has prompted a project to stop epidemics occurring after natural disasters.

A barge on the Seine to offer the homeless hospitality and the possibility of social reinsertion. Inaugurated on 30 June last by the Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Mrs Christine Boutin, “Le Fleuron Saint-Michel” is the latest of the Order of Malta’s projects in France.

A special dedication mass will be held on 25 September next for the new Christ the Light Cathedral Centre in Oakland, California. At the same time the Order of Malta’s health clinic will start up in the cathedral, where work is almost completed.

In the summer of 2007, the severe floods affected over ten million people in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihair regions in northern India. Malteser International’s programme, financed by the European Commission, is primarily aimed at the most vulnerable people, such as single mothers and their children and the Dalits, the so-called “untouchables”.