Year 2017

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  17/02/2017

  Letter of Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu to the members of the Order

  Dear Brothers and Sisters,

  A few days having passed since my nomination as the Holy Father’s Special Delegate to your Order, I wish to offer each of you my cordial greetings. Above all, I convey to you the blessing of the Pope and the assurance that he has the good of the Order at heart, as well as its peace and spiritual renewal. For this he is praying ardently.

  From the moment the Holy Father entrusted me with this appointment, I have sought to be close to you in prayer and to deepen my knowledge of your history and presence in the world today. Your witness to charity, which has shone forth since your founding, is truly edifying.

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  14/02/2017

  The government of the Order of Malta to convene the Council Complete of State on 29 April to elect the successor of the Grand Master

  The electing body will meet in the Order’s Magistral Villa in Rome
  On 29 April the Council Complete of State, the Order’s constitutional body, will elect the next Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta (or, as provided for in the Constitution, a Lieutenant of the Grand Master, to hold office for a year). Following the resignation of the 79th Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing, on 28 January, the government of the Order of Malta – the Sovereign Council – met this morning in Rome, and established the April date.

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  09/02/2017

  The Lieutenant ad interim and the Grand Chancellor meet Monsignor Becciu

  Conference with the diplomatic corps this morning on government priorities.

  This morning the Grand Chancellor Albrecht Boeselager with the Grand Hospitaller Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel met the accredited diplomatic corps in the Magistral Villa in Rome to illustrate government priorities after the recent events involving the Order of Malta. Boeselager gave an outline of the matters that have led to the resignation of the Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing on 28 January last. “Our attention is now focussed on our extensive diplomatic network with the aim of further developing our medical and humanitarian programmes,” the Grand Chancellor said to a crowded audience of the Order’s accredited ambassadors and diplomats.

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  06/02/2017

  Pope Francis appoints his Special Delegate to the Sovereign Order of Malta

  Welcomed by the Order, Archbishop Becciu will work closely with the Lieutenant a.i

  As stated in His Holiness’ letter of 2 February 2017, the tasks the Archbishop will undertake ‘everything related to the spiritual and moral renewal of the Order, especially the professed members.’ The Delegate will work in close collaboration with the Lieutenant a.i. of the Order Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein and together they will be responsible for developing ‘a study in view of the timely renovation’ of the Order’s Constitution and Code.

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  02/02/2017

  Declaration of the Sovereign Order of Malta on government priorities

  In a press conference today, the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta has outlined its priorities, following the resignation of Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing on Saturday 28 January.

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  29/01/2017

  Letter of Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein

  On Saturday afternoon, 28 January 2017, the Sovereign Council accepted the resignation of Fra’ Matthew Festing from the office of Grand Master. We are grateful to Fra’ Matthew in his generous response to the request of the Holy Father.

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  28/01/2017

  The Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing resigns from office

  Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein assumes the office of Lieutenant ad interim, Albrecht Boeselager resumes his office as Grand Chancellor

  The Sovereign Council, the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta, met this afternoon in the Magistral Palace in Rome. On the agenda was the resignation from Office of Grand Master presented by Fra’ Matthew Festing, in accordance with article 16 of the Constitution of the Order of Malta. The Sovereign Council accepted his resignation from office. Conforming to the Constitution, the Pope has been notified of the resignation of Fra’ Matthew Festing, which will be communicated to the 106 Heads of State with whom the Order has diplomatic relations. In accordance with Article 17 of the Constitution, the Grand Commander, Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, has assumed the office of Lieutenant ad interim and will remain the Order of Malta’s head until the election of the successor of the Grand Master. The Sovereign Council thanked Fra’ Matthew Festing for his great commitment during his nine years in office.

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  25/01/2017

  Fra’ Matthew Festing convenes a Sovereign Council to formalise his resignation from the office of Grand Master

  The Grand Magistry of the Sovereign Order of Malta announces that Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing has convened an extraordinary session of the Sovereign Council for 28 January 2017 for the acceptance of his resignation from the office of Grand Master. This is in accordance with Article 16 of the Constitution of the Sovereign Order […]

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  23/01/2017

  President Casini received at the Order of Malta’s Embassy in Italy

  The Chairman of the Foreign Policy Commission of the Italian Senate, Pier Ferdinando Casini, and the Director General of Italian International Cooperation, Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani, were received this morning in Rome in the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Embassy in Italy. On the table new cooperation and humanitarian-aid projects.

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