Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/769023
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 4 JANUARY 2017 News Order of Malta leader reaffirms loyalty to Pope as Vatican probes dispute Fra' Matthew Festing said the Order would follow the Pope at this 'complex and difficult time' PAUL COCKS THE leader of the Order of Mal- ta has reaffirmed his loyalty to Pope Francis, as the Order faces an investigation by the Vatican over a recent controversy, ac- cording to Italian media. In a letter to mark the World Day of Peace, Fra' Matthew Festing, the organisation's Grand Master, told Pope Fran- cis that the Order, even in a dif- ficult and complex time, "seeks to render its service in closely adhering to the teaching of the Church and the directions which come from the Successor to St Peter." Festing was referring to the recent dismissal of Albrecht Boeselager, the Grand Chan- cellor of the order. Boeselager has been accused of allowing the distribution of condoms, as part of a scheme with which the order was linked. But Festing said Boeselager was removed for allegedly con- cealing problems in his pre- vious role of overseeing the order's charitable work. The Order of Malta's members run hospitals, nursing homes, night shelters and other forms of charitable outreach in 120 countries. Boeselager refused to resign, which Festing called a "dis- graceful" act of disobedience. Festing and the other senior members of the order, includ- ing the Patron, Cardinal Ray- mond Burke, agreed to suspend Boeselager from his member- ship. A new Grand Chancellor, John Chretien, has been ap- pointed. Pope Francis has ordered an investigation into the dispute. In a statement on 26 Decem- ber, the SMOM, which is based in Rome, said that the replace- ment of the former Grand Chancellor was "an act of in- ternal governmental adminis- tration and consequently falls solely within its competence. The aforementioned appoint- ment is the result of a misun- derstanding by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See." Fra' Matthew Festing said he had sent a letter of clarification to the Pontiff, "laying out the reasons why the suggestions made by the Secretariat of State were unacceptable". On Saturday, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero that the Order faced an "unprec- edented crisis". The Pope's commission would "gather information", Cardinal Parolin said, "and then we will see." Pope Francis meets Fra' Matthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, on 25 June, 2015 in Vatican City Boy, 6, among five injured in Gozo car crash JEANELLE MIFSUD FIVE people, including a six- year-old boy, were injured on Monday night when two cars col- lided on Victoria Road, Zebbug, Gozo. The accident took place on Monday at 10:15pm when a Toy- ota RAV4 driven by a 38-year-old woman from Victoria, was in col- lision with a Ford Focus driven by a 39-year-old from Mellieha. A woman from Ghajnsielem, 29, was a passenger in the RAV4 at the time of the accident, while a 28-year-old woman and the child were seated in the Focus. The Civil Protection Depart- ment were on the scene of the accident to free the victims from the cars. The injured were then taken to the Gozo General Hospital for treatment. It was later confirmed that the 38-year-old woman suffered grievous injuries while the others were slightly injured. A six-year-old boy was one of five people who were hospitalised in Gozo after two cars collided in Zebbug Offshore worker rescued by AFM A man was rescued at sea by the Armed Forces of Malta and transferred to Mater Dei Hospital where he is being treated for a se- vere injury. Yesterday afternoon, the Armed Forces of Malta Rescue Coordina- tion Centre received a distress call from a vessel working off shore following an accident on board. A man working on the vessel was reported to have sustained a se- vere injury and required immedi- ate evacuation. The AFM's Melita class Search and Rescue Launch was immedi- ately deployed to assist the man who was brought to shore and transferred to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. The AFM's Melita class Search and Rescue Launch was deployed to rescue the injured seaman