Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/817563
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 2017 16 News Warring knights, a moral and hidden monies MATTHEW VELLA THEY once held sway over the Maltese islands, before the French revolution and Napoleon's men booted them out. Today the for- mer Hospitaller knights are no longer corsairs, but their charita- ble endeavours through Malteser International has prompted a leadership crisis. In January, Pope Francis – not a lover of chivalric 'sectarianism' – pulled his weight over a contro- versial decision by Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing to sack the Order's Grand Chancellor, Albre- cht von Boeselager, over a dispute on condoms distributed by Mal- teser International aid workers. The Pope forced a vote in the Knights' sovereign council to ac- cept Festing's resignation, and annul the sacking of Boeselager. Yesterday, a secret ballot by 56 knights eligible to vote elected Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre as tem- porary Grand Master, with the title of lieutenant of the grand master – continuing a period of Vatican-mandated reform. In the middle of the Order's cri- sis, Pope Francis created a com- mission to investigate the Order, which Festing strongly opposed in a public show of defiance of the Pope, and ordered an election for 29 April. But Francis's special delegate to the Order of Malta, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, wrote to Festing to stay away from Rome for the election. This week, the Vatican recon- sidered this decision, allowing Festing to attend the election, a move that seems to reflect con- sideration of Festing's popularity with the Order's members. But in the background to this public, and 'political' struggle, came a leaked document pub- lished by leading Catholic news- papers by an anonymous member of the order backing up Festing's decision to sack Boeselager: his responsibility for allowing the dis- tribution of contraceptives, and abortifacients, to the poor in parts of the developing world. Internal report As revealed in the Catholic Her- ald, the 2016 internal report into Malteser International – written by leading bioethicists Dr Neil Weir, Prof. Luke Gormally and Prof. John Haas, and sent to hun- dreds of Order of Malta members around the world – had been commissioned in 2015 over con- cerns about possible distribution of contraceptives by Malteser In- ternational projects. The report's authors stated: "We have been informed that MI sup- plies Levonorgestrel [the morn- ing-after pill] to rape victims on request and intramuscular (IM) Depo-Provera for birth spacing where NFP [natural family plan- ning, which the Church approves] is deemed inappropriate." The authors said that both sub- stances "could have an abortifa- cient as well as a contraceptive mode of action" – clearly going against MI's stated policy not to distribute potential abortifacients. Boeselager has said he did not know about the distribution of contraceptives until 2013, and then acted immediately to close down two of the projects, but a third in Myanmar was kept be- cause it would have left the entire region without health services. But the internal report declared that Boeselager knew about the distribution of condoms in No- vember 2013, and he did not in- form the Grand Master, who only found out by accident in October 2014, nearly a year later. Now, publicly available docu- ments posted online show that MI were aware of contraception being approved by local projects, possibly as early as 2006, as the annual report details a case study of how a woman was helped by an MI project: "Eunice… discussed contraception methods with her husband to prevent the virus be- ing transmitted." $118 million bequest The Knights' saga has only tak- en a twist to the worst when an anonymous paper claimed that the Vatican was supportive of Bo- eselager and the Order's wealthy German members, because the Holy See was cash-poor and now needs money. "The German bish- ops practically control the Vati- can because they are so rich and The internal clash of the Order of Malta and the rivalries between Festing loyalists and the Holy See is reaching boiling point Matthew Festing (left) and Pope Francis, who forced the former Grand Master's resignation The Ministry for Health is seeking to recruit an EESSI Technical Administrator – EESSI (Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information) Connecting Europe Facility 2014-2020. EESSI Technical Administrator Contract • Two year definite contract – 40 hours per week Qualifications and Experience • Be able to communicate in the English Language given that due consideration will also be given to applicants who also have the ability to communicate in the Maltese Language; • In possession of a recognised Master's qualification at MQF Level 7 (subject to a minimum of 60 ECTS/ECVET credits, or equivalent, with regard to programmes commencing as from October 2008) in Information Technology or a comparable professional qualification, plus one (1) year relevant work experience; OR • In possession of a recognised Bachelor's qualification at MQF Level 6 (subject to a minimum of 180 ECTS/ECVET credits, or equivalent, with regard to programmes commencing as from October 2003) in Information Technology or a comparable professional qualification plus three (3) years relevant work experience. Interested persons are to submit their application together with detailed Curriculum Vitae by not later than Monday 15 th May 2017. Applicants who are already in the Malta Public Service must produce a Service and Leave Record Form (GP 47); those applying from outside the Service must produce a Certificate of Conduct issued by the Police or other competent authority not earlier than one (1) month from the date of application and state whether they have ever been in Government Service, giving details. Applications should be addressed to: Resourcing and Employee Relations Directorate, Ministry for Health, Palazzo Castellania, 15, Merchants Street, Valletta VLT 1171. Website: http://health.gov.mt Fax number: +356 22992604 Email address: recruitment.health@gov.mt. Applications can also be submitted through the Online Government Recruitment Portal on http://recruitment.gov.mt by the said closing time and date of this call for applications. More detailed information regarding the above job vacancy can be accessed from the government website http://recruitment.gov.mt and Government Gazette issued on Friday 28 th April 2017. The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. New lieutenant of the grand master, Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre