WHY IS ARCHBISHOP BECCIU DOING CARDINAL BURKE'S JOB?

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a Catholic lay religious order originally founded as the Knights Hospitaller around 1099 in Jerusalem. Now based in Rome, it is present in 120 countries with over 2,000 projects in the medical-social field and more than 120,000 volunteers and medical staff.

In 2016, a very public dispute erupted within the ranks of Order and with the Holy See which resulted in the Pope appointing his personal representative to act as his spokesperson in supervising much need spiritual and constitutional reforms.

In a letter published on May 4th, Pope Francis informed Archbishop Giovanni Becciu that his appointment as the Pope’s personal envoy to the Knights of Malta has been extended until the Order has concluded the reform of its constitution.

Pope Francis thanked Becciu for his work, particularly in “meeting and listening attentively” to members of the order and asked him to continue being the pope’s “spokesperson” regarding relations between the Knights and the Holy See.

The Archbishop, substitute of the Secretariat of State since 2011, was tasked with  overseeing the  “spiritual and moral” reform of the Order of Malta, with particular attention to the Professed Members, in February 2017.

Becciu’s position as Special Delegate was intended to conclude with the election of the Knight’s new Grand Master, which took place May 2 with the election of Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre, but Francis has chosen to extend the mandate indefinitely.

“In consideration of the fact that the path of spiritual and juridical renewal” of the Order of Malta has not concluded, “I ask you to continue to carry out the office of my Delegate until the conclusion of the process of reform,” the Pope wrote.

The report concerning the extension of Archbishop Becciu’s is as informative regarding what it doesn’t say as for what it does.

Let us not forget that on November 8, 2014  the Vatican announced the transfer of Cardinal Raymond Burke as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, which ensures correct administration of justice in the Church, to Patron of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta.

Commenting upon his appointment, Cardinal Burke stated: “The technical title is Patron. It is an office of representation of the Holy Father to the Grand Master of the sovereign military order.”

So in the spirit of Cardinal Burke’s desire to be technically accurate, let me see if I get this right.

Technically, Cardinal Burke continues in his office as Patron but the actual duties of the office are not his but rather have been delegated to Archbishop Becciu.

And this situation exists precisely at a time when the Order is undergoing profound spiritual and constitutional reform.

So, technically speaking, Cardinal Burke is a man with a title but absolutely no authority to exercise the office to which he was appointed.

When the flak between the Order and the Holy See erupted some sixteen months ago, The Tablet reported that Cardinal Burke wanted the Order  – which has an extensive international network – to become a platform to promote his traditionalist vision of Catholicism. 

When asked for a response to the claims, a spokesman said Cardinal Burke “declined to comment”.

The extended mandate of Archbishop Becciu to do the work which technically belongs to the position which Cardinal Burke continues to hold suggests that the Pope himself believes what The Tablet reported about His Eminence.

It appears the future of the Order of the Knights of Malta may indeed be one of renewal and reform.

The future of Cardinal Burke remains decidedly uncertain.