Pope Francis promulgated the new charter of the Knights of Malta on September 3 and appointed an interim council, effective immediately. The Pope also announced that a special assembly of the Knights of Malta will be held on January 25, 2023.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis issued a decree on September 3 announcing that the new Charter of the Knights of Malta and the related Code will come into force with immediate effect. The decree provides for the removal of high-level positions, the dissolution of the existing government council, and the establishment of an interim council; the decree also announces the convening of a special assembly of the Knights of Malta on January 25, 2023, the Day of the Naturalization of St. Paul the Apostle.
In the decree, Pope Francis stressed that the Order “has always enjoyed the special protection of the Apostolic See”, noting how, over the centuries, popes have “acted to affirm the Order’s identity; to keep its work in operation to help overcome crises; As well as guaranteeing the existence and development of the Order, including its sovereign rights in the international sphere.” The decree also states that, as a religious order, it “depends in various forms on the Holy See”.
In the decree, the Pope also explained how he has accompanied the Knights on their journey “with fatherly care and care” over the years, appreciating their work around the world. The Pope noted that he had entrusted “important reforms” to his special representative, Card Silvano Maria Tomasi, who will oversee the revision of the charter and code of the Order of Malta.
Finally, the Pope affirmed that he had granted his special representative “all the rights of the past” “until the conclusion of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Order of Malta”.
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