Our Grand Master, Fra Andrew Bertie, together with members of the Sovereign Council, joined with other dignitaries and a gathering of the faithful estimated to be half a million strong for the Mass on April 24 at which our new Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, began his pastoral ministry as shepherd of the universal Church. From his many years of devoted service in Rome , our new Pope has a keen awareness of the work of the Order, and no doubt he will rely on our generous and devoted service in defense of the faith and in service to the sick and the poor.

As one of the leading theologians at the Second Vatican Council, Benedict XVI will further the faithful implementation of that great event in the life of the Church along the lines laid out by his remarkable predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Along with his profound theological mind, the new Pope brings to the Chair of Peter a wealth of experience from his service in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that position, he has met with every bishop in the world every five years, so he has a sense of diverse needs of the Church in various regions. He certainly will rely on the Order of Malta to help meet those needs.

In the course of his homily Pope Benedict XIV spoke of the symbolism of the pallium, the woolen stole he received signifying his role as Pastor of the Universal Church. He told the gathered community that it symbolizes first and foremost Christ the Good Shepherd, who goes out and seeks the lost sheep -- which is each and every human being -- and lovingly carries the sheep on His shoulders back to His Father's house. Then he added a second point: the pallium is a reminder that all of us, in virtue of our baptism, are called to be "good shepherds" to one another, and that we are called to seek out and help those who are wandering in the deserts of this world. With great passion and eloquence, the Holy Father said: "And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God's darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth's treasures no longer serve to build God's garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance." This description aptly captures the purpose of the Order of Malta, and encourages us in our efforts to assist our lords, the sick and the poor.

In the days ahead, our new Holy Father will present his vision for his pastoral service to the universal Church. He has chosen to be called "Benedict", and in so doing calls to mind one of the most influential figures in the history of the Church, St. Benedict. As the Order of Malta has its roots in the monastic life promoted by St. Benedict, we feel a special tie with the new Pope in this choice of his name. His two immediate predecessors bearing that name are also significant pontiffs. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) was called to shepherd the Church through the terrible events of the First World War, and presented himself as a man of peace and reconciliation, both within the Church and between warring nations. Had the victorious leaders heeded his pleas for conciliation, it is likely that the Second World War would never have happened. Benedict XIV (1740-1758) was noted for his learning and willingness to seek the paths of conciliation between nations and among factions within the Church. We pray that our new Holy Father's clarity regarding doctrine and gentleness of manner will help to restore unity among Christians, deeper charity within the Catholic fold, and peace in our world.

return to top

Together with the rest of the Church, the members of the Order of Malta pray for the repose of the soul of Pope John Paul II. Fra Andrew Bertie, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, went to pay his respects to the late pontiff, praying in the Sala Clementina where the Holy Father’s body lay in state before being carried into St. Peter’s basilica. The Grand Master called on members to pray for “this extraordinary servant of God who changed and moved the whole world.”

Last June 22nd, on the occasion of the annual visit of the Sovereign Council to the Holy Father, Pope John Paul expressed his gratitude to the Order for its dedicated labors: “The Holy See appreciates the many services you offer in the cause of evangelization, and in particular your many initiatives on behalf of those in need. I encourage you to persevere generously in following your path of fidelity to Christ and His Church.”

Throughout his long and fruitful pontificate, Pope John Paul relied on the generous assistance of the Order of Malta , both in its work to assist the poor throughout the world, and in its witness to the Catholic faith. One of the projects closest to his heart was the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which he entrusted in a special way to the members of the Order. From the day twenty-six years ago that the newly-elected Pope held up his pastoral crucifix in St. Peter’s square and enjoined the entire world, “Do not be afraid! Open the doors to Christ!”, our Holy Father has been a tireless preacher of the Gospel and a voice for the poorest of the poor. The Order has been privileged to serve under his leadership, and we all pray that the Lord will now welcome the successor of Peter to the banquet of eternal life.

return to top

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has declared this year the “Year of the Eucharist.” Your Defense of the Faith Communication Committee is working to reaffirm and support the Knights and Dames in their faith in the Holy Eucharist as well as consid erin g ways that we can strengthen our belief in and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Today, more than ever, we need to realize that “the Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the whole Christian life.” As St Thomas Aquinas said, the Eucharist is a “pledge of future glory.”

Bishop Allen Vigneron of the Oakland Diocese, writes of the Year of the Eucharist that it is "a time for all of us to be renewed in our love for the Eucharist, Christ's own gift of himself to his church under the appearance of bread and wine."

One suggestion is to encourage Members of the Western Association to support perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in parishes or chapels where we live. Some parishes already have devotions in place, whereas some parishes do not. Knights and Dames could perhaps be involved in a set-up initiative for the spread of this devotion. Pope John Paul II has said, "The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship.  Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.  Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease."

If members of the Order of Malta can adopt this devotion to the Eucharist for the year 2005, our Association will make a significant contribution to the Holy Father's call for greater devotion to the Eucharist. 

return to top

The Membership Support Committee (“MSC”) is newly reconstituted. Its function is to provide outreach and care to the members of the Order when they become sick, lonely, homebound, or otherwise in need. We are urging members in each of our chapters and areas to be available to call, write, take Communion, visit, pray, and carpool with them and mention them by name as intentions at the local Masses. Our members who live alone are particularly needful of the services our MSC can provide. When the time comes, we are also hoping to continue to be present to our members in their funeral liturgies. The names and contact information of the local members of the MSC are as follows:

2005 Membership Support Committe:

return to top

March 3, 2005

Malteser International, the global relief arm of the Order of Malta, will officially come into existence on March 3, 2005. It subsumes the existing ECOM (Emergency Corps of the Order of Malta), and will be responsible for executing and/or coordinating the Order's efforts in foreign humanitarian aid and disaster relief throughout the world. Several associations of the Order (most notably France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland and Britain) have long-established and fully functional aid arms - these will continue to exist, and work through Malteser International for the coordination of their global activities.

In countries where there is one or more association of the Order but no relief arm exists, such as the United States or Canada, Malteser International will found a local organisation with the support of the local association(s), and work with them to build up capacity to raise awareness of the works of Malteser International, conduct informational and training activities, recruit humanitarian aid staff and volunteers, assist in liaison with local governmental and supranational bodies, and access public and private funding.

Malteser International's global headquarters are in Cologne, Germany. On the date of its founding, it will merge with the Foreign Aid Service of the Malteser Hilfdienst, and have approximately 120 international and 650 local staff engaged on 80 projects in 34 countries, serving approximately 5 million people.

In the long tradition of Christian service of the Order of Malta, Malteser International is committed:

• To provide assistance to those in need without regard to creed, gender, race or nationality
• To respect the religious and cultural traditions of those they serve
• To work closely with, and hand over responsibilities as soon as feasible to, local partners
• To be accountable towards all our stakeholders
• To manage financial resources cost-effectively

return to top

Update from the Membership Committee:

How does one become a member of the Order?

One can become a member of the Order of Malta only by invitation. Only persons of undoubted Christian morality and distinguished service and who have been recognized for their service to the Order and its works are eligible for investiture, which reflects a commitment to the Order for life. The local Grand Priory or National Association is responsible for making proposals for admission.

The deadline for submitting proposals for new members has been moved up from September 15th to June 24th, the solemnity of our patron saint, Saint John the Baptist.During the summer months the Membership Committee will review the proposals, and following approval by the Executive Committee, the decisions to invite candidates to provisional status will be announced by December 1 st, 2005 . If you have any questions about the new schedule, please contact Michael Grace, KM, Chair of the Membership Committee.

return to top