Old-Fashioned Intrigue in Rome!!

Pp. Francis, in case you haven't heard, is a controversial fellow, in no small part due to his antagonism to settled matters.  He views that antagonism as a feature; others view it as a bug.

So, anyway, here's a side-show that you can watch.

The Knights of Malta is an organization which is both 'ecclesial'  and 'secular.'  It actually is a state which maintains about 150 embassies around the world and has its own internal structure.  At the same time, it has a Cardinal who is responsible for keeping the Knights on the Catholic path.  (All that 'splanation is the simple version, so that y'all get the picture.)

Anyhow.

The current Cardinal is none other than Cdl. Burke, who famously sent Pp. Francis a letter asking 5 VERY pointed questions about his vaguely-worded encyclical Amoris Laetitia.  (That phrase does NOT translate to 'the joy of sex,' by the way.)  Reports have it that Pp. Francis is hopping mad about that letter from Burke (et. al.--there were others who signed.) 

So when the Knights of Malta took an administrative action, firing their CEO for having sent a bunch of rubbers and other birth-control goodies around the world under the aegis of the Knights, good ol' Francis opportunized by forming a commission to investigate the Knights.  This is, he thought, a good way to muck up Cdl. Burke's day.

The Knights told Pp. Francis to stick his commission where the sun never shines because the Pope has zero jurisdiction in the matter.  None.  Nada. Zip.  This is an administrative--or 'secular'--matter, say the Knights:

...The Grand Magistry of the Sovereign Order of Malta has learnt of the decision made by the Holy See to appoint a group of five persons to shed light on the replacement of the former Grand Chancellor. 

The replacement of the former Grand Chancellor is an act of internal governmental administration of the Sovereign Order of Malta and consequently falls solely within its competence. The aforementioned appointment is the result of a misunderstanding by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. 

The Grand Master respectfully clarified the situation yesterday evening in a letter to the Supreme Pontiff, laying out the reasons why the suggestions made by the Secretariat of State were unacceptable. ...quoted at Mahound's place

The fun never stops with Pp. Francis!!