The Knights of Malta Controversy and Wikileaks

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/01/31/wikileaks-releases-documents-on-knights-of-malta-controversy/

This is in reference to an ongoing scandal within the SMOM or Knights of Malta, a famous if secretive lay Catholic religious order that ostensibly is involved in charity work but has always been suspected to have a wider agenda. From its ties to the old Catholic nobility to its many members involved in power politics, the Establishment and often the 'Deep State', the Knights along with Opus Dei and other Vatican entities have elicited no small degree of inquiry and fascination.

The scandal which broke in 2017 is on the surface a battle of bureaucracy and personalities but in reality virtually all acknowledge that it's part of the larger struggle within the Catholic Church. Raymond Burke, the leading voice of the Traditionalists has openly rebuked Bergoglio/Pope Francis and the liberal/traditionalist divide which has for the past sixty years turned Roman Catholicism into a battleground is playing out within organisations such as the Knights of Malta. A liberal was fired, Francis intervened and shook up the internal politics greatly upsetting some of the traditionalists. This is but an echo of several fronts in what might be called the Wars of Francis. The conflict, dating back to Vatican II is not a new one but under Francis it has escalated. The Knights are particularly venerated and quite powerful both within Roman Catholicism and certainly within the wider world. Given this and that the order is filled with a lot of powerful and influential people, the world is watching as this unfolds.

The 2019 Wikileaks release has in particular 'made news' because the mainstream media thinks it curious that the organisation would turn its focus on Rome. But it's not strange in the least. Those who follow Rome understand that while the organisation experienced a tremendous downfall (in terms of political power) in the 19^th century, during the 20^th century it was re-born as a player on the international stage through banking, finance, business, intelligence and international politics. The Vatican wields tremendous power and influence and yet much is hidden. The secrecy and intrigue are palpable when one spends a bit of time in Rome, especially around the Vatican connected institutions. It's in the air and the dissimulation and cover-ups all but cry out from the pages of history and from the annals of investigative journalism. This mysterious atmosphere is only exacerbated by Rome's darkest crimes which it continues to veil in a fog of deceit.

Unlike the Mainstream Media, Wikileaks seemingly understands something of the nature of Rome's power. On the other hand there might be those within the organisation which see it as little more than a large corrupt bureaucracy hiding the criminality that infects it and thus they wish to expose its secrets and thus destabilise it. I don't doubt that within the organisation there are different motives at work. Some have more of a historical perspective, others view it from a pragmatic standpoint and still others from the myopic perspective of modern issue and identity politics.

Of course at this point the future of Wikileaks is up in the air. The organisation and in particular its founder and leader have earned such worldwide enmity that its future is in doubt. The Mainstream press has even managed to turn much of the Left against the publisher. A lot of duped people are now convinced that the publisher is an arm of Russian intelligence. In the meantime interested readers and students will glean what they can from these releases. While there's nothing earth-shattering in the leaks, they afford a window into the inner workings of one of the most secretive and powerful organisations in the world.

For those interested, Martin Lee's 1983 article is a must read. It only skims the surface but certainly captures something of the flavour of Vatican intrigue. It will certainly whet your appetite when it comes to Vatican scandals and secrets.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1983/07/their-will-be-done/