Fra’ Matthew Festing who has died aged 71 in Valletta, Malta, was the 79th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He was the third Englishman to have held the post, succeeding his saintly compatriot Fra’ Andrew Bertie in 2008. The other English holder of the post was Hugh de Revel in the 13th century. Matthew stood down in 2015 at the request of Pope Francis, after an internal dispute over the nature and government of the order with the German Chancellor of the Order, Baron Albrecht von Boeselager who appealed directly to the Pope against the decisions of his superiors, thereby undermining the sovereign integrity of the order with results which are not yet apparent.
4:57 PM
The genial prince who could stir Rome up
fra’ matthew festing who has died aged 71 in valletta, malta, was the 79th grand master of the sovereign military order of malta. he was the...
John Martin Robinson
5 min read
Already a subscriber? Sign in
5freearticles every month
Continue reading with a free account. No card needed.
- Five free articles every thirty days, on any device you sign in on
- The Catholic Herald newsletter, every morning
- Subscribe whenever you like for everything: every article and the magazine
subscribe to the catholic herald today
Our best content is exclusively available to our subscribers. Subscribe today and gain instant access to expert analysis, in-depth articles, and thought-provoking insights—anytime, anywhere. Don’t miss out on the conversations that matter most.
Subscribe
