PRE-PAPAL RATZINGER BECAME A S.M.O.M. KNIGHT OF MALTA IN 1999

PRe-PaPaL RaTZiNGeR BeCaMe A S.M.O.M. KNiGHT oF MaLTa iN 1999

Pope Benedict XVI – A Knight of Malta?‏
From: boris
Sent: 06 September 2008 23:04:10

Dear friends,

Looking for Cardinals in the Knights of Malta I found a most interesting piece.

According to these 2 catholic sources Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) has been a Knight of Malta.
Did I just miss this back then? Does anyone have more sources?

Four new cardinals honored by Knights of Malta

” May. 24, 2006 (CWNews.com) – Four of the newest members of the College of Cardinals, after receiving their red hats from Pope Benedict XVI (bionews) on March 24, have received high honors from the Knights of Malta.

Cardinals Agostino Vallini, Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, William Joseph Levada, and Franc Rodé received the Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion from Fra Andrew Bertie, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The honor– one of the highest available in the Order– was conferred on the four new cardinals who are currently stationed in Rome, and are now members of the Knights of Malta.

Pope Benedict XVI is also a Knight of Malta, having receiving the same honor in 1999. He is the second Pontiff to be a member of the Order, following Pope Pius XII.
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=44355

Here is another source (Dr Gabriel Oon, Hospitaller of the Order of Malta in Singapore):

“It has lost several members throughout history in the defence of these humanitarian works and Christianity. At one very low point in its history in the 17th century when it was nearly exterminated, one of the Popes conferred upon it papal protection. Today the Order is one of the two Orders receiving papal protection. The other is the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, who look after the Holy Sepulcher. Pope Benedict XVI was a member of this Order until he went up to higher office.”

http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/wordpress/?p=1919

WbR,

Boris

Advertisement

About this entry