The events
of the past five months that ultimately led to the resignation of the Grand
Master have led to considerable dissension among members of the Order and
concerns at the reported breaches of the Constitution of the Order. These
events were unprecedented in the modern history of the Order, indeed the last
occasion on which a Grand Master resigned was when Fra Ferdinand von Hompesch,
after the islands of Malta and Gozo were surrendered to the French, abdicated
as Grand Master on 6 July 1799.
The Grand
Master’s resignation was offered to and accepted by the Sovereign Council of the
Order on 28 January 2017. Meanwhile the Grand Chancellor, Baron Albrecht von
Boeselager, was reinstated in his office. The Grand Commander automatically
became Lieutenant ad interim, and duly
called for a meeting of the Council Complete of State to elect a new Grand
Master or Lieutenant of the Grand Master.
The work
of the Order in the service of the Poor and Sick continues however, and this remains
the principle focus of its members, while retaining the traditional structures
which link it to its former role as both a hospitaller and a military body,
dedicated to the Catholic faith. For the Order to succeed in its mission it
must be united in loyalty to the next Head of the Order and its sovereignty
must be protected.
The Grand
Master is elected for life by then from among the Professed Knights with at
least ten years in perpetual vows if they are younger than fifty years of age;
in the case of Professed Knights who are older, but who have been members of
the Order for at least ten years, three years in perpetual vows are sufficient. There are provisions for the resignation of the Grand Master in the Constitution - following such resignation he becomes Bailiff Grand Prior, subject in that capacity only to the authority of the Head of the Order.
The Grand
Master and the Lieutenant of the Grand Master must have the nobiliary requisites
prescribed for the category of Knights of Honour and Devotion. These requisites
differ according to the National Association of which the candidate was
admitted. This reduces the number of potential candidates for either office to
just four professed knights.
The
Council Complete of State elects the Grand Master or the Lieutenant of the
Grand Master.
Those who
will be entitled to vote are:
a) the Lieutenant
ad interim;
b) the
members of the Sovereign Council;
c) the
Prelate ;
d) the (Grand)
Priors or, in the event of vacancy, their permanent substitutes (Procurators,
Vicars,
Lieutenants);
e) the
Professed Bailiffs ;
f) two
Professed Knights delegated by each Priory ;
g) a
Professed Knight and a Knight in Obedience delegated by the Knights in gremio
religionis;
h) five
Regents of the Sub-priories, in accordance with the Code;
i) fifteen
representatives of the Associations, in accordance with the Code.
The Grand
Master’s election requires a majority plus one of those present entitled to
vote.
The
members of the First Class taking part in the Council Complete of State have
the right to propose three candidates. In the event that such a list is not
presented within the first day of the meetings of the Council Complete of State
or if a candidate is not elected from among the proposed list within the first
three ballots, the members of the Council Complete of State have freedom of
choice in successive ballots.
After the
fifth undecided ballot, the Council Complete of State decides, with the same
majority, whether to proceed to the election of a Lieutenant of the Grand
Master for a maximum period of one year. In the event of a negative result the
balloting to elect the Grand Master resumes. In the event of a positive result
the Lieutenant of the Grand Master is elected by means of a runoff ballot between
the two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the fifth
ballot. The candidate in the runoff ballot who receives the larger number of
votes prevails. Should there be only one candidate, a majority vote of those
present is required.
If
elected, the Lieutenant of the Grand Master must reconvene the Council Complete
of State
before the end of his mandate (which cannot be greater than one year from his
election). Immediately
following the election, the Pope must be informed of the name of the new Head
of the Order.
The Grand
Master then makes the following solemn oath: “By this most Holy Wood of the Cross and by God’s Holy Gospels, I, N.N.,
do solemnly promise and swear to observe the Constitution, the Code, the Rule
and the laudable customs of our Order and to administer the affairs of the
Order conscientiously. So help me God, and if I do otherwise, may it be to the
risk of my soul.”
It is
anticipated that whoever is elected the new Head of the Order, whether a Grand
Master or a Lieutenant, will call an Extraordinary Chapter-General. This will elect the members of the Sovereign
Council, composed of the Great Officers of the Order (Grand Commander, Grand
Chancellor, Grand Hospitaller and Receiver of the Common Treasure) and the six
councillors. It will also elect the members of the Government Council, which consists of six Councillors from different geographic areas elected from members of any of the three Classes of the Order.
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