Knights of Malta

This week marks the 900th anniversary of the Papal Bull Piae Postulatio Voluntatis that gave the Knights of Malta their sovereign status.  That Papal Bull was issued on February 15, 1113 by Pope Paschal II.  They were originally known as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and began operations in 1099.   The order started by running infirmaries in Jerusalem during the Crusades for poor pilgrims.  Later it adopted a military function.  Officially known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta it has been without land to govern since Napoleon pushed them out of Malta in 1798. 

It still retains its sovereign status.  The order engages in charitable work and has 13,500 members, 80,000 volunteers, and 25,000 doctors, nurses, and paramedics.  The members are not priests, and traditionally came from European nobility.  There are about 60 members who take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and live as monks.   It still runs a hospital in Bethlehem as well.  It is an observer at the United Nations and prints stamps, license plates, mints coins, issues passports, and has diplomatic relations with over 100 nations, and maintain their own courts and legal code.

http://news.msn.com/world/vatican-celebrates-knights-of-maltas-900-years

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/08/171506669/knights-of-malta-celebrates-900th-anniversary-at-vatican

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21396696

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/vatican-celebrates-knights-maltas-900-years-18448884

http://en.radiovaticana.va/Articolo.asp?c=663184

http://www.ibtimes.com/knights-malta-remnant-middle-ages-open-shelters-soup-kitchens-across-europe-1065816

http://en.radiovaticana.va/Articolo.asp?c=663372

http://www.orderofmalta-federal.org/The-Order-of-Malta-Federal-Association

The Law Office of Kurt T. Koehler, 308 1/2 S. State Street Ann Arbor, Michigan (MI) 48198 (Washtenaw County); Copyright 2012 by Kurt Koehler

Vatican Pardon

Criminal trials in a small state that rarely has them are interesting to watch. The case of the pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, who was accused of leaking confidential Vatican papers to the Italian press ended in a conviction for theft and an 18 month prison sentence in October. The case was a bench trial before a three judge panel. The Vatican state civil and penal courts are separate from the church's ecclesial courts as the Vatican state is a separate entity. The Vatican uses Italian criminal procedure and law for the most part. There are no jury trials, most prison sentences are served in Italy though these are rare, and there is no plea bargaining. Some cases are handled by the Italian courts. Today the pope issued a pardoned and commuted the prison sentence of Gabriele.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121222/LIFESTYLE04/212220357/Pope-pardons-ex-butler-who-stole-leaked-documents?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

http://abcnews.go.com/International/paolo-gabriele-popes-butler-convicted-sentenced-18-months/t/story?id=17412012

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/09/29/vatican-pope-butler-trial/1602295/

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/05/paolo_gabriele_case_how_does_the_vatican_deal_with_criminals_.html

s/ Kurt Koehler
308 1/2 S. State St. Suite 36
Ann Arbor, MI 48198 (Washtenaw County)