VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Register
In a volte-face, former Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing will vote in elections this week which are being spearheaded by the Vatican.
Edward Pentin
The Vatican has reconsidered an earlier instruction forbidding the Order of Malta’s former Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing from attending the election of his successor this week.
According to sources within the order, Fra’ Festing will be coming to Rome to vote in the Saturday election partly because his absence as a professed knight would have invalidated the ballot.
In January, Pope Francis asked the former grand master to resign, saying his plans to investigate and reform the order would be better served were he not leading it. In February, the order announced an election would be held April 29.
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