Knights of Malta condom scandal stretches from Myanmar to the Vatican

[muriel_volestrangler]

The Knights of Malta, the ancient Catholic lay order, is refusing to cooperate with a Vatican investigation into the sacking of a senior official over a condom scandal — and is warning its members to toe the line if they choose to speak with investigators.
...
Boeselager was suspended on 8 December after he refused a demand by the top Knight, Matthew Festing, to resign over revelations that the order’s charity branch distributed tens of thousands of condoms in Myanmar under his watch.
...
Boeselager has said Festing — in the presence of conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke — indicated that the Holy See wanted him to quit. But the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has since said the pope wanted no such thing.

Burke, who is a top critic of Francis but also the pontiff’s ambassador to the Knights of Malta, is a hardliner on enforcing church teaching on sexual morals.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/11/knights-of-malta-condom-scandal-stretches-from-myanmar-to-the-vatican

A whole lot of internal politicking going on, but I think at the bottom of it, Pope Francis is saying "don't be so goddamn fundamentalist about condoms, and don't try to make it look like I am", which is a step in the right direction.

[Sherman A1]

1. Francis needs to find a new job for Burke

Something like Cardinal of Paperclips or some such thing and send him to some remote posting to carry out his "duties".

[okasha]

5. Burke's current position with Malta is already a demotion.

Maybe Francis' next move should be to pack him off to a Trappist monastery.

[Sherman A1]

6. I know it was, but I still see better uses for Burke's talents

as Cardinal of the Holy Safety Pins.

[okasha]

7. The nice thing about the Trappists for Burke

is that they have a practice (though not a vow) of silence.

Failing that, there's duct tape.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Why not just fire him?

Get yo shit and get out.

[okasha]

12. What do you mean by "fire him?"

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Remove him from all posts he occupies. Don't give him any more.

He gets what he's legally entitled to, eg a pension, and nothing more. Make it clear that there is no role he can be trusted with. If he's legally entitled to something like accommodation, then look for the real-life equivalent of Craggy Island and send him there.

[okasha]

15. Exactly.

Pack him off to the Trappists, which would both sideline him and shut him up.

[AtheistCrusader]

17. Why not just flat out fire him.

What's wrong with 'here's your pension, get out'?

[okasha]

20. Get out of what?

Are you talking about defrocking him?

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Congratulations! You're now promoted to worshipper!

We're moving in a new direction.
You're now part of a permanent outplacement program.
Your department's being downsized
Get. Out.

etc.

[Act_of_Reparation]

2. I don't think that's what Francis is saying.

If Festing is backed by Burke and Burke is a vocal opponent of Francis, then it is good sense -- in the Machiavellian sense -- to back Boeselager.

It isn't that Francis isn't fundamentalist about condoms, because he is. He's against them. Period. But he recognizes that most Catholics are not, and that one can take a hard-line stance against contraception without being draconian with people who use them. To the casual observer, it looks very much like someone in Boeselager's unit made a mistake he quickly corrected, and that Festing used that mistake as an excuse to sack him for personal reasons. Francis knows that by backing Boeselager while arguing for a more merciful application of Catholic dogma, he can counter Burke's attempt to undermine him and still come off looking like everyone's favorite grampa.

[guillaumeb]

3. A truly Machiavellian analysis.

The Prince would approve.

Well said.

[Iggo]

4. Condoms save lives.

If your church is against saving lives, then your church is stupid.

[Bradical79]

8. Yeah

Stupid religious teachings lead to stupid scandals.

[Iggo]

9. ...and needless death.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. I think I just got the joke in the headline.

[hrmjustin]

16. Burke is such an asshole!

[struggle4progress]

18. "Knights of Malta stretches condom from Myanmar to the Vatican"

[Angry Dragon]

19. some of them are just afraid of SEX