Condom scandal in the Vatican

A famous Italian artist Caravaggio (1573-1610) never left his signature on his paintings except for the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608), which still hangs in St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, capital of Malta. After killing a man in Rome, Caravaggio fled to island and was inducted as a night by the Knights of Malta before he left his masterpiece in Malta.

The Knights of Malta, which is also known as the Knights of Saint John, was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century in order to serve a medical mission to care for pilgrims. The Knights of Malta was once recognized as an independent nation with a territory during its presence in Rhodes, but it was ostracized to Malta by the Othman forces. St. John's Co-Cathedral, which was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, still remains as a symbol of wealth and power of the Knights of Malta. The Knights of Malta surrendered to Napoleon and began its wandering years before settling in Rome in 1834. Since its settlement, the Knights of Malta has actively participated in medical missions around the world. The Knights of Malta has its own national flag, which draws a white cross in a red field, and issues own passports. In addition, Knights of Malta has engaged in diplomatic relations with 106 countries and sometimes called a “nation without a territory of its own.”

These days, the Knights of Malta is reportedly in conflict with the Vatican over a dispute stemmed from a condom scandal. It all began from the controversial distribution of condoms as a HIV initiative in Myanmar. The church suspended a member of the Knights of Malta last year who had distributed condoms to prostitutes for AIDS prevention, saying “The church has a rule against the use of contraception.” The investigation had been directed by Cardinal Raymond Burke, the knight’s top knight, who said the Pope wanted his resignation. However, the Vatican denied it and accordingly decided to dispatch an investigation team. But then the Knights of Malta said it would not cooperate with the Vatican’s probe into this scandal as it challenges its sovereignty, which was a very unprecedented decision in the church community and created a huge buzz.

Unlike conservative Cardinal Burke who is a hardliner on contraception, Pope Francis does not full ban contraception. This is the reason why the current condom scandal is also interpreted as a clash between reformist Pope Francis and Burke supported by conservative church leaders. In addition, the Pope and burke may have some uneasy feelings to each other. Burke was relegated to a priest of the Knights of Malta after removed from his position as the Vatican's supreme court justice. Since then Burke has been the pain in the ass to the Vatican. Sadly, what is happening in every corner of the world is being mirrored in the religious community, which is a clash between conservative and reformist minded people.