Brother Andrew Bertie, Great Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, died in Rome last night, at the age of 78. In a telegram sent this morning to the pro tem representative of the Order, Brother Giacomo Dalla Torre of the Temple of Sanguinetto, Pope Benedict XVI expresses his "heart-felt condolences". "Spiritually sharing the pain for the death" of Brother Bertie, the Pope recalls "his work as an authoritative man of culture and the hard work he lavished in the performance of his important task, especially for the needy, as well as his love of the Church and shining testimony of the evangelical principles". The "Knights of Malta" are a lay religious order, which existed in Palestine as early as around 1050. Their mission is to "extend their spirituality in the sphere of the Church and invest part of their energies to serve the poor and the suffering". Now the Order is present in over 120 countries, it retains its privileges as a self-governing sovereign body, has its own legal system, issues passports, stamps, mints its own coin, and establishes Maltese public bodies which have their own legal status. The Order is based in Rome; it has diplomatic relations with 100 countries across the world as well as European and international organisations.
