In the Magistral Palace on Monday 23 May, the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta Fra’ Matthew Festing conferred the decoration of Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion on Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

During the award ceremony, marking Cardinal Müller’s entry into the Order of Malta, his studies in philosophy and dogmatic theology and the chairs he has held in numerous universities were recalled. The cardinal’s various positions in the Curia and his career in generous service to the Church, first in Germany and then in the Vatican, were cited. These testify to “the great trust that Peter’s successor has in you, demonstrated by your expertise in various sectors, also proved by an impressive production of hundreds of books, scientific publications and essays in philosophy and theology”.

In thanking the Grand Master, Cardinal Müller said that the Order of Malta “embodies the vision of our Holy Father of a ‘church which goes forth’” (Evangelii Gaudium 24). For me, it is a testament to the Church’s unity and continuity over the centuries that the ideals of your founder Blessed Fra’ Gerard ‘of making suffering less harsh and poverty more bearable’, almost a thousand years later, coincide so well with our Holy Father’s ideals. In your hospitals, medical centres, relief corps and in your schools and rest homes for the elderly you,” concluded Cardinal Müller, “incarnate the love of Christ for the poor and the weak”.

Also attending the ceremony were the Grand Commander, Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein and the Order’s Prelate Jean Laffitte.