The archive contains only articles from the on-line pages
|
This February, Scottish members are hosting their fifth Annual Knights of Malta Ball in Edinburgh, celebrating nearly 1000 years of service to countries throughout the world.
It is strange to think a charity that was started so long ago by a small community in the Middle East could still have such an impact on Scottish people and citizens the world over. The survival and continual development of the Order of Malta proves that religious understanding and cross-culture relationships can, and do, prevail.
Today, the Order of Malta is a sovereign subject of international law, with its own constitution, passports, stamps and public institutions, as well as diplomatic relations with 93 countries. Though 995 years ago, when it was still in its infancy, the Order was no more than a collection of merchants who had managed to obtain authorisation to build a church, convent and a hospital.
The men who ran the hospital were known as The Order of St John of Jerusalem and when, in 1113, Pope Paschal II granted them the right to elect their own superiors, they were able to provide care for pilgrims of any religious faith. The earliest members of the Order were drawn
In this month's issue Alan Cochrane writes about new penalties for wildlife crimes. Do you think it would be fair to ban keepers for life for certain wildlife crimes?
