Andrew Bertie, Who Led the Knights of Malta, Is Dead at 78
2008 02 13 Fra Andrew Bertie, a descendant of Britain’s royal Stuart family who was grand master of the Knights of Malta, died Thursday in Rome. He was 78. His death was announced by the order, which gave no cause. Fra Bertie was the 78th grand master of the 900-year-old charitable order of laymen. He was elected to lead it in a secret ... -------- Andrew Bertie, Who Led the Knights of Malta, Is Dead at 78 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: February 9, 2008 ROME (AP) — Fra Andrew Bertie, a descendant of Britain’s royal Stuart family who was grand master of the Knights of Malta, died Thursday in Rome. He was 78. His death was announced by the order, which gave no cause. Fra Bertie was the 78th grand master of the 900-year-old charitable order of laymen. He was elected to lead it in a secret conclave in 1988. Elected for life, the grand master carries the title of prince, and the position is equal in rank to that of a cardinal. Officially known as the Sovereign Military Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, the group was founded with a pilgrims’ hospice in Jerusalem in the 11th century and has the status of an independent state. It maintains diplomatic relations with 100 nations. The Knights of Malta has 12,500 members and operates in 120 countries, providing medical and social services, particularly in war zones and impoverished areas. The grand commander of the order, Fra Giacomo della Torre, was sworn in as interim leader of the group. Fra Bertie’s father, James, was a foreign exchange dealer at the stock exchange in London. His mother, Lady Jean Crichton-Stuart, was a descendant of the Stuarts, the ruling family of Scotland from 1371 to 1603 and of England and Scotland from 1603 to 1714, with an 11-year interruption in the 17th century. Born in London in 1929, Fra Bertie joined the knights in 1956 and took his vows in 1981. He had also been a financial journalist and a language teacher. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/world/europe/09bertie.html?ex=1360213200&en=bca82204196032e3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
<<2929bertiemalta.gif>>
