Reply #11: 900 Years of History is a lot to cover [View All]

1. the order is a foreign power and has diplomatic relations with the US and a number of other countries, even though they don't have a country of their own, but are like the Vatican in that they have sovereign control over a small area within Rome. They issue their own passports and currency as well as produce passports and currency for other countries.
2. Although connected to the Vatican and swear allegiance to the Pope, they should be considered separate from the Church. Much like privateers of old, they act independently. They used to be Pirates and slavers but have become more subtle in their methods, never acting openly but using others as fronts and acting under false flags to accomplish their goals. It was Fritz Von Papen, a Knight of Malta, who convinced Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor of Germany, thus precipitating events which led to WWII. After the War, they helped Nazis escape Europe and helped them get established elsewhere, including the United States. It was for good reason since the Third Reich was nothing more than a front for their operations to loot countries and pillage treasuries, including that of germany.
3. They always try to work both sides. While established in Germany, Roosevelt appointed General Donovan, a Knight of Malta to head the OSS which later became the CIA. My father was a member of the OSS and a Knight of Malta.
Most of the Directors of the CIA have been Knights of Malta and the ranks have many members as well.

I find it strange that the Knights have been a very powerful force within the US Government even though they swear allegiance to a foreign power and one of their stated goals is the destruction of the government of the US.