Ambassador to the Vatican, Knights of Malta member wins Bush Library contract

Firm chosen to build Bush library has ties to donor

One of former President George W. Bush's top financial donors has close ties to the construction company picked to build the presidential library at SMU, Bush officials have confirmed.

Francis Rooney , majority owner of Manhattan Construction Co., served as Bush's ambassador to the Vatican from 2005 to 2008 and was named a Ranger and a Super Ranger for his fundraising role in the Bush presidential campaigns.

www.dallasnews.com...

Loved this story. It has every conspiracy twist you could ever want. Francis Rooney was one of the major contributors and rah-rah supporters of the Bush presidential campaign. He was eventually rewarded with an appointment as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

I would pass this off as normal politics but I found this little tid-bit Francis Rooney is a member of the Knights of Malta. So now we have this great collusion of power, money, and secrecy. Obviously this guy got the contract for his contributions and dedication but does anyone have any more information about Bush and his ties to the Knights of Malta or any other secret Catholic organizations? He seemed to be some what of a favorite among those in the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI took President Bush on a rare stroll through the lush grounds of the Vatican Gardens on Friday, stopping at a grotto where the pontiff prays daily.
www.msnbc.msn.com...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6cb6dc3ae654.jpg[/atsimg]


[edit on 6-7-2010 by dbates]

From the Wikipedia article

After the Western Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, it became a religious/military order under its own charter, and was charged with the care and defense of the Holy Land.

So if Bush was a member of the Knights of Malta would that be one of the reasons for invading Iraq? He felt that it was a threat to Israel? Forgive me if this has all been covered before. I've never really looked into this connection before.

Not meaning to be cynical or disrespectful of the order, but I had gotten the impression that now (as opposed to during the Crusades) all it takes to become a Knight of Malta is an overtly generous financial commitment to the Vatican....

But then... I heard the same thing about "Royal" appointments in the Queen's court.

These people are all 'club' members. The 'honors' they are granted seem uniquely restricted to a particular class of person.

[edit on 6-7-2010 by Maxmars]

Originally posted by Maxmars
Not meaning to be cynical or disrespectful of the order, but I had gotten the impression that now (as opposed to during the Crusades) all it takes to become a Knight of Malta is an overtly generous financial commitment to the Vatican....

That's my understanding as well. I would to disagree with the OP that they are a "secret order".

reply to post by Masonic Light


see if you can get a membership then and let us know what we were wrong about.

just because you know about the order does in no way mean that you know what goes on behind closed doors. i dont know either, but i dont presume anything, especially when dealing with powerful people.

Donating a large sum of money to the Vatican will not make you a Knight of Malta. You need to be personally invited to the order and sponsored and recomended by at least two existing Knights of Malta. You need to submit an application that shows your deeds towards the church, and your activity and service to church and community. You need to have an exceptional resume of activites. You need to provide your baptismal, and confirmation documents to show that you are a true Catholic. The Canadian Association of the Order of Malta has a passage fee of several thousand dollars.

These are only some of the requirements. I know these things because I inquired to the Canadian Association of the Order of Malta, and was sent an application that included some of the requirements I mentioned. I could not afford the passage fee, and do not believe I had enough good of a "resume" of achievements in the church and community that would merit being invited into the order. I also did not know two Knights of Malta in order to be sponsored.

If you are a Roman Catholic, and want to know how to join the order, you can email the National Association of your country and ask.

I still have the application in my house somewhere. Maybe one day I'll have enough "works" in my church and community to merit such a honor to be invited into the order, but that is very unlikely, unless I achive something on the status of Mother Teresa or the equivalent.

CC