Editing Sovereign Military Order of Malta (section)

===Internal governance and reform===
The 2017 crisis exposed deep divisions within the Order and brought attention to its internal governance issues.

* Contraceptive distribution scandal: The crisis was triggered when the then Grand Master, Matthew Festing, demanded the resignation of Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager over a program that included the distribution of condoms. Pope Francis intervened and ultimately forced Festing's resignation.
* Clash over leadership: Internal divisions persisted for years, with different factions holding fundamentally opposed views on the future of the Order's governance. Disputes centered on the concentration of power among the First Class (Professed Knights) and calls to involve the lay members in leadership.
* Vatican-imposed changes: When internal efforts to reform the constitution failed, Pope Francis dismissed the Order's leadership and imposed a new constitution in 2022. While some welcomed the long-needed turnover, others called it a "papal putsch" and argued that it dismantled the Order's sovereign credibility.