Biography of Father Malachi Martin
http://www.biblio.com/authors/701/Malachi_Martin_Biography.html
The Reverend Dr. Father Malachi Brendan Martin (July 23, 1921- July
27, 1999) was a
Roman Catholic Jesuit priest who became a popular
author and speaker upon various fringe topics such as exorcisms,
Satanism, Liberation Theology, the Tridentine liturgy, obscure
points of Catholic dogma and the geopolitical importance of The
Pope, and those who allegedly wished to topple him.
Martin was born in County Kerry, Ireland and studied at the
Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. There he received
doctorates in the Semitic Languages, Archeology and Oriental
History. Subsequently, he studied at Oxford and at
Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was ordained on
August 15, 1954. From 1958 to 1964 he served the Holy See at the
Vatican in Rome. Martin was the private
secretary of Augustin Cardinal Bea in Rome and lived and worked at
the Vatican for many years. In 1964, Pope Paul VI
released Father Martin from the vows of poverty and obedience in
the Jesuit Order, but confirmed his vow of celibacy.
Ever since Father Martin's scathing review of his former order The
Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman
Catholic Church ( 1988 ) rumors were spread by members of this
order claiming Martin was defrocked and expelled from the Church of
Rome. Martin denied this charge until his death in 1999. Father
Mitchell Pacwa- chief spokesman at the Catholic run EWTN would
regularly hang up on callers who inquired about Martin on his live
call in show.
One element of the controversy surrounding Martin is discussed
here: "High
Ranking Jesuit Confirms Malachi Martin's Status as Life Long
Priest" by William H. Kennedy - April 2004.
In a stunning reversal of past policy Father Vincent O'Keefe SJ, former
Vicar General of the Society of Jesus and a past President of
Fordham University, affirmed that Malachi Martin was in fact
granted a dispensation from all his vows in the Jesuit order except
for chastity. This dispels decades of rumors that Father
Martin was defrocked for having had an affair with the wife of a
famous journalist. This was the false lie spread by past Jesuits to
discredit Father Martin. Martin requested and received a
special dispensation by Pope Paul VI to remain a Catholic priest
and say Mass in private.
