"Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes" -- Apparently, Nelson Mandela, a radical Marxist, was also a Knight of Malta, member of the Order in the Priory of South Africa. Knight of Malta hereditary commanders pledge own real estate to the Order, marry only first cousins, and remit 10% of revenue to the Grand Master (in the Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow) -- In June 1798, Napoleon seized Malta; this greatly offended Paul. In September, the Priory of St. Petersburg declared that Grand Master Hompesch had betrayed the Order by selling Malta to Napoleon. A month later the Priory elected Paul Grand Master. http://youtu.be/gmPVEp4GGA4 "Religion is the opium of the people" is one of the most frequently paraphrased statements of Communist Karl Marx (1818 Trier - 1883 London). The phrase "This opium you feed your people" appeared in 1797 in Marquis de Sade's L'Histoire de Juliette http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people The burial of former South African President Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela funeral: Recap live coverage as Madiba is laid to rest in hometown of Qunu 15 Dec 2013 11:33 Live updates from our Chief Reporter Andy Lines in Qunu as thousands gather to say goodbye to the anti-apartheid hero http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/nelson-mandela-funeral-live-coverage-2928632 Mandela awarded top honour Last updated at 16:22 23 November 2004 Honoured: Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela today collected his latest honour when he was invested by the Duke of Gloucester as a Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John. The 86-year-old former President of South Africa received his insignia - an eight-pointed cross - at a ceremony at St James's Palace, London. The Order of St John, headed by the Queen, is an historic Christian charity connected with the St John Ambulance. The Duke of Gloucester is the Order's Grand Prior. Mr Mandela's honour is the highest the Order can bestow. The Order's secretary general, Andrew Gough, said: "It is with enormous pleasure that we bestow this honour upon Mr Mandela in recognition of his dedicated services to the work of the Order in South Africa and beyond." Craig Troeburg, from the Order's South African organisation, added: "Nelson Mandela has exercised with distinction both the leadership of the Republic of South Africa and his subsequent position as a champion of peace. "He has demonstrated integrity, loyalty and devotion to the benefit of mankind, not only in South Africa but internationally, which has resulted in support for the Order." Mr Mandela is a member of the Order in the Priory of South Africa and, in 2003, was promoted by the Queen to the highest grade within the Order. He was first appointed to the Order as a Knight in 1996. Around the world, there are five Orders of St John which run numerous programmes, ranging from ambulance corps to schemes for young people, care for the elderly, the disabled, children and the homeless. They also provide first-aid training, and disaster and humanitarian relief worldwide. The British Order of St John is an Order of Chivalry of the Crown. Reaffirmed in Britain in the mid-19th century by Queen Victoria, the Order traces its origins back 900 years to the Knights Hospitaller who cared for the sick in Jerusalem. • Mr Mandela already holds the high honour of Order of Merit which was awarded to him by the Queen. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-328144/Mandela-awarded-honour.html House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) is a German dynasty. Founded by Ernest Anton, the sixth duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, it is the royal house of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium through the descendants of Leopold I, and in the Commonwealth realms through the descendants of Prince Albert. Due to anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I, George V of the United Kingdom changed the name of his branch from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor in 1917. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha The badge of St. Olav is a white enamelled Maltese Cross. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St._Olav "A New Norway" speech by Fridtjof Nansen at a Fædrelandslaget rally in Tønsberg, 26 August 1928. The Nansen family originated in Denmark. Hans Nansen (1598--1667) was an explorer of the White Sea region of the Arctic Ocean. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansen Et Nytt Norge 1928 Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Et_Nytt_Norge.djvu Fridtjof Nansen (10 Oktober 1861 -- 13 Mei 1930) was 'n Noorweegse ontdekkingsreisiger, wetenskaplike, diplomaat en filantroop en wenner van die Nobelprys vir Vrede. http://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridtjof_Nansen The Fatherland League ( Fedrelandslaget) was a political organisation in Norway, which was founded on 25 January 1925 by Joakim Lehmkuhl, Fridtjof Nansen and former Prime Minister Christian Michelsen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A6drelandslaget

• published: 15 Dec 2013
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