Jerusalem. Tuesday, July 1, 2008. The President of the Republic of Malta, Mr. Edward Fenech Adami, was decorated by the Custos of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, with the Gold Pilgrim’s Medal.
The Maltese President came to Saint Saviour’s Convent during a private visit to the Holy Land. In the language of politics it is called a "private visit", but it was as a pilgrim that the President visited the country. At his request, he and his wife were guided by the Holy Land Commissioner of Malta, Brother Antony Chircop. Although his staff wanted to reserve him rooms in the country’s best hotels, the President insisted on staying at the Franciscan Casa Nova pilgrims’ hostel. Thus, he was accompanied by the Brother Director of the Jerusalem Casa Nova, Raffaele Caputo, when he came to meet the Father Custos and all the members of his discretorium, including Brother Noel Muscat, a compatriot.
The Republic of Malta is an island state. It is an archipelago of nine islands. Four are inhabited - Malta, Gozo (Ghadex in Maltese), Comino (Kummura) and Manoel; five others are uninhabited: Cominoto (Kemmunett), Fifla, the two Saint Paul islands (I-Gzejjer ta’San Pawl) and Fungus Rock. The archipelago is situated between the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea, 93 kilometers from Sicily and 288 kilometers east of Tunisia, about 340 kilometers north of Libya, and 570 kilometers west of Greece (Cephalonia). Its strategic location has caused it to be coveted by numerous civilizations over the ages.
Maltese is a Semitic language descended from Phoenician, mixed with Arabic, following the Arabic presence from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, as well as Italian, Latin, and the languages of other Catholic countries that were spoken by the Knights of Malta.
The Maltese are mostly Catholic and the Church’s influence in the archipelago is quite strong. Catholicism is the state religion, but freedom of worship is guaranteed.
Malta has given many vocations to the Church and many missionaries to the Holy Land. To this day a large number of Maltese religious brothers and sisters work in the country and, of course, the Order of Malta, born here, is still very active there.
MAB
The Maltese President came to Saint Saviour’s Convent during a private visit to the Holy Land. In the language of politics it is called a "private visit", but it was as a pilgrim that the President visited the country. At his request, he and his wife were guided by the Holy Land Commissioner of Malta, Brother Antony Chircop. Although his staff wanted to reserve him rooms in the country’s best hotels, the President insisted on staying at the Franciscan Casa Nova pilgrims’ hostel. Thus, he was accompanied by the Brother Director of the Jerusalem Casa Nova, Raffaele Caputo, when he came to meet the Father Custos and all the members of his discretorium, including Brother Noel Muscat, a compatriot.
The Republic of Malta is an island state. It is an archipelago of nine islands. Four are inhabited - Malta, Gozo (Ghadex in Maltese), Comino (Kummura) and Manoel; five others are uninhabited: Cominoto (Kemmunett), Fifla, the two Saint Paul islands (I-Gzejjer ta’San Pawl) and Fungus Rock. The archipelago is situated between the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea, 93 kilometers from Sicily and 288 kilometers east of Tunisia, about 340 kilometers north of Libya, and 570 kilometers west of Greece (Cephalonia). Its strategic location has caused it to be coveted by numerous civilizations over the ages.
Maltese is a Semitic language descended from Phoenician, mixed with Arabic, following the Arabic presence from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, as well as Italian, Latin, and the languages of other Catholic countries that were spoken by the Knights of Malta.
The Maltese are mostly Catholic and the Church’s influence in the archipelago is quite strong. Catholicism is the state religion, but freedom of worship is guaranteed.
Malta has given many vocations to the Church and many missionaries to the Holy Land. To this day a large number of Maltese religious brothers and sisters work in the country and, of course, the Order of Malta, born here, is still very active there.
MAB