Malta
Malta is the only country with an Arabic dialect as its official language, where the majority of the population (about 90%) belongs to Christian denominations and where the Catholic confession is the state religion. The island's long Christian tradition is still evident in St Paul's Cave, where, according to the description in Acts 27, 27-28.10, the apostle Paul is said to have landed after a shipwreck in the year 60 and where catacombs can be seen today as witnesses to the early Christian population.
A highlight of the trip was the long conversation with Archbishop Charles Scicluna, one of the secretaries of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith appointed by Pope Francis.
Highlight
The situation of theology was one of the main points of the conversation with the dean of the Faculty of Theology in Malta, Reverend Stefan Attard. The visit to the faculty was deepened by talks with church historian Nicolas Joseph Doublet and canonist Rev Kevin Schembri, who then invited our group to the officiate, located in the old archiepiscopal palace. There, we were also given an insight into the ongoing proceedings before the ecclesiastical court (annulment of marriages and canonisations). A highlight of the trip was the long conversation with Archbishop Charles Scicluna, one of the secretaries of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith appointed by Pope Francis. Malta's Inquisition, which was active from 1561 to 1798 but handed down no more than eight death sentences in the entire period, was explained to us through a scientific tour of the Inquisitor's palace by expert Kenneth Cassar.
Eventful history
The archives of the Inquisition, preserved as a complete corpus without gaps, were explained to us by the chief archivist, Mario Gauci. Noteworthy were the many trials held against Muslim slaves for magic. However, the 18th century also saw an avalanche of lawsuits against Freemasons, as we got to see during our special visit to the Masonic lodge in Malta.
The eventful history of the Order of Malta - the only surviving Crusader order - is visible everywhere in Malta, whether in the Grand Master's Palace or in the magnificent St John's Cathedral. The capital Valletta reveals all the strategic importance Malta had in the Knights' battle against the advancing Ottomans at sea in the 16th century, culminating in the famous siege of 1565. The students' presentations, which were linked to the respective historical events on site, brought these different aspects of the voyage to life in a lively way. Students from both universities benefited from the lively mutual exchange - as did we, the lecturers.