Roman Catholicism in Malta
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The Catholic branch of Christianity is the predominant religion in Malta. The
Constitution of Malta The current Constitution of Malta ( mt, Konstituzzjoni ta' Malta) was adopted as a legal order on 21 September 1964, and is the self-declared supreme law of the land. Therefore, any law or action in violation of the Constitution is null and void. ...
establishes Catholicism as the
state religion A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...
, and it is also reflected in various elements of Maltese culture; however, in recent years the church has experienced decline in influence and importance. According to a 2018 survey, the overwhelming majority of the Maltese population adheres to Christianity (95.2%) with Catholicism as the main denomination (93.9%). According to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 83% of the population identified as Catholic. Malta's patron saints are
St Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
,
St Publius Saint Publius ( mt, San Publju; grc-gre, Πούπλιος) is a first century Maltese bishop. He is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens. Publius is Malta's first acknowledged saint, the prince of the ...
and
St Agatha ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
. The Assumption of Mary known as Santa Marija is the special patron of the Maltese Islands.


History of religion in Malta


Religion and the law


Constitutional standing

Article 2 of the
Constitution of Malta The current Constitution of Malta ( mt, Konstituzzjoni ta' Malta) was adopted as a legal order on 21 September 1964, and is the self-declared supreme law of the land. Therefore, any law or action in violation of the Constitution is null and void. ...
states that the religion of Malta is the "Roman Catholic apostolic religion" (paragraph 1), that the authorities of the Catholic Church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and wrong (paragraph 2) and that religious teaching of the Catholic apostolic faith shall be provided in all state schools as part of compulsory education (paragraph 3). Malta, a signatory to the Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights, made a declaration saying that it accepts the protocol's article 2 (on parents' right to have their children educated in line with their religious or philosophical views) only insofar "as it is compatible with the provision of efficient instruction and training, and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure, having regard to the fact that the population of Malta is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic". However, article 2(1) and (3) of the Constitution are not entrenched, unlike article 40 which guarantees full
freedom of conscience Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, independent of others' viewpoints. Overview Every person attempts to have a cognitive proficiency by ...
and of religious worship and bars the requirement of religious instruction or to show proficiency in religion. This means that if the provisions of article 2(1) and (2) are in conflict with the rights guaranteed under article 40, the provisions of the latter prevail. With regards to religious instruction in
public schools Public school may refer to: *State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England and ...
for example, students may opt to decline participation in Catholic religious lessons. Malta officially supported Italy and was one of ten states presenting written observations when the case ''
Lautsi v. Italy ''Lautsi v. Italy'' was a case brought before the European Court of Human Rights, which, on 18 March 2011, ruled that the requirement in Italian law that crucifixes be displayed in classrooms of schools does not violate the European Convention on H ...
'' was to be heard by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights over the exhibiting of the crucifix in classrooms.


Religion and public policy

Malta was the last European country (excluding Vatican City) to introduce divorce in October 2011 after voting in a referendum on the subject earlier in the year. Malta decriminalised vilification of religion in July 2016. Abortion in Malta is illegal in all circumstances. Over the years some loopholes (non-inclusion of outer territorial waters, no mention of advertising) permitted individuals to circumvent the ban for limited time periods. Assisted dying in Malta is illegal in all circumstances. Same sex marriage has been legal since September 2017. Catholic members of the medical profession are required by a State Regulation to abide by the tenets of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. Roman Catholic church schools are largely funded by the state and, under a 1993 Concordat with the Vatican, they are not obliged to provide any sex education. There are state-sanctioned crucifixes in every hospital room, classroom and public building. A prayer is recited at the start of every parliamentary sitting.


Religious beliefs and participation

According to a Eurobarometer poll held in 2005, 95% of Maltese responded that they "believe there is a God", 3% responded that they "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 1% responded that they "don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force", which was the lowest percentage of non-believers in all countries surveyed, together with Turkey, Romania and Poland. 1% gave no response. In a report published in 2006, it was reported that 52.6% of Maltese (older than 7 years and excluding those not able to attend) attended Sunday Mass in 2005, down from 75.1% in 1982 and 63.4% in 1995. Hence, Sunday Mass attendance has dropped annually by 1% since 1982. According to Archbishop
Charles Scicluna Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of Malta since 2015. He held positions in the Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop o ...
, Sunday Mass attendance dropped further to roughly 40% by 2015. The 2017 census revealed that 36.1% of the catholic population attended Mass on the census day, which was over the course of a weekend in December 2017, a significant decline compared to previous years. Church weddings have also declined since 2010, with a rapid increase in civil weddings. In 2010 a total of 1,547 church weddings and 740 civil weddings were registered. In 2018, church weddings declined to 1,129 while civil weddings increased to 1,423. The number of students who opt out of studying religious knowledge in schools has increased. In 2014, an ethics class was created for those who choose not to attend school religion lessons, which are still part of the curriculum. In 2014, there was a total of 1,411 students who opted out of religions lessons; in 2019, the number increased to 3,422, an increase of 142%. According to a 2018 survey, around 63.7% of the Maltese population considered themselves practicing members of their religion. In a 2021 State of the Nation survey commissioned by the Maltese President, 93% of respondents said they believe in God, and 60% said religion is important to them.


Vernacular cult and beliefs

*
Karmni Grima Karmni Grima (2 February 1838 – 25 May 1922) was a Maltese peasant whose mystical religious experience led to the constructions and services as an apostle of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu. Biography Karmni Grima was born in the village of Għarb in G ...
,
Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regula ...
,
Frenċ tal-Għarb Francis Xavier Mercieca ( mt, Franġisku Saverju Mercieca, 3 December 1892 – 19 May 1967), more commonly known as Frenċ tal-Għarb, was a farmer and healer from the village of Għarb in Gozo, Malta. He was a service apostle of Our Lady of Ta' ...


Catholicism in Malta


Catholic churches

On the islands of Malta and
Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
, which are two separate dioceses, there are a total of 359 churches (313 in Malta and 46 in Gozo). Of these, 78 are parishes (63 in Malta and 15 in Gozo) and six are national parishes. This means that there is a "church density" of slightly more than one church per square kilometer. In Malta, every locality has its parish church, apart from two or three small localities. There are also localities that have more than one parish church, like Sliema and
Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...
, which have four parishes each.


Catholic organisations

* Zghazagh Azzjoni Kattolika: Catholic children and youth organization, member of Fimcap


Papal visits

Pope John Paul II made three pastoral visits to Malta: twice in 1990 and once in 2001. In his last visit he
beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
three Maltese people:
George Preca George Preca (in mt, Ġorġ Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Catholic priest and the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine as well as a Third Order Carmelite. He is known as "Dun Ġorġ" in Maltese and Pope John ...
(who was then canonised in 2007),
Nazju Falzon Nazju Falzon (1 July 1813 – 1 July 1865) was a Maltese cleric and a professed member from the Secular Franciscan Order. He did not become an ordained priest because he did not feel he was adequate enough for such an honor. He became an apt cate ...
and
Adeodata Pisani Maria Adeodata Pisani (29 December 180625 February 1855) was a Maltese nun whom Pope John Paul II venerated 24 April 2001 (decree of heroic virtues) and beatified 9 May 2001. The day after John Paul II signed and released the decree on both her ...
. In April 2010, Pope Benedict XVI also visited Malta in celebration of 1,950 years since the shipwreck of Paul on the island of Malta. In April 2022, Pope Francis visited Malta in commemoration of St' Paul's Shipwreck on the island.


Other Christian denominations in Malta


Protestant churches

The Anglican church in Malta has two parish churches, St Paul's and Trinity, and one chaplaincy which covers all of
Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
. The parishes are part of the Diocese in Europe of the Church of England. There are around 300 active Anglicans in Malta however the inactive Anglican population is significantly higher. There is also a Presbyterian congregation which united with the Methodist congregation in 1975 and today worship as one congregation in St Andrew's. The Presbyterian congregation is part of the International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland. A Lutheran congregation, mostly made up of Germans and Scandinavians, worship in St Andrew's Church as well though as a separate congregation. The
Bible Baptist Church The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
caters to the Baptists congregation in Malta. The Evangelical Alliance of Malta (TEAMalta) has seven churches and two organisations that are affiliated, with about 400 members between them. Other Protestant Denominations include:
Christian Fellowship () is a transliterated form of the Greek word , which refers to concepts such as fellowship, joint participation, the share which one has in anything, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution. It identifies the idealized state of ...
, New Life Christian, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pentecostalism (including Christian Assembly),
New Apostolic Church The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a Christian denomination, Christian church that split from the Catholic Apostolic Church during an 1863 schism in Hamburg, Germany. The church has existed since 1863 in Germany and since 1897 in the Ne ...
, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Methodist Church of Great Britain.


Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches

The Eastern Orthodox presence in Malta has experienced a substantial increase . In 2014 there were at least 5,000 orthodox believers or 1.2% of the total population. The Russian Orthodox Church in Malta has its own parish of St Paul, however, they do not have a permanent church, and use the Greek Catholic church of Our Lady of Damascus in Valletta for services. The Bulgarian Orthodox and
Armenian Apostolic , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
congregations also use the same church for services. There is a Greek Orthodox congregation which has its own church of
St George Saint George (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin language, Latin: Georgius, Arabic language, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christians, Christian who is venerated as a sa ...
, part of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy (and Malta from until the creation of the Exarchate of Malta in 2021), officially the Sacred Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of Southern Europe ( it, Sacra Arcidiocesi Ortodossa d'Italia ed Esar ...
until the erection of a Malta exarchate in 2021. The Romanian Orthodox Church congregation worships in St Roque's Church and is part of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy. There is also a strong Serbian Orthodox congregation in Malta, which uses St Nicholas' for worship. The Serbian parish is part of the
Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Austria and Switzerland The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Austria and Switzerland or Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Austria and Switzerland ( sr, Српска православна епархија аустријско-швајцарска) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Se ...
. The
Coptic Orthodox Church The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
congregation forms part of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and worships in St James' Chapel in Żebbuġ. There are also congregations belonging to the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
and the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( ti, ቤተ ክርስትያን ተዋህዶ ኤርትራ) is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. Its autocephaly was recognised by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandri ...
, both of which use the
Church of St James, Valletta The Church of St James is a Roman Catholic church in Valletta, Malta. A previous Mannerist church was built on site in the early 17th-century and demolished in the early 18th-century to build the present baroque church. Built on the designs of Rom ...
.


Others

As of 2020, there are a reported 10 congregations and 783
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
in Malta, with 1,245 who attended the memorial of Jesus death that they host yearly. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) also has two congregations in Malta.


Non-Christian religions in Malta

There is one Jewish congregation in Malta. There are various
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
families in Malta that practice their own Hindu faith, but there are no Hindu temples, and the Hindu deceased are buried in Malta, instead of being cremated. There are at least 10
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
mosques and a Muslim faith school. Of the estimated 3,000 Muslims (typically under reported) in Malta, approximately 2,250 are foreigners, approximately 600 are naturalized citizens, and approximately 150 are native-born Maltese. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is also present. Zen Buddhism and the Baháʼí Faith also have about 40 members.
Paganism Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity, early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions ot ...
is also present in Malta, with a community counting at least 100 individuals who identify as such. According to a 2021 survey, commissioned by the Maltese President, religion is not important to 40% of the population, and 3% said they did not believe in God. Combined, survey figures suggest that around half the population are not practicing Catholics, or adhere to a different religion, or to none.


Non-religious in Malta

There has been an increasing interest in Humanism in Malta. Humanists Malta has gathered more than 2,000 followers since its foundation in 2010. According to a 2018 survey, 3.9% of the Maltese population identified as atheist, and 12.9% as non-practicing members of their religion.


See also

* Christianity in Europe * Culture of Malta *
Freemasonry in Malta Freemasonry in Malta has a lengthy history dating from the eighteenth century. The main masonic influences (and external supervision) have been from the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and the Grand Lodge of Ireland. ...
*
History of Malta Malta has a long history and was first inhabited in around 5900 BC. The first inhabitants were farmers, and their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable. The islands were repopulated around 3850 BC ...
* List of Churches in Malta * List of Maltese saints * Religion by country * Religion in Europe * Religion in the European Union


References


External links


Profile of the Catholic Church in MaltaHomepage of the Archdiocese of MaltaFreedom House Country Report: Malta (2006)Freedom House Country Report: Malta (2005)Freedom House Country Report: Malta (2004)Freedom House Country Report: Malta (2003)Freedom House Country Report: Malta (2002)
{{Religion in Europe Maltese culture Society of Malta