Book on nuns of the Order launched in Rome

A book on the Jerosolimitan nuns of the Order of St John and the Monastery and Church of St Ursula in Valletta by Fr George Aquilina has spread beyond Malta's shores, having been translated into Italian and launched to a high-profile audience at the Capranica, in Rome.

The Italian edition, Le Monache Gerosolimitane La Chiesa e Il Monastero di S. Orsola Alla Valletta Malta, the Maltese version of which has already been awarded and reached bestseller status locally, should serve to make known the Jerosolimitan nuns and their monastery - the only monastery of cloistered Jerosolimitan nuns in the world - outside Malta, as well as to raise funds for it.

Proceeds from its sales are destined entirely for its subject - the monastery and its nuns, who profess poverty and live it and, therefore, need funding, particularly for the costly restoration of its façade, which is under way.

Financed by the Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Malta, Silvano Pedrollo, under whose patronage lies the Italian version, it was presented to distinguished guests, including Grand Master Fra' Andrew Bertie to whom it is dedicated, about 20 ambassadors of the SMOM and the Holy See from countries as far afield as Russia, Chile, Cuba and Costa Rica, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to the Holy See Giovanni Galassi, members of the sovereign council of the Order, senators and high officials from the police and the army, academics and Maltese clergy.

Translated by Fr Noel Muscat, it was presented by historian Guglielmo de' Giovanni Centelles, who is also a lecturer at the Istituto Universitario Sr Orsola Benincasa in Naples, and Mgr Fra' Giovanni Scarabelli from the Università di Leopoli.

Archbishop Joseph Mercieca was unable to attend the presentation, but his speech was delivered by the Minister Counsellor of the Order's Ambassador to Malta Claudio Carcereri.

Expressing his satisfaction after the solemn and prestigious event, Fr Aquilina said he was pleased to let the members of the Order know more about its female institutions - a subject he holds at heart.

The event also had a national ring to it and Fr Aquilina said hearing the name of Malta and the monastery being pronounced throughout the evening stimulated a sense of patriotism and pride.

A Franciscan friar, Fr Aquilina has been working on the book for over 20 years, publishing other historical works in the meantime. He is now experiencing the fruit of his toil with the presentation of the Italian version - a project he had always had in mind - to the many distinguished guests in Rome.

Launched in Maltese in 2004, the book had attracted interest primarily due to the fact that the argument - a history of cloistered nuns - was treated for the first time, Fr Aquilina maintained.

Its borders are now being expanded even further through its imminent translation into English in an attempt to spread the knowledge of these cloistered nuns.

What Fr Aquilina finds of particular interest about them is that they have a special vocation to pray for the Order and the country, which is what he feels has kept them so alive. "The only thing that comes from the time of the knights and is still alive today are these nuns, who have allowed the traditions of the Order in Malta to be upheld."

Fr Aquilina has been the chaplain of the Jerosolimitan cloistered nuns for the last 27 years, and not a single document in its private archives has escaped his scrutiny - an advantage in his research, together with the fact that he was also in charge of the archives of the Order in the National Library at a point.

The main catalyst of the initiative, although too modest to admit it, Dr Pedrollo said he considered the presentation of the book to be of "utmost importance".

"When I think that Fr Aquilina spent over 20 years researching it, I find it incredible."

The Veronese ambassador, a businessman, philanthropist and nephew of Don Luigi Pedrollo, who is being nominated for beatification, financed the translation and publication of the Italian edition, but maintains that his role was merely a question of "grabbing an opportunity" - something he refuses to miss out on in life.

"I am glad I am fortunate enough to be able to seize these opportunities that come my way," he said. Before he was appointed ambassador, Dr Pedrollo got to know Fr Aquilina and the Jerosolimitan nuns and has been a prime benefactor of the monastery. "Having had three aunts who were nuns, I have always had a particular affinity with them. But I had never entered a nunnery and I had always thought it would be a sad and closed environment.

"On the contrary, when I visited the nuns, I was enlightened by the life and joy I experienced. Every time I visit them, I never want to leave. They are a sign that the spirit of Christ is a spirit of joy and life, and they interpret that spirit and live it to the full."

Dr Pedrollo felt more awareness should be raised about these nuns "because it is not fair that they live a life of prayer not for themselves, but for the Order, the Grand Master and everyone else". That they should even have to suffer financial problems was also not right, and the Order, which already finances the monastery, needed to do "at least something small to help them".

After all, maintaining such a monastery involved several expenses, Dr Pedrollo pointed out.

The history around the monastery is intriguing, he maintained, adding that "beautiful things have to be highlighted. We only talk about the bad things in this world".

Dr Pedrollo also felt that the Order was not known enough in Italy. The book, he said, would serve to raise Malta's profile and that of the Order of the Knights of St John in his country, and the plan was to promote it among the civil and religious authorities in Italy and then around the world via the English version.

A year into his role as Ambassador in Malta, Dr Pedrollo has other projects in the pipeline, which should include an important cultural event in the near future.

But Dr Pedrollo would also like to see all the Ambassadors of the Order unite in Malta to get to know their roots, and should be making this request to the Grand Magistry.

There is no doubt that they would appreciate getting to know Malta and seeing for themselves the origins and history of the Knights of St John, he said, backed by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Order of Malta and vice-dean to the Holy See, Alejandro Valladares Lanza, who also expressed his wish to bring to Malta all the ambassadors in the near future.