Maltese paradox is 100 years old

Today, we do not refuse to believe it when it turns out that a very sick person shows remarkable will power. One hundred years ago many found it incredible. For instance, a young man was diagnosed as suffering from lung disease (tuberculosis). In the age of the Romantic poets, such as Keats, it was the sort of bugbear that cancer is today.

Because of the short spell of life that he correctly expected to be his lot, this young man, Joseph de Piro by name, showed an even greater determination to set up without delay a movement in Malta meant to reach the ends of the earth.

Pitifully raised eyebrows if not deep scepticism was the general reaction.

Today, a century later, we are hardly less ready to believe that the typically early 20th century dream of that weak-lunged young man has become a reality.

The Missionary Society of St Paul, set up by Mgr de Piro on June 30, 1910 is now to be found, since 1968, in Peru, where there are 15 priests, Maltese and locals; since 1981, in Pakistan, in the extremely difficult Muslim context where the exploits of Taliban sympathisers are almost daily in the news; in the Philippines, where all the student members of the Society from whatever nation do their Theology. (The philosophy course is done in Malta, where, at present, there are also two international students, under the guidance of Fr Martin Cilia.) This global expansion in the second half of the century-old existence of the Society was, in fact, the third phase in the history of the movement established by Mgr de Piro, although it was his primary objective.

The second phase, which began in 1948, saw efforts concentrated mainly on the pastoral care of Maltese emigrants abroad, in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and in Canada (where the pastoral perspective is continent-wide). From the beginning, care for the Maltese living away from their island was the second of Mgr de Piro's objectives.

The third aim was that of missionary or evangelising activity in territories where Christianity may have been implanted long before but where de Piro already saw the need for which Pope Benedict XVI is now stressing the need through the constitution of a new pontifical council for the purpose. Mgr de Piro had sought to begin fulfilling his primary aim by sending, in 1927, a Brother for missionary work in Abyssinia, where the Capuchin Fr Angelo Mizzi, brother of Enrico, was a leader.

He himself died just on the eve of when he was on the point of going to Abyssinia.

However, because of the special tasks that Archbishop Mauro Caruana kept assigning to Mgr de Piro (including diplomatic negotiations with Lord Strickland), the bulk of the work the Society could undertake with his own personal commitment was in Malta.

Here, the Society became well-known for its work at the Oratory in Birkirkara, which had been set up under Salesian auspices and aimed at the holistic education of young people, giving importance to drama and sports.

They also became responsible for what was at the time St Joseph's Orphanotrophy at St Venera, which soon became an excellent crafts school. Later, rather than orphans, it hosted children from broken families or with special needs.

Today, only the director is a priest from the Society; his staff is made up of laity with special training as care workers. It is in connection with this institution that the paedophilia case arose years ago and it is to be devoutly hoped-for that it will be brought to a speedy conclusion.

If there was a characteristic of Mgr de Piro it was openness.

The Society has indeed continued to mirror the paradox that was inbuilt in its founder's personality.

A religious order if faithful to its origins will tend to reflect the charism of its founder. Mgr de Piro, besides the paradox of his physical weakness and strong will, was also noted, like philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, for the long silences that he kept, never indulging in chit-chat or idle discourse and expressing himself when called for almost aphoristically.

His Pauline inspiration meant that, besides openness, his other most conspicuous characteristic was his availability and readiness to be, like St Paul, all things to all men. He was ready to follow the Word wherever it led him.

When Mgr de Piro died in 1933 there were some four or five priests who were members of the Society but the Bishop appointed a succession of priests who were not members of the Society to lead it.

It was only in 1948 that a member of the Society, Fr Michael Callus, was appointed Superior. A major step forward occurred with the foundation of St Paul's school in 1964 when Fr Stanley Tomlin was Superior.

This school, which now has some 250 pupils, was marked through the involvement of the families of the students in its running.

The Society is also responsible for St Agatha's catacombs and museum, which attract a large number of tourists.

Their visit is, in a way, also a presentation of basic Christianity to many who are often more ignorant of it than those in distant parts of the world.

The Society is also involved in the creative use of the modern media of communication.

The Society now has about 100 members. Until 1968 they were only Maltese but since then there are both Peruvian and Filippino members.

The best clue to the key of this extraordinary success can only be found in the spiritual heritage that Mgr de Piro bequeathed to the Society.

As in the case of Charles de Foucauld, it only began to be really appreciated years after his death, just as his followers only began to multiply across the planet at the same time.

Fortunately, we now have available an excellent account of Mgr de Piro's spirituality, with its characteristic Maltese-Pauline flavour, in the book written by Fr Martin Cilia: Found Among Sinners.