The cardinal and Maltese missionary zeal

Just two days before the feast of the shipwreck of St Paul, so dear to Christians of Maltese origin everywhere, the Church in Malta will today be celebrating the Episcopal ordination of Mgr Prospero Grech OSA.

The ordination is a consequence of the happy announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that Mgr Grech will be among the 22 Church dignitaries who will be elected cardinals on February 18.

A professor emeritus of several Roman universities and consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mgr Grech will be the second Maltese cardinal. The first was Cardinal Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata (1757-1843), Apostolic Nuncio and, subsequently, a prominent figure in the Roman Curia. He was born in Valletta and was made cardinal almost 200 years ago.

Mgr Grech, who hails from Vittoriosa, was born on December 24, 1925. He joined the Augustinian Order in 1943 and three years later was sent to Rome to further his theological studies. He was ordained priest on March 25, 1950.

The new cardinal has been working with Pope Benedict XVI for 20 years. Their working relationship started when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It continued to develop when Mgr Grech was nominated member of the Pontifical Theological Academy.

Mgr Grech’s election to the College of Cardinals is, first and foremost, a personal honour. It signifies the great esteem in which he is held by both the Pontiff and also the Holy See.

The nomination is also of particular privilege for the Order of St Augustine. He will be the first Augustinian cardinal in 111 years.

However, as the Maltese bishops appropriately pointed out on the day Mgr Grech was named as a new cardinal, his nomination is recognition of the bountiful contribution that the Church in Malta has made and continues to make to the universal Church.

It is more than enough to mention the hundreds of priests, religious and lay people who, over the years, have served or are serving God and the Church practically all over the world. They did and continue to do so with much commitment, dedication and generosity. Many a time they have to give service in very difficult environments and conditions that require a lot of personal sacrifice. There may also be situations that put their personal security at risk. Indeed, there were missionaries whose lives came to a tragic end while doing their pastoral work.

The Holy See acknowledges the valid contribution of these courageous compatriots. Blessed Pope John Paul II took the opportunity of his 2001 visit to Malta to put on record a very clear testimony: “True to your father in faith, the Apostle Paul, you are known throughout the Church for your devotion and missionary zeal”.

Cardinals are the first collaborators in the Holy Father’s ministry as successor of Peter, on whose supreme witness the vocation and universal mission of the Church and of its Head are founded. The ring cardinals receive highlights the special bond that joins them to the Apostolic See. Their basic role is to help the Pope guide the ship of the universal Church in the vast open seas that it is sailing in, often striving to weather the storms of today’s world and become an ever more effective sign and instrument of unity for the entire human race.

Through Mgr Grech, Malta will now be able to also contribute directly to such witness.