Stephan Mifsud is the latest to question whether St Paul ever came to Malta. Like previous theorists, he restricted his hypothesis to a single factor while ignoring other far more reliable sources.

The Acts of the Apostles do not exist in isolation. The very first verse of the Acts of Peter and Paul states the following: “It came to pass, after Paul went out of the islands Gaudomeleta...”

Gaudomeleta can only mean the Maltese islands. There are no other group of islands with the joint name of Gozo and Malta (Gaudo – Meleta). If, as claimed by Mifsud, the island was in the Adriatic Sea, the usual practice would have been not to call at Syracuse but at the port of Brundisium or Barium and then the prisoners would be made to walk to Rome on the Appian Way.

The name “viper” on its own does not refer to any particular viper but vipera was the Latin name for any creeping animal that creeps along.

I invite a small group of scholars to join me in an appreciation of what has been written over the centuries regarding the shipwreck of St Paul and the welcome he had from St Publius. We must stop this lack of cohesion, which has even resulted in the censoring of the readings from the Acts of the Apostles by removing five important verses.

It is high time the feast of St Paul serves to unite all Maltese. In four years’ time, Malta will be celebrating the 19th centenary from the martyrdom of St Publius. A study will be published by the Vilhena Band Club during the feast of St Publius, one of the patron saints of Malta.

I therefore make a public appeal to the Maltese Archdiocese and those interested to join me in this proposed review and, once for all, stop this rot!