Christianity in Malta
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In the small Mediterranean island nation of
A 2021 survey conducted by the University of Malta showed that 88% of respondents identified as Catholic, while 11% said they had no religious belief at all.[1]
History of Christianity in Malta
Saint Paul
The apostle Paul's time in Malta is described in the
Establishment of the Archdiocese of Malta
According to tradition,
Sovereignty of the Order
While the
French occupation
Over the years, the power of the Knights declined; their reign ended when
Establishment of the Diocese of Gozo
Historically part of the Diocese of Malta,
In 1863, Archpriest Michele Francesco Buttigieg was elected Auxiliary Bishop of Malta with instructions to reside in Gozo. One year later, on September 16, 1864, the Pope issued a
United Kingdom
In 1814, Malta became British in accordance with the
Patron saints
Saint Paul
Saint Publius
Saint Agatha
Out of approximately 60 parishes in Malta and Gozo, 11 are dedicated to the Assumption. These include the Cathedral Church of Gozo, the parishes of
Noteworthy details linked to the feast of the Assumption are the world-famous Mosta Rotunda Build a Free Website (known as the Mosta Dome), the magnificent Gozo Cathedral found in the old Citadel Knisja Katidrali ta' Għawdex, and the exceptional annual fireworks display held on 14 August at Imqabba, organized by the St Mary Fireworks Factory of Imqabba, winners of the First Malta International Fireworks Festival (2006). This fireworks display is renowned as the best pyro-musical show on the island and thousands cram the village streets annually in order to watch it.Soċjetà Santa Marija u Banda Re Ġorġ V, Mqabba
Current status and law
The Constitution of Malta provides for
In
The percentage of people that attend Mass in every locality of Malta in 2005:
Locality | % of attenders |
---|---|
Mdina - St. Paul | 88% |
Kerċem - St. Gregory and Our Lady of Health | 86% |
San Lawrenz - St. Lawrence | 85% |
Fontana - Sacred Heart of Jesus | 83% |
Lija - Transfiguration of Jesus | 78% |
Victoria, Gozo - St. Mary and St. George |
77% |
Xewkija - St. John the Baptist | 75% |
Xagħra - Nativity of Our Lady | 74% |
Għarb - Visitation of Our Lady | 75% |
Għajnsielem - Our Lady of Loreto | 73% |
Qala - St. Joseph | 72% |
Mġarr - St. Mary | 72% |
Sannat - St. Margharite | 70% |
Għargħur- St. Bartholomew | 67% |
Għasri - Corpus Christi | 66% |
Nadur - St. Peter and St. Paul | 66% |
Balzan - The Annunciation | 66% |
Munxar - St. Paul | 64% |
Gudja - The Assumption of Our Lady | 60% |
Mosta - The Assumption of Our Lady | 60% |
Iklin - Holy Family | 60% |
Siġġiewi - St. Nicholas | 58% |
Rabat - St. Paul | 58% |
Dingli - The Assumption of Our Lady | 57% |
Attard - The Assumption of Our Lady | 57% |
Tarxien - The Annunciation | 55% |
Żebbuġ, Malta - St. Philip of Aggira |
54% |
Qormi - Parish of St. George and Parish of St. Sebastian | 54% |
Naxxar - Our Lady of Victory | 54% |
Santa Luċija - St. Pius X | 54% |
Ħamrun - Parish of St. Cajten and Parish of the Immaculate Conception |
54% |
Mellieħa - Our Lady of Victory | 53% |
Qrendi - The Assumption of Our Lady |
53% |
Żabbar - Our Lady of Graces | 53% |
Paola - Parish of Christ the King and Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes | 52% |
Marsaxlokk Our Lady of Pompeii | 52% |
Floriana - St. Publius | 52% |
Mqabba - The Assumption of Our Lady | 52% |
Żebbuġ, Gozo - The Assumption of Our Lady | 52% |
Żurrieq - St. Catherine of Alexandria | 51% |
Marsa - Parish of the Holy Trinity and Parish of Maria Regina | 51% |
Għaxaq - The Assumption of Our Lady | 51% |
Pembroke | 51% |
Kalkara - St. Joseph | 51% |
Żejtun - St. Catherine of Alexandria | 50% |
Safi - St. Paul | 49% |
Fgura - Our Lady of Monte Carmel | 47% |
Valletta - Parish of St. Paul's Shipwreck, Parish of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, and Parish of St. Augustine | 47% |
Kirkop - St. Leonard | 45% |
Birgu - St. Lawrence | 45% |
Msida - St. Joseph | 45% |
Birżebbuġa - St. Peter in Chains | 43% |
San Ġwann - Our Lady of Lourdes | 43% |
Mtarfa - St. Lucy | 42% |
Gżira - Our Lady of Monte Carmel | 41% |
Swieqi - The Immaculate Conception | 41% |
Marsaskala - St. Anne | 40% |
Bormla - The Immaculate Conception |
39% |
Luqa - St. Andrew | 39% |
Pietà - Our Lady of Fatima | 38% |
Isla - Our Lady of Victory | 37% |
San Pawl il-Baħar - Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows, Parish of Sacred Heart of Mary, and Parish of St. Frances of Assisi |
36% |
Other totals of people attending Mass, because these localities are not in percentage:
Locality | total of attenders |
---|---|
Balluta Bay - Our Lady of Monte Carmel | 1,284 |
Birkirkara - Parish of St. Helen, Parish of Our Lady of Monte Carmel, Parish of St. Mary and Parish of St. Joseph the Worker | 9,851 |
San Ġiljan - St. Julian |
3,267 |
Santa Venera - St. Venera | 2,508 |
Sliema - Parish of Stella Maris, Parish of Sacro Cour, Parish of St. Gregory the Great, and Parish of Jesus of Nazzareth | 5,585 |
Additionally, between a quarter and a fifth of Mass attendees are active members of a Church Movement, group or initiatives such as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the Neocatechumenal Way, the Legion of Mary, Opus Dei, Youth Fellowship or other Church groups within the parish. Malta also has the highest number of members of the Neocatechumenal Way per population in the world.
Malta introduced divorce after a referendum on the 28 May 2011.
Patron saints in Malta
- Qrendi, Victoria, Malta, and Żebbuġ, Gozo
- Corpus Christi (Body of Christ), the patron of Għasri
- Christ the King, the patron of Paola, Malta
- Holy Family, the patron of Bidnija and Iklin
- Holy Trinity, the patron of Marsa, Malta
- Jesus of Nazareth, the patron of Sliema
- Maria Regina, the patron of Marsa, Malta
- Nativity of Mary, the patron of Mellieħa, Naxxar, Senglea, and Xagħra
- Our Lady of Fatima, the patron of Pietà, Malta
- Our Lady of Good Counsel, the patron of Paceville
- Our Lady of Graces, the patron of Xgħajra and Żabbar
- Qrendi and San Ġwann
- Our Lady of Pompeii, the patron of Marsaxlokk
- Our Lady of Porto Salvo, the patron of Valletta
- San Pawl il-Baħar
- Our Lady of Angels, the patron of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq
- Our Lady of Loreto, the patron of Għajnsielem
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the patron of Kerċem
- Our Lady of Ta' Pinu, the patron of Gozo
- Our Lady, Star of the Sea, the patron of Sliema
- Risen Christ, the patron of Pembroke, Malta
- Fontana, Malta
- Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Luqa
- Dwejra, Marsaskala and Żebbiegħ
- Saint Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of Valletta
- Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, the patron saint of Għargħur
- Ħamrun
- Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of Żejtun and Żurrieq
- Saint Dominic, the patron saint of Birgu and Valletta
- Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Qawra
- Saint George, the patron saint of Qormi and Victoria, Malta
- Saint George Preca, the patron saint of Swatar (Birkirkara)
- Saint John of the Cross, the patron saint of Ta' Xbiex
- Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Valletta and Xewkija
- Saint Joseph, the patron saint of Birkirkara, Għaxaq, Kalkara, Kirkop, Manikata, Msida, Qala and Xemxija
- Saint San Ġiljan
- Saint Helena (Empress), the patron saint of Birkirkara
- Saint Lawrence of Rome, the patron saint of Birguand San Lawrenz
- Saint Leonard, the patron saint of Kirkop
- Saint Lucy, the patron saint of Mtarfa and Santa Luċija, Gozo
- Saint Margaret the Virgin, the patron saint of Sannat
- Saint Martin of Tours, the patron saint of Baħrija
- Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the patron saint of Buġibba
- Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of Siġġiewi
- Saint Paul, the patron saint of Marsalforn, Mdina, Munxar, Nadur Rabat, Malta, Safi, Malta, and Valletta
- Saint Peter, the patron saint of Birżebbuġa and Nadur
- Saint Żebbuġ, Malta
- Saint Pius X, the patron saint of Santa Luċija
- Floriana, Malta
- Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of Qormi
- The Annunciation, the patron of Balzan and Tarxien
- The Transfiguration of Jesus, the patron of Lija
- Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron of Għarb
Other saints venerated in Malta
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See also
- Malta
- Religion in Malta
- Roman Catholicism in Malta
- Culture of Malta
- Maltese people
- Islam in Malta
- History of the Jews in Malta
- Religion by country
References
- ^ "Luxembourg".
- ^ Kendal, James (1910). "Malta". The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Malta". www.newadvent.org.
- ^ *Evans, Katherine and Sarah Cheevers: A True Account of the Great Tryals and Cruel Sufferings Undergone by Those Two Faithful Servants of God, Katherine Evans and Sarah Cheevers, in the Time of Their above Three Years and a Halfs Confinement in the Island Malta, London: 1663.
- ^ a b "Gozo Diocese, "The Diocese - A Historical Note"". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
- ^ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Malta". The World Factbook. Retrieved September 6, 2006.
- ^ Catholic hierarchy.org, Adherents.com
- ^ Discern (August 2006). Sunday Mass Attendance Census 2005: Preliminary Report (PDF). Archdiocese of Malta. Retrieved 2006-09-06.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Alessandra Stanley (9 May 2001). "Valletta Journal: Malta greets the Pope like a beloved spa client". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ Ivan Camilleri (July 18, 2006). "Malta cautious over EU divorce proposals". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ "Maltese choose cross for euro coin". Catholic News.net. 19 June 2006. Archived from the original on June 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-18.