Br. Massimo and Br. Jimmy in Malta

On 1-5 May 2023, Br Massimo Fusarelli, General Minister, and Br Jimmy Zammit, General Definitor, took part in the Provincial Chapter of the Province of St Paul the Apostle of Malta.

The General Minister personally presided over the work of the Intermediate Chapter, as part of a broader accompaniment of the Province by the General Definitory, which began almost two years ago.

The 35 capitulars, out of 43 brothers of the Province, with 3 novices and a postulant, carried out the review of the three-year period, especially in the areas of formation, evangelisation, administration and collaboration with other Entities. The dialogue gradually became more open and frank, to the point of touching the nodes of the life and mission of the Maltese friars in the 7 friaries present in Malta and Gozo, as well as brothers serving in Canada, Honduras, London and Libya and Rome. 

On 4 May, the Chapter elected the 4 provincial definitors: Br Ramon Farrugia, Br Loreto Zerafa, Br Clive Camilleri and Br Martin Coleiro, who will continue the service entrusted in 2020 to Br Anthony Chircop, Provincial Minister, and Br Marcello Ghirlando, Provincial Vicar.

The Province has experienced a considerable decrease in numbers and the progressive ageing of its members. The Chapter, animated by the theme "Be strong, be of good cheer" (Deut 31:6), gave voice to the yearning for renewal so as not to be overcome by a sense of resignation and closure within oneself. At the beginning of the Chapter, the General Minister exhorted us to be strong and take courage in various aspects of the life and mission of the provincial fraternity, to respond with enthusiasm and courage to the challenge of the future, with creative fidelity and a sense of gratitude to God's action in the history of over five centuries of Franciscan presence in Malta.

In the mandates and proposals of the Chapter, it was jointly decided to profoundly review the plan for ongoing and initial formation, through the elaboration of local and provincial projects of fraternal life, a greater commitment to the quality of personal and community prayer life, and choices to support paths of reconciliation and fraternal communion.

A decision was also taken to work on a Ratio Evangelizationis of the Province, re-launching youth and vocational pastoral work together with Franciscan missions to the people.

The collaboration, already begun, with the Province of Sicily and the openness to welcome brothers from other entities for studies and/or to work with the many migrants present on the two islands, have reset the brothers’ path for the next three years.

Malta is at the centre of the Mediterranean. It knows the reality of migration and faces the challenges of a renewed proclamation of the Gospel. The General Minister visited all the friaries of the Province and the realities of YouFra and the oratory for children and young people; of welcoming young people in distress, migrants and the soup kitchen that the friars of the Province accompany.

The Archbishop of Malta, Bishop Charles Scicluna, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, visited the Chapter, while the Bishop of Gozo, Bishop Anthony Theuma, shared an impassioned reflection on the primacy of the relationship with God and the quality of fraternal communion for a religious life as being an eloquent sign in our time.