The origins of the Catholic faith in Malta can be traced back to the 1st century, when, in approximately 60 AD, Paul the Apostle (originally Saul of Tarsus) was shipwrecked on Malta whilst en route from Greece to Rome as a political prisoner.

Traditionally, St Paul’s Island (also known as “Selmunett”) is located just off Malta’s northeast coast, close to the similarly-named St Paul’s Bay. Modern estimates, however, instead postulate the shipwreck’s location as being in the area of il Munxar near St Thomas Bay, due to the area’s prevailing north-easterly winds and the island’s submerged reef (a hazard for passing vessels) and sandy beach. Regardless of the veracity of either of these claims, however, what remains irrefutable is the long-lasting religious, cultural and historical impacts of this fated journey by sea almost two thousand years ago.

According to popular belief, following the shipwreck Paul and the remaining survivors received assistance from the local population, their experience of the event recounted by the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles as follows: “And later we learned that the island was called Malta. And the people who lived there showed us great kindness, and they made a fire and called us all to warm ourselves…”

Following the shipwreck, Paul’s luck, it seemed, did not immediately improve, with the Saint reportedly bitten by a poisonous snake soon after. Crucially, however, when placing this incident in the larger context of Malta’s religious history, the snake’s venom apparently caused Paul to suffer no ill effects, something that made a considerable impression on those providing assistance to the latent saint. In fact, legend states that not only did this incident immediately render the poison of all snakes on Malta inert, but additionally promoted kinder words and improved dialogue across the country — a diminishing of the ‘poison on people’s tongues’, so-to-speak.

It is said that the soon-to-be religious icon took refuge in a cave near Rabat, now referred to as St Paul’s Grotto, where he spent the winter months. It was from here the apostle began to teach the word of God, spreading Christianity across Malta during his visit. Most importantly, it was during this stay that he is said to have cured the father of Publius — the Roman overseer of Malta at that time — of a fever, an act that would lead Publius to convert to Christianity and formally establish the Catholic church on the island. Publius served as the island’s first Catholic bishop, with the Cathedral of Mdina said to stand on the site of his home.

These events formed the bedrock for Christianity in Malta, with Catholicism remaining the dominant and official religion of the country to this day. Indeed, this April sees His Holiness Pope Francis journey to Malta as part of an Apostolic Journey, his itinerary including visits to Valletta, Floriana, Rabat and the island of Gozo.

Easter is, of course, an important and widely celebrated festival for Christians. In the modern era, however, as with many other religious festivals such as Christmas, Santa Maria and the various saint days marked throughout the year, Easter is no longer purely the preserve of the devout. Since the industrial revolution, the role of religion in Western societies has gradually diminished, its once strong political and economic power base gradually replaced by a mainly societal and community-focused organisation. Similarly, its various festivities have inexorably evolved into predominantly cultural occasions, celebrated across a broad spectrum of society regardless of personal beliefs.
In Malta, this trend, while not as pronounced as in other Western countries — an EU survey published in 2019 reported that 83% of Malta’s population identified as Catholics (compared to only 7% in the UK the same year) — has nonetheless made its presence known. Despite this, however, Easter remains one of the most popular and widely celebrated religious festivals in Malta.