Father Alexandru-George Popescu, the parish priest of the Romanian Orthodox community in Valletta, was received on August 7 by Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, the President of Malta, at the San Anton Presidential Palace.

The President graciously accepted the invitation to attend the ten-year anniversary of the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Valletta, which will be celebrated with a service officiated by Bishop Siluan of Italy on September 29, 2024.

During the meeting, Father Popescu presented the President of Malta with an icon of Saint George the Trophy-bearer, to whom Her Excellency expressed great devotion.

“This year, under the patronage of the President, the children of our community will perform several Christmas carol concerts at various schools in Malta,” Father Alexandru-George Popescu told Basilica.ro.

Romanian children traditionally carol the Maltese presidential family during Christmas, and this year, they have been invited to sing carols for the entire presidency staff in the Russian Chapel of the Presidential Palace.

The chapel of the Presidential Palace in Valletta is where Queen Marie of Romania and her mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, once prayed. The chapel once served as a place of worship for Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and her daughter, the future Queen Marie of Romania.

Queen Marie, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Tsar Alexander II of Russia, first arrived in Malta when she was 11 years old. In the “Story of My Life,” the sovereign calls Malta “the paradise of our childhood” and San Anton Palace a “beloved place.”

Romanians in Malta

The relationship between the Romanian Orthodox community in Malta and the presidential institution is special: the children from the parish have already sung Christmas carols in Romanian, Maltese, and English at the Presidential Palace twice.

Last year, former President George Vella and First Lady Miriam Vella attended the Agape Vespers on Easter at the Romanian church in Valletta. The former president has repeatedly stated that Romanians are an example of integration into Maltese society.

The former president has repeatedly stated that Romanians are an example of integration into Maltese society.

Miriam and I enjoyed a lovely performance by Romanian Orthodox children living in Malta singing traditional Christmas carols in Maltese, English and Romanian at San Anton Palace. In a few words, I stressed that this is the way we like to see integration happening in Malta. pic.twitter.com/QJ2wmQwvfb

— George Vella (@GeorgeVellaMT) December 22, 2022

Father Alexandru-George Popescu explained that there are 2,300 Romanian residents in Malta, as well as many who come and go as temporary workers: “We also have 500 Bessarabians in our community. We also have Maltese, Polish, and German converts. The services are bilingual, in Romanian and English, with some litanies occasionally in Slavonic.”

The Romanian Orthodox Church in the Maltese capital was offered free of charge by the local Roman Catholic Archdiocese. “They help us a lot,” says the parish priest from Valletta. “Also, His Excellency Lino Bianco, the former Maltese ambassador to Romania, has been a valuable support for the Romanian community in Malta.”

About Malta

In the Acts of the Apostles chapter 28, Malta is mentioned when St. Paul’s shipwreck occurred on the island. Scripture states that the inhabitants “showed unusual kindness,” and the Apostle of the Gentiles performed miracles in this land.

“Pilgrims who choose Malta will find 365 churches, an icon painted by St. Luke the Apostle, the right hand of St. Paul the Apostle, the catacombs of St. Paul and St. Agatha, and a part of the column from Rome where St. Paul was beheaded,” said Father Popescu.

The Romanian Orthodox Parish of Valletta, dedicated to the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, is hosted by St. Rocco Church on St. Ursula Street. Father Alexandru-George Popescu occasionally serves at S. Enrico Mizzi in Ir-Rabat (Victoria) on the island of Gozo.

You can contact the parish on its Facebook page.

Photo: Facebook / Popescu George-Alexandru

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