Noel Muscat - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Noel Muscat

The celebration of the 800 years of the stigmatisation of St. Francis on La Verna is an occasion ... more The celebration of the 800 years of the stigmatisation of St. Francis on La Verna is an occasion to reflect upon its significance in the writings of the Seraphic Doctor St. Bonaventure, particularly in the "Itinerarium mentis in Deum" (1259) and in the "Legenda Maior Sancti Francisci" (1263). The paper quotes various texts from the writings of Bonaventure which deal with his theology of the cross as applied to the stigmata of St. Francis.

It-triq li twassal minn Ġerusalemm għal Ġeriko tkopri distanza ta' xi 24 km. Wara li tgħaddi mill... more It-triq li twassal minn Ġerusalemm għal Ġeriko tkopri distanza ta' xi 24 km. Wara li tgħaddi mill-mina taħt il-Muntanja Scopus (826m) it-triq tibda nieżla lejn id-Deżert tal-Lhudija minn taħt l-insedjament Lhudi ta' Ma'aleh Adumim, lejn il-belt ta' Ġeriko (244m taħt il-livell tal-baħar) u lejn il-Baħar il-Mejjet (423m taħt il-livell tal-baħar). It-triq ġiet reċentement

Fil-kappella tad-dehra ta' Kristu irxoxtat lil Ommu Marija, magħrufa wkoll bħala l-kappella tas-S... more Fil-kappella tad-dehra ta' Kristu irxoxtat lil Ommu Marija, magħrufa wkoll bħala l-kappella tas-Sagrament, li hi proprjetà tal-Franġiskani tal-Kustodja tal-Art Imqaddsa, u li tinsab fiż-żona Latina jew Kattolika, fix-xaqliba tat-tramuntana tal-Edikola tal-Qabar ta' Kristu, f 'niċċa fil-ħajt bejn l-altar u l-bieb tal-bronż tal-kappella, l-insara jqimu parti minn kolonna tal-porfidu ta' lewn ħamrani skur. Għal ħafna sekli din il-kolonna hi meqjusa bħala relikwa prezzjuża għax magħha ġie marbut Ġesù fil-mument tal-flaġellazzjoni.

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture, 2023

The celebration of the 800 years of the Christmas celebration in Greccio on 25 December 1223 is t... more The celebration of the 800 years of the Christmas celebration in Greccio on 25 December 1223 is the object of this paper, which is simply a presentation of the Franciscan Sources that speak about the event, particularly the first among them, namely the "Vita beati Francisci" by Thomas of Celano. The paper has the aim of stimulating interest in further study and reading of the various scholarly contributions that have already been published in preparation for the event.

Spirit+Life, 2022

Saint Bonaventure wrote the "Legenda Maior Sancti Francisci" (1260-1263) as the official biograph... more Saint Bonaventure wrote the "Legenda Maior Sancti Francisci" (1260-1263) as the official biography of Saint Francis of Assisi. His work is the result of a thorough analysis of preceding Sources, but Bonaventure arranges the material in such a way as to present what he regarded as a faithful picture of Francis of Assisi which would be accepted by all the friars Minor during a moment of initial internal division within the Order. One of the thorniest problems among the brothers was the interpretation of the "Regula bullata" of 1223. Two Popes had already presented an official interpretation of it, namely Gregory IX in "Quo elongati" (1230) and Innocent IV in "Ordinem vestrum" (1245). The account by Bonaventure creates a balance between the inspirational dimension of the Franciscan Rule and the human context of the fraternity which welcomed it as its "forma vitae" in an Order which had evolved into one of the great religious families of the mendicant movement in the Church during the 13th century.

The Franciscan movement is widely known for its Christocentric spirituality. Francis of Assisi ch... more The Franciscan movement is widely known for its Christocentric spirituality. Francis of Assisi cherished profoundly the mysteries of Christ's life, especially the mystery of the Incarnation and the mystery of Redemption. Franciscan sanctuaries like Greccio and La Verna are living reminders of Francis' deep devotion to the humanity of Christ. They are like replicas of the Holy Places which Francis visited in 1219-1220, when he went to the Orient as a herald of evangelical peace.

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture [www.franciscanstudies.com\], 2022

For many centuries, until the liturgical reform brought about in the aftermath of the Second Vati... more For many centuries, until the liturgical reform brought about in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, the Friars Minor chanted a special divine office for the feast of St. Francis. This office was composed by Brother Julian of Speyer, a magister cantus in Paris. Julian wrote many parts of what is known as the "Officium Rhythmicum Sancti Francisci", the Rhymed Office of St. Francis, 1 dated c. 1235, for use in the university of Paris. Its use spread to the entire Franciscan Order, and was enriched by other compositions by eminent churchmen, such as Cardinals Thomas of Capua and Rainerio Capocci, as well as by Pope Gregory IX himself. This divine office is now a thing of the past, except for some elements that have been conserved in the current liturgical texts, and it is truly a pity that it is not sung any longer in Franciscan houses for the feast of St. Francis. Its liturgical texts are a treasure of poetry and music, since they were also accompanied by Gregorian chant, and merit a closer attention in order to be able to appreciate them and value them for what they were intended to be, namely, a fitting and solemn repertoire for the conventual liturgical ceremonies for the feast of the Seraphic Father St. Francis. 2 In this paper we intend to concentrate our attention solely upon the 5 antiphons of the first vespers for the feast of St. Francis, composed by Julian of Speyer, together with the antiphon of the Magnificat, also a composition of the "magister cantus", and the hymn "Proles de coelo prodiit", composed by Pope Gregory IX.

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture, 2022

The upcoming celebration of the 800 years since the confirmation of the Regula bullata of the fri... more The upcoming celebration of the 800 years since the confirmation of the Regula bullata of the friars Minor by Pope Honorius III (29th November 1223) will provide an occasion for a reflection upon the Franciscan Rule not only from the historical and spiritual viewpoint, but also from the aspect of how it expresses the identity of the friars Minor as envisaged in the intentio fundatoris of St. Francis of Assisi. The Regula bullata is not only the Rule that lies at the basis of the apostolica vivendi forma of the friars Minor. It is, in many ways, the foundational document of the apostolic way of life of all the Mendicant Orders born during the 13th century, as a new form of religious life in the Church. Although necessarily a Rule, and therefore a legally binding document, which was drafted with the help of expert canon lawyers, and under the guidance of Cardinal Ugo di Ostia, the Regula bullata does reflect the original inspiration of Francis of Assisi, who considered his calling and that of the brothers as a regula et vita based upon the commitment to the observance of the Gospel: sanctum Evangelium observare. This marks the identity of the friars Minor as it has been envisaged by Francis and codified by the Holy See, as a guarantee of catholicity.

John Duns Scotus and His Defence of the Immaculate Conception, 2000

This paper presents the treatise of the Subtle Doctor, Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. 1265 - 1308) ... more This paper presents the treatise of the Subtle Doctor, Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. 1265 - 1308) on the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It is based on the critical edition: DOCTORIS SUBTILIS ET MARIANI B. IOANNIS DUNS SCOTI, Ordinis Fratrum Minorum, Opera Omnia. Iussu et Auctoritate Rmi. P. Iacobi Bini, totius Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Minister Generalis, studio et cura Commissionis Scotisticae, ad fidem codicum edita. Vol. XX: Lectura in Librum Tertium Sententiarum: a distinctione prima ad decimam septimam. Distinctio III, Quaestio I: «Utrum Beata Virgo fuerit concepta in peccato originali», Civitas Vaticana, Typis Vaticanis MMIII, 119-138. It summarises the contents of the doctrine of Scotus and provides some bibliographical indications regarding the question of this Marian privilege and its defence by the Franciscans.

Saints Nikola Tavelić and Companions. Franciscan Martyrs in Jerusalem (1391). 50th Anniversary of their Canonisation, 2020

On 14 November 1391, a group of Franciscan friars, Nikola Tavelić from Šibenik (Dalmatia), Adeoda... more On 14 November 1391, a group of Franciscan friars, Nikola Tavelić from Šibenik (Dalmatia), Adeodat Aribert of Rodez, Peter of Narbonne, and Stefano da Cuneo, after having ventured to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque and then confronted the Cadi of Jerusalem on 11 November, and after enduring torture and imprisonment, were brutally killed by the mob at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, and their bodies burned. These four friars Minor resided in the friary of Mount Zion, founded in 1333 close to the Cenacle, where the Custody of the Holy Land was born in 1342. Their martyrdom was voluntary, and they were canonised only after 579 years, on 21 June 1970 by Pope Saint Paul VI. This paper commemorates these martyrs on the 50th anniversary of their canonisation, with the help of the documentation on their martyrdom, edited by the historian of the Custody, Fr. Girolamo Golubovich OFM, in volume 5 of the Biblioteca bio-biografica della Terra Santa e dell’Oriente Francescano (1927).

Key words

Martyrs - Jerusalem - Saracens - Canonisation

“Ad servitium et communem utilitatem fratrum”, 2016

Saint Francis of Assisi envisaged a new form of government in the Order of friars Minor. In a tim... more Saint Francis of Assisi envisaged a new form of government in the Order of friars Minor. In a time when the prevailing model was the monastic and Benedictine model of the abbot or prior as father and head of the community of monks, Francis introduced the figure of the minister and servant of the fraternity of brothers, calling him by various names, like “minister”, “custos”, “guardianus”. The Earlier Rule of 1221 is clear about the office of government in the Franciscan Order: “No one is to be called prior, but let everyone in general be called friars minor. And let one wash the feet of the other.” The model of government presented by Francis to the brothers is that of Christ who washes the feet of the disciples, thus accomplishing the duty of a slave and servant toward his master. The idea of serving is aptly expressed by the terms “minister et servus”, with which Francis indicated the office of those who were to govern the fraternity. The minister had the duty to be the “custos”, or custodian of the brothers, or, to use another term dear to Francis, that of being the “guardianus”, a term denoting the same meaning. The art of government is interpreted by Francis as being a “ministerium fratrum”, a ministry to the brothers.

Key words: minister, custos, guardian, servant, fraternity

Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is widely known as a man of peace and dialogue. In the turmoil of t... more Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) is widely known as a man of peace and dialogue. In the turmoil of the mediaeval world, marked by the political games between the imperial and papal powers, and threatened by the spreading of unorthodox heretical movements and by the ever-present menace of Islam, Saint Francis founded a family of brothers who would shape much of the social and religious framework of Europe and beyond for centuries. Indeed, Francis of Assisi remains a reminder of a person who embodied the true nature of that christianitas that shaped Europe and gave it its true identity. Whether or not this affirmation finds approval in the minds and hearts of contemporary Europeans is a matter of minor importance than the de facto contribution of Christianity for the formation of a community of nations governed by the values of democracy and freedom. Born in a wealthy family of merchants, imbued with the crusading spirit typical of his age, educated in the culture of chivalry and amour courtois, Francis also became aware of the evils of social divide between maiores and minores. He respected the nature of a hierarchic Church and society, the feudal bonds between nobles and serfs, but he responded with enthusiasm to alter all this through a movement in which the ones who govern were to be called ministri and custodes, in a spirit of freedom of expression, of sharing of goods and resources, of free movement unparalleled in the history of Christianity.

Key words: Franciscans, Crusades, Mission, Sultan, Holy Land.

Did Saint Francis visit Cyprus in 1219-1220?, 2019

The celebrations of the 800 years of the journey of Saint Francis to the East, where he was prese... more The celebrations of the 800 years of the journey of Saint Francis to the East, where he was present during the siege of Damietta during the Fifth Crusade, and where he met Sultan al-Malek al-Kamel of Egypt, have aroused interest in the journey that Francis took by sea from Italy to Acre. The normal stop-overs for Crusader ships to the East included two Mediterranean Islands, namely Crete, with the port of Chania, and Cyprus, with the ports of Paphos and Limassol. Did Saint Francis stop in these places on his outbound journey or during his return journey to Italy? The paper examines this possibility, with the help of some Franciscan sources and the opinions of scholars, in the light of the later Franciscan presence, particularly in Cyprus. The paper was presented at the University of Nicosia as part of the celebrations of the 800 years of Franciscan presence in the Holy Land, which were held in Cyprus in May 2019.

Key words: Cyprus, Crusades, Journey, Holy Land.

Spirit+Life, 2011

In the cycle of frescoes by Giotto in the upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, where the li... more In the cycle of frescoes by Giotto in the upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, where the life of Saint Francis according to the Legenda Maior of Saint Bonaventure is depicted, we are struck by the image of Francis who lays off his clothes in front of bishop Guido of Assisi, and hands them over to his father Pietro di Bernardone, remaining naked in the hands of the Father in heaven. This is probably the most beautiful image of Francis who becomes a new man in his conformity to Christ, the new Adam, who restores the beauty and innocence to the first Adam, with whom the entire humankind was in a state of solidarity in sin. In the naked Francis at the beginning of his conversion, and in the naked dead Francis lying on the naked earth after having celebrated his “last supper” with the brothers, we have one of the clearest examples of the restoration of the image and likeness of God in sinful man, in Adam expelled from Paradise, who becomes a new man when he finds the true tree of life in the cross of Christ, the new Adam, and regains his lost dignity, and who lives the paschal experience of death and resurrection, celebrated in the mystery of the supper that the Lord shared with his disciples on Holy Thursday.

Key words: Adam, Saint Francis, Last Supper.

Francesco esemplificazione della “Theologia Crucis” di Bonaventura, in Doctor Seraphicus, Bollettino d’informazioni del Centro di Studi Bonaventuriani, (Anno LII: La “Theologia Crucis” di Bonaventura e la sua attualità), Maggio 2005, 55-77., 2005

This paper has been published under the title «Francesco esemplificazione della “Theologia Crucis... more This paper has been published under the title «Francesco esemplificazione della “Theologia Crucis” di Bonaventura», in "Doctor Seraphicus", Bollettino d’informazioni del Centro di Studi Bonaventuriani, (Anno LII: La “Theologia Crucis” di Bonaventura e la sua attualità), Maggio 2005, 55-77. The theme of the theology of the cross in the life of Saint Francis has been further studied in more recent publications (Il “Verbum crucifixum”: un termine risolutivo della “theologia crucis” di s. Bonaventura?, in Doctor Seraphicus 52 (2005) 79-114). The present paper deals especially with the notion of "Verbum Crucifixum" in the theology of the Seraphic Doctor Saint Bonaventure, and its application to the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Books by Noel Muscat

La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa. Liber I, Fructus VIII, 2015

2015, La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa.... more 2015, La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa. Liber I, Fructus VIII

Bartolomeo da Pisa nacque a Rinonico, presso Pisa, verso il 1335 ed entrò nell'Ordine dei frati Minori a Pisa nel 1352. Prima del 1373 aveva conseguito il titolo accademico di baccelliere a Pisa, e divenne lector nei vari centri di studio dell'Ordine, particolarmente a Padova e a Firenze. Nel 1373 fu mandato dal capitolo generale di Tolosa a Cambridge, per conseguire il titolo di magister in teologia, ma a causa della Guerra dei Cento Anni non potè andare in Inghilterra. Dopo aver concluso i suoi studi a Bologna, Bartolomeo conseguì il titolo di magister da Papa Gregorio XI nel 1375. Il 2 agosto 1399 Bartolomeo presentò al capitolo generale dei Minori, radunato ad Assisi, il suo capolavoro voluminoso, intitolato "De Conformitate Vitæ Beati Francisci ad Vitam Domini Iesu". Il volume fu approvato dallo stesso capitolo. Il “De Conformitate" è una vasta compilazione, nella quale Bartolomeo elenca 40 doppie conformità tra la vita di Gesù e quella di San Francesco. L'idea base del "De Conformitate" fu espressa come un bisogno di sequela e imitazione di Cristo da parte di Francesco e dei suoi compagni. Durante il tempo della prima generazione monolitica, e particolarmente nelle fonti francescane che dipendono dalla "Legenda Maior" di San Bonaventura e la seguono in ordine cronologico, la nozione di conformità divenne una certezza che, tra tutti i santi, San Francesco era unico nel suo essere vicino a Cristo in modo tale che divenne, se non identico, certamente conforme a lui. Abbiamo scelto di tradurre l'ottavo frutto e conformità, intitolato "Iesum cœtus prosequitur - Franciscus fecundatur" per l'importanza che investe nella compilazione sui primi compagni di San Francesco e sulle prima generazioni di frati Minori sparsi nelle diverse provincie dell'Ordine.

Parole chiavi: Conformità, Compagni di S. Francesco.

La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa. Liber I, Fructus VIII, 2015

Bartolomeo da Pisa nacque a Rinonico, presso Pisa, verso il 1335 ed entrò nell'Ordine dei frati M... more Bartolomeo da Pisa nacque a Rinonico, presso Pisa, verso il 1335 ed entrò nell'Ordine dei frati Minori a Pisa nel 1352. Prima del 1373 aveva conseguito il titolo accademico di baccelliere a Pisa, e divenne lector nei vari centri di studio dell'Ordine, particolarmente a Padova e a Firenze. Nel 1373 fu mandato dal capitolo generale di Tolosa a Cambridge, per conseguire il titolo di magister in teologia, ma a causa della Guerra dei Cento Anni non potè andare in Inghilterra. Dopo aver concluso i suoi studi a Bologna, Bartolomeo conseguì il titolo di magister da Papa Gregorio XI nel 1375. Il 2 agosto 1399 Bartolomeo presentò al capitolo generale dei Minori, radunato ad Assisi, il suo capolavoro voluminoso, intitolato "De Conformitate Vitæ Beati Francisci ad Vitam Domini Iesu". Il volume fu approvato dallo stesso capitolo. Il “De Conformitate" è una vasta compilazione, nella quale Bartolomeo elenca 40 doppie conformità tra la vita di Gesù e quella di San Francesco. L'idea base del "De Conformitate" fu espressa come un bisogno di sequela e imitazione di Cristo da parte di Francesco e dei suoi compagni. Durante il tempo della prima generazione monolitica, e particolarmente nelle fonti francescane che dipendono dalla "Legenda Maior" di San Bonaventura e la seguono in ordine cronologico, la nozione di conformità divenne una certezza che, tra tutti i santi, San Francesco era unico nel suo essere vicino a Cristo in modo tale che divenne, se non identico, certamente conforme a lui. Abbiamo scelto di tradurre l'ottavo frutto e conformità, intitolato "Iesum cœtus prosequitur - Franciscus fecundatur" per l'importanza che investe nella compilazione sui primi compagni di San Francesco e sulle prima generazioni di frati Minori sparsi nelle diverse provincie dell'Ordine.

Parole chiavi: Conformità, Compagni di S. Francesco.

"Melita Illyrica" and "Melita Africana". The Islands of Saint Paul, 2018

On a cold early morning in November AD 60, a group of natives on a Mediterranean island buffeted ... more On a cold early morning in November AD 60, a group of natives on a Mediterranean island buffeted for a number of days by a strong ENE gale, saw the shipwreck of a large Roman grain ship at the entrance to a bay with a beach, on a reef described as “a place between two seas”. The ship was carrying a total of 276 souls, between crew and passengers. It had left the bay of Fair Havens in Crete some 14 days earlier, in order to seek shelter further west along the south coast of the island in the port of Phoenix. While rounding Cape Matala it suddenly got caught in a strong gale blowing down from the mountain mass of Psiloritis (Mount Ida), and it could not face the storm. Its only direction was the dreaded stretch of the Syrtis Banks off the North African coast. After some time, the ship found a temporary shelter under the cliffs of the islet of Gavdos, but only for the time necessary to prepare it to face the full onslaught of the gale. Among the persons travelling aboard the vessel was Paul of Tarsus, imprisoned after being accused of sedition by the Jews of Jerusalem, and obliged to appeal his case to Caesar in Rome. Together with his companion Luke, who wrote the account of the fateful journey, Paul was to experience the dangers of the open sea, but was also convinced that God would not abandon him and his companions. They were to be shipwrecked on an island. After 14 days and nights they made land safe and sound in an unknown spot on an island called Melíte. It was to provide a safe haven for them for three winter months until they could resume their journey to Rome. Welcomed warmly by the natives, Paul soon became famous as a wonder worker, by avoiding sudden death after having handled a poisonous viper while throwing brushwood on a fire, and by healing the father of Publius, the chief man, or Roman governor of the island, and many of the other islanders.
The famous story of Paul’s shipwreck on Melíte is the pride of two islands having similar names, namely Mljet in the Adriatic, off the Dalmatian coast of Dubrovnik (Mélita Illyrica), and Malta in the centre of the Mediterranean, some 80 km. to the south of Sicily (Mélita Africana). Which was the island that welcomed Paul and was evangelised by the Apostle of the Gentiles? Which of the two was the island on which Paul was shipwrecked?
Biblical exegesis has always pointed to Malta as the most probable spot of the shipwreck. But the traditions of Mljet as the island of St. Paul have never ceased to be defended by proud Croatians like the Benedictine monk Ignjat Đurđević, who found staunch opposition from the Maltese Catholic tradition upheld by the Knights of the Order of St. John.
This study is the result of the fraternal initiative of two Franciscan friars, one Croatian, the other one Maltese, who together have visited and studied these islands, and whose close collaboration as a writer and photographer has produced these pages. This is no scholarly work of Biblical exegesis or historical erudition. It is simply the work of two Franciscan brothers and friends, who love their respective countries: the lush green forests of the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and the barren sun-drenched rocky cliffs of Malta, set against the deep blue of the Mediterranean sea and sky.

Key words: Shipwreck, Islands, Mljet, Malta, Journey, Apostle, Natives, Viper.

In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence, 2012

“In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence” is an English translation of the Latin original mediev... more “In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence” is an English translation of the Latin original medieval sources for the Portiuncula Indulgence, which Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) requested from Pope Honorius III in 1216 for the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, known as the Portiuncula, close to Assisi. The most important source among these documents is the “Tractatus de Indulgentia Portiunculae” by Brother Francis Bartholi of Assisi, composed in 1334-1335 in defence of the Indulgence against its detractors. Hence the title “In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence”.

Key words: Portiuncula, Indulgence, Franciscans.

Arnald of Sarrant, Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Generals of the Order of Friars Minor (1369-1374). English Translation by Noel Muscat, Franciscan Friars, Malta, 2010

The Chronicle of the 24 Ministers General presents the history of the Order of Friars Minor from ... more The Chronicle of the 24 Ministers General presents the history of the Order of Friars Minor from its foundation by Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) to the General Leonard of Giffoni and the beginning of the Western Schism (1378). This translation is the fruit of three years of work, and is based on the Latin critical edition.The Chronicle was published in Latin by the Franciscan scholars and Quaracchi editors in 1897, in Volume 3 of "Analecta Franciscana", and covers 575 pages of text, plus 134 pages of appendices. Because of its voluminous nature, the entire Chronicle has been translated in 5 sections covering respectively the following historical periods: (1) Saint Francis and the early Franciscan fraternity; (2) The Generals from Brother Elias as vicar (1227) to Saint Bonaventure (1274); (3) The Generals from Jerome of Ascoli (1274) to Michael of Cesena (1328); (4) The Generals from Gerard Eudes (1329) to Leonard of Giffoni (1378); (5) Appendices to the Chronicle. The translation is enriched by footnotes, and explanations on the various historical events narrated and on the personages of the Chronicle.

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture, 2023

Spirit+Life, 2022

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture [www.franciscanstudies.com\], 2022

Spirit+Life. Review of Franciscan Culture, 2022

John Duns Scotus and His Defence of the Immaculate Conception, 2000

Saints Nikola Tavelić and Companions. Franciscan Martyrs in Jerusalem (1391). 50th Anniversary of their Canonisation, 2020

Key words

Martyrs - Jerusalem - Saracens - Canonisation

“Ad servitium et communem utilitatem fratrum”, 2016

Key words: minister, custos, guardian, servant, fraternity

Key words: Franciscans, Crusades, Mission, Sultan, Holy Land.

Did Saint Francis visit Cyprus in 1219-1220?, 2019

Key words: Cyprus, Crusades, Journey, Holy Land.

Spirit+Life, 2011

Key words: Adam, Saint Francis, Last Supper.

La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa. Liber I, Fructus VIII, 2015

Parole chiavi: Conformità, Compagni di S. Francesco.

La Famiglia Feconda di Francesco d'Assisi nel "De Conformitate Vitæ" di Bartolomeo da Pisa. Liber I, Fructus VIII, 2015

Parole chiavi: Conformità, Compagni di S. Francesco.

"Melita Illyrica" and "Melita Africana". The Islands of Saint Paul, 2018

Key words: Shipwreck, Islands, Mljet, Malta, Journey, Apostle, Natives, Viper.

In Defence of the Portiuncula Indulgence, 2012

Key words: Portiuncula, Indulgence, Franciscans.

Arnald of Sarrant, Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Generals of the Order of Friars Minor (1369-1374). English Translation by Noel Muscat, Franciscan Friars, Malta, 2010

The Abuse of Concelebration, 2020

The ancient practice of concelebration of Mass was revived by the Second Vatican Council, and has... more The ancient practice of concelebration of Mass was revived by the Second Vatican Council, and has become the standard manner of celebrating the Eucharist on many occasions and in many communities, since it is a beautiful expression of ecclesial communion around the same table of the Word and Eucharist. At the same time, concelebration has been misinterpreted and abused to the point of losing its pristine richness and significance. The short paper examines the abuses that have crept into the practice of concelebration.