The presence of the Order of St
Lazarus in Malta was a relatively late occurrence. There is no evidence
of any leprosaria being extant in Malta during the Medieval Period,
though reference has been made to the possibility of the Hospital of St
Francis at Rabat, Malta [subsequently renamed to Santo Spirito
Hospital] having been initially established as a leprosarium . No
documentary proof has however been found to substantiate this
assertion. The hospitalis Sanctj
Franciscj, situated outside the
Medieval walls of Mdina, is known to have been definitely in existence
by 1372 and probably by 1347. It may in fact have been extant as far
back as 1299. The hospital was managed by members of the Franciscan
Order.
The post 15th century continuous conflict between the Order of St John
and the Order of St Lazarus would have definitely precluded any form of
presence of the latter Order after the Maltese Islands were ceded to
the Order of St
John in 1530. This however did not exclude the temporary presence on
the Islands
of Knights belonging to the Orders of St John and also of St
Lazarus. The fortunes of the Order of St Lazarus during the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries similarly precluded a presence
on the Islands. The Order of St. Lazarus in the Maltese owes its
presence in the Maltese Islands to the traditional Anglo-Maltese links
established during the nineteenth and twentieth century and dates only
to the latter third of the twentieth century. In the mid-1960s, a
number of Maltese individuals, including Sir Hannibal P. Scicluna,
Colonel J.V. Abela, Chev. Elias Zammit, Chev. Anthony Miceli-Farrugia,
Prof. Dr. J.V.
Zammit-Maempel and Chev. Robert Biasini dei Conti Stagno Navarra, were
admitted
to the Order.
The Maltese members of the Order soon established their own Independent
Commandery of Malta. This commandery, on the 15th April 1969,
was
raised
to the status of a priory with the title of Priory of Malta. The Roll
of
Member of the Order published in 1969 includes 17 Maltese members among
a
list of 500 members. The Priory of Malta continued to increase its
membership
and promotions; and was elevated to the status of Grand Priory of the
Maltese
Islands after the Order established its Chancery in Malta in
1973 with
the
head of the jurisdiction being Col. J.V. Abela. By 1983, the Grand
Priory
of Malta was represented by 55 members. The officers of the Grand
Priory
included
Judge W.D. Harding serving as Grand Prior; Biasini dei Conti Stagno
Navarra
– Prior; Major F.E. Critien – Vice Chancellor; R.S. Attard – Receiver
General;
A. Miceli-Farrugia – Convener Admissions Ceremony; Prof. J.V.
Zammit-Maempel – Hospitaller. Senior Chaplains included Rev. Mons. I.
Sciberras-Psaila, Rev.
Canon E. Ghigo, and Rev. Canon F. Perici; while Rev. Canon E. Galea
served
as Chaplain.
The Malta Grand Priory and its members have furthermore been
particularly active in the general affairs of the Order with Maltese
members holding high posts in the central government. In 1969, Sir
Hannibal Publius Scicluna was appointed Grand Chancellor of the Order
assisted by Elias Zammit as Secretary General and Anthony Zammit as
Secretary. In 1972, Sir. H.P. Scicluna occupied the post of Grand
Capitulator, while Chev. J. Amato Gauci occupied the post of Chancellor
& Secretary General, also acting as Grand Custodian. In 1973, Chev
J. Amato Gauci was appointed to the post of Grand Chancellor &
Custodian besides serving as Keeper of the Seal, a post held until 1986
when he served as Grand Commander & Grand Inquisitor. In
1994, other Maltese high dignitaries of the Order included: Chev Joseph
Amato Gauci [b.1909 d.1995 served as Grand Chancellor & Grand
Custodian (1973-1986); and as
Grand Commander & Grand Inquisitor (1986-1995)]; Chev R.S. Attard
[Grand
Chancellor]; Chev Dr. Jaime H. Cremona [Grand Hospitaller] and Chev R.
Flores
Martin [Grand Cross Bearer, subsequently served as Vice-Grand
Chancellor]. In 2005, the fraction aligned to the French Prince
Charles-Philippe was also represented by Maltese high dignitaries
including: H.E. Reginald Saviour Attard
[President of Supreme Council & Grand Vicar]; H.E. Helen Meli
Attard
[Grand Custodian, Administrator & Advisor to Grand Chancellor].
Anthony
Buttigieg de Piro also previously served as a Member of the Supreme
Council.
The Priory of Malta hosted the Grand Magistral Council held in Malta on
the
3rd-5th October 1969 during which its members participated actively.
The
Delegations attending the Council were received by His Grace the
Archbishop
and Metropolitan of Malta and His Coadjutor Bishop Gerada at the Curia.
The Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands gave a hospitaller contribution
to both the Maltese leper community and to overseas leper communities
particularly in Kenya and Egypt. It regularly organized social events
for the Maltese leper
community and contributed funds to assist in the treatment of lepers
overseas
where the disease is still highly prevalent. The Grand Priory of the
Maltese Islands
also
contributed further to other worthy causes such as institutions for the
handicapped
in Malta such as Dar il-Providenza and Razzett tal-Hbiberija, as well
as
the Youth Institution St Francis Ravelin. On the 13th May 1973,
the
Grand Priory of Malta donated an ambulance to the Hospital of St
Catherine
of Siena at Attard. This ambulance had been obtained from the
Commandery of
Lochore, Scotland through the agency of Messrs. Chalmers and Hardie.
The 47th
Grandmaster Prince Francesco Enrique de Borbon, in Malta at the time
for
the occasion of the inauguration of the Grand Chancery at Castello
Lanzun, made the formal presentation. The hospital, now functioning as
a home for the elderly, was again visited by HRH Don Francisco de
Borbon y Escasany, Duke of Seville, 48th Grandmaster in September 2001
when the Grandmaster visited
Malta to take command as Commander of the Commandery of the Castello.
The Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands was not spared the general
division in the Order’s management. In 2004, the Grand Priory of the
Maltese Islands broke off its allegiance to the H.R.H. Don Francisco de
Paula de Borbón y Escasany, Duke of Seville 48th Grandmaster
Elect of the Malta Obedience and joined the branch led by the Grand
Vicar Chev. R.S.R. Attard, whose enforced retirement from the
post of Grand Chancellor in 2003 was one of the contentions for which
the division took place.
In November 2004, two
philanthropic groups were affiliated
to the latter Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands. These included the
Special Rescue Group – Saint Lazarus Corps who are trained to deliver
assistance to people in distress during individual or national
emergencies; and the Step-by-Step Foundation which assists in the
therapy of children suffering
from impaired cerebral function. In April 2005, the Grand Priory
obtained the consent of the Archpriest and the
Collegiate
Chapter to adopt the Basilica of St George at Rabat, Gozo as the
spiritual
seat of the Grand Priory. The Basilica was the collegiate church for
the
Confraternity of St Lazarus and of Charity [est 1620] and houses a
dedicated
altar to St Lazarus embellished by a 17th century painting by Giuseppe
D’Arena.
The
Grand Priory also restored an earlier 17th century painting
depicting
St Lazarus kept in the sacristy of the Basilica. The Basilica also
houses
a monument to Mgr Joseph Pace [Bishop of Gozo: 1945-1972] who was a
past
honorary Grand Cross of Merit of the Order.
The demise of the Grand Vicar Chev. R.S.R. Attard in 2006 left a void
in the
leadership of the branch led by him and following negotiations, the
Grand Priory
opted to reaffiliate itself to the Order led by Grandmaster H.R.H. Don Francisco de
Paula de Borbón y Escasany, Duke of Seville.
