‘Beauty is one of the strongest means for encounter with God’

The Archbishop’s Delegate for Culture, MGR CLAUDE PORTELLI, has a mandate focused on interfaith dialogue and cultural exchange. Lara Zammit sits down with the delegate to find out more about his scope and mission.

LZ: As the Archbishop’s Delegate for Culture, what are the guiding principles behind the office you serve and what current and future projects does this have in store?

CP: Following in the footsteps of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, particularly the pavilion of the Holy See Venice Biennale in 2024, we are engaging with the cultural world beyond the institution.

Our office seeks to bridge faith and the arts as we foster collaboration, understanding, innovation and the navigation of our world through cultural practice.

The office is currently involved in the manning of the exhibition Silence Within Abundant Birdsong, which runs at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta until April 24.

Looking ahead, upcoming initiatives include the Jubilee of Hope Concert titled Pilgrims of Hope, in collaboration with the Opera Nova Project, one of our primary and larger initiatives, another visual arts exhibition as part of the Jubilee of Culture, Jubilee of Hope 2025, and a return of the Rooftop Series Concerts at the Catholic Institute, which after the success of last year, are set to take place this summer.

LZ: A new vision for the Catholic Institute in Floriana has been in development since 2023 with the aim of transforming this into a cultural hub. Can you elaborate on what this vision entails and what the future holds for this building?

CP: Since the office’s establishment in January 2023, one of its key remits has been the transformation of the Catholic Institute into a dynamic cultural space.

Mgr Claude Portelli

Over the past year, we have consulted with over 60 individuals and organisations from Malta’s arts and culture sector to listen to better understand the local sector’s needs – and our door remains open.

This process is part of the institutional renewal of the Catholic Institute, ensuring that the building evolves as a space for artistic and cultural dialogue.

LZ: The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture writes in its 2006 document ‘The Via Pulchritudinis, Way of Beauty’: “Beginning with the simple experience of the marvel-arousing meeting with beauty, the via pulchritudinis can open the pathway for the search for God and disposes the heart and spirit to meet Christ.” Is this way of evangelisation part of your office’s mission? Does an encounter with beauty offer us an opportunity to meet God, including those of us who have become disillusioned with the Church?

CP: Yes, the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture’s Via Pulchritudinis is indeed at the core of our mission. Archbishop Charles Scicluna has entrusted our office with the task of implementing and achieving this vision through cultural practice.

In fact, I think our approach is best explained in Evangelii Gaudum 167, which states: “We must be bold enough to discover new signs and new symbols, new flesh to embody and communicate the word, and different forms of beauty which are valued in different cultural settings, including those unconventional modes of beauty which may mean little to the evangelisers, yet prove particularly attractive for others.”

Beauty is one of the strongest means through which we encounter God. God is beauty Himself. Our office’s role is to create opportunities for people to engage with beauty. Ultimately, I believe, this can also be a path to a deeper spiritual connection with God.

Visit culture.church.mt for more information on the office of the Archbishop’s Delegate for Culture and to stay tuned for future projects and events.