Founder of the Cana Movement

Born in Gżira Vella, the son of Emmanuel Vella and Filomena née Borg was educated at St Aloysius College, the Seminary, the Venerable Bede English College, Rome, and the Gregorian Ponti-fical University, Rome (1948-1955). He also studied social studies at Loyola University, Chicago (1955-1956) and was trained as counsellor and psychotherapist at the Family Institute, Chicago. Vella was ordained priest in Rome in 1954 and the same year he founded the Cana Movement for family life education, marriage preparation, counselling, and social family work. He was press officer of Diocesan Curia (1956-1962), assistant general secretary Pauline Centenary celebrations (1958-1960), member, Broadcasting Authority (1961-1962), and Religious Broadcasting Organizer (1963-1974).

Vella was involved in the international field in family social work, particularly in developing countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, the Philippines, and India. Between 1976 and 1986 he was director of the International Centre for Family Studies at Milan where he founded the monthly review Famiglia Oggi.  

In 1986 Vella joined the Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele at Milan as assistant to the president for social relations and general co-ordinator for ethics. He was also appointed lecturer in bioethics and member of various bioethics committees. He was consultant to the UN for ageing and the family, member-founder of the International Family Secretariat, a UN non-governmental organization, and of the International Confederation of Christian Family Movement (ICCFM), chairperson of the National Committee for the International Year of the Family (Malta), Consultant of the Pontifical Family Commission of the Holy See.

Vella was appointed consultant to Malta’s ministry on social policy, family policy and ethics and vice-president of the Maltese Foundation of Science and Medical Services. Vella was the chairman of the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Social Policy (1991-1992), chairman of the Commission for Poverty and Marginalization (1990), and representative of Malta’s Government at CAHBI (ad hoc committee of experts on the progress in biomedical sciences).

Fr Charles was Director of CISF (international Centre for Family Studies ) in Milano from 1974 to 1984, representative of Malta in the Council of Europe as Chair of the Family and Social Policy, and he founded Marriage Counselling Centres, trained Marriage Counsellors in Italy and started the Etics Committes in Italy.

Mgr Charles Vella was appointed officer of the National Order of Merit (U.O.M.) (1994), and domestic prelate by John Paul II (1995). In 2008 Vella was honoured by the mayor of Naples with the Golden Medal of Naples. He was awarded by the President of Italy, Oscar Salfaro, the Medal of Merit, was Hon. Canon of Prato and Lublin, Poland, Hon. Causa of the Univerity of Slovenia, and Prelate of the Knights of St John (Russian Legacy).

He has published several articles in Maltese and international journals. He was member of the editorial board of KOS (Review for Medicine and Ethics) and the Cambridge Quarterly and co-ordinating editor of the journal Sanare Infirmos (Milan).

Mgr Charles Vella died at Mater Dei Hospital aged 89. The funeral took place at St Gregory Parish church, Sliema.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.