'Beware the vipers that can slither among us,' archbishop warns

Updated 7.10pm

Archbishop Charles Scicluna marked the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck by praying that the Maltese "shake off the viper that may creep in among us" urging them to be agents of truth, not lies. 

Delivering a homily at the packed Collegiate Church of St Paul the Shipwrecked in Valletta on Tuesday, Scicluna focused on how Paul freed himself from the venomous viper, a dangerous animal which, before, was seen as an "instrument of justice" and was meant to lead to the death of a "murderer".

“Yet we see that Paul’s reaction is not dramatic; he simply shakes the viper off in the fire. The fact that nothing happens to him shows us that the viper is an agent of false accusations,” he said.

He said the viper is instead an image of hasty judgments, and of the poison of words that can destroy a person's reputation.

"For these two thousand years, we have always understood the viper as a slanderous accusation, that the Apostle who brought us life should be made out to be a murderer, and he shakes the viper into the fire," he continued. 

"Let us remember this viper when we speak to each other. It may be that my judgement is not according to the truth, and if I am not sure, I should remain silent. We need to learn from St Paul's viper to be agents of the truth and not agents of lies."

The Archbishop said the great tragedy is that the Maltese first thought the snake was an instrument of justice, but by Paul shaking it into the fire, it revealed it was an agent of injustice.

"The choice is in our hands."

From left, PN leader Alex Borg President Myriam Spiteri Debono, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti present during Tuesday's mass. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

He also read out a poem by Dun Karm Psaila, who recounts the moment the saint arrived on the Maltese shores. He said the national poet recounts how Paul and the 276 other people on the ship were met by the kindness and hospitality of the Maltese.

The President of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg led the congregation. 

Following Mass, a traditional march by the National Philharmonic Valletta band society took place along the main streets of Valletta. 

Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg greeting people outside the Collegiate Church of St Paul the Shipwrecked in Valletta on Tuesday. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

'Baptism of our religion'

On Tuesday, Beltin and Maltese alike came together to celebrate the feast of the shipwreck of St Paul in the capital, marking one of the most important feasts in the local Catholic calendar. 

While the day is commemorated as a national public holiday and celebrated in different localities across the islands, one of the main events for St Paul’s Shipwreck happens in Valletta, where a Mass is celebrated, followed by street celebrations and a procession with the statue in the early evening.

One devotee, Maria Borg, described the feast to Times of Malta as "a baptism of our religion." 

“It is a feast for the Maltese and reminds us of our love and devotion to our religion, and is a beautiful feast.”

Maestro Hermann Farrugia Frantz, who conducted the Orchestra Cappella Bel Canto during Tuesday’s mass at the Collegiate Church of St Paul the Shipwrecked, said the feast tied the Maltese together and reminded them of their roots, culture and religious background. 

For Fausto Marmara, this is not just a feast for Valletta residents but for the nation as a whole, especially those with a strong sense of faith.

Born and raised in Valletta and married for over 60 years, Carmen and Joe Verzin described St Paul’s as the most beautiful feast on the island. 

“This feast is not just for Valletta, but for the nation, as it shows your faith towards St Paul.”

St Paul's Day marked by a full gun salute at Noon. Photo: Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna

At Noon, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna fired a full gun salute from the Saluting Battery in Valletta, renewing a centuries-old tradition when major religious feasts used to be commemorated with artillery salutes fired from Malta’s fortifications.

Historically, more than 100 religious occasions were marked in this way, although by 1824 the number was reduced to 24, with a slight increase in later years.

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna revived this historic practice in 2004 following its restoration of the Saluting Battery and has since reinstated the firing of two full-gun salutes annually, held on St Paul’s Day and Victory Day on September 8.

The procession with the statue of St Paul finally got underway an hour later than planned due to rain. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The highlight of the feast was the much anticipated procession with the statue of St Paul through the streets of Valletta, which had to be postponed by one hour until a downpour eased.