Biblical Scholar
Born at Tarxien, the son of Emmanuel Sant and Maddalena née Penza. Carmelo was educated at the Lyceum and the RUM from where he graduated BA (1943), BD (1944), and LicD He was ordained priest in 1946 and in 1950 obtained his doctorate in divinity. Between 1947 and 1950 he studied Holy Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and later pursued further specialized biblical studies (1961-1964) and graduated D. Script.
Rev. Sant held the chair of Holy Scripture, Hebrew, and Greek at the RUM, succeeding his teacher, Professor P.P. Saydon* (1964-1977). For some time he also served as acting head of the department of Maltese and dean of the faculty of theology. He was examiner of Holy Scripture, Hebrew, Biblical and Classical Greek, Arabic, and Maltese at the university (1952-1980). Sant was also member of the Senate (1964-1978) and member of the Council of the university (1979-1980).
As a biblical scholar, Sant published several learned contributions dealing mainly with the history of the Maltese Bible. His most important contribution to biblical studies was the new translation of the Holy Bible, which he embarked on together with a few helpers in the early sixties. In 1958 he founded the G[aqda Biblika Maltija which has been fundamental to the popularization of the Bible among the Maltese.
A very active member of the Għaqda tal-Malti (Università), also during the difficult war years, Sant contributed papers and articles on the national language to several newspapers and learned journals. These bear witness to his interest and concern with the social position of Maltese as a means of education and social communication. He also carried out research on key figures in the history of the Maltese Bible translation, such as Mikiel Anton Vassalli* and Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi*.
Mgr. Sant was founder member of the Ecumenical Group (1965-1979), chaplain to the Pope (1969), canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of Malta (1977-1992), member of the Għaqda tal-Malti (1946-1947), the Akkademja tal-Malti (1942-1992), the Società Biblica Italiana (1954-1992), the Catholic Biblical Association of America (1964), and the Catholic Biblical Association of UK.
His publications include several biblical studies in local and foreign journals and specialist biblical books. He also contributed papers on various other subjects included the Maltese language.
Mgr. Carmelo Sant lived at Tarxien.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.