The police are investigating a priest who allegedly stole a ‘relic’ from a church in Senglea last Saturday.

Fr Andrew Borg allegedly stole a silk beret that is considered by many as a relic of St Philip Neri from the sacristy of the church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, following a religious service.

When contacted, a Curia spokesperson said on Tuesday the priest has been put on administrative leave while procedures are ongoing.

“The archdiocese has been informed that a member of the clergy was questioned by the police in relation to an alleged theft at the Porto Salvo church in Senglea,” the spokesperson said.

The beret, which was enclosed in a glass box and exhibited in the sacristy of the church, dates back to the early 1900s and came in contact with a relic of St Philip Neri, who was born in Florence in the 16th century and declared a saint in 1622.

On Saturday, after delivering a religious service, Fr Borg allegedly left the sacristy with a bag containing the glass box with the beret in it, placed it in his car and went to have dinner with a group of people who had just attended the religious service.

An individual at the church realised the artefact was missing and immediately alerted the Salesians, who run the church.

Sources said the beret was found in the car shortly afterwards and a report was filed with the police.

Fr Borg, who was in charge of a small church in Ħamrun, popularly known as Tas-Samra, has been relieved of his role.

The pastoral care has now been entrusted to the archpriest of St Cajetan parish, the Curia spokesperson said.

“Meanwhile, the priest has been offered access to the support structures made available by the archdiocese to clergy.

“The archdiocese has also extended its full cooperation to the authorities.”

Multiple complaints

Times of Malta is aware that the Curia received multiple complaints about Fr Borg over the past years, mostly over misconduct and insubordination.

Several sources noted that his behaviour was frequently irrational and his actions considered absurd and illogical, indicating he needs help.

Fr Borg is no stranger to controversy. In a comment on Facebook last November, he had described pro-choice, then-PN election candidate Emma Portelli Bonnici as a “satanist, murderer and butcher”.

Portelli Bonnici filed a complaint with the police, which she later withdrew after the Curia asked Fr Borg to remove the comment and after he had publicly apologised to her.

Times of Malta attempted to reach Fr Borg for comments on the phone, via Facebook and text message to no avail by the time of writing.

The Salesians were also contacted but preferred not to comment. The police said they cannot confirm or deny whether they were investigating. 

The incident happens just a few weeks after the parish priest of Marsaxlokk, Fr Luke Seguna, was taken to court and faced charges of misappropriating half a million euros over a 10-year span.

The Church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo in Senglea. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Is it a relic?

The beret was always considered and venerated as a third-class relic because it was in contact with the body of the saint or with objects and clothes that he owned.

That is, until 2017, when the Vatican issued new rules that technically stripped the artefact of the sanctity of a relic.

Up until 2017, the Catholic Church had three classifications for relics.

Parts of the body of the saint were considered as first-class relics. Objects or clothes which the saint wore or frequently used were considered as second-class relics. And any other object that was in contact with a first or second-class relic was considered a third-class relic.

But, in 2017, the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican abolished third-class relics, reserving the title to parts of the saints’ body and their possessions.

Nonetheless, many devotees see the beret as no less than an authentic relic of their saint.

Up until a few decades ago, the black beret, or as it is sometimes known, the biretta, was part of any priest’s attire. St Philip Neri probably wore it a lot in his day.

The church of Porto Salvo contains another, even-more venerated, relic of St Philip Neri: a post-mortem mask that was shaped out of wax on the saint’s face a few moments after he died.