The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Malta
This page contains a list of the greatest Maltese Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 2,238 Religious Figures, 4 of which were born in Malta. This makes Malta the birth place of the 65th most number of Religious Figures behind South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Maltese Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Maltese Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Saint Publius (100 - 112)
With an HPI of 52.68, Saint Publius is the most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages on wikipedia.
Saint Publius (Maltese: San Publju; Greek: Πούπλιος) was a first-century Maltese Christian prelate. He is considered the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens. Publius is Malta's first canonised saint, who is described in the Book of Acts as the 'chief' or prince of the island (Maltese: il-prinċep tal-gżira). According to Maltese Christian tradition, Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West. His feast day is celebrated by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, in which the traditions are related but the day of celebration differs.
2. Prosper Grech (1925 - 2019)
With an HPI of 52.02, Prosper Grech is the 2nd most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Prosper Grech (24 December 1925 – 30 December 2019) was a Maltese Augustinian friar, who co-founded the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome. He was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 February 2012. He was the second Maltese member of the College of Cardinals, the first since 1843.
3. Mario Grech (1957 - )
With an HPI of 47.13, Mario Grech is the 3rd most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Mario Grech (born 20 February 1957) is a Maltese prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019. He was Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from October 2019 until he became Secretary General in September 2020. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 28 November 2020.
4. George Preca (1880 - 1962)
With an HPI of 46.58, George Preca is the 4th most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
George Preca (in Maltese: Ġorġ Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Catholic priest and the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine as well as a Third Order Carmelite. He is known as "Dun Ġorġ" in Maltese and Pope John Paul II dubbed him "Malta’s second father in faith". He assumed the religious name of "Franco" after becoming a Third Order Carmelite. He was a popular figure among some groups, and his pastoral care and religious teaching earned recognition. However, his activities raised suspicions of heresy from senior clergy. He was ordered to close down his teaching centres for a time while they could be investigated; they were subsequently re-opened. His activism earned him praise and in 1952, Pope Pius XII nominated him as a Papal Privy Chamberlain and awarded the rank of Monsignor. In 1957 he composed five new mysteries for the Rosary for his followers which he had referred to as the "Mysteries of Light". He was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2007.
Pantheon has 4 people classified as religious figures born between 100 and 1957. Of these 4, 1 (25.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living religious figures include Mario Grech. The most famous deceased religious figures include Saint Publius, Prosper Grech, and George Preca. As of April 2022, 2 new religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Mario Grech and George Preca.
