The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Malta
This page contains a list of the greatest Maltese Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 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 5
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 53.08, Saint Publius is the most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.
Saint Publius (Maltese: San Publju; Ancient Greek: Πούπλιος) was a 1st century Christian bishop and saint. 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. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, with feast days on 13 March and 22 January respectively.
2. Prosper Grech (1925 - 2019)
With an HPI of 52.00, Prosper Grech is the 2nd most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 22 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 (b. 1957)
With an HPI of 47.33, Mario Grech is the 3rd most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Mario Grech (born 20 February 1957) is a Maltese Catholic prelate who has served as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops since 2020. He was previously Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019 and Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from 2019 to 2020. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 28 November 2020.
4. George Preca (1880 - 1962)
With an HPI of 47.33, George Preca is the 4th most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
George Franco Preca, T.OCarm (in Maltese: Ġorġ Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Catholic priest, the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine and a Third Order Carmelite. 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 referred to as the "Mysteries of Light". He was canonized as a saint in 2007.
5. Paul Cremona (b. 1946)
With an HPI of 43.46, Paul Cremona is the 5th most famous Maltese Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Paul Cremona, O.P. (born 25 January 1946) (Maltese: Pawl Cremona) was the Archbishop of Malta from 2007 to 2014. He is also a Dominican friar.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as Maltese religious figures born between 100 and 1957. Of these 5, 1 (20.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Maltese religious figures include Mario Grech. The most famous deceased Maltese religious figures include Saint Publius, Prosper Grech, and George Preca. As of April 2024, 1 new Maltese religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Paul Cremona.
Living Maltese Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsDeceased Maltese Religious Figures
Go to all Rankings
Saint Publius
100 - 112
HPI: 53.08
Prosper Grech
1925 - 2019
HPI: 52.00
George Preca
1880 - 1962
HPI: 47.33
Paul Cremona
1946 - Present
HPI: 43.46
