Within the historic setting of the Church of St. Publius, overlying the Grotto of St. Paul in Rabat (Malta), the Fondation de Malte launched, as publisher, a work entitled Marc’Antonio Haxac and Malta’s Devotion to St Paul.

A surgeon on the galleys of the Order, Haxac, (Axiaq) in his unusual 17th century manuscript, depicts Malta and the then existing tradition of St. Paul. Different manuscript versions were unearthed amidst Malta’s wealth of archives by Mgr. John Azzopardi, curator of the Wignacourt Museum. Prof. Alain Blondy, professor at the Sorbonne University and a specialist on the Order of Malta, wrote the accompanying historical and philological study of Haxac’s work.

At the launch, both authors gave their scholarly but somewhat opposing views regarding St. Paul’s stay in Malta. David Raphaël Busuttil, Executive Director of Fondation de Malte, introduced the speakers, and professed the Fondation’s vocation in publishing historic documents. The event was brought to a close by Fondation de Malte’s President, Prof. Salvino Busuttil who delivered some humorous remarks on Publius, the principal character, apart from St Paul, mentioned by Marc’Antonio Haxac.

The event was held in the presence of President Emeritus Edward Fenech Adami, Mgr. Tommaso Caputo, the Apostolic Nuncio, Michel Vandepoorter, Ambassador of France, Luigi Marras, Ambassador of Italy and other distinguished guests. A reception followed at the Wignacourt Museum.

The book includes the original 1623 Italian manuscript of Haxac, with a translation in English by Alina Darmanin, and commentaries by Mgr. John Azzopardi and Prof. Alain Blondy. Marc’Antonio Haxac and Malta’s Devotion to St Paul is distributed by Book Distributors Limited (BDL) and is available in leading bookshops.