“Dan hu l-ħoss tas-silenzju, il-ħoss tat-talb” – L-Arċisqof

Message by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna

St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta

9th June 2017

An expression that sums up our experience tonight is a phrase that came to mind repeatedly: this is the sound of silence, this is the sound of prayer. As we listen to this music we enter into an inner spiritual peace which is that solemn  ground where we meet the Lord, it is a sacred ground.

Thank you very much Maestro Palombella, thank you very much to the young and not so young expert musicians. You have given us an experience of prayer. You have brought to us the spirit of Peter and we are so grateful. We are very proud to be sons and daughters of Paul and we are also very grateful that you have brought us this great mission of Peter, of the Vatican.

I would like to add that historically, this music was composed as this magnificient church was being built. And so there is an extraordinary, a very poignant conversion here of a majestic temple being built to the glory of God and the Knights of Malta, and this music. It is also a music of the counter reformation. It was the music of a Church that realised that it had to go back to basic. Thank you very much for sharing this heritage with us. We feel very Catholic tonight and we are very proud of it.

Thank you so much.

     Archbishop of Malta