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Religious Beliefs and Spirituality in Malta

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The Republic of Malta is one of the countries in the world that is said to be a Roman Catholic country. This small but densely populated country constitutes a 98% adherence to the Roman Catholic faith. This staunchly Catholic country is considered to be an Apostolic See as St. Paul, the apostle, was said to be shipwrecked and then preached and cured the sick on this island country during his lifetime. If there is one thing that is really evident on this island state, it is the presence of churches all over the country. It is estimated that there are about 360 churches all in all in the whole country giving a ratio of 1 church per 1000 person. Like Spain, Maltese culture is heavily influenced by Catholic customs and traditions like honoring saints, celebrating Catholic holidays like the Lenten season and Christmas and Catholic rituals like weddings and baptisms.

The religious order of the old, the Knights of Malta should not be confused with the Sovereign Order of Malta of today. The Knights Hospitaller of Saint John operating back then in the Holy Land during the crusades were forced to evacuate Jerusalem and resettled in Malta which later on became the Knights of Malta. These knights were responsible for throwing the Ottomans at bay and thus saved a lot of nearby European nations from being conquered. The current organization, the Sovereign Order of Malta is currently based in Rome and not in Malta.

The other 2% of Malta’s population are either Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists or Bible Baptist Church followers, However, followers of these other denominations are usually not Maltese but mostly British retirees residing in this Mediterranean state.