A pilgrim’s notebook, day 3: Mary’s face and the Knights’ faith

In Malta, the unchanging blue sky greets pilgrims every morning the very moment they open their windows. After the morning prayer, we head north along the coast. The sea borders the countryside. It makes us forget the autumn of France’s fiery leaves for the glittering, salty blue of the enticing Mediterranean. Perched high above the sea, the Marian Sanctuary of Mellieha welcomes us into its oleander-draped precincts. The church was built around a grotto that houses a fresco of the Virgin and Child. Tradition claims it was painted by St. Luke himself, who accompanied Paul on his journeys – including the one with his providential shipwreck in Malta.

The historical truth is that this fresco was painted in the 12th century. But that’s beside the point. My mind begins to dream. St. Luke, tradition says, was a painter. And he must have painted Mary – even if not this fresco that I now tenderly look at. How many thousands of artists would give anything for the privilege of painting the oval of the cheek of the young girl from Nazareth, the shape of her hands that nurtured, bathed, and cradled the infant Jesus. How many of them would strive to capture the trusting depth of her loving gaze, surrendered to the immensity of God. It is no wonder that this fresco has attracted millions of pilgrims, up to John Paul II himself in 1990. In fact, the last three popes have recognized Malta as a land of saints: Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have also made pilgrimages to Malta.

Our next stop is the Basilica of Mosta. The building is one of the largest domes in the world, with an interior diameter of 37 meters (40 yards) and walls 9 meters (10 yards) thick to support it.

Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, but in a pure 19th-century style, two anecdotes make it particularly touching. First, so that worship would not be interrupted, the new basilica was built around the old church, which was then dismantled stone by stone – so as not to disturb the Maltese fervor.

And then there’s the story of the bomb: On April 9, 1942, a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb from the Luftwaffe pierced the dome right during Mass. Hundreds of worshippers were in the Basilica. The bomb did not explode. The parishioners were unharmed, and eternally grateful to Our Lady of the Assumption.

The pilgrimage continued in the evening with a fascinating presentation by Thierry de Seguins-Cohorn on the Order of Malta, which is inextricably linked to the history of the archipelago. It all began with Blessed Gérard, who founded a hospital in Jerusalem in 1048 to receive and care for pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. The hospital had 1,000 beds for men and another 1,000 for women, a completely new dimension for that time. They welcomed and cared for the poor and soon had to become a military order to protect the hospital and its residents.

The Order had to leave Jerusalem and, in the course of its many voyages, acquired great maritime skills. The Order established itself in several places: Saint-Jean-d’Acre, Cyprus, Rhodes, and it wasn’t until 1530 that Charles V suggested they settle in Malta.

After defeating the fleets of Suleiman the Magnificent during the Great Siege, they founded the most beautiful hospital in Europe: the “Holy Infirmary.” They changed the customs of the time by giving individual beds to the sick and drastically reduced the mortality rate thanks to their research and medical practices. Napoleon expelled them from the archipelago in 1798, but the original spirit of the order lives on and thrives today. It is a force in action, welcoming, helping, caring and accompanying. But it is also a spiritual force. Every day, the Knights of Malta recite this prayer:

Today, the spirit of the Order of Malta lives on through 48 national associations active in 120 countries.

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