New President Appointed to the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation for 2026/2027

The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Monsignor Emmanuel Agius as its new President, effective 1st August 2026. Professor Monsignor Agius previously served as President of the Foundation and returns to the role, ensuring continuity in the Foundation’s work through the experience gained in previous tenures and his continuous service as a member of the Foundation.

Ever since it was established in 2001, following an agreement between the Government and the Catholic Church in Malta, the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation has been the guardian of unquestionably the greatest artistic treasures to be seen in the Maltese Islands. At the same time, it is entrusted with safeguarding St John’s Co-Cathedral as a sacred place of worship, preserving its spiritual character while ensuring that its rich artistic and cultural heritage is conserved to internationally accepted standards and remains accessible to the thousands of visitors who walk through its doors.

Professor Monsignor Agius’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment in the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to preserve and promote this national and sacred treasure. His experience and commitment will support the Foundation’s mission to manage the Co-Cathedral and its Museum with dedicated stewardship, maintaining its sacred character, enhancing its cultural and educational value, and securing the necessary resources for ongoing restoration and conservation.

Welcoming his appointment, Professor Monsignor Agius stated: “I accept this appointment with gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility. It is a privilege to serve once again as President of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation and to contribute to its ongoing work. The year ahead brings important projects that will continue to strengthen the Co-Cathedral’s role as a sacred place of worship and a national cultural landmark. I look forward to working closely with the Council and staff in the year ahead.”

Professor Monsignor Emmanuel Agius is the former Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, where he studied philosophy and theology before pursuing further postgraduate studies at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. He subsequently undertook post-doctoral research in bioethics at the University of Tübingen, Germany; Georgetown University; and the University of Notre Dame, , as a Fulbright scholar and a fellow of the Alexander-von-Humboldt Stiftung, among other distinctions.

He is Professor of Moral Theology and Philosophical Ethics at the University of Malta and the former Head of the Department of Moral Theology. He serves as a member of the European Group of Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE), an advisory body to the European Commission, and of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and is moderator of the Commission on Ethics within COMECE. He has also played an active role in national and international bioethics initiatives, including the National Consultative Bioethics Committee and a UNESCO-supported programme on intercultural dialogue and human rights.

H.G. the Archbishop, Mgr. Charles J. Scicluna, appointed Professor Monsignor Agius as a member of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter on 25th January 2018, and as a member of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation on 1st August 2019. On 13th December 2020, he received Malta’s highest honour – Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika – for his sterling service in bioethics and professional ethics, both in his native country and on the international scene. He is the author and co-editor of several publications, and several of his articles on bioethical, social and environmental issues, marriage and sexuality have appeared in several international peer-reviewed academic journals.

The Foundation warmly welcomes his presidency and extends its best wishes for a successful term ahead.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Colonel Dr Mark Mallia for his dedicated service and leadership during his tenure as President.

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Jinħatar President Ġdid għall-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann għas-snin 2026/2027

Il-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann bi pjaċir tħabbar il-ħatra tal-Professur Monsinjur Emmanuel Agius bħala l-President il-ġdid tagħha, b’effett mill-1 ta’ Awwissu 2026. Il-Professur Monsinjur Agius diġà serva bħala President tal-Fondazzjoni u qed jerġa’ jieħu dan ir-rwol, biex tiġi żgurata l-kontinwità fil-ħidma tal-Fondazzjoni permezz tal-esperjenza tiegħu f’mandati preċedenti u tas-servizz kontinwu tiegħu bħala membru tal-Fondazzjoni.

Sa mit-twaqqif tagħha fl-2001, wara ftehim bejn il-Gvern u l-Knisja Kattolika f’Malta, il-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann kienet il-gwardjana ta’ dawk li bla dubju huma l-akbar teżori artistiċi li wieħed jista’ jara fil-Gżejjer Maltin. Fl-istess waqt, hija inkarigata li tħares il-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann bħala post sagru ta’ qima, billi tippreserva l-karattru spiritwali tiegħu u fl-istess ħin tiżgura li l-wirt artistiku u kulturali għani tiegħu jiġi kkonservat skont standards aċċettati internazzjonalment u jibqa’ aċċessibbli għall-eluf ta’ viżitaturi li jidħlu fih.

It-tmexxija tal-Professur Monsinjur Agius tasal f’mument kruċjali għall-isforzi kontinwi tal-Fondazzjoni biex tippreserva u tippromwovi dan it-teżor nazzjonali u sagru. L-esperjenza u l-impenn tiegħu se jappoġġjaw il-missjoni tal-Fondazzjoni li tmexxi l-Konkatidral u l-Mużew tiegħu b’dedikazzjoni u responsabbiltà, filwaqt li tippreserva n-natura sagra tiegħu, issaħħaħ il-valur kulturali u edukattiv tiegħu, u tiżgura r-riżorsi meħtieġa għax-xogħol kontinwu ta’ restawr u konservazzjoni.

Filwaqt li laqa’ l-ħatra tiegħu, il-Professur Monsinjur Agius stqarr: “Naċċetta din il-ħatra bi gratitudni u b’sens profond ta’ responsabbiltà. Huwa privileġġ li nerġa’ nservi bħala President tal-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann u li nikkontribwixxi għall-ħidma kontinwa tagħha. Is-sena li ġejja ġġib magħha proġetti importanti li se jkomplu jsaħħu r-rwol tal-Konkatidral bħala post sagru ta’ qima u bħala monument kulturali nazzjonali. Ninsab ħerqan biex naħdem mill-qrib mal-Kunsill u mal-istaff matul is-sena li ġejja.”

Il-Professur Monsinjur Emmanuel Agius huwa l-eks Dekan tal-Fakultà tat-Teoloġija fl-Università ta’ Malta, fejn studja l-filosofija u t-teoloġija qabel ma kompla bi studji terzjarji fl-Università Kattolika ta’ Leuven, fil-Belġju. Huwa wettaq riċerka post-dottorali fil-bijoetika fl-Università ta’ Tübingen, il-Ġermanja, fl-Università ta’ Georgetown u fl-Università ta’ Notre Dame fl-Amerika, bħala riċerkatur tal-Alexander-von-Humboldt Stiftung u bħala studjuż tal-programm Fulbright, fost distinzjonijiet oħra.

Huwa Professur tat-Teoloġija Morali u l-Etika Filosofika fl-Università ta’ Malta u eks Kap tad-Dipartiment tat-Teoloġija Morali. Huwa jservi bħala membru tal-Grupp Ewropew dwar l-Etika fix-Xjenza u Teknoloġiji Ġodda (EGE), korp konsultattiv tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, u tal-Akkademja Pontifiċja għall-Ħajja, kif ukoll huwa l-moderatur tal-Kummissjoni dwar l-Etika fi ħdan il-COMECE. Huwa kellu wkoll rwol attiv f’inizjattivi nazzjonali u internazzjonali dwar il-bijoetika, inklużi l-Kumitat Konsultattiv Nazzjonali dwar il-Bijoetika u programm appoġġjat mill-UNESCO dwar id-djalogu interkulturali u d-drittijiet tal-bniedem.

L-Arċisqof Mons. Charles J. Scicluna ħatar lill-Professur Monsinjur Agius bħala membru tal-Kapitlu tal-Katidral Metropolitan fil-25 ta’ Jannar 2018, u bħala membru tal-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann fl-1 ta’ Awwissu 2019. Fit-13 ta’ Diċembru 2020, huwa ngħata l-ogħla unur ta’ Malta – il-Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika – għall-ħidma eċċellenti tiegħu fil-qasam tal-bijoetika u l-etika professjonali, kemm f’pajjiżu kif ukoll fix-xena internazzjonali. Huwa awtur u koeditur ta’ diversi pubblikazzjonijiet, u għadd ta’ artikli tiegħu dwar kwistjonijiet bijoetiċi, soċjali u ambjentali, kif ukoll oħrajn li jitrattaw iż-żwieġ u s-sesswalità, ġew ippubblikati f’diversi ġurnali akkademiċi internazzjonali riveduti mill-pari.

Il-Fondazzjoni tilqa’ b’sodisfazzjon kbir il-ħatra tiegħu bħala President u tawguralu ħidma ta’ suċċess għall-perjodu li ġej.

Nixtiequ nieħdu din l-opportunità biex nesprimu l-gratitudni sinċiera tagħna lill-Kurunell Dr Mark Mallia għas-servizz dedikat u t-tmexxija tiegħu matul iż-żmien li serva bħala President.