Augustinian Father Prospero Grech will be made a cardinal in less than three weeks’ time, becoming the second Maltese cardinal in history.
But first he had to be ordained bishop.
Prospero Grech has been an Augustinian brother since 1944. He was ordained in 1950.
The 86-year-old received his bishop’s mitre this week.
According to the Vatican news service Zenit, he follows a fellow Augustinian, Cardinal Sebastiano Martinelli, as the second Maltese cardinal.
Cardinal Martinelli (1848-1918) was made a cardinal in 1901.
This must be the first time Malta has heard of this cardinal.
It was common understanding that Malta’s first cardinal ever was Cardinal Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata.
“Cardinalship is ordinarily linked to the episcopate. The College of Cardinals must be the Senate of the Church and every cardinal must have the fullness of the priesthood, except if a cardinal wishes to forgo this for reasons of health. I found no reason to object,” explained Father Grech in a communiqué of the Augustinian Order.
Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi, president of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See, consecrated Father Grech bishop. He will be created a cardinal in the forthcoming consistory.
The other consecrating bishops were Augustinian Archbishop Paul Cremona of Malta and Bishop of Gozo Mario Grech.
As to why Benedict XVI selected him to become a cardinal, Father Grech attributes it to the desire of the Holy Father to honour the Augustinian Order.
“Three days before the announcement I was telephoned by the Cardinal Secretary of State who gave me the news. It took me by surprise because I didn’t expect it: I don’t think I’ve done anything special … but I think that the Holy Father, with whom I collaborated for close to 20 years in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wished also in a certain sense to make a gesture of gratitude for this service.”
For many years the cardinal-elect was a teacher in the pontifical universities and formed generations of Augustinian priests and brothers: “My area was biblical and I have always continued in this area, being interested particularly in the New Testament and the theology of the New Testament."
In 1970 he was called to the Pontifical Biblical Institute, headed by the then Father Carlo Maria Martini. “I stayed at the Biblicum for 32 years speaking about the historicity of Jesus in the Gospels and related arguments.”
He is also co-founder, with Father Agostino Trape, of the Patristicum Auugustinianum Institute, which is dedicated to helping students specialise in the study of the Fathers of the Church.
Among the forthcoming pastoral commitments of Father Grech is the 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
“The topic of this next Synod of Bishops is “New Evangelisation”, which interests me immensely,” he said.