The St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation has announced the appointment of 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.

Archbishop 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 Mark Mallia for his dedicated service and leadership during his tenure as President,” it said.

For more information on the Foundation and its work, visit www.stjohnscocathedral.com