https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/130664 2026-04-10T06:43:37Z 2026-04-10T06:43:37Z Attard, Glen https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/127064 2025-01-24T14:16:16Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The godless and inhumane as catalysts for change : Zosima’s decaying corpse and Alyosha Karamazov’s path to authentic faith in The Brothers Karamazov Authors: Attard, Glen Abstract: There comes a point in one’s life when God is but an obscure image, an echo of former times when certainty was more readily available, an illusion shattered by more profound truths. The boundary between certainty and doubt, faith and scepticism, subjectivity and objectivity, is navigated with trepidation and angst. Whether it be Viktor Frankl facing the harshest unimaginable cruelties at Auschwitz, Thérèse of Lisieux battling suicidal ideation on her deathbed, or Alyosha Karamazov dumbfounded by the terrible stench reeking from Elder Zosima’s decaying corpse, there comes a shocking point in one’s spiritual path when one is faced with the most difficult questions: Where is God in all this? Does he even exist? If not, am I to believe that all my endeavours at persevering in the faith have been futile? Is all this just an illusion?

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Borg Ebejer, Warren James https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/130885 2025-01-22T16:20:29Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: “Walk the unchristian ways of Christendom” : the tragedy of Christianity in Wilfred Owen’s poetry Authors: Borg Ebejer, Warren James Abstract: In his Introduction to the Devout Life, St Francis de Sales emphasises how every individual is expected to live a virtuous life regardless of their state. Soldiers must also shoulder this responsibility, and to prevent the army from living a devout life would be heretical for de Sales. St Joan of Arc would concur, as she encouraged her soldiers to be virtuous and moral, even wielding her sword to drive out a prostitute from the army camp. Consequently, within the military and the battlefield, a soldier may by some means live virtuously, find “spiritual springs” in the world’s salt waters, and remain untainted by fleeing temptation. The underlying message is that righteousness and piety can prosper with those who partake in war.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Fiorini, Stanley https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/130880 2025-01-22T13:58:40Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Rainaldus Bishop of Malta : December 1121 Authors: Fiorini, Stanley Abstract: In a recent publication, it was shown that Joannes Episcopus Melitensis was a bishop of Malta in 1113, rather than of Mileto, because in 1113 there was some other bishop in Mileto. This technique will be used again here to show that Rainaldus Episcopus Militensis was Bishop of Malta in 1121 by showing that the See of Mileto was occupied in that year by another bishop. It was shown in the earlier paper how Cardinal Robertus Parisiensis [fl. 1088 – ca. 1122], is recorded as Bishop of Mileto between 1101 and 1116. The main Calabrian historiographers, Ughello, Capialbi, and Taccone-Gallucci, are in agreement about who the Bishops of Mileto were after 1113, claiming Gaufridus (1119- 1122) and Stephanus (1139). Not mentioned by Capialbi is Rainaldus (1123) who is included by Ughello, without any substantiating document, followed uncritically by Taccone-Gallucci. Rainaldus is the subject-matter of this followup paper. He will be shown to be Bishop of Malta by exhibiting another Bishop of Mileto in 1121.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Xuereb, Edward https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/130809 2025-01-17T11:00:45Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Forensic evaluation of child sexual abuse Authors: Xuereb, Edward Abstract: Being typically the weaker party, an alleged victim of child sexual abuse (CSA) particularly warrants the court’s protection of one’s rights and interests and the assurance of receiving a fair and just outcome. It can be extremely hard for the child to disclose abuse, due to fear of retaliation from the abuser, manipulation that makes one believe that the abuse is one’s fault or that the victim will not be believed, shame and guilt, lack of awareness, a sense of loyalty or love towards the abuser and lack of support. On the one hand, a safe and supportive environment for children, where they feel empowered to disclose abuse is crucial. This includes building trust, providing education on abuse prevention, and maintaining open lines of communication. On the other hand, however, accusations of CSA are not always genuine. At times, the child denies or recants the abuse initially reported or the child may develop false memories of non-existent events or may deliberately lie about being abused or a concerned or mentally ill adult sincerely misunderstands some words or action of the child while there was no abuse or an adult or other child can make a malicious false accusation to achieve some specific aim.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z