Leonard Abel

Abstract

Leonard Abel, a scion of one of the earliest and noblest Maltese families, spent his formative years and his early manhood in Malta. A study of his life will therefore shed much light on the social, political and ecclesiastical conditions prevailing in Malta in the later half of the 16th century. The biography of Leonard Abel however, goes beyond the boundaries of Maltese history. In the academic field, he has every right to be considered an authority in Oriental languages, proficient in Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic, Armenian and Coptic. This was a remarkable achievement if one considers the lack of such scholars in Europe at the time. Leonard Abel was also closely connected with the 16th century movement for union of Churches; a matter of renewed interest in this post-conciliar era, when a more ecumenical approach is being suggested to the same problem. These were the main reasons why this study was undertaken.