| CODE | HPA1302 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Ecclesiastical Archives in Malta | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Church History, Patrology and Palaeochristian Archaeology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is divided in three parts. The first part will introduce students to the concept of archives, their scope and the administrative and cultural patrimony value of such holdings. It will also provide an introduction to the diversity of local archives and how church archives interrelate with the wider archival scenario in Malta. The second part will focus on the development of the local diocesan bureaucratic structure, as well as the parochial administrative system, as read through the archival fonds, thus offering an introduction to the history of the Church in Malta from the late medieval to the contemporary period. It will focus particularly on tracing the development of the Diocesan administrative structures, from the establishment of the Metropolitan Chapter and Tribunals in the late medieval period, into the modern period, the functioning of the local Curia and its territorial divisions during the Hospitaller period, the development of the parochial system on the local level, the study of pastoral visitations, and a study of the renewal of administrative and pastoral structures in the period following the Second Vatican Council in the contemporary period, up to the present day. The third part will trace the historical development of the diverse religious orders, and lay confraternities that exist in the Maltese context. As such it will study: - the history of religious orders, from antiquity to the modern and contemporary period; - tracing their establishment and development in Malta in the late medieval period; - the history of the foundation and development of confraternities and guilds in the Maltese diocese; - the diversity of roles played by these confraternities, and their importance in the formation of the local Catholic identity. It will include a stage in the archive of a religious house and a confraternal organization. Study-Unit Aims: - To make students aware of the main archival and manuscript collections of the Church in Malta from different periods on the Diocesan and Parish level. - To provide an understanding of the administrative history of the Catholic Church. - To expose students to the various research possibilities that such collections offer. - To make students aware of the challenges still facing such collections, when it comes to issues of: - Preservation - Awareness of Researchers Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate knowledge of the different archives and manuscript collections related to the Church in Malta. - gain knowledge of the different research tools available for such collections and their respective effectiveness and sustainability. - describe the fundamental roles that manuscript and archival written heritage plays in the formation of national memory and identity and how this is tied to Malta's Catholic heritage. - synthesize similarities and differences in content and research potential of the different archival holdings pertaining to the Church in Malta on the diocesan and parochial level. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: describe and evaluate the situation in a given Ecclesiastical archive/s, highlighting what can be considered as being strong and weak aspects and suggesting ways in which such challenges may be addressed. - illustrate the importance of 'history from below'. - explain the variety of archival holdings in the Maltese islands. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Fiorini S.-Zammit W., (2018). Ecclesiastical Archives in Malta: Crossroads of Culture and Religions 1968-2018. (Malta: Cathedral Archives). (Eds.). Available at MZU3. - Lodolini, E. (2016). Archivistica: Principi e problemi. (Milano: Franco Angeli Editore). Available at CD971 .L63. Supplementary Readings: - Bezzina, J. (2002). "Developing norms for the ecclesiastical archives of the future". (Melita Theologica 53/2). 167-173. Available at https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/32218. - Farrugia, C. (2008). Guardians of Memory: essays in remembrance of Hella Jean Bartolo Winston. National Archives of Malta. (Ed.) In particular articles by Azzopardi, Bezzina and Vann. Available at MZX,PL. - Battelli, G. (1999). Lezioni di paleografia (Citta' del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana). (Ed.). Available at Z114 .B375 1999. - Vagnoni, S. (1995). Archivistica : Ordinamento, normativa, classificazione, sistemi, economia, informatica. (Latina: Edizioni Bucalo). Available at CD957 .V343 1980. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Nicholas Joseph Doublet Charles J. Farrugia |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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