The political ideas of M.A. Vassalli

Abstract

The excellent study by Mr Frans Ciappara on Mikiel Anton Vassalli's early years and his expressed desire to join the priesthood have thrown new strong light on Vassalli's formative years. It so happens that several years back I had come across the same collection of correspondence which I did not expand upon due to a number of reasons. I am though mainly drawn to Vassalli's political ideas which I have a strong feeling we have been consistently misconstruing. It seems to the present writer that Mr Ciappara has not fully exhausted the material he has come across. The text of Vassalli's letter to Bishop Labini dated April 30, 1788 makes a strong and special impact; for through it transpires the geniune impellent reason behind Vassalli's call to the ecclesiastical state, primarily motivated by an overwhelming desire to expand and specialise his potential in oriental languages. Attached to that letter, there is also a breve or attestation signed by the CardinalBishop of Palestrinlt Marc' Antonio Colonna, issued on February 28, 1788 in which it is stated clearly that Vassalli "a mense Julii Anni 1785 ad presentim usque infrascriptam die in hac alma urbe commemorantem". This ties up neatly with known facts, namely that in 1785 he had won a prize for Arabic at a local school 4 , after which he must have proceeded directly to Rome.