Hall of Honour (4): Zak Portelli

Seminarian Zak Portelli

Our fourth recipient of this virtual honour is a seminarian - Zak Portelli. A known apologist in Catholic circles in Malta, he was the main promoter of Tridentine Masses held in the parish of Ta' l-Ibraġ. Albeit not a member of Pro Tridentina (Malta) there was close co-operation because the aim was mutual, namely to ensure that the Tridentine Mass in Malta takes place on a regular basis, according to the provisions of Summorum Pontificum and Universae Ecclesiae. It was an experiment that was reasonably successful, although unfortunately it was hampered in recent years, due to various reasons, outside the control of Bro. Portelli.  

Portelli is also the author of a book  From Hell with Love. Below is a review of this book:

This book is an in depth study of the origins of the New World order. It focuses on the events which led to the French and Russian revolutions as well as the events which ousted and destroyed the Monarchies of Europe. The main focus of the book is on the Catholic Church with regards to its strict stand against the Freemasonry, and the war that has been going on silently between the Church and the Freemasonry. The book reveals stunning facts which are not found in modern day bias history books sponsored by the main stream medias which indoctrinate society into believing that we are at peace and that we have freedom. The book also goes on to describe how peace is not achieved by those men who sit around a table and discuss world peace but that true peace is found in defending morality and the cross of Christ which has been trampled on and put to shame by the liberal forces of this world.

One augurs that the Maltese Church in Malta will continue to benefit for the sterling service of this seminarian, once he is ordained to the sacred priesthood.

Case for Tridentine Mass

Sunday, March 18, 2012 ,

by Zak Portelli, Swieqi

I would like to remind Marie Dean (The Sunday Times, February 26) that Malta is not like other countries that have indeed welcomed the Pope’s motu proprio on the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. Here the very mention of Latin would horrify some priests. Every Sunday at 9.15 a.m. there is Latin Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta using the 1972 missal Novus ordo, celebrated on a dining room table, but when there is a pontifical Mass (Christmas, Epiphany, etc.) it is celebrated in Maltese with only the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei sung in Latin.

Am I correct in believing that the Tridentine Mass has not been celebrated at the high altar of St John’s for over 40 years? What is wrong with the Tridentine Mass? If Pope St Pius V during the dogmatic Council of Trent (1545-63) published the Tridentine Missal stating “...this missal can be used everywhere lawfully and freely without any scruple of mind now and in perpetuity”, why do we still have to constantly quarrel with priests who seem to think that the Church never existed before Vatican II?

On several occasions we haveTridentine Masses at the parish church of Ta’ l-Ibraġ, with the permission of the Archbishop; however, there is no regular Tridentine Mass.

St John’s would be a perfect place for a Tridentine Mass; let us hope that the cathedral chapter will be as generous as the Gospel asks them to be and allow the Tridentine Mass to take the place of the 9.15 a.m. Conventual Latin Mass. The Cathedral has a resident choir that is extremely capable when it comes to Latin chants; it has a high altar and many other things that befit the Tridentine Mass.

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