Dismissed Vatican choir chief also hosted in Gozo’s main Basilica

Former Sistine Chapel choir master Massimo Palombella, who was dismissed from his post at the Vatican before later being convicted by a Vatican tribunal, was also hosted at Gozo’s St George’s Basilica as part of a government-funded cultural festival.

The Shift has established that Palombella travelled to Gozo just days before his appearance at St John’s Co-Cathedral to conduct Milan’s Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae at St George’s Basilica during the recent Victoria International Arts Festival.

Festival organisers promoted the performance as one of the highlights of this year’s programme, inviting the public to attend the free concert at the Basilica under Palombella’s direction.

The revelation shows that Palombella’s visit to Malta was not confined to St John’s Co-Cathedral but formed part of a broader programme of ecclesiastical and cultural engagements in both Malta and Gozo.

The festival is supported through public funds administered by Arts Council Malta under the Gozo Cultural Support Programme, meaning taxpayers contributed towards an event featuring the former Vatican choir director, who was convicted of various abuses.

Earlier this month, The Shift revealed that the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation had publicly declared itself ‘honoured’ to welcome Palombella before later attempting to distance itself from the invitation after questions were raised about his legal history and recent convictions.

Palombella led the Sistine Chapel Choir for almost a decade before being removed from his position by the Vatican in 2019 following an internal investigation into the management of the choir.

Last year, he was convicted by the Vatican City Tribunal over financial offences linked to his tenure. While acquitted of embezzlement, he was found guilty of abuse of office and ordered to pay compensation. The judgment is currently under appeal.

Instead of keeping their distance, as would normally be expected in such circumstances, the Maltese ecclesiastical authorities in both Malta and Gozo welcomed Palombella with open arms, offering him two of their most prestigious churches to host the dismissed and convicted former Vatican choir master.